March 2018 Classroom Update
The Otter class has fresh, homemade play dough and new sidewalk chalk. They have enjoyed a lot of outdoor playtime. In the classroom, they have been practicing making and eating PB&J sandwiches. The students use the sandwich making to work on their problem solving skills and their hand-eye coordination. The Otters recently took a trip to the library and the ArtLab. They learned about Georgia O’Keefe and created some artwork inspired by her. This week, the Owls joined the Otters in the Wild Learning Project program and learned about black bears and their habitats.
The Owls have been taking turns leading the opening of Morning Gathering Time to practice leadership skills and public speaking. They continue to practice their grace and courtesy, as well as learning about inclusiveness. Ms. Tina is still presenting her series on Peace Makers from each continent, where the children learn about an influential person who made a difference, such as Ravi Shankar and John Butler. They also continue their Masterpiece artist series, and a recent work of art was the Mona Lisa. The class recently enjoyed several parent readers who presented books by Dr. Seuss on pajama day.
The Acorns now have the opportunity to join in a theater class. They are finishing up their work on Simple Machines and moving into plant studies, focusing on plant life cycles, plant fundamental needs, functions of plant parts, and pollination. This week, they are taking a trip to the Arboretum to attend a workshop called “Budding Botanists.” The students continue to host their reading buddies, and Ms. Linda is also a reading volunteer in the class.
The Monarch class is busy working on both independent and cooperative projects to explore concepts in depth and learn to collaborate. The students recently finished working on a human body system and then presented their findings to the class. The individual research projects this month include a Peacemaker from Black History, “Elvis” (the class Bearded Dragon), and Inventors and Technologies. The students are beginning science fair projects and meeting with their science advisors. Last week, the class held a Movie Night for the whole school and sold refreshments as a fundraiser.
Please ask a Coyote about their amazing, weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. They viewed the Lincoln Memorial by moonlight, ate authentic Chinese food in China Town, navigated the subway system, and did yoga on the National Mall. The students visited the White House, Capitol Building, Library of Congress, and several museums. The students are now back on campus and hard at work. They are learning a lot from their guest speaker series that is part of the Democracy Project. The theme of the series is “Where I’m From.” They also had a speaker discussing the worldwide water crisis. The students continue to explore issues in the news and learning to discuss these matters intelligently and respectfully.
Written by Jennifer Stewart