We are down to the final two weeks of school, and what a year it’s been!  The fifth grade students have taken everything in stride and adapted to our online format much more easily than their teacher!

This week, we are sharing our Science Fair projects during our class meetings.  We have learned which laundry detergent is best for getting stains out, which Lego car and paper airplane designs travel the farthest, and what substance melts ice the fastest, among other things. The students chose their method of sharing their results, and created informative slide presentations and display boards.  I hope to see the display boards in person when we return to  school next year.

We have continued with our Book Club meetings over Zoom, and the discussion leaders have risen to the task.  The class has continued to read the books and have thoughtful discussions, even though we are not together in person.

This Friday will be Culture Day.  We will be celebrating our Spanish program with a large selection of activities for our students to choose from.  I encourage everyone to participate, as they all look like a lot of fun!

Our final assignment for Poetry Month was to write an Ode to the Earth.  The poems that were written are amazing! Here are a few examples.

An Ode to The Earth by Eli

Oh how I love the Earth

With its luscious green plants

It all just makes me want to dance

Trees and flowers and animals galore

I can’t choose which biome I like more

 

Deciduous Forest

Burned woods, pollen, dry

Oak trees,

Bouncing on grapevines

Armadillos, deer, turkey

Rocky barrens in the woods

 

Taiga

Fierce, unstoppable, wild, isolated, Ecstatic

Earthy smell of soil and crumbling logs

Pine trees

Fishing in canoes

Crystal clear lakes

 

Ocean

Refreshing, comforting, relaxing

Seashells

Man-o-war, jellyfish, sharks

Salty water, waves

 

Mountains

Fierce, cold, scared, crisp, clean

Ears popping in altitudes

Wind blowing

 

An Ode to The Earth by Austin

Oh, your oceans

so big and blue

I only wish i had a canoe

I walk along your sandy beaches

Snacking on my fresh grown peaches

 

How i wish

I had a canoe

Then i could paddle

On the big and blue

I can’t stand just Sitting

here staring

I have to admit

It’s just plain boring

Oh how i wish

I had a canoe

But on second thought

I don’t want to sail

The big and blue

 

 

An Ode to the Earth by Ryleigh

And what wonderful thing on it lies

Like the land itself

And the pretty blue skies

From the tallest mountain

To the the Mariana Trench

And all the plants sproutin’

Makes it a wonderful place to live

From the Tropical Islands in the ocean

To the Tundra

It has so many things to give

An Ode to the Earth

April is National Poetry Month, so we have been reading, listening to, and writing poems.   The students have continued rising to the challenge, even without the physical presence of their classmates to keep them motivated!  Here are some samples of their work:

The prompt was “I took an imaginary trip in my mind… ”

Running thru my mind
The sun is so bright I’m blind
There are Flowers and trees
And bumble bees
I’m losing focus
Its like hocus pocus
A little dragon
He has a wagon
And is walking a long road
And stumbles on a toad.
Now it is time to go…

 

I took an imaginary trip in my mind…

I went to Nice, France

Then did my most intimidating stance

With baguettes we had a sword fight

It was quite a sight

Then an old man gave me an awkward glance

 

These poems required the students to start with ten words, then nine, etc., until they were down to only one word:

 

Quarantine: staying inside all day and not going to school

You can’t see your friends except through phone calls

Online school instead of going to a classroom

Stores are closing, now buying things online

Restaurants are just drive through now

Stuck inside with the family

Wearing a mask around

No toilet paper

Staying home

Coronavirus

 

Ice is sharp, cold, but beautifully terrifyingly razor sharp Ice

Snow  is as soft as the fluffy clouds  Snow

Trees all withered and green all gone Trees

Frost the little paintings on widows Frost

Fun on sleds and boards Fun

Warmth is inside your house

Winters fun is done

It’s all gone

Spring’s here

Winter

 

I am sitting here working on my school work. *Sigh*

And I haven’t got a single thought in mind.

Probably because I just got out of bed.

Lets just say I feel almost dead.

I look down; it’s a sticky-note.

I kinda want to leave.

But only this remains.

Wait a second.

Hold on.

done.

 

Cool, awesome, silent, strong, smart, a warrior, heroic, and deadly.

Stalking through the treetops searching for a bad guy

With shuriken in hand, cherry blossoms flying by.

He sees his target and jumps down.

The bad guy strikes and dodges,

But he has no match.

