The Thursday Know

March 31, 2016

LIGHT OUR JOURNEY


	Photo courtesy of Pradhan Studios

Journey Families, please support Journey Foundation's pledge drive, Light Our Journey. Reach out to your network of friends and associates to share why Journey School matters--and to ask for crucial support in funding our school's bright future. CLICK HERE to enter addresses of people who may be willing to support your child's education (aunties, uncles, grandparents, close family friends, etc.) and personalize your letters with photos of your children. It takes less than 10 minutes and email addresses will not be used for any other purpose. No donation is too small. Learn more about the Journey School Foundation on our website or ask friends to donate now.

TAKING LEARNING OUTDOORS

Ms Lee's first graders recently visited Trestles at San Onofre State Beach for their Nature Studies lessons. Students explored local flora, fauna and fungi while wading in the low tides and enjoying a picnic lunch.

Read "Ten Reasons Why Children and Adults Need Vitamin N" on Audubon Medal recipient, Richard Louv's blog.

GOOGLE FUN IN GRADE 1

Ms. Wilde's moveable classroom makes for a terrific obstacle course as first graders work on gross motor skills while moving to a rhythm.

In this week's math block, students decided to make a huge number--a Google!

As they continued, they wondered just how big a number they could make. It ended up having 2,350 digits!

NATIVE WEST GARDEN HEROES

Journey School is grateful to Journey parents, Ryan and Saskia Tracy, owners of Native West, for their tremendous support of Journey's gardens. Among their generous donations are many hours of time, labor, supplies to build rosewood planter boxes, and the installation of an irrigation system (donated by Rob Starr and the Toro Company).

Native West is hosting a horticulture education and music event this

Saturday 4/2, at Doheny State Beach. The "free" event will feature kids activities, vendors, and educational speakers. Click here to learn more.

In honor of Miss Hellene's birthday, the Tracy family led a group of Morning Glory families in beautifying the Kindergarten yard.

The team weeded, raked, pruned and planted, but their main focus was fixing the walkway into the yard. Doesn't it look amazing!?

EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES

6th grade returned from their overnight adventures at Pali Institute outdoor education camp last Friday. Students had a great time participating in team building activities, hikes, ropes courses and geology classes.
6th Grade Field Trip to Pali Institute

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLASS PLAYS

Class plays at Journey School are an important part of each student's education. Students develop clearer speech, improve vocabulary and spelling, learn to use meaningful gestures, nurture listening skills, and enhance spatial orientation as they move about the stage. Each production brings the class together to improve social bonds and solidify a sense of community among the students. Hard work is also rewarded with the applause of an enthusiastic and supportive audience.

Miss Torrey's 5th grade class performed the Greek play, "Demeter and Persephone" for peers and family members this week.

The play follows the story of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and her lovely daughter, Persephone. One day, while Demeter is sowing seeds into the earth, Hades kidnaps Persephone and takes her to be his Queen of the Underworld.

Demeter, furious that Hades took her daughter, says that until her daughter is returned she will not let anything on Earth grow. The Gods of Olympus are forced to intervene.

Students also performed challenging recorder pieces, including the works of Handel, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Great job, 5th Graders!

SPRING BREAK = SPRING CLEANING

Celebrate Earth Day the entire month of April and help earn money for Journey by collecting donations of clothing, textiles and shoes to be reused and recycled by Clothes for the Cause. The month-long goal is for each student to bring 10 garbage bags filled with acceptable items. To learn how your child's class can win an ice cream party, click here.

8TH GRADE PROJECTS ARE COMING

Save the date for our annual 8th Grade Projects to be presented May 2-6. Come see what 8th graders are truly capable of when they're empowered to imagine and implement their own authentic projects. Look for the project schedule on the Journey School blog soon.

EURYTHMY IS BACK AT JOURNEY!

We are excited to announce that our visiting Eurythmy teacher, Amanda Bohrman, will be back for 3 weeks in April. Kindergarten and several grades class will experience the "movement art" introduced by the founder of Waldorf Education, Dr. Rudolf Steiner. Ms. Bohrman will lead students to move to music and spoken word (stories, poems, light verses), making sounds "visible" through movement, in a manner that respects the age of each group of students.

Eurythmy encompasses many learning modalities, each linking to the others, while helping to develop physical grace, coordination, self-control and an awareness of language, musical laws and musical expression. Read more about Eurythmy here.

RE-ENROLLMENT DUE BY 4/11

Visit the enrollment website and login to your parent dashboard to complete your child's 2016-2017 online forms by Mon. 4/11. Need help? Contact Kris.

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAM

Spread the word that applications are being accepted for Journey's new Independent Study Program through 4/26. An adult-only Information Session will be held Tues. 4/19 at 6pm. Download the application here.

SPRING PORTRAITS ARE ONLINE

Don't forget to order your Spring Portraits from the Pradhan Studios website by April 5. Thank you to the Pradhan Studios for donating 10% of gross sales back to Journey School. Also, 4x6 b&w student photos are still available in the school store for a $5 donation.

JACK PETRASH WORKSHOPS

Educational expert and author, Jack Petrash, will present two talks at Highland Hall Waldorf School in LA on April 8 & 9, including, "Navigating the Terrain of Childhood," and "A Workshop for Dads: Covering Home--What Baseball Can Teach You About Parenting." For flyer and details, click here.

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE