Kindergarten:
The Kindergarten team has been very busy
learning about learning! We spent some time exploring similarities and
differences among schools, school days, and subjects in different locations
around the world. We were surprised to see just how similar or different
schools can be from one location to another. In mid-November, we kicked
off a new planner called “Let’s Celebrate!” We will get to know one another
even better as we share about our family traditions and celebrations at
home. We are also looking forward to exploring lots of celebrations from many
different places! We will learn about holiday/cultural traditions, stories, and
crafts from around the world. We look forward to sharing our learning
with you.
Primary:
"Once
Upon a Time..." there were six primary classrooms that spent weeks
learning about different types of stories. Folklore, fables, tall tales,
fairy tales and more. They learned why people shared stories and what
stories can do. Students loved hearing about stories from around the
world. Did you know that many different cultures tell similar stories?
We
will be moving shortly to a new planner called "Location, Location,
Location," where we will learn about different land features, such as
mountain, lakes, rivers and deltas and how to read different kinds of
maps. If you have any maps at home, please show them to your child!
We
also are finishing up our narrative writing and reading units. Students
will continue to enjoy writing stories about themselves throughout the rest of
the year, but we will start learning how to write information stories, such as
"how tos" and "All Abouts." We will learn
different nonfiction book structures and how to incorporate them into our
writing. Please discuss with your child what they are experts on so they have a
topic that they could write about.
We
can't wait for all of the learning that will happen over the next few
weeks.
Elementary:
The Elementary Team
continues to work diligently! In inquiry, students are learning about
waves and how waves help us communicate. This is a great hands-on science
unit where students conduct experiments and learn how to create different kinds
of waves. Through the unit, students learn that waves help transfer energy
and that they can be described in specific ways using wavelength, amplitude,
and frequency. Students learn how sound waves and light waves help us
communicate in many ways.
Intermediate:
We are so grateful that we were able to have our QUEST Feast
this year! The intermediate students did a wonderful job of learning about
different aspects of early life in the Americas and creating demonstrations for
the QUEST student body.
Currently, the intermediate level is wrapping up our second unit
of the school year. Students have been engaging in a variety of learning
experiences to learn about the economy. The central idea is that economic decisions in one
place have an impact on another.
The lines of inquiry are:
·
the impact natural resources have on the economy
·
how people meet their needs through available resources
·
how peoples' economic decisions impact others
·
human rights and standards of living
Students
investigated the ideas of supply and demand, they learned about different
aspects of our global economy, and they considered the ways in which businesses
operate.
We are excited to
begin our next planner, Earth’s Story. Students will be working with the
central idea that analyzing data and cycles helps us make predictions.
The lines of inquiry include:
·
using models to explain patterns, cycles and interactions
·
planning and carrying out controlled experiments
·
analyzing and using data to understand weather-related
interactions
This science-based
unit is fun and informative. We anticipate you hearing about our learning at
home.
