Sunday, November 25, 2012

November 2012


Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a glorious Thanksgiving.  Please know that amongst the many things I am thankful for, teaching your children is at the top of my list. There are moments throughout the day where I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this magical school and the opportunity to watch your children fall in love with learning.  I hope I can capture their joy, and mine, in this blog.

The Washington, DC adventure was a booming success.  I dropped Jane, Jorun, Laura and Ms. Katie off at the sculpture garden and went to park my car.  Upon entering the garden I was met with shrieks of glee, "Ms. Reed,  Ms. Reed," they screamed and grabbed my hand, "they have an Alexander Calder stabile!"  You would have thought it was Christmas.  They dragged me to the Cheval Rouge (Red Horse) and proceeded to regale me, and other awed visitors, with information about the artist.  As their classmates trickled in they mobbed the structure, amazed by it's size, vibrant color and engineering genius.  We even made a mini-documentary with my phone.  Their appreciation and understanding of all they had read and researched about Alexander Calder was brought to life through this meaningful experience.  And this was just the beginning!

We strolled over to the east wing of the National Gallery of Art and I pointed out the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building.  Since we had just recently discussed the election, they of course were filled with curiosity about what went on beneath the nine million pound dome. A five minute walk turned into an in depth discussion about American government.  We proceeded into the gallery and met our wonderful tour guide Rosalie, who began by telling us she had read both of the books that had inspired the trip, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Chasing Vermeer.  From painting to painting, we ohhhhhhed and ahhhhhhed but it wasn't until we met face to face with The Lady Writing that they truly came to life.  When asked to comment on Vermeer's work they could barely get their hands up fast enough.  Mikey said that although he was starving, he would rather skip the cafeteria and spend the whole day with The Lady Writing.   Asa said it made her sad to even think about leaving DC without her.  Rosalie, our docent, was impressed by their poise, investment, bank of knowledge and ability to apply what they had learned.  The next day she called Stacey to say they had been beyond outstanding.

After the east wing we headed over to stand beneath the giant Calder mobile in the east wing.  The children marveled at its size. Knowing that Calder had studied engineering, they had a great appreciation for the process he went through to create this enormous, balanced piece of art.  The day before they had tried their hand at a Calder inspired engineering challenge - to  create a stabile, without using glue or tape.  The exercise proved to be difficult and rewarding.  It made them appreciate Calder's genius that much more.  After admiring the mobile from every angle we visited the Calder room.  The children were mesmerized by the stabiles and the shadows they projected on the walls.  Gus got down on his belly to examine the work from a different perspective.  Many of them got out their sketchbooks and drew what they saw.  Some wrote stories inspired by the art.  Others engaged in conversations that were rich beyond their years, debating and comparing the merits of Alexander Calder and Johannes Vermeer.

The Air and Space Museum was next.  The children watched To Fly through engineer's eyes.  Afterwards we discussed all of the engineering feats that were featured in the film.  They of course missed nothing.  We meandered about the museum and talked about aeronautical and aerospace designs.  Many of them have ambitious career goals!  The museum served as a perfect springboard for our moon study.

We waltzed up Capitol Hill under a moonlit sky.  There was a bite to the wind but what gave me chills was listening in on their conversations.  Amidst singing and laughing of second and third graders, there was a palpable sense of accomplishment and pride.  Seven, eight and nine year olds were comparing great artists.  They were discussing which ones motivated and moved them.  They were connecting what they had seen to what they had read, researched and written.  They were inspired by engineering feats of giant mobiles and complex rocket ships.  Their prior knowledge and understanding combined with this rich experience transported them to a whole new level of learning and they were giddy.  So was I.

Thank you for trusting me with your children.  This was an ambitious trip and I am grateful for your support.

Best,

Karin





 









 

 





Tuesday, October 9, 2012

September


Dear Parents,

How can it already be October?  The chill in the air assures me that summer has passed.  I can also judge that fall is upon us based on your children.  In just four short weeks the Spirit Bears have transitioned from a great group of individuals to a cohesive community.  Their work ethic is astounding, their enthusiasm boundless and their curiosity inspiring.  I welcome you to come watch them in action.

