Third graders have been busy planning, designing, and building their own communities. They first decided if they wanted to design a rural, suburban, or urban community and then made plans for their community. They decided what laws would protect their citizens, what services their government would provide, what utilities were
Fifth graders created a symbolic “key” inspired by their reading of The Arrival by Shaun Tan. The keys were made to represent an idea each student believes is essential to understanding the unique beauty of others. Drawing from the novel, students designed a physical key and attached a symbol that reflected a
The third grade visited Belmont Center on Tuesday for a field trip. We walked down the hill to Town Hall, where we met with Selectman Matt Taylor and Brandon Fitts, who works with community outreach. The students asked questions about how local government works in Belmont. Next, students went in
Each afternoon, Monday through Thursday, kindergartners enjoy thirty minutes of choice time to close out their day. Activities change regularly, and children have the freedom to choose what they’d like to do and move between options as they wish. They might build with blocks, play card games, create art, or
What is energy? Where does the energy in roller coaster cars come from? Does the height of a coaster have anything to do with its speed? These are some of the questions fourth graders are asking in science class. To answer these questions, students have been making “bumper coasters” and
Third graders have been busy learning how to navigate the library with growing independence. They have been visiting the library once a week to develop skills in finding fiction and non-fiction books, using the catalog, learning how to use Sora to access e-books and audiobooks, and placing holds on library
In second grade, we continue to build our community and use 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 27 + 2 = 1
On Monday, all of the Labyrinth (grades 3-5) mathematicians gathered in the Downing for a morning of math. Students and teachers alike were engaged in a variety of math games. Students in each grade were responsible for a different game and taking on a leadership role, teaching the game, and
Kindergarten students and faculty embarked on a scientific journey inspired by our summer reading book, Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller. After sharing the story aloud as a group, students engaged in a hands-on investigation of several varieties of squash. Students deepened their understanding by identifying the squash’s shapes, colors,
On Thursday, first graders, their teachers, and a few awesome extra chaperones made a fun and educational visit to the Belmont Farmers’ Market. The field trip was planned to enhance what the students learned in their summer reading book, Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market by Michelle Schaub. We
