Wonderfully compelling OpEd about play and the academic push in early ed:
Amazing OpEd About How Kids Learn Through Play
Upcoming Spring Sing on May 19th: 10-1045am
All families invited!
Community: Please Check Out Second Grade’s Tree Project
The second graders are doing amazing work for their yearlong Community Action tree study and they are really making a difference in our community.
Recently they have been focusing on the trees in our neighborhood…
They have been cleaning, mulching and tilling about 20 tree beds in the neighborhood. They have also been learning about how to care for these trees and keep them healthy and happy and why that is so important.
Then they focused their efforts on the tree in front of the Brevoort campus … they cleaned, tilled and mulched it.
Finally, they created a beautiful tree guard and bench that they made themselves in wood shop with Rotem! How impressive!?
Get to Know a Co-op School Teacher!
The 10 Question Teacher Interview For First Grade Teacher, Emily Silver!
How long have you been working at The Co-op School?
This is my first year working at The Co-op school.
What’s your favorite part of being part of The Co-op School?
I love working at a school that is growing before my eyes. There is something very special about being part of this development and contributing to ideas that might one day be part of school’s traditions. The Co-op School staff really thrives off of collaboration, brainstorming and the benefits of team teaching!
What do you like to do for fun?
I love to dance. I grew up studying dance my entire life and it has just become this passion that continues to grow with me. Whether I’m taking a dance class, dancing at a concert, party or even integrating some movements into the classroom, I feel like the fullest version of myself— energized and awakened!
What’s your favorite restaurant?
My favorite restaurant is Meskal. I have developed a new found love for Ethiopian food!
What’s your favorite sandwich?
My favorite sandwich has hummus and avocado!
What’s your favorite song?
A Little Tenderness- Otis Redding
Where do you want your next vacation to be?
Cuba or South Africa!
What are you reading right now?
Superheros in the Doll Corner By Vivian Paley
If you could buy yourself anything what would it be?
A washer and dryer!
What TV sitcom family would you most like to be a member of?
The Brady Bunch!
Interesting Article About Technology and Nonverbal Skills
Families,
Check out this fascinating article about technology and non-personal skills…
Project Work: Insect Study!
The Crickets are starting an insect study and had a great time at our local community garden located on Quincy Street. Our little entomologists searched high and low for insects in the garden.
Community: Adorable “Back from Spring Break” Note
Great Q&A on NPR About Raising Readers
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/17/387774026/q-a-raising-kids-who-want-to-read
Project Work: Beetles Airplane Culmination
Check out this link to the awesome Pre-k Beetles’s Airplane Culmination Celebration!
https://coopbeetles2015endofyear.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/airplane-inquiry-wrap-up-more/
Creativity: Cine-Magic Video
Rotem, our Woodshop teacher, and her Cine-Magic Enrichment class made an amazing video that we’d like to share! They started out by talking about movies and movie-magic and looked at old George Méliès movies (Trip to the Moon, Impossible Voyage, The Conjurer etc.) and tried to figure out how some of the effects were created. They looked at an old Superman clip of flying and talked about green screen. They also figured out some other tricks that could be made by editing and shooting (shooting upside down, pretending to fly by lying on the ground or on a chair and pasting it onto other footage, vanishing using an edit, etc). Then, every week, they discussed what the story for the movie would be. They came up with Booboo and Icing and made plans for all the places they would go in the movie (moon, volcano, underwater).
They also discussed animation and stop motion and practiced some optical tricks by making Thaumatropes (like this), Kaleidoscopes and box projectors. After that they worked week to week focusing on making backgrounds, props, costumes and some stop motion. Finally, they shot with an improvised green screen. The movie was edited and a fun celebration followed. Please check out the incredible results here: