Quick Notes
We have had a very busy first week as we all met and reacquainted ourselves with each other and our space. Most of our new students had a jumpstart because they had attended camp where they met other students and most of the staff.
There was a great deal of organizing to tend to. Children added their school supplies to our community inventory, arranged material in their drawers, divvied out community jobs, selected classes and established routines.
We have been breaking up the monotony of these tasks with community building activities including games, art projects and physical challenges. Together we formed a Human Knot and untangle ourselves without letting go of hands. We found ourselves using complex verbal directions after examining the dilemma and identifying the multi-step process necessary to get out of this jam. Another day students were blindfolded and asked to line themselves up according to height…. without speaking. Similarly, on another occasion they were challenged to place themselves in order by birth date without exchanging verbal cues. All of these activities help us to know each other, to work cooperatively and to strategize as we consider a variety of approaches to a problem.
There were several art sessions this week among them was an opportunity to recreate Van Gogh’s painting, The Starry Night, using oil pastels. Each member of our community was given a 1” x 1” section of the painting to enlarge to 6” x 6”. Once completed these pieces were put together to form our interpretation of the whole painting. Along with learning about the artist, oil pastels and proportion this activity allowed the entire school to collaborate on one project, which many would have thought could not be accomplish individually or represented in pieces.
The children were provoked with difficult “Would You Rather” questions. Would you rather spend your life in a small space capsule in outer space OR in a small submarine at the bottom of the ocean? All of the questions garnered creative and thoughtful responses. Students share their ideas and insights, some even attempted to convince others of the validity of their choices.
An unfortunate incident, which caused our sunflower to uproot and fall over, led to a thorough examination of the plant. Children extricated all of the seeds from the head of the plant. They used tools to cut through layers of the woody stalk, hollowing out the softer inside and pulling apart the stringy strands of the xylem. All the pieces were examined under a microscope and findings were documented. The size of the sunflower was recorded by tracing the entire perimeter onto a large sheet of paper. Some students recalled their finding by painting the sunflower the following day.
The hovercraft students built at the end the 2008-09 school year was resurrected; everyone had a chance to zoom around the tennis courts floating on a cushion of air. The idea of transporting themselves really excites their imaginations. There is now talk about developing a method for propelling one’s self.
During our walks in the woods each morning the children expressed interest in the variety and abundance of mushrooms. This interest sparked our first scientific study. We collected each species, obtained spore prints, dried out caps and investigating the varied characteristics.
As students moved around the classroom, tapping on their books, doodling on their papers, listening intently or talking to their neighbors the teachers explained the theory of Multiple Intelligences, giving insight to how they function and learn. Students are beginning to see mannerisms as an indication of habits of mind to be respected and harnessed. Many were surprised by the result of a survey, which defined the intelligences that are their strongest suit. This exercise helped students define their own learning processes and discover their most appropriate learning conditions.
Finally students selected their classes in Writing, Science, Global Studies, Math and Electives. They have also chosen their Book Club, which began on Thursday. The classes and books offered were influenced by students’ expressed interest and requests. These included Dollars and Sense, Themes In Music, Graphs, Diagrams and Charts, Movement, Moviemaking, Writing a Memoir and Exploring History Through Fossils.
This week has enabled each person to unfold and expose her/his personality, curiosity, intelligence, vulnerability and power. We are once again engaged in the vibrancy of learning.