The Spirit Bears are prolific authors.  They have already published three pieces! They begin their work with a brainstorm, followed by a sloppy copy, then editing (both peer and teacher), revising and finally publishing.  If you haven't already, stop by the art hallway for some comedic poetry.  The "What I Didn't Do This Summer," demonstrates their first efforts as second-third graders.  We laughed ourselves silly in the author's chair while sharing these funny pieces.  The children embraced the next assignment which was inspired by our first read aloud, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  They each wrote several diary entries about a pretend run-away adventure. They chose a specific destination that they were experts on, ranging from the local library to Disney World, and created day by day, play by play entries about their experience.  They are adding "delicious details" to their work and implementing constructive criticism to make their writing go from good to great.  We are currently writing mysteries with an ominous mood.  This assignment was inspired by our new read aloud, Chasing Vermeer.  We also used the picture book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  The exquisite illustrations served as a springboard for writing.  The children capably created interesting characters and developed a mysterious plot filled with twists and turns.  This is a challenging assignment and I am thrilled by their response.  They are motivated to write and eager to share their work.  Several of the children have cited Writer's Workshop as their favorite time of day.  Our first publishing party will be on Grandparents Day! 

Your children are budding engineers!  The pasta tower building served as the perfect segue into thinking and planning like engineers.  The children begged, even after three rounds, to let them improve on their pasta tower designs.  They learned valuable lessons throughout the process.  According to Diego, "If you don't collaborate, your tower will fall."  Casey realized that the base of the tower needed to be wide and sturdy.  Laura and Jane learned that when it comes to tape, sometimes less is more. After building the towers we discussed that engineers first ask what the purpose of their project is, then imagine it, plan it, improve it, build it and finally evaluate it.  We will use this method each time we embark on an engineering challenge.  After the towers the children took part in an engineering rotation.  They read, recorded and reported on nine different types of engineers from civil to environmental, chemical to mechanical.  Ms. Stacey stopped by during the process and was amazed by their bank of knowledge.  Our most recent engineering feat involved building bridges using five sheets of newspaper, twenty paper clips, two chairs and a foot of masking tape.  We used our engineering method in pairs.  The most successful bridge held eighteen toy cars.  After testing the bridges, the children evaluated their own work as well as their classmates' work.  They were reflective and thoughtful with their evaluations.  Next week we will build our second round of bridges.  We will hopefully use our reflections to create an even more successful design.

Ask your children about Michelangelo,  Johannes Vermeer and Alexander Calder.  These three unique and powerful artists are featured in our reading.  We have been admiring, investigating and comparing them during our Language Arts block.  Several of the children painted underneath the tables, their paper taped above their heads, mimicking the process used to create the Sistine Chapel.  During the next couple of weeks we will be examining the work of Johannes Vermeer more carefully.  Many of his pieces were left unsigned.  Like Calder and Petra, the main characters in Chasing Vermeer, we will be examining and comparing these works, looking for discrepancies.  We will also design mobiles, using Alexander Calder as inspiration, while applying engineering principles to make them balanced.  We are hoping to visit the National Gallery in Washington, DC to admire some of the original works.

In math we continue to work on graphing while revisiting place value.  We begin each math block with a whole class game.  These games are designed to improve their speed and accuracy with math facts.  The Spirit Bears are incredible big picture thinkers.  Their understanding of math concepts wows me daily.  The project/game based approach used by Ms. Cope clearly had a big impact.  We will continue to celebrate their big picture understanding while fine tuning their number sense through daily practice.  Currently the class is divided into two flexible groups.  The grouping is based on their pre-tests, is flexible and meets the needs of each learner.  We will be comparing numbers through the ten-thousandths place, rounding, adding using re-grouping an subtracting across zeros.  Any opportunity to practice math facts is a huge help!

