Two events this week have highlighted the work Upland students are doing in math and science. One is, of course, the Upland Science Fair. Open to students in grades 4 through 9, who can work individually or in small groups, the Science Fair serves as a first step for several regional science competitions. Winners at Upland may be eligible to progress to the Chester County Science Research Competition in March. Thirty-one projects were submitted this year, a record number. Winners of Upland’s Science Fair will be notified during the week of Jan. 30, and results will be announced at Assembly on Monday, Feb. 6. The projects are in the Barn Gallery, and will remain on display through Feb. 3, so be sure to come check them out! To whet your curiosity, you can click on the link below.
Another recent example of academic work occurred at, of all places, the rink. The 9th grade geometry class was asked to determine the square footage of rubber matting covering the floor. That information was needed in order to estimate replacement costs. So the students went down to the rink, armed with several tape measures and a laser measure, and measured all the dimensions of the awkwardly shaped floor. They duplicated each other’s efforts as a way of double-checking for accuracy, and they recorded the measurements on floor plans of the rink. Then it was back to the classroom, where they first estimated the square footage, and then calculated it, taking into account all the curved areas around the edges of the rink, and the other irregularities of the space. Jane Y. and Lydia F. came amazingly close with their estimates – they were within 30 sq. ft. of the total, which was in the neighborhood of 1500 square feet! To view pictures of the students measuring, click below.
Although History is traditionally about the past, the 8th graders at Upland are keeping their eyes on the present as they study earlier times. Their curriculum focuses on the non-Western world, so they are learning about the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While they do have lessons on ancient civilizations from those areas, they are also devoting one day each week to modern events occurring there. Their teachers, Mrs. Beck and Mr. Goeller, want them to see how the conflicts and issues of today have often grown out of events in the past. On Mondays, each student in Mrs. Beck’s class brings in a write-up of a current event from the region they are studying. Mr. Goeller’s class does this on Fridays. When the students get to class, they sit in a circle, to facilitate discussion. As each student shares an event (which can be any arena -- politics, the arts, athletics, science, entertainment, health, war, business, weather…) the others comment on it. Often two students have brought in stories about the same event, and sometimes the information varies depending on their sources. This is a good chance for the teachers to point out that reporting events as they unfold is not an exact science – accounts differ, and conditions change rapidly so that two news stories filed even one day apart might be very different. Students try to predict what might be the results of today’s events, and often follow up on stories that were shared in previous sessions. They speculate about the factors that motivate today’s movers and shakers. As they come to realize that today’s problems are rooted in the past, their interest in history grows.
The 3rd grade is studying Elizabethan times. They are learning about explorers like Sir Francis Drake, playwrights like William Shakespeare, and the culture, clothing and foods of England in the late 1500’s. As part of that study, they traveled to Manheim, PA to the PA Renaissance Faire on October 20, to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of that time period. They dressed in costumes, and carried their lunches in pouches they had made in art class. Click HERE to view pictures from their trip.
The Pre-K class has written a book and it has been made into a movie (well, not by Hollywood, but it’s still a movie!) Inspired by morning greetings, the class brainstormed different places and people that they like to greet here at Upland. Each then pulled one of the ideas out of a hat, and illustrated it. Publisher and Producer Judy Yeatman acquired the movie rights, and proceeded to transform the drawings first into a lovely little book, and then into a short film, with each "page" narrated by its artist. Click HERE to view the movie version of Pre-K's book, "Good Morning, Upland!"
As we all know, not all learning takes place in a traditional classroom. This was very apparent when the 8th grade went to Camp Pecometh on Sep. 6 and 7 for a team-building experience in outdoor learning. The students were given a number of "challenges," or tasks to complete as a group. Each task included certain rules. For example, they had to get the whole group across a stretch of land. The rules specified that they could not touch the ground, they could only use a limited number of boxes, only one person could be on a box at a time, etc. Some of the challenges included the rule that the students could not talk! They had to do all their planning and communicating through gestures. In addition to the group challenges, the program included some experiences on the "high ropes" course. One such exercise was to climb a ladder, maneuver off the ladder and onto a log suspended between two trees, and then crawl along the length of the log. From the end of the log, students rappelled down to the ground. On the second day, students again enjoyed a high ropes activity; they climbed to the top of a tower, and then rode a zip line down to the ground. For that activity, the students also learned to serve as belayers for each other. It was a busy two days of learning ... outside of the classroom!
