With the switch to offsite learning due to the coronavirus outbreak, our faculty will be sharing various curriculum highlights from their “classrooms” over the coming weeks.
PE Keeps Students Moving
Although we love exercising in the Barn, and using our fabulous array of physical education equipment, it turns out with a little creativity and a bit of hustle you can get an awesome workout at home. Our offsite PE curriculum challenged our students to build obstacle courses, complete exercise circuits, and get their heart rates up in small spaces. If the early returns are any indication, they’ve been super active and innovative, with zero lampshades or vases harmed in the process. Not that we’re at all surprised.
– Alex Tzelnic, physical education teacher
First Grade Starts Day With Morning Meeting
This week, first graders started connecting as a whole group through Zoom morning meetings. They are joyous and energetic! Throughout the week we have practiced doing many aspects of our regular morning meeting routine: a greeting, a share, a movement activity, and reading the morning message. We hope next week will also include weather observations and calendar reading. In math, students have been working on estimating measurement and practicing quick math facts. In writing, they have been creating small moment stories and journal entries. Wednesday was especially fun with a virtual choice time.
– Cicely Gibson and Beth Krebs, grade 1 teachers
Fourth Grade Projects Get Creative
In fourth grade students have been busy taking charge of their own learning. They are now comfortable using Google Classroom, email, and Google Meet to keep on top of assignments and to check in with teachers. Students are continuing their development as thoughtful, adaptive digital citizens and learners. Over this past week, they have also been learning about geometry, reading Andrew Clement’s book Frindle, and designing Greek temples, theaters, and athletic stadiums. To complete their various projects they are getting very creative, using found materials, pencil and paper, and even Minecraft.
– Lana Holman and Mary Norman, grade 4 teachers
Seventh Grade Scientists Research Climate Change
Seventh grade students in group 2 completed a project in which they chose a geographic region of personal interest, researched the effects of climate change in that region, and creatively presented their findings. Students learned about a range of topics, from the impact of wildfires in Australia, the global response to melting ice in Antarctica, to the impacts of climate change in the USA. They also chose a range of media to present their research: from innovative websites and artistic slideshows to informative newspaper articles. Use the links for a sampling of the students’ outstanding work.
– Leal Carter, grades 7 & 8 science teacher
