First Grade Engineers Help the Three Little Pigs

This year, we are thrilled to have an exciting new partnership with the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach at Tufts University. Classroom teachers in Grades 1, 2, and 5 will be working closely with Associate Director Merridith Portsmore and graduate student Chelsea Andrews to infuse engineering into our science learning expeditions.

On December 14, Merridith and Chelsea visited the 1st grade classroom to present students with their first engineering design challenge-to build a house with LEGOs tall and wide enough to fit an adorable pink pig! First graders rose to the challenge, collaborating with partners to build and test their houses. Merridith noted, "These are one of the more impressive groups of 1st graders I've worked with. They dove right in and did a great job!"

First graders will continue to work in engineering crews to help the three little pigs of the popular fairytale build stronger houses that can not only withstand the wolf's "huffing and puffing," but are windproof and waterproof as well.

The First Annual Climate Change Summit at Conservatory Lab

The 5th graders took on the roles of real-life scientists and activists working on issues related to climate change. They hailed from the Great Barrier Reef, Maldives, Gulf of Mexico, Kenya, Bangladesh, the Arctic, and the Midwest. They came as teams of ambassadors, with their unique perspectives and knowledge, to answer the question: How are our regions affected by global climate change?

How did they become expert ambassadors? Over the last two months of their expedition, Heating Up, Chilling Out, students researched their ambassador and his or her work and their region and its climate change issues. They conducted experiments to investigate science concepts related to the issues of climate change in their region. They created diagrams to help understand concepts, and graphs and maps to help analyze and interpret data. Teams inspired each other as they made creative skits and cartoons to teach the science concepts at work in their region. All the hard work paid off! The depth and complexity of their understanding stood out in the way they thoughtfully and passionately presented their findings and questioned one another.

We could feel that the answer to our Earth's climate change problem is found in interconnection. We could feel the power of people connecting to understand each other's unique yet interconnected experiences. As they reflected on the presentations, students imagined the Earth as "one"- an Earth whose regions and climate are intricately connected.

• Beatrice Jackson (Climate Scientist Thomas Knudson) reflected: "If we researched every single region then we would probably see interconnections between all of them, though maybe not the ones we've seen before."
• Ben Lee (Marine Biogeographer John Guinotte) observed: "If you alter something it will affect everything else. Like in the Great Barrier Reef food web, if you remove the producers, the consumers would die off and there would be no life."
• Alphonse DeVita (Lieutenant Commander Kathy Martin, NOAA Hurricane Hunter) reflected: "A table can't stand if you cut a leg off."
• Christopher Fulton-Harley (Dutch architect Koen Olthius), still in his role as the designer of floating buildings for the sinking Maldives, commented, "If you can't beat the water, join the water."

And so, the new year will find the 5th grade continuing our exploration of the questions: How can our world adapt to a changing climate? How can we work on climate change solutions?

All school trip: Jose Mateo's Nutcracker

For the second year in a row, our calendar year has been capped by an opportunity to see an incredible professional artistic performance. On Friday, December 21^st 2012, all students and staff boarded school buses (in the rain) to transport them to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Jose Mateo's Ballet Theater Company, along with many local ballet students, performed the Nutcracker at the Strand Theater. 

 

Our students were mesmerized by the beautiful costumes and the graceful dancing from the moment the lights went down.  They were intrigued by a story told without words and delighted by the young dancers, particularly Mouse #6, our own Marguerite Greene who participated in the community audition process the dance company supports every year. 

 

The universal favorite moment of the show was when children (the Polichinelles) started running out from under the skirt of Mother Gigogne (Ginger) to perform their dance.  

Students, staff and parent chaperones all agreed it was a great way to end 2012 and say "see you next year!" to school friends.  Thank you to the PAC for providing the buses and to all families for supporting this magical cultural experience.  A Boston tradition!

Important Reminders: 

Update on City of Boston Flu Emergency 

Thank You BU Women's Hockey Team!

For the past several years, the Women's Hockey Team of Boston University has made a holiday tradition of visiting our school, reading with our students, and donating books to all our K1 - 2nd graders. Everyone looks forward to these visits!