Thank you for sharing your children with me!  They are delightful.  Seeing the world through their eyes is refreshing.  Gabby asks me daily if I can do anything to make the school day longer!  I couldn't agree with her more! I look forward to our continued work together.  As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Warmly,
Karin

P.S. Below are photos of some of our poetry on display in the Art Hall. Check them all out sometime soon! Click on the photo to enlarge it.





 

Friday, June 1, 2012

Dear Parents,

These middle schoolers continue to astound me daily.  They defy the stereotype of adolescents in every which way.  I thought I would give you an insiders guide to what they are saying within these walls and during our off campus adventures.

Out of the Mouths of Middle Schoolers:

Hillel: "I'm so sad, Mrs. Reed."  "Why?"  "There are only fourteen days of school left.  How could it be over already?"

Donte: "This (eating lunch with his classmates) is so special."

Savannah: Crying at night to her mother, "I want to have school on the weekends!"

Chloe:  "School ends in two weeks!  Yes!  I'm so relieved.  I thought we only had one week left."

It is more than magical to me, that at an age when many pre-teens turn away from school, they remain as invested as the day they arrived.  If you could only be a fly on the wall during lunch you would revel in their confident banter about politics, environmental issues, sports and literature.  They have spent the last couple of weeks during recess creating their own countries.  They work collaboratively to design a government and develop a culture for their kingdoms.  Whether we are putting our face to the sunshine or cozied up on a rainy day in our classroom, their observations and discussions are inspiring.  From the noon-time concert series to the Phillies baseball field, I am proud of who they are, what they say and do.

The Philadelphia trip was the perfect culmination of our Revolutionary War/Constitution study.  During the  visit to the National Constitution Center, I was amazed by how invested, engaged and knowledgable they are about the Constitution.  The museum was interactive and the Spirit Bears did not let a single opportunity pass them by.  Each of them took the oath of office as President of the United States, participated in a heated Jeopardy game and tried on Supreme Court Justice gowns.  After the museum, we headed out to cheer on the Phillies!  We feasted on ball park food and laughed late into the night.  With Ms. Stacey along, no one was going to skip out on the exercise.  The following afternoon we raced up the Rocky steps in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum.  Afterwards, we lingered in front of paintings, mesmerized by their beauty, bold colors and incredible light.  We frolicked in the fountain, said goodbye to the "City of Brotherly Love," and headed back home. 

In additon to our Philly trip, we have experienced quite a deal around town.  Mr. Skadron and company gave us an insiders' tour of the new engineering building at UVA.  The children were astounded by the thought and effort that went into every detail of the architecture.  They were inspired by the passion and investment displayed by our tourguide.  They sat in specially designed swivel chairs, asked and answered questions in the high-tech auditorium and looked at Charlottesville through a professor's eyes. 

Our garden growing enrichment is hugely successful and reading the Omnivore's Dilemma has been an eye opening experience.  All of the Spirt Bears are reading labels and discussing healthy options.  We recently ventured down to the Market at Meade to talk to local growers.  The children broke up into small groups to ask the farmers questions about conventional farming, industrial organic farming and local growing.  Their Science Day projects reflected a deep understanding and interest in the farming industry.  Later this month, we will be visiting Polyface Farms.

I look forward to finishing the year with a bang!  I am certain that the next two weeks will be filled with new experiences, nostalgic reflections and teary goodbyes. 

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Warmly,
Karin






Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Dear Parents,

February flew by with few flakes falling and young minds growing like Spring flowers. We ventured outside of our classroom a lot this Winter, expanding our schema and widening our perspective. We saw Charlottesville through professor's eyes, thanks to Gabriel Finder (Chloe and Hillel's dad), participated in a Rotunda Talk about the life of enslaved bell ringer Henry Martin, played "Catch the Baby" with visiting local artist Rosamond Casey, traveled to Montpelier as part of our Government class led by Coach Dave, celebrated school-wide friendships at our Valentine's Tea and presented our historical biographies during our Virginia Yearbook Festival. What a productive, academically enriching and fun-filled February it was!