CLICK HERE to view pictures of the Camp Pecometh trip.
On May 13, the 2nd grade set out for the west in a wagon train. They re-enacted pioneer
life, complete with costumes, and enjoyed a variety of activities related
to their study of this time period in American history. Click HERE to
view pictures.
Part of the 5th grade's study of world geography is a unit on Africa. The students learned about the various habitats to be found on this huge continent and the ways that the inhabitants use natural resources to construct their homes. The 5th graders then were put into groups, each group was assigned a region, and the group was given the task of building a model dwelling appropriate to their area.
Click HERE to see photos of the construction process and the finished buildings.
The first grade students traveled to Longwood Gardens to investigate how flowering plants have co-evolved with their pollinator partners for millions of years. They learned about different types of pollinators and hunted for them in the Garden. They also learned about the parts of a flower used in pollination. Finally, they created pollinators and tried to pollinate a flower themselves. Click HERE to view photos of their experience.
On March 2, Theodor Geisel's birthday, the 1st grade students held a party. Why should they care about Mr. Geisel? Because that is the real name of beloved author Dr. Seuss! At their party, the students donned Cat-in-the-Hat hats, ate green eggs and ham cooked by parent volunteers, sported temporary tattoos featuring their favorite Seuss characters, and enjoyed a birthday cake. Continuing the theme of celebrating authors, their guest reader of the day was also a published author, Mrs. Helen Griffith, aunt to one of the students. Mrs. Griffith donated a copy of one of her books, Nata, to Upland's library. Click HERE to read more about the books Mrs. Griffith has written.
Fourth Grade Classroom Transformed into Colonial Market
As part of their study of Pennsylvania's history, the 4th grade learned about Colonial times. In particular, they studied Colonial trades. Each student chose a trade, and learned about the tools and training necessary for that profession. They then took on the persona of a Colonial craftsman, gathered props to serve as tools and samples of their work, and set up a booth in the marketplace. Click on the picture below to visit the market!
For many years now, 6th grade students in Latin class have made models of Villa Rusticas (country estates). After learning about the different activities that took place on these relatively self-sustaining properties, they decide on the materials they would like to use, and build a 3-D floor plan. The model must be labeled, and it must include all of the rooms a typical Villa Rustica would have had in Roman days. The students are quite creative; this year's models were made of all sorts of things, including popsicle sticks, marshmallows, cardboard, and Rice Crispy treats. The models are on display in the Library - be sure to check them out next time you're at school!
The students presented their models to their classmates.
The 3rd Annual Upland Science Fair is here! Projects will be displayed in the Barn Gallery starting Tuesday, January 25. Students in grades 4 through 9 were invited to participate. The response has been quite good; over 20 entries, some individual and some team projects, have been submitted. The judging will be complete by Wednesday, February 2. Winners may be eligible to progress to the Chester County Science Research Competition in March. The Chester County Science Research Competition is a feeder fair for the Delaware Valley Science Fairs. Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc. was founded in 1949, making it one of the oldest Fairs in the country. It is now also one of the largest. Last year Alex Horne's robot made it to this level and he won second place! This year's projects will remain on display in the Barn Gallery until Friday, February 4, so even if you didn't make it on the 25th, be sure to stop by to see the fruits of these young scientists' labors!
A Spanish student writes the dialog over the movie images
A third grader underlines the predicate of a sentence
An eighth grader places country names on the map
Over the summer, the Parents' Association paid for two new interactive whiteboards, as well as for upgrades to five others. The total number of classrooms equipped with this technology is now ten. More than just a projection screen, these tools allow for much more student engagement. A group of twelve teachers became certified in the use of these interactive boards by taking two online courses followed by two full days of onsite advanced training.
