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West
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Listen Up: A Digital Storytelling project
Watch as Mid-Pacific middle school students, with the help of their teacher, listen to their families and use learned digital storytelling skills to build empathy and share amazing stories of human connection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mid-Pacific’s middle school program embeds social-emotional learning into academic programming because students develop socially and emotionally at […]
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One Team philosophy at ʻIolani School
Every school has a culture that is unique and special. At ʻIolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii, the One Team ethos is what defines an ʻIolani education. Filmmaker/Alumnus Johnathan Walk ʻ05 and editor of the schoolʻs award-winning magazine, Cathy Lee Chong, worked on this video to share what One Team is all about. The video was […]
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Exceptional Journey: An Inquiry Snapshot
Take an inquiry journey with Mid-Pacific first and second graders as they explore the concept of change and create their own definition of what is truly exceptional. At Mid-Pacific, we believe students must be knowledgeable, articulate and culturally competent to make a difference in the world today and in the future. We develop these skills […]
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Arts at 'Iolani School
The performing and visual arts programs at ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii provide students with the experiences, resources, and opportunities to express themselves, discover their passions, and to explore the world and all of its possibilities.
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Second Grade West Coast Immigration Play and Robot Dolls
Woodland’s second grade students continue their study of immigration through a combined project, a West Coast Immigration play inspired by the book, Landed, by Milly Lee and the creation of robot dolls who spoke personal stories of immigration, Each student designed and programmed a talking doll which integrated their study of immigration with a combination […]
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Computer lab to Innovation Lab
How do you teach kids about technology when they have had it at their fingertips since birth? Or instruct computer skills and digital citizenship when they are able to navigate apps and downloads, touch screen and web searches faster than most adults? The answer is you don’t. The computer lab – the one most of […]
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Storytelling to Architecture to Service Learning – Kindergarten Gingerbread Project
What happens when math meets storytelling, architecture, collaboration, engineering, baking and service learning? The Kindergarten Gingerbread House Project! Our Kindergarten students completed an integrated project that incorporates all subject areas culminating in a giant gingerbread house. The project began with observation, continued with design and technology, included presentations from experts, followed by measuring, baking, calculating […]
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Pre-K Farmers Market Unit
Our Pre-K students engaged in an exploration of seasons and harvests by identifying fruits and vegetables in tactile ways that involved creating art; making their own books about vegetables; sorting fruits and veggies; and reading books about fruits and vegetables. They capped off this unit with a trip to the local farmers market, where they […]
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Kindness Rocks at Seven Hills School
The Kindness Rocks Project at Seven Hills has been spreading instant joy and gratitude throughout the community. The project began last year as an activity during the school’s Extended Day Fall Camp. Teacher Debbie Shipherd saw a post on Facebook regarding The Kindness Rocks Project and decided it would be a perfect fit for her […]
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Planting Seeds of Empathy (aka 5th Graders With Babies!)
Recently, many of the Seven Hills faculty and staff read the book UnSelfie: Why Empathic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba. Dr. Borba argues that empathy-building is not only a moral imperative, but a key advantage in kids attaining health, happiness, and future career success. UnSelfie unpacks several empathy studies, including the […]
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A kindness challenge to teach our children how to practice empathy and self-care
This 30-day kindness challenge took place during students’ advisories and they participated in one or two kindness activities every week. The kindness curriculum was created by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Through this program, the school received access to outstanding kindness-building lesson plans following the successful completion of the challenge. There were numerous […]
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The Arts at 'Iolani School
The drumline of the award-winning ‘Iolani School marching band plays an original piece composed by ‘Iolani band director Manny Dayao, Class of 1997, to showcase students thriving in the outstanding performing and visual arts programs at the school. To learn more about the arts at ‘Iolani, go to https://www.iolani.org/arts
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Engaging Students through the Arts
The arts connect us. Inspire us. Empower us to believe in something larger than ourselves. ‘Iolani School has excellent studio-based performing and visual arts programs which provides students with opportunities to travel around the world, experience different cultures, and pursue their passions and creative outlets.
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Students Offer “Artistic Responses” to New Learning Experiences
Entwined in the DNA of Portland’s Northwest Academy is a regard for students developing proficiency—demonstrating their learning—rather than merely “passing the test.” And that led to this: Grace, a senior, has recreated her bedroom in the back corner of her Senior Thesis class. Collages, posters, and album covers plaster the walls. She’s one of four […]
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A “School Without Walls” Helps Students Win Marathon Relays, Explore Different Cultural Experiences
Last August, the Zombie Swim Team from Sea Change Preparatory School set their third world record in ocean swimming with a 17-hour, 27-mile open-water marathon relay just off the California coast. Now they’re training and planning for a fourth record—a 34-nautical-mile relay between the Italian isles of Ischia and Capri. It’s part of the school’s […]
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Students Engage With the Natural World, Their Local Community in Life Science Class
Last fall, students in Bozeman Field School’s life science class used conceptual work, local field visits, and conversations with experts to gather stories and gain a deeper understanding of the question, “What impacts community?” Science teachers Dalton McCurdy and Tory Dille designed the curriculum to allow their students to hone critical thinking skills while engaging […]
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Planting Seeds at Seven Hills School, CA
Inspired by the work of Nimo Patel and in support of our growing orchard and garden program, the students of Seven Hills share a message of hope for the future…
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Chandler School in Pasadena Teaches Earth Science Through Investigations
Chandler School in Pasadena, California offers a sixth-grade earth science class to get students excited about the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere. Teacher J.J. Newman recently guided students in a weathering-erosion-deposition station rotation investigation. Students explored major geological processes by imitating natural forces (using items like sand, a hair dryer, and a big ice cube). Then, […]
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Career Pathways Excites Middle School Students About Their Future
Sixth graders gazed into their future thanks to the debut of a new Career Pathways event at Seven Hills. This “career day” style event began as a way for parents to volunteer their time by sharing professional expertise, and to give students a broader sense of how they might turn their interests, skills, and passions […]
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Burke's Students Harness Green Technologies
Sixth graders in Dr. Tone Rawlings’ science class recently tried out a technique that’s making international news when they attempted to make plastic-less, or edible, water bottles. The technology has been in the news quite a bit lately, as the British company Skipping Rocks Lab is prototyping a way to deliver vital hydration without using […]
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Students at Woodland School Share Advice on Creating Lasting Impact in the World
Students at Woodland School in Portola Valley, California, a preschool through eighth grade school, culminate their final year with a year-long interdisciplinary project known as Capstone. In this video, students explain Capstone and give share advice for other kids interested in creating lasting impact in the world.
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STEAM/Maker Program Inspires Creativity, Award-Winning Projects
A weekly in-depth STEAM/Maker program at The Spring Hill School lets all students in grades 1-6 deep-dive into activities that help them get creative while honing their science, technology, engineering, art, and math skills. Over the past two years, they’ve produced award-winning projects recognized across the Bay Area. Two Spring Hill parents — Diana Planson, […]
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Students at Woodland School in Portola Valley, CA Standup Against Bullying
Together, with their teachers, Woodland School students signed a pledge to be “upstanders,” not bystanders. When a local school experienced a bomb threat, they chose to stand up and speak out against this and other types of bullying. Will you join them?
