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Pre-K and Junior-K
Nichole, Lysa, Violet, and Jackie
PreKindergarten and Junior Kindergarten’s multiage classroom continues to thrive this year! Multiage learning environments best support co-construction of knowledge and allow for the child to be the protagonist in their learning experience. According to Katz, "the intention of multiage grouping is to increase the heterogeneity of the group so as to capitalize on the differences in the experiences, knowledge, and abilities of the children." The teachers witness this first-hand each and every day - the gifts that are passed between older and younger children.
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Kindergarten
Hjordis
In these first weeks of school the kindergarteners have been busy making books about themselves, friendship, and school. Their most recent book titled, “These Things I Love” gave Hjordis a window into their social/emotional development as well as their affinities as they began by brainstorming things that are very important to them and then selected three top favorites to write about and draw. Interests and hobbies are great motivators and also make material more engaging for the student so it was especially fun for everyone to take turns reading their books in front of the class as well.
Literature has also had an influence on the direction Kindergarten has taken in math this month. After reading a story titled, “Sam and the Tigers” the students were intrigued with the illustrations of tigers in the jungle. They painted a collaborative jungle scene and added a collage of tigers they had drawn. As they practiced drawing tigers using the storybook to assist them, they noticed the patterns on tigers and several other animals. This has led to an interest in finding patterns in nature as we explore plants and creatures in the woods.
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Primary (1st Grade)
Whitney
The Primary Pals have been busy learning the routine and schedule of the first grade classroom. The students began writing goals and brainstorming things they want to study. Some of goals included learning to read and tying our shoes! Primary spent a chilly, wet, but fun day at Markin Glen Park. They kept warm by taking hikes and looking for nature. They spotted a mother goose and her three babies, lots of fish, birds and numerous dragonflies. Crossing a bridge to a beautiful island that students named The Primary Private Island was a highlight of the day.
The group has also used creative dramatics to demonstrate The Four Pillars and made posters to illustrate what each one means to them. They have also been busy learning to tell time, read sight words and take part in weekly routines. Check out the baby photos in the hallway. Can you guess who is who?
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Primentary (2nd and 3rd Grade)
Sonita
Did you know that there is a Tobacco Hornworm pupating in the Primentary room? During Kazoo’s community clean up on September 6, the Hilliard family unknowingly took a guest home with them. After a surprise and some research, Patti & Carter determined that it was a Tobacco Hornworm larvae. They noticed that the Hornworm’s horn on its back is black, so that indicated that it was a male. Carter named him, Hermy. They created a beautiful habitat for Hermy and brought him into the Primentary. The students were able to observe Hermy and they noticed some very cool things. His poop looks a little like blackberries, he does not move very fast, and he eats (and poops) a lot.
By the end of the day he had entered the “wandering state” where he began digging in the dirt and evacuating his digestive system. This was a great sign that he was getting ready to pupate. The next day Hermy made a brief appearance, all covered in dirt from his wanderings, and they have not seen him since! According to their research, Hermy dug down into the dirt and will take 7-10 days to fully form his pupa. they are planning to dig him out and put him in a new habitat today. The pupal state can last from 21 days to 6 months. Stop by the Primentary soon to see Hermy!
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4th and 5th Grade
Rose
The Fourth/Fifth Grade Humanities class is off to a great start! During these first weeks, the students have been setting their goals for the first semester, discussing and writing about their summer reading book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, creating personal profiles, setting up a classroom economy, and learning how to research a topic safely and determine the reliability of sources on the Internet.
This week, the students researched the endangered “Tree Octopus”, a fictitious creature concocted in a research laboratory and used in a study of Internet literacy by Donald Lieu, a researcher at the University of Connecticut. The students began their research at http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus, where they found details about the fabricated endangered Pacific Northwest tree octopus. It detailed the creature's appearance and habits, including how it uses its suckers to move along tree branches in a form of 'locomotion' and steals eggs from the nests of birds. A few of the students began to evaluate the site more critically when they read that the “Sasquatch” is one of the tree octopus’ predators. Still, they all believed that the tree octopus was a real animal, until Rose explained that it was not. The students learned that you can’t believe everything you read online, even though it may look professional and reliable. They will continue learning to critically evaluate information they find online and work to increase digital literacy and digital safety.
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4th and 5th Grade Science
Kate
 Students in 4th and 5th grade planted seeds in terrariums to learn about factors in a terrestrial environment. Before adding other organisms, isopods (pill bugs and sow bugs), to the terrariums, they investigated their environmental preferences. Students searched for and collected isopods in Kleinstuck and are now designing and conducting experiments to find out their light and moisture preferences. Be sure to ask your student what he or she has observed!
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4th - 8th Math
Kelly
Kelly has begun using math stations in his classroom. One of the most popular has been the technology station where students play math games on one of his two iPads. Two of the more popular games are Quick Math and Dragon Box 2. Quick Math is a math fact fluency game in which the player uses his or her finger to write the answer to multiplication, division, addition or subtraction problems directly on the screen. This tactile alternative to spoken response allows kinesthetic learners to practice this important skill using their preferred learning style.
Dragon Box 2 has been the most favored game so far among the 4th and 5th grade students. This is quite surprising given that it teaches fairly high-level algebra usually found in a high school curriculum. Dragon Box is a guided tour of the logical structure of algebra without actually showing students formal mathematical symbols until the second chapter of the game. By the third chapter the player is using sophisticated notions of equation balancing and distinguishing between multiplicative inverses resulting in one and additive inverses resulting in zero. Of course they would never express such ideas using those words but they are experiencing them and developing an intuitive understanding of algebraic mechanics.
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Middle School Humanities
Rob
 2014 has quickly become the "year of the cube". The middle school classes have become obsessed with solving the Rubik's Cube. It is sprinkled in between writing, reading, and studying Africa. It helps everyone stay focused and reminds them to think both inside and outside of this multicolored box!
Here are the middle school students on their trip to South Haven for the beach cleanup day. What a great day to be outdoors and help take care of our Great Lakes!
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Middle School Science
Kate
Our first Middle School Earth Science unit this year is in land and soil resources and management. Students have investigated soil layers using samples from home and experimented with landfills, filters, and leachate. They have studied ways of disposing of many types of waste, degradation and decomposition rates, and recycling. Next week, students will present their first project, “The Reuse Project.” Using creativity and their resources, science students were challenged to come up with ways to repurpose something, giving new life to old things, such as Lucy and Chloe’s t-shirt curtain!
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PE
Karen
In PE, students are in week three of the process of creating their own individualized workout programs. Students were asked to create a ten minute individualized workout with activities that address each of the five main fitness concepts (cardio, core strength, upper body strength, flexibility and agility/balance). They looked at various resources to find activities, then spent time trying them out and timing the length of each to fit into the ten minute program. Eventually they will have a workout card they pick up each Thursday when they get to work on their program! It's a great way for them to recognize how each activity they do in PE has a purpose as they strive to get in shape and to stay in shape! One of the fourth graders mentioned to Karen that her mom is sore from her workout, so the child advised her mom to add in some more flexibility work!
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Art
Kim
Two things that are happening in art right now: 
The 5th grade class is renovating the Little Free Library. They brainstormed and shared ideas, compromised, collaborated and then got to work! The new Little Free Library will be up soon!
Also, middle school has begun research for an art project in collaboration with the African project being taught in Rob Bradford's humanities class! The students have each chosen a country and will make a piece of art relating to the region, tradition, belief structure or general art history of their country.
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