The teachers are using these whiteboards in all sorts of innovative ways. For example, in 8th grade Spanish class, while the board does serve as a projection screen for showing a video clip, it is also much more. The teacher can pause the video periodically to review with the class what has just occurred. The students then go up to the board, draw speech bubbles over the movie, and write dialogue to convey the gist of the scene they just watched. Another example of interactive use can be seen in history class, where students drag place names to the appropriate spot on a map, as a review for an upcoming quiz. Lower School is using this technology as well. The third graders use the board for, among other things, grammar study. They take turns going up to circle the subject of a sentence in one color, and underline the predicate in another. Third grade also has a set of “clickers”, which allow the students to enter answers individually from their seats. They often use these during math. The teacher puts a multiplication problem up on the board, and each student sends an answer. As the answers are coming in, the whiteboard shows the percentage of correct answers; any time that the display indicates that 100% of the answers are correct, the class cheers!
Brian went to Unionville High School, and is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College (2009). He was an intern at Stroud Water Research locally, and studied in Costa Rica for a year during which he worked with the Stroud Water Research scientists at their Costa Rica facility. Mr. Gill spoke to the students about his travels in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua, and about how he learned Spanish, and how it has helped him in his work.
Los estudiantes del séptimo grado practican su español
On January 22, the six 7th graders in Miss Woods' Spanish class had an opportunity to practice their language skills when they visited El Cuñado, a Mexican market in Toughkenamon, and had lunch at El Ranchero, a restaurant in Kennett Square. In the market, the students were in two teams, racing to complete a scavenger hunt, which included questions about each item, which had to be answered in Spanish. For example, they had to describe three types of meat that the store carried, and describe the location of the produce section in relation to the rest of the store. The final requirement of the contest was to conduct a short conversation with the store clerk. This was the hardest part; it was a bit intimidating to have to speak to a stranger in a foreign language. After the market, the students went to the restaurant, where they had to order lunch in Spanish. (Miss Woods ensured the cooperation of the waitress that she would speak to them only in Spanish, and require Spanish from them as well.) Everyone had a good time, and enjoyed the food. It was a great opportunity for the students to use their skills in a real-life setting and stretch themselves to communicate meaningfully with members of our community.
Students working diligently to fill out the scavenger hunt in El Cuñado
9th Grade spends the day in Ancient Greece
As part of their European Studies class (which combines English and history), the 9th grade recreated an ancient Greek Assembly, the equivalent of a meeting of Congress. The students dressed in chitons, which, unlike Roman togas, cover both shoulders. As in ancient Greece, they met outside. In addition to debating and then voting on such issues as whether they should promote colonization or not, the students had the opportunity to elect to ostracize (for 5 minutes) any classmates who demonstrated disloyal or uncivilized behavior.
Partway through the Assembly, a messenger brought word that the Persians had attacked to the north, and the Assembly decided to go to war rather than surrender. Any who had voted in favor of surrender were promptly executed.
Each spring, one Assembly serves as a rite of passage from one grade to another. The 9th graders are welcomed into the Alumni Association, and each grade then says a formal goodbye to their current homeroom teachers and is greeted by their new teachers.
On September 29, 2009, the Fifth Grade science class visited the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, PA. The students' trip reinforced their classroom study of watersheds and water quality. While at the Stroud Center, they used Pasco probes and LaMotte testing kits to analyze and record pH, nitrate levels, water temperature, turbidity and dissolved oxygen levels in the water. The class will continue to monitor water quality in our community by signing out home testing kits and recording their findings. The students will then add this local data to the International World Water Monitoring Database, along with students from 47 countries around the world. When sufficient data has been collected, the class will compare testing results and discuss water quality issues, such as how to conserve water and ways to improve water quality.
9th Grade spends the day in Ancient Greece
As part of their European Studies class (which combines English and history), the 9th grade recreated an ancient Greek Assembly, the equivalent of a meeting of Congress. The students dressed in chitons, which, unlike Roman togas, cover both shoulders. As in ancient Greece, they met outside. In addition to debating and then voting on such issues as whether they should promote colonization or not, the students had the opportunity to elect to ostracize (for 5 minutes) any classmates who demonstrated disloyal or uncivilized behavior.
Partway through the Assembly, a messenger brought word that the Persians had attacked to the north, and the Assembly decided to go to war rather than surrender. Any who had voted in favor of surrender were promptly executed.
When Fourth Grade teacher Julie Wells introduces historical fiction to her class each fall, she says her students often expect the material to be dry and boring. "It is always fun," she says, "to watch them become completely absorbed and enthusiastic about history as a result of the genre."
One student who took that enthusiasm to a whole new level is Thea Toocheck. Thea read Kristiana Gregory's The Winter of the Red Snow and here, in Thea's own words, is what happened next:
THE SEARCH FOR TRIMBLE'S FORD By Thea Toocheck
I recently read a book called The Winter of Red Snow. It's about George Washington's stay in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I wondered what caused him to stay there, so I researched it. I learned he was there because he lost the Battle of the Brandywine - the largest battle of The Revolutionary War. The British snuck up behind him by crossing the Brandywine River at a place called Trimble's Ford, a little known crossing on the Brandywine River. I was so excited to find out that Trimble's Ford was only a few miles away from where I live! But I was very upset to learn about plans to build houses on this historic site. I knew I was researching something really cool, but I wanted to do more.
Here was a chance to combine my love of history with my passion for adventure! I set out to find the Ford before the land was changed forever. So, one crisp December day, my dad and I got our kayak and metal detector, and began the exploration down the Brandywine River. I don't think the beautiful river has changed much since the seventeen hundreds. I searched for a spot that seemed like a reasonable place to cross the river on foot. I found a shallow spot and then I got out of the kayak. I turned the metal detector on and started to investigate. I found a very old flint striker! Whose could it be? Could it be a Loyalist's? I thought that this must be the crossing! So I took a picture of me (with the camera's self timer) standing at the river crossing next to my kayak. I feel very lucky that I got to see Trimble's Ford in its natural state.
With Mrs. Wells and her parents' encouragement, Thea entered her essay in tbe National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge 2009. If Thea is one of the contest's fourteen winners, she will have the opportunity to explore Peru for twelve days with the National Geographic Exploration Team.
Thea will find out in early April how her essay fared in the contest. Good luck, Thea! We are so proud of you!
SEVENTH GRADER'S SCIENCE PROJECT TAKES FIRST PLACE AT
CHESTER COUNTY SCIENCE FAIR
Seventh grader Kyler Rush built a seismograph and took the first place ribbon in the Earth & Space Science category (Level E - 6th, 7th & 8th Grades) at the Chester County Science Research Competition, which was sponsored and conducted by the Chester County Intermediate Unit on February 24th. As a result of his win, Kyler is eligible to advance to the Delaware Valley Fair, which will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, March 31st - April 2nd. The competition will include some 900 students from the New Jersey, Delaware, and the southeastern Pennsylvania (39 of whom will be from Chester County).
Kyler's seismograph was the result of one of science teacher Phil Robinson's "A Projects." Robinson developed "A" projects to offer gifted students the opportunity to challenge themselves beyond the material covered in his curriculum. "For kids to get an "A" in science," he explains, "they need to do extra reading, answer challenge questions and tackle projects." "Kyler likes to build things and took his project to a whole different level by adding an electrical component."
Over 400 participants, including five other students from Upland exhibited their projects at the Chester County Science Research Competition, which was held at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown. In addition to Kyler's first place ribbon, ninth grader Ronja Ojala received an Honorable Mention in Chemistry (Level D - 9th Grade) for her experiment on CO2 and soda cans. Ninth graders Becca Gray, Graham Mortenson, Chelsea Perkins and Lauren Reilly also exhibited projects at the event.
The ninth graders were selected via a 9th Grade Science Fair organized by Biology teacher, Karma Pace. Ms. Pace explained that she wanted to encourage and support students in developing scientific inquiry and discovery through individual projects and she was delighted with the resulting creativity and diversity of the students' work.
Congratulations to Kyler, Ronja and the 9th grade finalists of the Upland Fair. Your wonderful projects will serve as an inspiration to other Upland students!
Something New for Upper School Students & Teachers!
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One of the most exciting Upper School programs of the new school year is the daily activity period, a 35-40 minute opportunity between second and third period for students to meet with advisors, participate in established activities like chorus, student council or yearbook, or to try something completely new like Aviation Club, iMovie Club, Piano Club or School Newspaper. Mondays are reserved for students to meet with their advisors and activity groups meet from Tuesday through Friday. Different activities are offered on different days so that students who have made commitments to Student Council, Yearbook or Chorus can try some other clubs as well.
Each marking period, students can choose to continue with their chosen activity or club, or they may try something new. Each activity welcomes participation from all Upper School grades to allow for the opportunity for collaboration across all grades in the Upper School.
Both students and teachers are very excited about the activities program. For teachers, the program provides an outlet for sharing interests and skills outside of their normal curricular duties. For students, the activities program is an opportunity to learn something new and have a lot of fun along the way!
Here is a list of some of the new student activities being offered this year:
Aviation Club, Dance Club, Teacher's Helpers, School Newspaper, Piano Club, Reading Olympics/Book Club, Civil War Club, iMovie Club, Creative Writing Club. Tech Club, Chess Club, Baking Club, Origami Club, Art Enrichment Club, Harry Potter Club, Game Club
Second graders have been immersing themselves in Writer's Workshop
activities, with amazing results. We just completed storyboards which
resulted in funny, spooky Halloween stories and we are also beginning to
compose and write our first poems.
In math we have been learning about graphing and will soon begin a study
about money. We also made scarecrow glyphs to learn about ways of
interpreting data.
In Social Studies we completed a mini unit on Christopher Columbus. We
are excited to begin our Native American unit in a few days, which
includes a trip to Iron Hill Museum on November 10th and culminates in our
annual Native American Day on November 26th.
Student Council Holds Mock Election for Upper School
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Next Tuesday and Wednesday, the UCDS Student Council will be running a
mock election for the entire Upper School. Students will use an online
voting system as they participate in a mock election program sponsored by
the Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), a national civic education program
based at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
The first computer in the Library will be our "voting booth." Sixth and
seventh graders will vote on Tuesday, and eighth and ninth graders will
vote on Wednesday. The polls will be open from 8-8:10 am,12:20-12:30 pm,
and during Tutorial. Students will be also permitted to vote during
history class. Student Council members will monitor the voting process.
Students will be asked to vote for President and Pennsylvania District
#16 Congressman. They will also be asked for their opinion on an issue. If
anyone is absent on the assigned day, they can vote on Thursday, October
30, with Mrs. Beck. That's the last day for student voting in this mock
election.
The YLI will give us the results for our school, but no one else will
know them. When student voting across the nation ends on October 30, we
will also be given the results of the total student vote. We will post a
follow-up article on the election results at that time.
5th Grade Trip to Echo Hill Provides Hands on Learning and Fun
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The fifth grade had a lot of fun on their annual three-day trip to Echo
Hill Outdoor School. We completed challenge activities in our groups that
helped us to learn to communicate and to trust each other. We went to one
class where we studied a pond ecosystem, and we also went on an excursion
to a dairy farm. One of the highlights of the trip was the bay study
class. We learned about the Chesapeake Bay and the important role that
estuaries play as a nursery to most of the ocean's creatures. For this
class we went out on the bay in a boat, where we caught crabs, an eel, and
some fish. The students even got to kiss a fish! One of the most
difficult things about the trip was how cold it was at night.
Echo Hill Outdoor School is located on the upper Eastern Shore of the
Chesapeake Bay. Echo Hill's 70-acre campus consists of open fields,
hardwood forests, freshwater marshes, and a mile of sandy beach. The
property is abundant with wildlife and provides ideal outdoor laboratories
for ecological studies. The Outdoor School also owns 172 acres of "The Big
Marsh" which borders the campus. The Big Marsh is a freshwater shrub swamp
protected by the Nature Conservancy. In addition to these ecosystems, the
School's educational facilities include a barnyard, a recycling center, an
organic garden, a Native American site, and a fleet of historic wooden
Chesapeake work boats. Echo Hill also has an extensive adventure course
features low and high elements and an Alpine Tower.
FCD Returns to Work with Upper School Students and Parents
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Leonard Foote, a teacher from FCD Educational Services is working with our Upper School students from October 6-9 during the school day. FCD (the initials stand for Freedom from Chemical Dependency) is a non-profit organization based in Needham, Massachusetts, that provides alcohol, tobacco and other drug education for schools and colleges in the United States and abroad.
FCD teachers are highly trained educators who have achieved long-term recovery from alcohol and/or other drug addictions. This unique "I've-been there" perspective not only enhances the credibility of their message, but provides students with role models for happy, healthy, drug-free living. The four-day course is noted for its lively interaction, challenging discussion and high-energy fun. Most students find it extremely informative and thought provoking.
Leonard Foote will host a parent workshop on Wednesday evening, October 8, at 7:00 pm in the Library to offer parents support and guidance in helping their children enjoy a drug-free adolescence. The topics may include:
Effective ways to communicate with your child about drugs and drug use
Up-to-date facts about current drug use and trends
What to say about your own experiences with alcohol and/or other drug experimentation
How to spot early warning signs of trouble and effective ways to respond.
We are pleased to be able to offer this excellent program as part of our health curriculum.
Getting Serious About Conservation and Recycling Read More
Nancy Fromnick, Chester County Recycling Coordinator for the Chester County Solid Waste Authority uses student volunteers to help demonstrate which types of plastics are really recyclable.
The Upland Community celebrated Earth Day by welcoming Nancy Fromnick, Chester County Recycling Coordinator for the Chester County Solid Waste Authority, who presented a lively and informative assembly on recycling. Students learned that all plastic containers with recycling emblems are not created equal! Only those stamped with a 1 or a 2 can actually be recycled.
In order to keep the spirit of earth day 2008 going, the Upland Science Department wanted to list some websites resources with information on how to effectively reduce, reuse, and recycle.
There are hundreds of other excellent sites with information about what we can do to help conserve the limited resources we have. In addition, Dr. Brigman has posted an Energy Conservation Guide to Personal Computer Use on the technology page of the website. Check it out at http://www.uplandcds.org/parents_technology.php
Creating small goals that can be met and built upon each week, month and year is the key.
Whole Foods Stores are now using compostable plastic containers for all of their cold to-go food. These containers are similar to the cups and containers our fourth grade used when providing popcorn at the Power up Gambia Event at the Hagley Museum just weeks ago. The desire to be responsible seems to be coinciding with the economics of new products that meet the needs of the public
Conservation of resources now should help us avoid the complete loss of resources later.
Thanks in advance for your effort and dedication to the environment from everyone at Upland.
Ninth Grade Girls Make Presentation of Trip to Finland--In Spanish!!
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Last Friday at assembly, four ninth grade students presented a slide show
featuring highlights of their trip to Finland. But this presentation had
a twist. The presentation was in Spanish and English! Spanish teacher
Sylvia Barreiro encouraged the girls with the project and even found an
online diary of a Spanish girl who visited many of the same places in
Finland that our 8th and 9th grade girls did. Reading the Spanish diary
helped inspire the girls to develop their project.
NBC10 Weatherman Dave Warren Visits Lower School Read More
NBC10 Weatherman Dave Warren
NBC10 Weatherman Dave Warren presented a special weather workshop to
students in kindergarten through third grade. The meteorologist presented
a slide show on clouds and weather instruments. He also spoke with
students about how TV news and weather programs are taped and produced.
Both students and teachers had many questions about all the information
Dave Warren presented, resulting in a lively hour which everyone
thoroughly enjoyed.
By the end of his presentation Weatherman Dave Warren had a whole new set of fans!
State Representative Chris Ross Visits 4th Grade Read More
The focus of 4th grade history is the study of Pennsylvania history and
government and the class's yearly field trip to visit the State Capitol in
Harrisburg to see the state government at work is always eagerly
anticipated. In preparation for next week's trip, State Representative
Chris Ross visited the class to talk about the history of Pennsylvania's
State Government and how the House of Representatives and the State Senate
work separately and together on state legislation.