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Walking in Another’s Shoes Helps Middle Schoolers Grow
This year, seventh and eighth graders in Eton School’s Language Arts/Social Studies program spent several months studying Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, examining central questions such as what factors influence our moral growth and what kinds of experiences help us judge right from wrong. The class explored concepts such as “universe of obligation” and […]
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Utah 7th Graders Help Plan the Park City of Tomorrow
After PCDS 7th graders’ participation in the Future Cities Competition this winter, they saw an opportunity to partner with a local non profit to engage the local community in thinking about planning for Park City’s own future. The Future Cities competition challenges students nationwide to consider planning for our future: transportation, waste management, water/land use, […]
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Middle School “Strangers” Become Friends in Global Exchange
November is a particularly busy time at Asia Pacific International School (APIS), whose mission is to educate “students who are able to bridge the gap between the East and the West, and are ready to welcome the challenges of the New Pacific Century.” That’s when their co-ed boarding school campus in Hauula, Hawaii, joyfully welcomes […]
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Long-Established Exchange Program Lets Students Explore Varied Cultures, Develop New Perspectives
Every spring for the last 20 years, Oak Hill School teacher Armando Morales escorts a group of 10-15 Spanish language students (grades 7-12) to his hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico, in the heart of the Sierra Madre. They’re welcomed into local families and, with their new Mexican brothers and sisters, go to the same middle school—Benito […]
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Open Window School Student Experiment on the International Space Station
Three eighth grade scientists have experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity, witnessing the experiment they developed, Arabidopsis Germination in Martian Soil Simulant, fly to the International Space Station. The experiment investigates how Arabidopsis seeds germinate in simulated Martian soil (Hawaiian volcanic soil) under microgravity conditions. They are hoping the results will be useful for […]
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Gaining Perspective
Mayfield’s eighth grade participated in an interactive experience in January designed to provide insight and perspective on the reality of life as a refugee. Advisors and several teachers collaborated on the all-day program as a cross-curriculum component of the eighth grade service-learning project. They began with the question: How do we engage students so they […]
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Creative Teaching: Memorizing Becomes More Meaningful with a Tune
Creativity in the classroom is an every day occurrence at MJS. When students are engaged and excited about learning connections are made and growth happens. Mrs. Jaime Bradley, first grade teacher, wanted to bring one of her passions, singing, into the classroom. So, she decided to turn every lesson possible into memory songs. From classroom […]
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From Ideas to Prototypes: Hands-on Projects Cultivate Design Mindsets
As sixth graders, science students at Castilleja School begin developing skills as designers and engineers while creating interactive devices. They learn about sensors and actuators, programming, troubleshooting, and how to face frustrations that arise from failed iterations while celebrating improvements and successes, however incremental. Fast forward to the senior year elective, “Biology and Economics of […]
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Middle School Summit Offers Solutions to Local, Global Problems
When it comes to major environmental challenges, who solves our problems? Who stewards our resources? How does climate change impact me, and vice versa? What’s the role of government in fixing environmental, economic, and social problems? These questions guided Journeys School sixth, seventh, and eighth graders as they embarked on “The California Drought Summit,” a […]
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Students flex their creative muscles and design thinking at SF Day School
Thanks to the overwhelming support and generosity of our community, San Francisco Day School was able to enhance our campus with new “Innovate & Create” design spaces. With flexible design spaces and tools, our students are empowered to embrace their journey as learners and to explore “productive failure” through experimentation. They learn the value of […]
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NAIS and the Only Responsible Stance on Anthropogenic Climate Change
ABSTRACT OF AN ESSAY I WROTE: We owe it to our NAIS students to have challenging, respectful conversations that acknowledge that we are rooted in and dependent upon nature and that we are responsible for protecting nature for future generations. Further, we in NAIS should loudly proclaim that we recognize that human-induced climate change is […]
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Sculpture Exhibit in Pre-K Ignites Interest in the Arts
What is the role of art in the Pre-K classroom? In Red Barn, the Pre-K classroom at The Seven Hills School, the role of art is an expansive one. Art serves not only as a medium for the communication of ideas, but also as an arena to grow confidence, build community, and foster independence. This […]
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Outdoor Program Encourages Learning and Leadership
Located at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, The Waterford School’s signature Outdoor Program offers unique opportunities for students to prepare for and develop a lifetime connection with the wilderness, where learning becomes an adventure. Activities might include afternoon outings to the nearby mountains, or multi-day travels throughout northern and southern Utah. Each year, eager […]
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Learning in Two Languages: A Young Bilingual Scientist Describes Experiments in French & English
A bilingual immersion program isn’t only learning two languages simultaneously—it’s learning, understanding, analyzing, and communicating concepts in two languages. In this video, one of our 3rd graders describes two science experiments; one in French, and the other in English.
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Students Reflect on the Elections
On the heels of a notable election, teachable moments surfaced as students at Woodland School—a school where approximately half of all families have at least one member of the family born outside the United States—pored over the results. Rather than dodging questions or feelings regarding the election, Woodland students were encouraged to ask questions, engage […]
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Seven Hills students build a city filled with young entrepreneurs
Where can you find stores like Pie4U, Spin Land or Wild Rabbit Bookmarks? Box City, of course! Each fall our 5th graders embark on an entrepreneurial journey to design and start a small business. This unit of study provides students the opportunity to think critically and mathematically, problem-solve, apply creativity and develop an innovative idea. […]
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Si Supieras – If You Knew
A look into the experiences of students from Francis Parker’s Social Justice classes learning about the U.S.-Mexico border and the issues which surround it. Talking to individuals personally affected by these issues and from activists on both sides of the issue, these students begin to cultivate personal opinions about U.S. policies.
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Global Partnerships Forge Deep Relationships, Shift World Views
Mark Day School uses a global lens to broaden horizons and deepen students’ educational experience. The school’s Global Partnership Program builds relationships with local and international schools and organizations; the program was founded on the idea of reciprocity—everyone involved has something to learn and something to teach. Last summer, 15 students in grades 1-8 and […]
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Business and Entrepreneurship Program Challenges Girls to Aim Higher
Minyi Jiang, a sophomore at Annie Wright Upper School, hopes to work on Wall Street some day. Since she doesn’t think books alone will fully enable her to see the real world, she hopes to gain a deeper, more authentic understanding of economics and finance from one of her school’s signature programs, The Girls’ Business […]
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Why No Homework Matters
This week, the topic of homework in elementary school has gone viral in the news and social media. Here at The Country School, we believe in the value of a research-based program that inspires joyful learning. Four years ago, we listened to the research, and spent a year analyzing and redesigning our classroom instructional minutes; […]
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Fifth Grade: Plot. Characters. Pictures…Book It!
Fifth grade authors, editors, and art directors as well as their teachers waded together through an eye-opening experience of conceiving, writing, and illustrating unbound picture books. The unit launched in the library as English teacher Ben Bacon and librarian Laurie Prothro introduced a variety of picture book styles and formats, as well as provided a […]
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‘Iolani School’s Student-designed Quadcopters
‘Iolani School’s innovative project-based programming and curriculum were on display as seventh and eighth grade Robotics II students, in support of another Sullivan Center for Innovation and Leadership class, designed and built quadcopters to collect water samples from various locations within the neighboring Ala Wai Canal for biology students’ research projects.
