Meeting for Stewardship - This Wednesday, May 3

On Wednesday mornings, Lower School gathers in the Meetinghouse sharing silence, reflections and light with each other. Sometimes the silence is broken only by the concluding handshake and at other times, the space is filled with shared musings as students feel moved to speak.

This Wednesday our Meeting for Worship will be held in a different way, we will spend time reflecting about and connecting with the natural world through what we are calling a "Meeting for Stewardship." We will take time to notice the beauty of the world around us; we will help maintain the plants and trees around the riparian buffer and playgrounds, and we will place pollinator houses in various areas to encourage native insects to help our plants and flowers flourish.

The AFS community will be engaged throughout the day as a whole school, sharing the work of stewardship together.  Families are welcome to join.  You can come at any point and lend a hand.  To find out what time your child's class may be out working, please check in with their classroom teacher.

Observational Drawing

3-&4- Year Olds' Flower Drawings

Students in several grade levels have been involved in careful looking, describing and recording of details in completing observational drawings in art class this spring.

Starting at the youngest ages in the early childhood classes, friends are introduced to the concept of observing, or looking specifically at an object in front of them to create a drawing. The Cardinals and Catbirds looked closely at flowers in a vase, naming the types of shapes and lines that they could use to create their drawings. Starting at the center of the flower, they noticed circles and ovals. They observed that the petals were shaped like ovals but connected at the center, and that they could use loops to draw them. They added straight lines for stems and circles for vases and then carefully blended watercolor colors to record the colors they observed.

1st Graders' Daffodil Drawings

The first graders have also been engaging in observing beautiful spring daffodils in their classrooms as part of a poetry writing exercise. In the art room, they used special watercolor crayons to create observational drawings of the daffodils. They noticed the ruffled edge of the cup at the center of the daffodil, the soft oval petals and long stems and leaves of the plant.

The fourth graders have created stunning still-life drawings, which incorporate a value study. They were introduced to the concept of value in art, which is the range of dark, mid and light tones or shades. Viewing more complex still-life arrangements, they considered the composition of their drawings, deciding which viewpoint to take, where to crop their drawings and which objects were the main focus of their drawings. They began by creating a contour line drawing, and then added value by shading their drawings with graphite, looking carefully for dark, mid and light values. Using water, they created a soft wash with the graphite. 

4th Graders' Still-Life Drawings

As students are given opportunities to create observational drawings throughout their time in lower school, they develop and build upon skills, adding more levels of complexity and a variety of media to enrich their experience. Observational drawing promotes hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The practice of closely observing details translates to skills utilized in writing, reading and science, as well as promoting mindfulness and taking in the beauty of the world. 

Second Grade Reads and Writes "How and Why Stories"

The Keeping Secrets, How the Tiger Got Its Stripes and The Story of Thunder and Lightning are three examples of "How and Why Stories." In the time before modern science people created legends and stories to explain the questions and mysteries they encountered, usually in the area of animals and nature. These stories are linked to geographic areas and countries around the world.

Second graders are immersed in this study of these stories told orally for hundreds of years. They listen carefully to stories read aloud, discuss the main ideas of the story and record their thinking. A list of key words from the story is posted for the students to include in their writing. This helps them to keep their line of thinking connected to the plot and also to help them enhance their vocabulary. They then illustrate the main character (an animal or form of nature) before the change and then after the change. The country of origin is also recorded on this form. Performing various stories in the reader's theater format allows the students to read with expression and bring these stories alive.

Writing their own "how and why stories" has recently begun. Students met in small groups to brainstorm ideas that would fit this format. Their ideas were then shared and recorded on a class chart. The next step will be to pick the idea that they are truly excited to write about. Each student will then write a draft, revise by adding more detail and finally edit and publish their story.