Representative Ross has been a good friend to Upland over the years,
visiting many classes to talk about state politics and delivering
proclamations for various anniversaries
Do you know this student who was Upland's Headmaster for a Day on April
10, which coincidentally was his birthday? Our Jr. Headmaster came by the
opportunity through his parents who won the privilege at the Upland
Auction in February. He spent the day learning about the various
administrative duties associated with running Upland and was able wield
his influence to extend recess an extra 10 minutes. Our Jr. Headmaster
enjoyed his day, but conceded that "It is really hard work to have so many
things to think about!"
offers a Rich Slate
of Guest Speakers Each year, eighth grade World
Studies teacher April Woods puts together a rich
offering of guest speakers from a variety of
cultures who come to offer students a glimpse of
history and culture from all parts of the world.
8th Grade World Studies teacher April Woods and guest speaker Chétana Jois
As part of the study of the Middle East, Samia
and Farah Rishi, mother and teenage sister of
seventh grader Shaz Rishi, spoke about Islam.
Samia Rishi returned to speak with the class
about family life in her native country of
Pakistan. Samia brought photos of her own family
and of a traditional wedding, examples of
traditional clothing and even a yummy treat! In
addition, Merhdad Mehdizadeh, husband of fourth
grade teacher Marcy Mehdizadeh, who presented a
slide show about his home country of Iran and the
Islamic Revolution in that country in 1979.
As part of the work the School is doing this year
related to Power Up Gambia and the sub-Saharan
Africa unit, Homa Tavangar and her teenage
daughters Layla and Anisa spoke to the class
about the three months that they spent living in
the Gambia. The third and fifth grades attended
this presentation as well. In addition, Doug
Hayes, Executive Director of Covenant Mercies,
spoke to the class. Covenant Mercies is a
non-profit child sponsorship program doing relief
work in Uganda, Ethiopia and Zambia. Doug shared
some of his observations after five years of
regularly traveling to Africa several times per
year, as well as describing the impact of the
AIDS crisis and other health concerns that have
helped to bring about the crisis of orphaned
children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Chétana Jois visited the class and described her
experiences growing up Hindu, explained various
Indian customs and showed students articles of
Indian clothing, art and photos. Students shared
their own research related to contemporary Indian
culture, and Chétana elaborated on and responded
to their research.
This spring, as the class studies east Asian and
South American cultures, they will continue to
welcome speakers who help to bring the cultures
to life.
Musher Sue Thompson of Howling Huskies Sled Dog Adventures brought
her team of sled dogs for a Q & A and demonstration with Third Grade
as a culmination of their annual study of the Iditarod. Ms. Thompson
showed slides and discussed the sport of mushing with the students
who, through their study, came well-informed and armed with a variety
of interesting questions. Of course, the best part for the children
was getting to meet the dogs and see Ms. Thompson put them through
their paces. In fact, word spread about the demonstration and a
number of classes took a break to check it out!
9th Grade spends the day in Ancient Greece
On September 29, 2009, the Fifth Grade science class visited the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, PA. The students' trip reinforced their classroom study of watersheds and water quality. While at the Stroud Center, they used Pasco probes and LaMotte testing kits to analyze and record pH, nitrate levels, water temperature, turbidity and dissolved oxygen levels in the water. The class will continue to monitor water quality in our community by signing out home testing kits and recording their findings. The students will then add this local data to the International World Water Monitoring Database, along with students from 47 countries around the world. When sufficient data has been collected, the class will compare testing results and discuss water quality issues, such as how to conserve water and ways to improve water quality.
I recently read a book called The Winter of Red Snow. It's about George Washington's stay in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I wondered what caused him to stay there, so I researched it. I learned he was there because he lost the Battle of the Brandywine - the largest battle of The Revolutionary War. The British snuck up behind him by crossing the Brandywine River at a place called Trimble's Ford, a little known crossing on the Brandywine River. I was so excited to find out that Trimble's Ford was only a few miles away from where I live! But I was very upset to learn about plans to build houses on this historic site. I knew I was researching something really cool, but I wanted to do more.
With Mrs. Wells and her parents' encouragement, Thea entered her essay in tbe National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge 2009. If Thea is one of the contest's fourteen winners, she will have the opportunity to explore Peru for twelve days with the National Geographic Exploration Team.