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Seventh Grade Inventions Bring All Hands on Deck
While prosthetics technology has become highly developed in the past 10 years, the average cost for a prosthetic limb is anywhere from $5,000 – $50,000, and can be unaffordable to many people. Seventh graders at St. John’s Episcopal School, which uses a project-based, STEAM approach to learning to address real world problems in inventive ways, […]
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Woodland School Capstone Inspires Students to Be Changemakers
Eighth grade students see their final year of middle school as a pivotal year in their educational career—and life—due to the Capstone project. Designed to be a hallmark of Woodland School, Capstone provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in research and action regarding issues of global significance. They step outside their comfort zone […]
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Robots have taken over the library!
On a bright spring morning, a group of exuberant 1st graders gathered in our school library to cheer on their 5th grade buddies in their first ever “robot battle”—a contest that had student-created bots attempting to push one another out of a circular ring. This culminating event followed intensive work over several weeks during which […]
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Walls to Bridges: Activism, Leadership, and Voice
“Walls turned sideways are bridges,” said Angela Davis in 1974. The 8th graders at LWGMS in Seattle engage in Walls to Bridges, a social justice curriculum that focuses on activism, leadership, and voice. Throughout their eighth grade year, students participate in monthly half-day workshops on issues like identity and ally-ship, as well as explorations of […]
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Students Use Integrative Thinking to Explore, Understand Ancient Civilizations
EVERlab, in its pilot year at Jewish Community High School of the Bay, focuses on students’ integration of concepts, ideas, and themes from both their Jewish and general studies courses. The Hebrew root word “EVER” means crossing over and the ability to be in transition, so the program uses design thinking, ideation, iteration, and collaboration […]
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Middle Schoolers Learn Endurance, Find Traction at LeMons
This year, a Blue Oak School elective course required a group of seventh and eighth graders to rebuild a 1984 BMW 318i from the ground up to compete in a nearby LeMons 24-hour endurance race. Physics, thermodynamics, friction, and how to avoid smashing your thumb with a sledgehammer were part of the learning process. Since […]
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Virtual Field Trips with Google Expeditions
Turning Point School was thrilled to be one of the pioneer schools to experience Google Expeditions in our Levels 3, 4, and 6 classrooms earlier this week. Google Expeditions is a virtual reality platform built for the classroom. It allows teachers to take their classes on virtual field trips, immersing students in experiences that bring […]
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8th-Grade Science at Pacific Ridge School Reaches New Heights
Just before dawn on the morning of March 19th, a group of Pacific Ridge School (Carlsbad, CA) 8th-grade students, faculty members and parent volunteers headed for Elmore Desert Ranch to launch a Conceptual Physics class project into the stratosphere. The project – a high-altitude weather balloon carrying scientific experiments – went on a 40-mile journey, […]
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Woodland School Fourth-Grade Students Create “The Living Museum”
In this video, fourth grade teachers Susan Whited and Lauren Baumgartner discuss the transformative project known as The Living Museum. To start, students choose a character in California’s history who made an impact. The students go on to conduct independent research, write an essay, and write a speech. The project culminates in The Living Museum […]
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Open Window School Second Graders Share Mindfulness with Kindergartners
I had the opportunity to sit in on story time in second grade recently. Criss cross applesauce, I leaned against the wall, needing the support now that I am no longer 7, and did some mindful breathing, as a student led us with the Hoberman Sphere. Squinting, I peaked around the room and realized that […]
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Chandler School Teacher Attends White House Event with First Lady Michelle Obama
Jenn Johnson, a third-grade teaching assistant at Chandler School in Pasadena, attended a White House event hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. The event was billed as “A Conversation on the Health of our Nation’s Youth.” Johnson, together with Chandler third-grade teacher Shelby Montevirgen, has created a classroom where students hop, skip, crawl, balance, jump, […]
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Innovation Lab Inspires Students to Identify Problems, Find Solutions
La Jolla Country Day School uses design thinking to teach students how to identify a problem people don’t even know they have. One team of upper schoolers recently discovered a dramatic disconnect between how much water people think they’re wasting and how much is actually being wasted; now they’re looking for ways to bridge that […]
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The Ala Wai Watershed Project
One exciting example of how ‘Iolani students are conducting real world research is the progress of the Ala Wai Watershed Project. The project was started in 2010 by beloved biology teacher Papa Jack Kay who recently retired after teaching at ‘Iolani for 50 years. Along with teacher Teresa Shimamoto and then students Iris Kuo ’12 […]
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Intergenerational Connections Bring Cross-Cultural Learning
Twice a month for over 20 years, second and third graders at University Child Development School (UCDS) visit and take on small-group activities with their “buddies” at Nikkei Manor, an elder facility serving Seattle’s Japanese community. And, says UCDS faculty member Melissa Holbert, “it keeps getting more and more magical.” Students and their elder partners […]
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Innovators’ Symposium
Nineteen scientists and entrepreneurs came to Sea Crest for the Second Annual Innovators’ Symposium, which focused on the intersection of Innovation and Community. Hands-on workshops for Middle School students covered topics such as coastal pollution, group theory, venture capitalism, and the human brain. Speakers included physicians, professors, scientists, and Google’s Director of Education and University […]
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Student Entrepreneurship Includes Commitment to Philanthropy
Members of the Entrepreneur Club at Sonoma Country Day School (SCDS) are committed to helping others while developing financial literacy, creativity, and leadership skills. Students in grades 5-8, led by Math teacher Christy Harper, run the student store, keeping track of inventory, ordering supplies, and managing the books, among other tasks. They also organize a […]
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The House System brings together students across grade levels at Woodland School in Portola Valley, CA
A long-time school tradition and the only one of its kind in California, Woodland School (Early Childhood through 8th-grade) uses the House System to foster camaraderie, collaboration, and leadership. The House System is a traditional feature of many schools in commonwealth countries but less common—and often only attributed to boarding schools—in the US. Upon joining […]
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Students Bring Personalities of Civil War to Life
As part of an annual in-depth study of the causes and effects of the Civil War, seventh grade students complete a variety of participatory activities related to this important conflict. Highlights of the study include taking part in Civil War Week where they join either the Union or Confederate army and “live the life of […]
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Students Voted “Best in Region” in Verizon’s Innovative App Challenge
Inspired by a personal challenge, a group of 7th and 8th graders designed a concept for an app that would help those affected by neurological disorders by providing musical therapy for speech, movement, and memory rehabilitation. They submitted their idea, NeuroNote (Watch: https://youtu.be/V3WRlY2VCFY), to the Verizon App Challenge and were 1 of 6 schools in […]