Love of Literature in Kindergarten

The love of literature is a powerful gift. There are many ways that we cultivate this love in kindergarten.  We tell the students that a book is an invitation to another world.  When we use our imagination, we can pretend that we are inside the book alongside the characters, seeing what they see and experiencing what they experience.  We visit our Lower School library on Wednesdays, and the students get to select books to take home for the week.  After leaving the library, they enter our classroom with their books, and then they pair up to share them with each other.  We have conversations about how to take turns and share information about our books.  Sometimes we challenge them to share with friends that they don't usually spend a lot of time with, and this has led to many positive new connections.

Fourth Grade Reveals Heart & Soul Through Poetry

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” – William Wordsworth

Fourth grade recently spent time learning and practicing the creative process of writing poetry.  We began straightforwardly with the introduction of list poems, and gradually introduced more complicated techniques and styles such as Haiku, soul poems, origin poems and poems inspired by artwork. Students brought open hearts and minds to the process and the resulting poems reveal the student’s vulnerability and developing maturity.

Recently retired AFS middle school English teacher Jane McVeigh-Schultz visited our class as a special guest to demonstrate combining visual art and writing. Presenting the class with artwork by Marc Chagall and others, McVeigh-Schulz illustrated how to allow images in art to illicit thoughts and feelings that, when recorded, create interesting poems.

Here is a small sampling of some of the wonderful poems that fourth graders created:

 My Soul

My soul is two dirty bare feet and crazy, unbrushed hair

My soul is an excuse to play with the hose

My soul is finding something fun to do in the summer besides complaining about being baked

-Kaitlyn

The Dream

Oh Mama of mine I had the strangest dream last night

In the dream I flew away on a Pegasus horse

A veil like snow trailed behind me

The smell of flowers filled my body with happiness

But soon it died and the sound of pain and suffering filled the air with violence.

Oh my dearest girl, what in the world made you think that our world is filled with peace and joy?

That was only the first part, Mama

Then I saw myself in a snow-white dress

With a gold locket around my neck.

-Maura

I Sit, I Wait, I Think, I Stare                          

I sit, I wait, I think, I stare.

My tea is cold just standing there.

I sit, I wait, I think I stare.

The air is cold, too cold out there.

I sit, I wait, I think, I stare.

If only someone were sitting there.

I sit, I wait, I think I stare.

My tea is cold just sitting there.

-Matthias

The Escape

Escape, escape from the uneasy planet

never settled

always in war

We start the swim in the murky water of our imagination

 gods gazing upon the galaxy

 always being hit with the cold hard action of leaving a place

 but being wrapped in the warm blanket of beginning in a new one.

 I will miss the little bubbles that you can pop with your finger

 I will miss this old place.

-Drew

While the poetry unit lasted just several weeks, the theme of poetry has permeated our entire year. Each morning begins with a poem of the day that students are invited to ponder and comment about. The poems created by each student will be turned into small chapbooks for students to bring home and refer back to as they grow. 

 

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Angles Are All Around Us

Fourth grade has been busy learning about angles.  After learning about lines, line segments and points, they delved into an exploration of right angles, acute angles and obtuse angles.  They learned to use the corner of a piece of paper to identify whether an angle was right, acute or obtuse and practiced making and measuring a variety of angles.

Fourth graders then created each of these types of angles using mini marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti.  Fourth grade families might have seen these come home recently (unless they got eaten first!)

We also ventured outside to search for angles. What could be a better hunting ground than the sidewalks outside the Lower School and gym?  We assigned students to color coded angle teams.  Equipped with sidewalk chalk and a piece of paper for checking the veracity of a right angle, we headed out in search of right, acute and obtuse angles.  Students decided on a key that would allow pedestrians to make sense of their findings.  One revelation students came away with was that if an angle is obtuse on one side of a straight line, it had to be acute on the opposite side.  Our campus sidewalks quickly became walking math puzzle waiting to be solved by those who passed by.

Los Cardenales estudian la granja / The Cardinals study The Farm

A goal of the Spanish language program is to connect target language instruction to existing classroom studies, making the learning more relevant, including to our youngest learners. My focus is on using the target language to communicate something related to the current theme, rather than repeating words in isolation with no connection to the classroom or the child.

