Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - January 30th

Friday, Sifu Oi Kam Acheson came and led us all through movement and song to calm our minds and bring joy to us all. 

On Wednesday (1/30) I had my last mid-year check-in Meeting with our wonderful teachers. With each teacher, I asked about high points from the first half of the year, plans for the second half of the year, challenges they experienced,  how I might help, and of course we talked about the children. In every meeting, I was struck by the many ways our children have matured and all they have learned. 

Three-year-olds walk away from their parents to the Rushmore House with confidence. They have become adept at independently putting away their belongings, choosing activities, and doing their class jobs. 

Kindergarten students are reading books to each other, their teachers, and to you. They know what they want when they come to the library and are beginning to know where to find different types of books. 

Third-grade students are learning different strategies for division. They are also learning the vocabulary of division - factors, products, remainder, associative property, and distributive property. Math has a language of its own.

Older students' accomplishments build on previous learning. 5th-grade students are not new to research projects. However, this year their research will end with a paper that will include MLA citations and the formal five-paragraph structure that will serve as the basis of any thesis they write the rest of their lives. 

For Middle School students in art, the basic pinch pots and animals they created in the younger grades have been replaced with deceptively complex and beautiful plates and dragons. Some even take on the challenge of bowls thrown on the wheel. Like so much of life, art presents children with open-ended questions that must be explored and answered within the limits of the medium, whether it's clay or charcoal. Each student comes up with their own best answer.

Warmly,

Margaret Haviland

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In Meeting for Worship: We had our final Meeting for Worship focused on the Peace Testimony. Children shared messages on what Peace meant to them and how to build peace with each other. Poetry* and music were a part of the month’s worship as well. This month’s songs included “Peace Like a River”, “Dona Nobis Pacem”, “Lift Every Voice And Sing”, and “Let There Be Peace on Earth”. For the Lunar New Year, we sang “Mo Li Hua”.

Announcements:

• January 31st ~ Lizzy O’Donnell Book Reading and Signing
• February 3rd ~ Daisy Century will perform her one-woman show about Bessie Coleman
• February 5th ~ Meeting for Worship at 8:30 AM - come and worship with your children. 
• February 7th ~ WFC Family Dance 6-8:00 PM
• February 11th ~ Demonstration of Learning evening for grades Prek-8th 6:30-7:30 PM
• February 14th ~ Teacher In-Service, no school. 
• February 15-18 ~ Presidents Weekend, no school
• February 24th ~ Universal African Dance and Drum will perform