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Design and Fabrication at ‘Iolani School
‘Iolani School students in one of the Wet Lab classes needed a way to photograph and analyze specimens under the microscope. But holding up their iPads and iPhones to take the photos proved to be ineffective and unwieldy. The Design and Fabrication class seized the opportunity to find a solution for their fellow classmates by […]
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The Intersection of Art and Science
Turning Point School in Los Angeles offers a unique middle school elective class, Art Installation, where students brainstorm and collaborate to create an entire artistic installation based on a topic of their choice. Last year, students installed a piece entitled “Opposite Emotions” which provided a window into the emotional and social lives of middle school […]
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Turning Point School – A Deep Dive into Global Citizenship
Recently, Turning Point School was honored to be recognized by the Council of International Schools as a school that is shaping the future on international education. In a blog post titled “Turning Point School – A Deep Dive into Global Citizenship,” the Council of International Schools interviewed Head of School Deborah Richman on the school’s […]
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Online School Partnership Provides Advanced Chinese Language Learning
Eighth grade Chinese immersion students graduating from the Chinese American International School (CAIS) are ready to begin tackling advanced-level challenges in Chinese, but they often exhaust existing course offerings after only a year or two at their new high schools. This year, CAIS is piloting a fully online course in advanced Chinese with students in […]
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Mirman School Launches Groundbreaking MirmanX Program
Mirman School is excited to announce the launch of MirmanX, a unique program offering funding and support for its students to tackle “moonshot” projects that have the potential to help a community in a meaningful and tangible way. “The idea behind MirmanX is to help students achieve far-reaching goals in an open-source environment supported by […]
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Jane Goodall Visit Leads to Lasting Lessons About Activism and Conservation
Jane Goodall’s momentous visit to Burke’s in fall 2015 continues to reverberate across campus, with projects relating to her and her work extending well beyond her departure. The famed primatologist told the story of her life and urged environmental action to both Burke’s divisions at two separate assemblies on October 13. Her appearance in and […]
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Week of Code Expands to P.E. and the Arts
Burke’s hosted its second annual week of Hour of Code activities in December. Close to 75 activities kept students in all grades busy throughout each day of the week, from early Open Code before classes started to playing coding games in Tree House after school. We saw students taking part in activities such as: -Coding […]
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Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service Make It Into Change.org’s 2015- Year in Change Video
The Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service at Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland, CA is honored to have been chosen out of 200,000 petitions to be included in Change.org’s 2015 – Year in Change video. The girls are featured around 15 seconds into the video about their petition to pass the ERA.
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Open Window School Student Experiment to Be Tested on the International Space Station
An experiment developed by a team of students at Open Window School to test the effects of microgravity on the growth of Arabidopsis in Martian soil simulant will be conducted aboard the International Space Station later next year. The findings could help to better understand how to grow plants in a future human colony on […]
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Students share a message of gratitude with families . . . and beyond
At The Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek, California, gratitude is one of the shared values of the school community. Opportunities abound for students to express their gratitude for all of the positives in their lives – family and friends, home and school, adventure and quiet time. They also learn to celebrate the challenges that […]
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Hearing Voices
There are many ways to be a leader, and we at Aurora School in Oakland believe students should practice them all. Every day, we give students of different ages opportunities to work together side-by-side and learn from one another what it means to step up academically and socially. The world needs leaders who are as […]
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Students Extend Kindness, Respect in International Service Trips
Each spring, groups of 12-16 Wasatch Academy students participate in two-week international service trips. Recent adventures have included China, India, Costa Rica, Panama, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The program is in keeping with the school’s mission to bridge the gap between diverse groups of individuals by living in a culture of kindness. Students have helped to […]
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Experiential Learning: Creating a Hometown Scavenger Hunt
Fifth Grade Teacher Emma Samuels collaborated with Dave Cresson, the President of the Half Moon Bay History Association, to organize a Half Moon Bay Scavenger Hunt for students. The field trip was featured on the homepage of the Half Moon Bay Review. “A scavenger hunt is really about adventure education,” said Ms. Samuels. “The point […]
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Annual cultural exchange broadens students’ view of the world
Over the past 16 years, the Seven Hills School has partnered with students and teachers from Kita-City, a ward within Tokyo, Japan, to take part in a cross-cultural exchange that has enriched the lives of students and educators from both countries. During a very special week each November, our entire school community excitedly welcomes a […]
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Math Mingle: Collaborative Math Enrichment
On Friday mornings for the past three years, grades 1-3 students have met in mixed level teams for math enrichment. They travel to other classrooms to play games and participate in activities that review a variety of number concepts and skills. Each year, as a math department, teachers look for common threads that will focus […]
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Engaging Alumni: The School of Today
Graduates of ‘Iolani School return to campus to experience being students again. While they discover that ‘Iolani’s excellence is being perpetuated, they also learn about the fun, innovative and creative ways students of today are learning. Alumni visit the Sullivan Center for Innovation and Leadership where real-world studies take place each day.
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Feeling Family: Watercolor Portraits
Third grade art students demonstrated their growth as artists as they drew remarkable likenesses of their families for eye-catching family portraits. The multi-week assignment called for young artists to add new techniques of working with color, observation, and drawing that they have been honing in art class twice a week since kindergarten. The portrait assignment […]
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Advice to My 30 Year Old Self
Students from Julia Morgan School for Girls, a 6-8 grade middle school in Oakland, CA, were asked what advice they would give to their 30 year old self. The video was produced by Career Girls, a local non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting diverse women role models for girls.
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‘Iolani School’s Redesigned Art Space
‘Iolani School redesigned its Lower School art room to provide a more open and creative space for students. Here, a special “hands on” project demonstrates why the arts at ‘Iolani are alive and thriving.
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Identity and Design Project Asks Students to Consider “Who Are You?”
