Letters to the Editor: East Rockaway, Lynbrook

Thanks for successful car show

To the Editor:
As the summer car show season comes to an end, I would like to thank all the car owners for their support, as well as East Rockaway Mayor Fran Lenahan, the village trustees and the East Rockaway Chamber Of Commerce for giving me the opportunity to once again coordinate this wonderful event.
Even though there were five rainouts, we still managed to have good turnouts, as well as a great Camp Anchor fundraiser, where $3,000 was raised.

Let’s emulate the Finnish

To the Editor:
Thanks to Scott Brinton for his recent column “We could learn a lot from Finnish schools” (Aug. 22-28).
Several months ago, I came across an article in the New Republic, written by a principal at Kallahti Comprehensive School in Finland, called “The Children Must Play.” The title was his response to someone who asked him if children have recess on cold days. “The children can’t learn if they don’t play,” the principal observed. “The children must play.”
So began a fascinating report on Finland’s model of education, which includes far more recess, arts and crafts, and hands-on learning in labs. Art, cooking, carpentry, metalwork, textiles, and music lessons provide a natural venue for learning math and science. Classes are smaller, excellent teachers are well compensated, and the country has rejected standardized testing in favor of trusting teachers to design their own curriculum. Standardized testing is used at a minimum.
Ever since I read this article, I’ve been sharing what I learned with anyone who will listen. These differences have resulted in Finnish students scoring very high on reading, math and science exams. For the U.S. to continue to insist on heavy standardized testing instead of beginning to incorporate ideas from Finland’s highly successful education model is like trying to satisfy an itch on your chin by scratching your elbow.
Theresa Daube
East Rockaway