Because, dressed in black,

Trained in ninjutsu,

Is a

Ninja

 

 

We have finished our third week of distance learning, and have settled into a routine.  We have been able to have social time at the end of our class meetings on Zoom, which is the highlight of my day.  I love seeing everyone in the comfort and safety of their homes.

I will be updating our Distance Learning page whenever we have new information to share.  Today, I’ve added information about Google Classroom.  Click on the Distance Learning tab to access the information.

We have been reviewing geometry, ratios, design concepts and measurement in preparation for our architecture project.  The students will be identifying an architectural need in their own communities and create a scale model of a structure to meet that need.  It will require creativity and resourcefulness to use materials found at home, and I expect we will have some wonderful results.

April is National Poetry Month.  I am amazed at the variety that the students produce from a single prompt.  This class loves to write!

Have a great weekend!

 

Our second day of distance learning is in the books, and we all are becoming better problem solvers!   We are finding that email works better than anything else for us at this point, so I will continue to email students every morning, and send information to parents as necessary.  I encourage parents to email me with questions, and we will collaborate to provide the best possible experience for our students. You may access the same information on the Distance Learning page here, should you prefer to keep your inbox clean!

See you on Zoom!

I hope everyone was able to have a fairly normal spring break. The entire staff at The Summit has been communicating and planning for the best possible learning experiences for our students, given the circumstances.   We will have a class meeting every morning on Zoom, but I recommend that students keep in touch with each other outside of our school experiences.  Staying connected, even at a distance is vital.

We are about to begin a new adventure in distance learning.  Please see the new blog page devoted to Distance Learning for more information.  I will also send the information to parents and students via email.

 

Happy Spring Break!

Everyone at The Summit has been preparing for whatever lies ahead in the next few weeks.  Enjoy your break, then keep an eye on your email, should we switch to online learning for awhile.  I will be sending lesson plans by email to both parents and students, as well as posting many learning resources on Google classroom.

I hope to see you soon!

Happy Global Day of Play!  We will be rescheduling our school-wide day of play, but don’t let that stop you from playing today!  If you live where you have snow accumulation (and you are well enough to be outside) build something out of the snow.  Take a picture of your construction to share with the class when we return.

While you’re inside, you may continue to research the topic of our Law Day Poster contest, “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy.”  If you wish to work on the actual poster, remember that it needs to be on a standard sheet of white copy paper.   Check it for errors before using a marker!!!  Today is also a great day to work on your science demonstration and LAD fair writing projects.  Feel free to email me if you have questions about any of these projects.

Have fun, and I’ll see you later this week!

 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 5, 2020 is the Global School Day of Play!  The Summit will join thousands of schools all over the globe by participating in a day dedicated to unstructured, screen-free play for all students.  At The Summit, we celebrate learning on a daily basis, but we are excited to help spread the word that play is more than just fun.

Students in Lower School will have access to many themed zones of play throughout the day, including creativity, movement, imagination, music, building, sensory, and more.  We don’t want to give away all the details just yet- students will get to discover and explore the Lower School classrooms and shared spaces to stumble upon their many varied opportunities for play.

Parents are encouraged to keep an eye on The Summit’s social media outlets for glimpses into our play throughout the day.  Students may wear their Summit uniform or dress out in Spirit Wear and jeans at no charge. School lunch will be in “sack lunch” form (see February lunch menu for details.)

Want to learn more about the importance of play? Check out these great resources:

The Genius of Play Website

Dr. Stuart Brown’s “Play is More Than Just Fun” Ted Talk

Play Helps Build a Better Brain – NPR

How to Bring Playfulness to High School Students – MindShift

How Teens Can Benefit from Recess – Concordia University

 

Many of us were surprised when the temperature stayed just high enough to drive safely to school. We will be taking advantage of today’s weather conditions to record and analyze data in an effort to make some predictions about the weekend.

In math, the students have been learning how to create and interpret data tables, then choose the best type of graph to represent the data.  So far, we have drawn from NFL.com, weather.com, and classroom survey results.  We have learned to calculate percentages and use a protractor to create pie charts, and to plot points accurately on a grid.  We have created some beautiful snowflakes as part of this practice.  They are hanging on the walls outside of our classroom, so stop by and look at them when you are in the building.

In science, we are reviewing the scientific method.  Our first task is to distinguish between a demonstration and an experiment.  Students will be doing both over then next several weeks, and we will be sharing them with you at our trimester celebrations.

Stay warm and safe!