Kyler's seismograph was the result of one of science teacher Phil Robinson's "A Projects." Robinson developed "A" projects to offer gifted students the opportunity to challenge themselves beyond the material covered in his curriculum. "For kids to get an "A" in science," he explains, "they need to do extra reading, answer challenge questions and tackle projects." "Kyler likes to build things and took his project to a whole different level by adding an electrical component."
View the October Photo Gallery Here.
View the September Photo Gallery Here.
One of the most exciting Upper School programs of the new school year is the daily activity period, a 35-40 minute opportunity between second and third period for students to meet with advisors, participate in established activities like chorus, student council or yearbook, or to try something completely new like Aviation Club, iMovie Club, Piano Club or School Newspaper. Mondays are reserved for students to meet with their advisors and activity groups meet from Tuesday through Friday. Different activities are offered on different days so that students who have made commitments to Student Council, Yearbook or Chorus can try some other clubs as well.
Each marking period, students can choose to continue with their chosen activity or club, or they may try something new. Each activity welcomes participation from all Upper School grades to allow for the opportunity for collaboration across all grades in the Upper School.
Both students and teachers are very excited about the activities program. For teachers, the program provides an outlet for sharing interests and skills outside of their normal curricular duties. For students, the activities program is an opportunity to learn something new and have a lot of fun along the way! 
Here is a list of some of the new student activities being offered this year:
Second graders have been immersing themselves in Writer's Workshop
activities, with amazing results. We just completed storyboards which
resulted in funny, spooky Halloween stories and we are also beginning to
compose and write our first poems. 
In Social Studies we completed a mini unit on Christopher Columbus. We
are excited to begin our Native American unit in a few days, which
includes a trip to Iron Hill Museum on November 10th and culminates in our
annual Native American Day on November 26th. 
The fifth grade had a lot of fun on their annual three-day trip to Echo
Hill Outdoor School. We completed challenge activities in our groups that
helped us to learn to communicate and to trust each other. We went to one
class where we studied a pond ecosystem, and we also went on an excursion
to a dairy farm. One of the highlights of the trip was the bay study
class. We learned about the Chesapeake Bay and the important role that
estuaries play as a nursery to most of the ocean's creatures. For this
class we went out on the bay in a boat, where we caught crabs, an eel, and
some fish. The students even got to kiss a fish! One of the most
difficult things about the trip was how cold it was at night.
Echo Hill Outdoor School is located on the upper Eastern Shore of the
Chesapeake Bay. Echo Hill's 70-acre campus consists of open fields,
hardwood forests, freshwater marshes, and a mile of sandy beach. The
property is abundant with wildlife and provides ideal outdoor laboratories
for ecological studies. The Outdoor School also owns 172 acres of "The Big
Marsh" which borders the campus. The Big Marsh is a freshwater shrub swamp
protected by the Nature Conservancy. 
In addition to these ecosystems, the
School's educational facilities include a barnyard, a recycling center, an
organic garden, a Native American site, and a fleet of historic wooden
Chesapeake work boats. Echo Hill also has an extensive adventure course
features low and high elements and an Alpine Tower.
Leonard Foote, a teacher from FCD Educational Services is working with our Upper School students from October 6-9 during the school day. FCD (the initials stand for Freedom from Chemical Dependency) is a non-profit organization based in Needham, Massachusetts, that provides alcohol, tobacco and other drug education for schools and colleges in the United States and abroad. 
Last Friday at assembly, four ninth grade students presented a slide show
featuring highlights of their trip to Finland. But this presentation had
a twist. The presentation was in Spanish and English! Spanish teacher
Sylvia Barreiro encouraged the girls with the project and even found an
online diary of a Spanish girl who visited many of the same places in
Finland that our 8th and 9th grade girls did. Reading the Spanish diary
helped inspire the girls to develop their project.
The focus of 4th grade history is the study of Pennsylvania history and
government and the class's yearly field trip to visit the State Capitol in
Harrisburg to see the state government at work is always eagerly
anticipated. In preparation for next week's trip, State Representative
Chris Ross visited the class to talk about the history of Pennsylvania's
State Government and how the House of Representatives and the State Senate
work separately and together on state legislation.
