Fourth graders have started the year by talking about community and teamwork. One of their first activities was to make a pyramid of six cups, using only a rubber band and four strings (they were not allowed to touch the cups). That sounds plenty tricky, but they also were not allowed to talk! As students got the hang of it, they moved on to more challenging designs and congratulated each other on their shared success. Afterward, students discussed the importance of sharing ideas and persevering in team settings. The investment of time spent building bonds, trust, and collaboration skills now will surely pay dividends as we continue through the school year!

Arts Update: Fifth Grade Are a Bunch of Characters

At the start of the year, students in fifth grade theater class jumped back into performance mode with the activity “character portraits.” Following a physical warm-up to spark their imaginations, the students transformed into groups portraying ballerinas, spiders, wilting flowers, cats, and wizards. They were also tasked with using varied heights and positions to add depth to their tableaux. Afterward, as they shared their favorite moments, laughter echoed throughout the Palandjian Arts Center.

– Susan Dempsey, theater arts teacher

Second Graders Examine Self and Community

In second grade, we have been working on building our community and using our collective intelligence to create norms and guidelines to ensure friendship, fun, and learning for all. After reading This Plus That, Life’s Little Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, we created our own equation of 28 + 3 = 1 to illustrate our new community (28 amazing students + 3 dedicated teachers = 1 awesome second grade class). As part of our social studies curriculum, we began working on our self-portraits to help represent the individuals in our community and to help us understand Who am I? as a part of Who are we?

To help us with our self-portrait project, we read The Colors of Us by Karen Katz. We talked about the details and vibrant colors that Katz used in her illustrations while following Lena as she travels through her community in the big city. We talked about the importance of respecting differences, embracing the beauty of diversity in every community, and learning more about all of the communities that we are a part of.

– The Second Grade Team (Nancy Fell, Katie O’Brien, and Giuliana Blanca)

Kindergartners Draw What They See in the Mirror

Every year in kindergarten, students work on a series of self-portraits. The first is drawn at the beginning of the year, the second is drawn at the middle of the year, and the last is drawn at the end of the year. These self-portraits offer a glimpse into the incredible growth that a kindergartner undergoes from September to June.

After reading the book Shades of People, kindergartners began their first self-portrait experience. They used mirrors, pencils, black flare pens, and a variety of crayons as they drew themselves as realistically as possible. Make sure to walk by the kindergarten hallway to see their beautiful portraits that are hung along the wall!

– Elizabeth Ho, kindergarten teacher