Last Thursday the 4th graders took a field trip to Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana.  The students thoroughly enjoyed the center's hands-on activities.  January was a great month to visit because it focused on 4th grade science curriculum!  The students enjoyed learning more about ecosystems, food chains, and the delicate balance of life. Some of the other highlights included laying on a bed of over 3,000 nails, participating in the DinoQuest activity, and learning about the science of hockey!  Everyone had a great time exploring and learning!

Order Deadline: Monday, February 7th

Don't Delay, Order Today!

  Order Form P-5th Grades

Order Form 6th-8th Grade

Hello Everyone,

As some of you may have seen on the campus calendar, Edgewood will be hosting the Orange County Debate League's Winter Classic tournament on Saturday, February 5th.  The event will last from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.  I am very excited about this tournament as it will mark the first time in our history that Edgewood has hosted a debate, and it will involve the introduction of many new schools into the league.

I appreciate your help and support in making this a rewarding event for the students of Orange County.  As always, feel free to attend if you'd like to see some great debates.  You may contact Lauren Frazier, Denise Miller or myself with any questions regarding the event. 

Thank you.

-Ben Hughes

Topics:

· The use of plastic has done more harm than good.

· Instant replay should be available for use in Major League Baseball.

· Cigarettes should be illegal.

· The United States should reinstate the draft.

· Impromptu Topic [TBA]

Edgewood Teams:
MCF- Amanda Madden, Amanda Cohn, Nick Flores
NMN- Sonali Narang, Kieran Mital, Lam Nguyen
MRB- Liam Murphy, Alison Ren, Francisco Buitron
QGP- Natalie Queathem, Rabka Gajiani, Austin Prado
RMW- Isabel Rogers, Isaac Modica, Sophie Eschbach-Walker

This year Fairmont has begun implementing a new elementary science curriculum.  Designed by our science specialty teachers, it incorporates the latest in best practices for teaching science, encourages technology use and promotes an inquiry-based learning approach.   Exploratory, hands-on, project-based, - are all terms that describe it.  Inquiry-based learning is student-centered, a brain-based learning approach focusing on questioning, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

There is an old adage that says, "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."  When we involve students (using the inquiry-based method) in the processes of science, they really do understand and they get excited about what they are learning.   Involvement requires skills and attitudes that enable students to ask relevant questions and seek appropriate resolutions.  These habits of mind go well beyond memorizing facts and information.  

Chief among the misconceptions associated with inquiry-based learning is that it just "fluff and stuff." Nothing could be further from the truth.  Our primary goal at the elementary level is to teach the students the processes of science - how to observe, record, question, test, analyze - real world skills needed more than ever before.  The textbook becomes just a resource not the central focus of this kind of learning.  Assessments look different and measure different things

The knowledge base for science is constantly changing and expanding.  New ideas and discoveries are daily occurrences. No one can ever learn it all.  Today's students need the skills and the ability to continue learning.  "What we know" is not nearly as important as "how we come to know."

We want parents, students and our teachers to understand the intention of and goals for our new science curriculum.  We are on a journey of discovery, an exciting one, but it will take time to reach our destination. 

Warmest regards,

Sandy Cosgrove
Director of Education 

Congratulations to Nishant Chaturvedi, an Edgewood campus fifth grader, who was one of five local students to be recognized for his skill in robotics at the Southern California LEGOLAND Cup on December 5.  The competition was part of the First LEGO League (FLL) 2010 Challenge with the theme "Body Forward."  Nishant's team, the Bionic Bots, took first place in the "Research" category for the 9-14 age range.
Through the 2010 Body Forward™ Challenge, FLL teams explore the cutting-edge world of Biomedical Engineering to discover innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body's potential, with the intended purpose of leading happier and healthier lives.  After conducting research on the human body, the Bionic Bots selected a broken spinal cord as their real world problem.  They delved deeper into this complex part of the human body and created an innovative solution to fix a spinal cord. 

Each FLL Challenge has two parts - the Robot Game and the Project.   Teams build and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology to score points in 2.5-minute matches on a themed playing field.  For the project component, teams explore an actual problem that today's scientists and engineers are trying to solve, develop an innovative solution to that problem (either by creating something that doesn't exist or building upon something that does), and share their findings. 

The Bionic Bots received support and insight from a number of local experts including team mentor Dr. William Loudon from CHOC Hospital in Orange. They presented their project to Dr. Loudon who provided valuable medical feedback and many stimulating insights. Sapphire Perez, a senior at the University of California, Irvine, and a member of the Society for Women Engineers, shared her knowledge of biomedical engineering with the Bionic Bots.  Rick Pruesse of Orthovita, an orthobiologics and biosurgery company,  demonstrated the biology of bone healing.  

Nishant has been exploring his passion for robotics with classes at Mathobotix in Irvine.  The classes are designed to promote the support and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) using robotics through a grade level structured curriculum.