To conclude and celebrate the end of their first unit on Identity — part of their Social Justice and Cultural Understanding (SJCU) class — Seattle Girls’ School eighth graders take on an interesting challenge: design a pair of shoes that represents their many identities. Early in the year, the class actively considers and discusses with […]
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Student Researchers Head to the Top of the World for Arctic Expedition
In July, with temperatures rising in California, 12 students from The Harker School traveled to the Arctic for a special two-week research expedition focused on environmental issues including the impact of global warming. They visited Frogner Park and the Fram Museum, where Norway’s first ship built for polar research is kept. “We ran around the […]
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UCLA Professor Talks to New Roads School’s GLASS Student Club About the Biological Link Between Body-Shaming and Obesity
While it’s no surprise that, particularly for young women, body-shaming causes emotional harm, it turns out that merely labeling a child as ‘too fat’ may trigger a hormonal response from the body that keeps him or her overweight even a decade later. This discovery was made by Dr. Janet Tomiyama, a distinguished professor in Health […]
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4th grade students respond to the needs of others
In September, after hearing about the devastating northern California Valley and Butte fires as they were simultaneously occurring, Seven Hills 4th graders decided they needed to help the survivors. As one student seriously explained, “With such a colossal problem so close to home, our 4th grade classes couldn’t just sit back and watch.” Instead, they […]
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Into The Fringe: Harker Cast Performs in Scotland
Opening night: Director Laura Lang-Ree has her cast dreaming of Scotland. “You can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like,” she said. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the oldest of its kind. Harker’s participation started in 2007; the cast of “Pippin” performed in 2011. “It’s mind-blowing, the innovation and the quality of work that […]
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BlendEd Program Fosters Self-Motivated Education
Juniors and seniors at Marin Academy have a unique opportunity to take classes with peers and teachers from their own and four other Bay Area schools — The Athenian School, The College Preparatory School, Lick-Wilmerding High School, and The Urban School — in a partnership that combines face-to-face instruction with online learning. The Bay Area […]
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Students Consider “What is Right?” through Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a cornerstone of a Foothills School education; it lets students learn collaboratively by asking questions that enhance their understanding of a subject. Last year, fifth and sixth graders spent a semester focusing on one driving question, “What is Right?” Activities included immersing themselves in the history of street art — […]
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Open Window School Student Experiment to Fly to the International Space Station
This fall students at Open Window School have their heads in the clouds, actually far above the clouds. They are working in teams on proposals for microgravity experiments to be conducted by astronauts 250 miles above sea level on the International Space Station (ISS). One of these student-designed experiments will be among 22 selected from […]
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Exploring the Library with Augmented Reality
“It’s like magic!” “How’d they do that?!” These are the excited voices of Lower School students as they took a creative tour of our newly updated library in September. We moved away from a monotonous, information-overload orientation to a more engaging experience that had students moving around the library space on their own. We created […]
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Acceleration Comes to Light in Dunn School’s Physics Class
At Dunn School in Los Olivos, California, juniors and seniors saw free-fall in a whole new way, thanks to a newly-designed physics course. Students approximated free-fall by attaching a small strobe light to a heavy ball (to minimize the effects of air resistance); then they photographed the strobe light as it fell. They took this […]
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An Interdisciplinary Project Goes Global
In an elective, Mark Day School Upper Division students learned that engineering the right product means respecting the process and really listening to your users. In fall 2014, “tinkerer in residence” David St. Martin presented the 7th and 8th grade students in his fabrication class with statistics about the impact of inefficient cooking stoves on […]
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Minecraft at Iolani
‘Iolani School teacher Gabriel Yanagihara is combining popular technology with traditional studies, and he is changing the landscape of learning for his students. Required reading is no longer just that- in Minecraft classes, students recreate the physical layout of a book within the game, as well as build new communities, explore space, and join the […]
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Students Visit Hiroshima, Rally for Peace
Seventy years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two Harker students joined students from Russia, Japan and the United States for the 18th annual Critical Issues Forum, a student conference on nuclear disarmament held in Hiroshima. The forum, April 2-4, was co-sponsored by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury […]
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Turning Point School Awarded International Certification
Turning Point School was recently awarded International Certification through the Council of International Schools (CIS). The pursuit of this certification has been an exciting priority and goal for the entire school community over the past two years, and Turning Point is proud to be only the third school school in the United States to earn […]
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Jazz: A Fifth Grade Multidisciplinary Exploration
An annual visit by professional jazz musicians who share the living tradition of jazz with SCDS’s fifth grade class has inspired a series of lessons among multiple disciplines including humanities, music, art, and library and information literacy. As part of their class’s year-long study of Jazz and the African-American Experience, each student chooses a musician […]
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Musical Fun With Science or Scientific Fun with Music?
What might a song have to do with science? A lot…when you’re a sixth grade science learner asking: What can we learn about science and culture through listening to music? Especially if, as their science teacher noted, students are using the right lens. Students tackled the query as analytically as possible in their study of […]
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Science Fair… With a Twist
This year, we completely changed our science fair. All work was done in the classroom, and we attained authentic student work. More important, we emphasized reflection and sharing with all students. All projects had to display a reflection celebrating successes and sharing particular challenges (or what didn’t work). Many students also included thoughts on what […]
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AUP Speaks (and is heard!)
To culminate the inaugural year of American University Preparatory School (AUP) in Los Angeles, the school hosted an event called AUP Speaks. The event took place on Friday, May 29th at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Guests included academics from UCLA and USC, local non-profits, community leaders, consulate representatives, and independent professionals. AUP Speaks was created […]
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Inquiry-Based Projects Lead to Real-Life Solutions
Research on learning and the brain has shown that an integrated, inter-disciplinary approach to independently motivated study promotes increased engagement. That’s why all K-8 students at Punahou School now participate in inquiry-based projects. Take the Kaho‘olawe project, during which a seventh grade team’s English, social studies, science, and math classes focused on Hawai’i’s smallest island, […]
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Language Immersion Comes Alive in Partnership with Technology
Can you teach a robot to speak Spanish? At Missoula International School, students use computer software and LEGOS® to build robots programmed to solve real-life problems in a total Spanish immersion classroom. K-1 teacher John Kratz pioneered the program at MIS in 2013; today it’s being integrated into every classroom and offered in after-school and […]
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Open Window School Positively Impacts Community
Twice a year, Parent Association PiP (Positive Impact Project) Co-Chairs organize community service events. This spring, the weekend before Earth Day, about 40 Open Window parents, kids and staff members met up to help with a native planting project at a nearby trailhead replacing previous non-native plants with native plants that can survive without additional […]
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Building our solar future at Midland School
For over a decade, Midland 10th graders have annually helped install a 3-kW grid-tied solar array alongside faculty members and a professional electrician after writing technical reports on how photovoltaic systems work. Each array meets another 3% of our school’s electricity needs; currently 30% of our needs are met with student-installed arrays, and at this […]
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Turning Point Students Just Say “No” to Plastics
Turning Point School’s Level 8 Community Leadership team recently returned from the 2015 Algalita POPS (Plastic Ocean Pollution Solutions) International Youth Summit in Dana Point, California, where they had the opportunity to network with other student leaders from around the world in an effort to explore and expand their role in the plastic pollution movement. […]
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Maker’s Movement Comes to Rowland Hall
The quest to solve problems by making tools from available materials has marked the advancement of cultures and satisfied the human desire to invent since the beginning of time. Right now the Maker Movement, based on the idea of constructing knowledge by building physical artifacts with real-world applications, is taking the country by storm. Two […]
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Block Party in the Beginning School
In an article published in the journal Science, Denver University Professor Douglas Clements made the case that there is not a time in a student’s academic life more important than preschool, and no learning more important than building a solid understanding in mathematics. “Mathematical thinking is cognitively foundational,” asserts Dr. Clement. “Preschool children’s knowledge of […]
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Dance Concert Lands on a Visceral Level
This year’s annual Rowland Hall dance concert titled, “Ground,” featured 87 Rowland Hall students, ages 11 to 18, and dance forms ranging from ballet to modern to hip-hop. The evening began with a high-speed chase throughout the theatre and culminated in an intimate reflection on dancers’ experiences of joy, sadness, and anger. This performance engaged […]
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Interactive Data Art Session Inspires Connection
Last week we kicked off the third trimester of the school year in Arts and Innovation with a Data Art exploratory session for our Middle School students. Scott Draves Beamed in from his home base of New York and delivered an amazing interactive workshop. Scott is a pioneering software artist best known for creating the […]
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Sixth Graders Launch 2 High Altitude Weather Balloons
Early on a recent Saturday morning, sixth graders launched 2 high altitude weather balloons in Ellensburg, WA equipped with flight computers and weather sensors built, soldered and programmed by students. The balloons made it to over 93,000 feet capturing photographs of “near space.” Recovering the balloons included a 9 mile hike and a walk through […]
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Trips Enhance Curriculum and Connect Students with the Natural Environment
Spring is a special time for Lower School students at Pacific Northern Academy in Anchorage, Alaska, because it’s when their much-anticipated overnight field trips — designed to enhance the curriculum — get underway. First graders study oceanography before visiting the SeaLife Center in Seward to hone observation skills, participate in hands-on marine science programs, and […]
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Seattle Educator Named 2015 Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow
In recognition of her commitment to geographic education, Teri Rutledge, a teacher at Villa Academy in Seattle was selected as one of the 2015 Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. Every year, K-12 educators are encouraged to apply for this professional development opportunity that allows them to bring immersive geographic learning experiences back […]
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Gateway Kindergarteners Prepare for a Day in Space
Not many people can say they have been to outer space, but the kindergartners at Gateway School recently became members of that select group – all without leaving their classroom. As part of a space exploration unit, Gateway’s kindergarteners prepared themselves for an imaginary trip to the International Space Station. In the weeks leading up […]
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Growth Mindset Challenge Inspires Teachers and Students
February was “Growth Mindset Challenge” month at Mayfield Junior School. Since report cards went home at the end of January, February seemed an ideal time to renew our efforts to support growth mindsets. Lower School Director, Laura Kennedy, asked each teacher to read “Mindsets in the Classroom” by Mary Cay Ricci, and to share practical […]
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Burke’s Takes Hour of Code Offline for a Full Week of Activities
A week-long Hour of Code in December got Burke’s students thinking about the elements of computer programming — but in many cases, without a screen in sight, or through a blend of the plugged and unplugged. Those activities included: • Kindergartners creating symbols for dance steps, stringing them together in a line of code on […]
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2nd Grade Students from The Meadows School Raise Over $5,000 for Local SPCA!