During February we integrated Social Studies and Language Arts, focusing primarily on reading, researching and writing historical biographies. Each student chose and researched a prominent early American, wrote a biography in the first person and created and wore a costume while presenting their findings. The Kodiak Bears and Black Bears loved listening to the accomplishments of Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Chief Powhatan, Patrick Henry etc. In addition to the biographies, the Spirit Bears enjoyed participating in skits about the events that lead up to the American Revolution. They eagerly acted out colonists on the verge of tumult, greedy King George and passionate Patrick Henry and John Adams. They empathized with the plight of the colonists and read accounts highlighting the many different perspectives and emotions involved with the conflict. We also watched 1776 in the MAC and were delighted by the musical rendition of the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

In Science, the Spirit Bears revisted the Water Cycle in order to move forward with Aquaculture. The middle-schoolers participated in a heated debate regarding the pros and cons of harvesting non-native organisms. We are looking at water as an energy source and investigationg the construction of dams, and defining their purpose. We will be visiting the south fork of the Rivanna, which is a water treatment plant and also has a hydro-electric pump. The children will be constructing their own dams and testing them to see which materials and designs hold up.

We look forward to Spring adventures to come!

Warmly,

Karin

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Looking Back, Growing Forward

Dear Parents,

The middle-schoolers are finishing up a project called Looking Back, Growing Forward. I took the opportunity to work alongside them to remember some of the Fall highlights of 2011.

-The incredible collaboration of parents, teachers, administrators and children this summer
working together to build our school;

-The dynamic and unwavering spirit and teamwork of the CDS faculty during the first three weeks of school; unloading pods, clearing out the MAC, motivating and inspiring one another;

-The long anticipated arrival of the students filling our new space with laughter, love and learning;

-The middle-schoolers' river adventure; boats, beaches, crabs, camping and hands-on science-studying river ecosystems that feed into the Chesapeake Bay;

-Our presentation at our art opening at the Curry School highlighting a month long collaboration project, integrating writing, art and exploration;

-Grandparents/Special Friends Day; our very first Whole School Circle performance at The Jefferson Theater;

-Harvest Festival in our new downtown space -watching our school community from cubbies to middle school build memories together;

-Wednesday adventures on foot to the downtown mall; researching Charlottesville through Artists' eyes, Historians' eyes, Architects' eyes, Entrepreneurs' eyes...;

-Learning about the language and culture of China with the Worldwide Wahoos;

-Our middle school choir taping the "Christmas Idol" at a real Music Recording Studio;

-Studying the Constitution and US History through law cases in Coach Dave's class;

-Trips to local streams and rivers to investigate plant and animal life as a jumpstart to our Classification Celebration. Observing, collecting data, developing hypothesis regarding the health of the water systems;

-Studying the culture, customs and traditions of Puerto Rico in Spanish class - mastering Spanish vocabulary through weekly assessments;

- Challenging ourselves physically through kickboxing classes, walks to Meade Park, whole school soccer games and basketball games with our new hoop;

-Researching primary and secondary documents about the Starvation Period at Jamestown - comparing perspectives of three cultures - visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg;

-Being inspired by Greg Mortenson and researching and developing a whole class service learning project;

-Creating old English caroler costumes for the Winter Whole School Circle - learning to balance economic resources and recycle used items;

-Creating and achieving individual and group reading goals - generating a list of one hundred+ rich and challenging vocabulary words that we integrate into our writing and speech;

-Devouring short stories from authors including: Anne Tyler, Amy Tan, Anne Sexton etc.;

-Understanding the motivation and inspiration behind the paintings of Goya and Hopper;

-Playing and performing in the CDS Wind Ensemble;

-Challenging ourselves through intensive math studies - applying our understanding fractions, decimals, percents by developing games;

-Dreaming of incredible academic experiences to come in 2012!

Thank you for all you do to support our Middle School experience.

Warmly,
Karin