It's a new year and the new things happening at Parker are breathtaking! Here is what's happening around school:
The Science Pond is Under Way!
The big dig has begun! Fascinated kids can't keep their eyes off the machinery and daily progress. We are all looking forward to this incredible addition to the hands-on science program that will be a centerpiece for clean water advocacy, environmental study and STEM experiences.
From Early Readers to Thesis Writers
Literacy skills start early at Parker. From "writing" grocery lists and researching local animals, students learn to read, write, think critically, defend ideas and
express themselves with persuasive eloquence. The process culminates in a thesis project in 8th grade. Students choose a topic, determine the research scope and develop a thesis statement in an integrated project through social studies and language arts. The ten to twenty page papers with ELA citations form the basis of oral and visual presentations to the school community. Thesis papers are bound and displayed in the John C. Parker Library.
I love the variety of topics and the pride the kids take from completing this complex and ultimately very satisfying project. Here are a few of the topics they are exploring this year:
- Social media and teens
- The conspiracy of Freemasons
- Fracking
- Children in beauty pageants
- The Red scare, post WWII
- Title 9 and equity in sports
- The evolution of drumming
What if We Could Connect the World?
Parker 8th graders are spearheading a global language learning pilot project with Dr. Yong Zhao at the University of Oregon. Dr. Zhao is the author of the new
book,
World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students.
Spanish teacher Erin Wallace is working with the Spanish III class to use design thinking to generate ways to teach language, student to student. They will also learn how to use ObaWorld, an interactive K - 12 website, as part of the partnership.
From videos and kits of vocabulary cards, to cartooning and graffiti walls, Parker kids generated lots of ideas, and will test the best few. Read more about this innovative and exciting program!
Would You Like to Visit-Up?
On Thursday, January 23 from 4:15 to 5:15 parents are invited to visit-up to the 
next grade level. Teachers in Pre K to 8th grade and all the specialists will be in their classrooms ready to show you students' work and talk a bit about what's coming next year. We hope you will be able to take advantage of this great opportunity!
What are students delving into now?
Pre K: The grocery store; the Doctor's office;
the shoe store
K-1: Force and motion; author study of John Burningham
2-3: Oil spills and testing ways to clean them;
Literature circles
4-5: Honey bee outreach program; wind power;
Ancient Aztecs, Incas and Mayas
6-7: Ancient trade routes, Egypt to China; modern
China and competition with the U.S.; Greece
and Rome and the spread of cultures;
activism and journalism; human impact on water
8: The Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement; meteorology; Hamlet; speech
performance