The 2nd grade students at The Meadows School in Las Vegas, NV have cooked up a sweet way to give back to their local animal rescue. Through their annual Valentine’s Day Bake Sale, students learned lessons in both entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and this year’s effort raised $5,569.71 for the cause! The tradition started in 1993 […]
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Glass Classrooms
Turning Point School recently launched a new “Glass Classrooms” project. Glass Classrooms allows anyone, from any location to virtually “sit in” on a lesson or activity and learn more about the research-based methods that inform the curricula and inspire truly successful learning. Glass Classrooms is housed and archived on YouTube, with a corresponding page on […]
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We Are Rosa Parks
The Women of Courage Panel in Honor of Rosa Parks, created and hosted by the Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service (GGLS) features women of courage. The girls at Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland, CA lead the event and interview the women on what courage means to them. This year we were fortunate […]
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Minecraft and the Medieval World
Exciting 7th graders about medieval world history takes a good deal of creativity but teacher, Nicole Sanders knew exactly how to engage this group of digital natives – with a game. Minecraft, a computer game described as “virtual Legos,” provided the creative opportunity and engaging format she needed. Using Minecraftedu, the education edition of the […]
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First Grade Neighborhood Build
The first grade students spent 6 weeks studying the inner and outer workings of the neighborhood that encompasses Sea Crest School. They talked with a historian, discussed the differences between WANTS/NEEDS and GOODS/SERVICES, went on several field trips which included; the fire station, water treatment plant, a walk down Main Street, a beach walk and […]
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Women of Courage Panel in Honor of Rosa Parks
At JMSG, Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service (GGLS) is a group of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls who voluntarily meet before school one day a week. Not only do the girls prepare for this event, but, in addition, over the past few years, they have studied the gender disparity of wages in the […]
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Learning the Power of Power
2nd and 3rd graders explored their own power to make change as part of a year-long unit on POWER at Aurora School. It all started with a science field trip to the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Students had a chance to run nets through the water to find living creatures. They looked at zooplankton and […]
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Open Window School Sixth Grader is the Junior Winner in the Future Engineers 3D Printing in Space Challenge
Students in Innovation & Tech Lab Director Adrienne Gifford’s sixth grade tech class at Open Window School have been learning 3D modeling and printing this year. Ms. Gifford encouraged her students to enter a design into the Future Engineers 3D Printing in Space Challenge. Earlier this year, NASA launched it’s first-ever Zero-G 3D Printer to […]
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Understanding the Contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
SCDS primary grades faculty capitalized on time set aside for K-2 collaborative learning to introduce and reinforce students’ understanding of Dr. Martin Luther King’s contributions as a leader. Near the federal holiday vacation day, students were placed into mixed grade cohorts for a lesson that involved creating posters with words and pictures expressing his ideas […]
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Hamlin’s First Annual On/Line Teen Dance Film Festival Blends Dance and Technology
This 30-minute film festival was created by The Hamlin School in San Francisco and highlights the work of Middle School dancers at Hamlin as well as selected films from other middle schools and high schools around the globe. This “dance for the camera” work blends dancing and technology in creative and engaging ways. Six other […]
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Mid-Peninsula High School Launches Human Relations Course
Mid-Peninsula High School launched a new Human Relations course devoted to studying various forms of community engagement. The course is geared to focus on issues that matter the most to the students so they can be invested in the programs they launch. The class recently hosted a Social Justice Panel featuring representatives from the Ecumenical […]
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New Twists in Physical Education
On the final day of our fourth grade basketball unit, I wanted to try something different. We had done the “standard” skills and drills, played the shooting, passing and lead-up games, and even had some heated competitive matches. Many days went very well and the students worked at their skill level and strived to work […]
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A Dynamic Space for Innovation
Opened in September 2013, the Innovation Center represents CEE’s commitment to leading edge education. This dynamic learning space offers students and teachers the technology, space, and tools to engage in transformative experiences and explore new possibilities. Truly a 21st Century learning environment, the space includes many features that nurture big ideas, collaboration, and self-guided learning. […]
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Dunn Students Trek to Study Ecosystems
Students in Dunn’s AP Environmental Science class took a three-day trek through Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties to investigate ecosystems. Dunn School, in Los Olivos, California, serves boarding and day students in grades 6-12. Students started by uncovering coastal ecology and ecosystems at the Guadalupe Dunes and Oso Flaco Lake. They tested […]
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Outdoor Education Brings a School Community Together
This winter, kindergarten and first graders at Riverstone International School are learning to ice skate; second and third graders are trying out Nordic skiing; fifth graders are learning about ecosystems and adaptations at an outdoor science school. Older students are camping in snow caves and hiking through the Sawtooth Mountains. That’s because Riverstone’s Outdoor Education […]
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International High School students hold their first-ever TEDx
On December 6, 2014 in San Francisco, CA, International High School students organized their first-ever TEDx conference–completely on their own. Topics included taking into account the user experience when designing transportation; looking critically at factors that influence girls’ self-perception; how gaming can be useful in education; and not confusing digital images for modern-day heroes valued […]
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Open Window School Eighth Graders Join Google Hangout with Dr. Hugh Herr
Open Window 8th graders recently received a special invitation to join a Google Hangout with MIT’s “Bionic Man” Dr. Hugh Herr. This was one of many opportunities these students received as a result of having their mobile app named “Best in Nation” in the 2014 Verizon App Challenge. Dr. Herr was one of the country’s […]
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International High School students honored for service in Ethiopia
On November 18, 2014, the Oakland City Council (CA) honored International High School students for their work in Ethiopia last spring. Senior Edom Tadesse’s dream was to someday travel to Ethiopia, so she recruited 14 students and organized a cultural and service learning trip. With the main focus of the trip to help rebuild TanaEyesus […]
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The Buzz on Bees!