In the Cardinals’ classroom, the students have taken on a “Farm Study.” Therefore, it made perfect sense to integrate their inquiry in their Spanish class experience. To start, los Cardenales watched a Capstone Press interactive video, “Una visita a La granja / A Visit to The Farm”, in español and ingles. This short film introduced the students to some basic vocabulary including some for farm animals. Afterwards, using storybooks, picture cards, games, song and movement los Cardenales practiced saying these words.

granja - farm

establo - barn

carretilla – wheelbarrow

tractor - tractor

cosenchadora - harvester

horca – pitchfork

pala – shovel

heno – hay

gallo - rooster

burro- donkey

pavo - turkey

In learning about their granja (farm) in their classroom and the animales de la granja paintings that adorn the walls, the Cardinals got the chance to learn additional Spanish words.  The students were provided with the opportunity to boost literacy skills by having fun reading and writing the names for some farm mamá animals and their bebes.

gallina (chicken) – pollito (chick)

oveja (sheep) – cordero (lamb)

cabra (goat) – cabrito (kid)

cerdo (pig) – cerdito (piglet)

vaca (cow) – ternero (calf)

caballo (horse) – potro (foal)

Stay tuned, as our study will lead us to learning the Spanish names for foods grown in a farm. 

Using the Venn Diagram

Recently, we were exploring the ways that a Venn Diagram, a wonderful chart for sorting and grouping data, can be used with numbers, when a student called out, "Hey, I think we used this for books!" Perfect timing because that happened to be where we were heading!  We started our fairy tales study in first grade and have read several variations of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We chose our favorite two to use in a Venn Diagram.  A large venn was drawn on the board and we chose one side for Somebody and the Three Blairs by Marilyn Tolhurst and the other side for The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett.  Next, we brainstormed the ways that each book was unique and recorded our ideas on the correct side and then shared ideas about what the two books had in common for the center area of our venn.  It was a great deal of fun recalling the unusual details of these two books.

Since we were now Venn Diagram Experts, the students were invited to work with a partner and interview each other.  With the information that they gathered from their questions, they were to record their discoveries on a Venn Diagram.  It was such a wonderful activity!  The students were so engaged as they learned many new things about their classmates that they had not previously known.  They were equally excited to see how their chart was filling out.  Some had many facts on one side or the other and very little in the middle and others had lots in the middle and nothing on either side.  This of course changed the more questions that they asked.  To conclude, everyone joyfully shared at least one new thing that they had learned about their partner and they all requested to have a copy of their work! The buzz in the room as the students worked was really exciting and to have that level of engagement last to the very end of the lesson was truly rich!  It really deepens class connections when the students get to know each other better through the year.

Third Grade Goes To Invention Convention

On Wednesday, April 12, 2017 I had the opportunity to travel with our third grade students along with their classroom teachers to partake in the 3^rd annual Invention Convention which was held at William Penn Charter School this year. To say the least, the event left me in amazement.

The theme of the Invention Convention was The Playground and all of the students created unique models of inventions that would add to the character, and yet even more fun to our awesome outdoor space. Our students worked diligently creating inventions that incorporated simple machines and circuits. The inventions the students created twirled, whirled, lifted, flipped, and carried.

“Energy” is the word I would use to describe the entire day.  As I watched the students making their way around the room that was arranged in a science fair like fashion, I noticed how much fun the students were having meeting and greeting their peers while learning about the inventions the students from Penn Charter and Plymouth Meeting Friends had created.  During lunch the students had an opportunity to run around and mingle with the students from the other schools.

The event ended with meeting for worship in the worship room where the students and teachers all had time to peacefully reflect upon the day. At the end of meeting for worship students and teachers alike shared their thoughts of what they learned and appreciated about this year’s Invention Convention.

Our students boarded the bus back to school full of excitement and glee. They were buzzing about how proud of themselves they were and how much fun they’d had. They joyous celebration and revelry continued once we returned to school.

Once again, well done AFS. Go Roos!