Collaboration and Cooperation

This week was marked by incredible collaboration and cooperation, as the Lower Elementary students explore interests across the curriculum. Partner reading, math exploration, and Keva block challenges. It has been exciting to see new friendships blossom and work partners become increasingly flexible.

Keva Plank Challenge

The children took a print-out inspirational Keva plank design, and made it their own by adding window blocks! A structure that started with two children became a project for all to enjoy, and at 4+ feet tall has been drawing visitors from around the school and beyond!

Observational Drawings & Plasticine Sculptures of Leaves

We have continued to explore our school and environment by drawing realistically. The leaves we choose from the playground last week were attatched to lined paper and Ms. Camilla taught the class to draw horizontle lines to create a leaf of the same size. The skills that the children have been using with our metal stencils and working with increasingly complicated strokes, has really helped them making light and dark veins of the delicate leaves.

Math Materials & Flexible Groupings

Literacy: Practice, Practice, Practice

Middle School Presentation: Birds of Trinidad and Tobago

Acera’s resident orinthologist Daniel Tripplet came by on Friday before snack to tell us about his trip to Trinidad and Tobago and share the beautiful photographs of birds that he captured. Tanagers,Vireos Finches with names like Violaceous euphonia enthralled the children. I was impressed that they gave Daniel their undivided attention for over 20 minutes! Before he left he invited the LE Students to come to the Middle School classroom anytime, “After all, we might be bigger than you are, but we have a lot in common.” We plan to do some research projects inspired by this presentation.