The Harker School’s preschool has a STEM lesson on honeybees. After our preschoolers showed curiosity about all the honeybees on campus, our STEM teacher folded a honeybee lesson into her curriculum. She works in collaboration with classroom teachers to introduce new concepts in the four important areas that comprise our STEM lab and farm. For […]
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Overlake Students Taking Mandarin Make Music Video
Overlake Students taking Mandarin 5 took it upon themselves to make a music video. The students re-worked the song “Welcome to Beijing” to “Welcome to Overlake,” and shot the video on our beautiful campus. There are no subtitles on the video, but you can enjoy the lyrics below: Overlake 欢迎你 Welcome to Overlake by中文五班 By […]
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How Exchanges Become Inspiration
In 2010, Flintridge Preparatory School’s Nicaragua Initiative was envisioned as a typical summer exchange program, with five Spanish students travelling to Managua. The passionate involvement of one participant — rising senior Naomi Hatanaka — provided inspiration that continues today, says Spanish teacher Manuel Nuñez, who oversees the program. “I didn’t have an awareness of what […]
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Inspiring International Discussion on Educational Change
Recently, Julia Morgan School for Girls Head of School Sandra Luna was honored to be a keynote speaker at the International Symposium on the Quality of Girls’ Education and Girls’ Rights to Education in Zhenjiang, China. Seventy educators and researchers, primarily from China, but also from Russia, the UK, Mauritius, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were […]
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Beyond Charity: Students Forge Connections with City Neighborhoods
Students at San Francisco University High School are constantly challenged to investigate their potential for enacting change, including the school’s Community Engagement Program, which connects student learning, social responsibility, and meaningful service. The Neighborhood Investigation unit helps familiarize ninth graders with a specific neighborhood’s history, community, and needs for the future before volunteer activities even […]
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Sixth Graders Learn Biology, Archaeology, and History Through Mummification
Bent over chickens fresh from the market, sixth graders splashed rice wine vinegar and rubbed cinnamon on the pullets like Top Chefs vying for a stake in the next round. The setting was no TV kitchen, though, and Mrs. Porter’s students weren’t prepping these birds to serve for dinner. Science was happening, and the chicken […]
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Reimagined Classrooms Invite Collaborative Learning
Hillbrook School’s classrooms are changing and everyone has something to say about it. Eighth graders, believing their art studio was “too adult and too organized,” submitted a petition for its “re-messification.” Last year, over a dozen teachers agreed to begin substantially altering their classrooms and then asked questions about how the changes—which included physical redesigns […]
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It’s in the Music: Students Help Revive Memories for Dementia Patients
A new partnership between The Healdsburg School and a local senior living community brings seventh and eighth graders together with residents suffering from moderate or acute dementia. Coordinated by science teacher Carrie Smith and two Healdsburg Senior Living directors, the project was inspired by “Alive Inside,” a documentary showing how music can elicit memories and […]
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Students Use Technical Skills for Greater Good
All Lick-Wilmerding High School students take a minimum of two years of technical arts classes, including participation in a unique partnership that puts design-thinking skills to work for the benefit of others. The “Private Skills, Public Purpose” (PSPP) class begins with an empathetic stance—an in-depth study of social inequities and an exploration of privilege in […]
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It’s All About Relationships: PSPP Conference 2015
In his book entitled “Community,” Peter Block argues that in order for a community to succeed, each person within it must feel a sense of belonging. For this sense of belonging to be authentic, it should come from the actions we take as stewards of our communities. This idea of nurturing healthy, positive relationships in […]
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How Girls Become Effective, Compassionate Leaders
Castilleja School’s Center for Awareness, Compassion, and Engagement (ACE) gives girls the skills to transition from witnessing the world around them to becoming active stakeholders, emerging change agents, and compassionate leaders. The school’s Social and Emotional Learning Program (SEL) provides them with the necessary scaffolding to take on these challenges. With raised awareness, compassion, and […]
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The Human Body and Ableism
In third grade CDS students deepen their study of the human body through a Community Based Learning unit about ableism. Students participate in several simulations that provide them with first-hand experience of what it’s like to be differently abled. First, they conduct joint task immobilizations where they limit the use of some of their finger […]
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Dia de los Muertos: Celebrating Our Community
Each year CDS students and their families participate in the creation of Día de los Muertos altars on the first floor of our main school building and in the preschool classrooms. El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a holiday celebrated in Mexico, Latin American countries, and right here in San Francisco, is […]
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Take Them Outside!
At CDS, the inspiring outdoor preschool classroom helps children uncover their creative selves. Did you know that studies indicate that children like to play with natural materials—such as stumps, rocks, sticks, seeds, leaves and pine cones—more than human-engineered playground equipment? In our amazing outdoor learning space the children have access to a fabulous mud kitchen […]
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New Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Takes to the Streets…and Hallways, and Lunchrooms…
The 2014-2015 school year has started out in a very mindful way at Katherine Delmar Burke School, with the statement “What are your hopes and intentions?” appearing in chalk and paint in various areas across campus. It’s part of a theme, “Hopes & Intentions,” that was introduced during the first Lower School assembly through music, […]
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Burke’s Young Earthquake Engineers
Thanks to a grant from GirlsRISE.net and the California Academy of Sciences, eighth graders from Katherine Delmar Burke School participated in a day-long design/build engineering challenge at the Academy of Sciences. The activities for the girls focused on structural engineering and architectural design for earthquake safety.
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Caring in the Classroom Unites a School Community
At Prospect Sierra Middle School, fifth graders, led by a trained facilitator, enjoy a year-long relationship with a baby and the family. Lessons about emotions, temperament, brain development, trust, and child safety and care are integral to the process. “I love Baby Bryn,” says one student. “Even when she cries, we feel sad for her […]
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The power of community, Besant Hill School
There is something very special about how the Besant Hill School campus comes alive at the hands of faculty and students during project days. Groups work in gardens and dormitories, the theater, and in classrooms. Everyone jumps into their projects with great enthusiasm, working together as a community, strengthening personal bonds, and learning the value […]
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French American 8th Grader Uses Design Lab to Prototype Yo-Yo
Eighth-grade student Elliot Irving loves to yo-yo. This past summer Elliot took the hobby a step further and decided to design his very own unresponsive yo-yo. “[It’s] a yo-yo meant for tricks,” says Elliot, “and it doesn’t come up when you tug on it. It requires a bind to come up.” On a road trip […]
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Seniors choose local nonprofits for Capstone Projects
The Capstone Program at Besant Hill School aims to encourage seniors to take their education outside of the classroom by crafting individual projects where they may explore their interests. The actual Capstone experience takes place over the course of the last three weeks of the academic year. Capstone projects vary greatly, from interning in real […]
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A generation of creative collaborators: Chicago Interim trip
In the spring during Westridge’s experiential Interim week, 39 Chamber Orchestra students were featured as the artists-in-residence at Baker Demonstration School, an independent coeducational elementary school in Wilmette, IL. The goal was for the two schools to work together to create original music compositions. Leo Kitajima, Westridge Middle and Upper School orchestra teacher, conceptualized the […]
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International Day Emphasizes Global Learning, Cultural Appreciation
International Day celebrations at Wasatch Academy actually span nearly a week each spring, anchored by two highlights: the International Day Showcase and the International Food Court. Throughout the year, students from the nearly 40 countries represented on campus—including Liberia, France, Korea, Iran, Canada, and Ecuador—meld together as one community. Celebrating their differences is a way […]
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Taking “Journeys,” Exploring Challenges
Three times a year, K-12 students at Journeys School of Teton Science Schools in Jackson, Wyoming, examine and explore solutions to issues in their world. Aptly named “journeys,” each unit of study is intentionally designed to teach students to understand and weigh the social, economic, and ecological components of local and global communities, and to […]
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Green screening stories from the Old Testament at French American
Mme. Harifi recently completed a green screening project with her 6th grade history classes. The context for this activity was a unit studying Judaism, in which students were asked to present a three-minute retelling of a story from the Old Testament. Students recorded their scenes in front of a green screen. When they were finished, […]
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Technovation Challenge: We’ve Created an App for That!
Technovation is the global technology entrepreneurship program for girls and this year Julia Morgan School for Girls’ “Team Floaty Bag” presented their app, “Floaty Bag” at a showcase in Google SF. A group of students have dedicated over 40 hours over the course of three months working hard on their app that involved designing and […]
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Idealism and Humanity at San Francisco Waldorf High School
Through the Idealism and Humanity class at San Francisco Waldorf High School, ninth graders discover themselves within a group and explore ways to resolve differences of beliefs and ideals within society.
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Seventh Graders See Problems, Find Solutions: “Right On, Dude!”
Every year, seventh graders at Menlo School in Atherton, CA, examine a specific problem—local, regional, or global—become experts on the issue, develop an action plan, and formulate solutions for change. The “Right On, Dude!” project shows students they can make a difference in the world. It also challenges them to learn and grow while drawing […]
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Maker Culture Evolving at the French American International School
This year the French American International School of San Francisco developed FAIS Creates, an after-school maker club. Over the course of the year, our group of 15 students in grades 6-8 completed a variety of hands-on projects, including work with Arduino, sewing and crafting, robotics, and fabrication. Next fall, our school will unveil a new […]
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School’s Paleontology Museum Engages Students in the Scientific Process
The Webb Schools in Claremont, California, is the only high school in the country to have an accredited museum of paleontology right on campus. The Alf Museum is not just a place where students go to look at fossils. It’s a place where students are part of the scientific process, where they learn the joy […]
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Sustainability Program Teaches Students to Care For, and About, Their Environment
A typical “Project Day” at Besant Hill School of Happy Valley (BHS), a 9-12 boarding school in Ojai, CA, asks students, faculty, and staff members to take on activities that have been waiting for the right time, the right spirit, and the power of collaboration. Experiential opportunities might include tree planting, landscaping, sifting or building […]
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First Grade Pulley Systems Harken Back to Ancient Times
As first graders at St. Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo, CA, engineered their own pulley systems—an interactive STEM science lab project—they were also thinking about how catapults were used in the Trojan War. During their International Baccalaureate (IB) studies of Ancient Greece and Rome, they’d learned that a catapult is a lever, and gained the […]
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KidLead Program Teaches Leadership in Lower- and Middle School
The desire to lead is what unites the graduates of KidLead, Harker’s successful after-school offering for lower and middle school students. Several years ago, Harker became one of the first schools nationwide to implement KidLead, an executive-caliber, globally recognized leadership training program designed especially for preteens. “It attempts to focus on developing leaders who have […]
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Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service at JMSG
Julia Morgan School for Girls’ Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service (GGLS) is a group of students who meet one morning a week to learn more about government, leadership, current issues, and how to effectuate change. Led by Head of School Sandra Luna, the mission of GGLS is to: – Provide opportunities to girls to […]
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Horsing Around at New Roads Elementary School
When Visual Arts department chair and instructor Marcia Moore set out to plan an elementary school art project for the arrival of the “Year of the Horse” this past Lunar New Year, she decided to go big. Students from Kindergarten to fifth grade would collaborate on the creation of a herd of large-scale horse sculptures […]
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Students Aim for the Skies with Airplane Engineering Project
On any given afternoon, middle and upper school students gather in the Makers Studio to build The Athenian School’s newest airplane. The all-metal, two-person Van’s Aircraft RV-12 is one example of the school’s hands-on experiential learning opportunities. The plane is 20-feet long, has a wingspan of 27 feet, is powered by a 100hp Rotax engine, […]
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Relationships first, programs follow at Sonoma Academy
When we moved to our permanent campus in 2008, we knew we didn’t want to be the school on the hill; we wanted to be part of our neighborhood. We asked Jacqueline Smethurst and David Drinkwater of Wingspan Partnerships (public/private partnership builders) to help. They facilitated a series of conversations among SA leaders, the local […]
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Students Get a Kick Out of Raising Money for Camp Okizu
The fifth annual Kicks Against Cancer varsity soccer games raised more than $5,000 for children who attend Camp Okizu, a camp for cancer patients and their families. “Camp Okizu provides peer support, respite, mentoring, and recreational programs to meet the needs of all members of families affected by childhood cancer. The amount raised this year […]
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Student-Driven iPad Dream becomes iPad Reality at ‘Iolani School
What makes the story of ‘Iolani School’s One-to-One iPad Initiative inspiring is that the idea was completely student driven. In less than a year, the seed that three students planted has grown into an Initiative that puts iPads in the hands of 1,880 students in kindergarten to twelfth grade. In this video, you’ll meet Blake, […]
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Head-Royce’s Green Efforts Help Create Global Citizens
Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA, went green in 2006 with every member of the K-12 community fully invested in making it happen. And it shows. Today, a new LEED-certified high school building reduced the school’s water consumption by more than a third; landfill waste was cut in half; solar panels generate 17% of the school’s […]
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Sea Crest School Partners With City of Half Moon Bay to Adopt Poplar Beach
Sea Crest School has announced a partnership with Half Moon Bay through the city’s ‘Adopt A Park’ program. Sea Crest will adopt neighboring Poplar Beach, and students, faculty and staff will work together to help ensure that the beach is in good condition for Half Moon Bay residents and visitors to enjoy. Sea Crest 7th […]
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Sea Crest School Teaches Real-World Computer Science
Recent research suggests that students, particularly girls, do not have a clear picture of what computer science is or what a computer scientist does. Many view computer science as a career that’s focused on simply fixing or studying computers and are unaware of the positive impact that programming can have on people’s lives. Computers touch […]
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NAIS Challenge 20/20 Topic: Global Warming and Gardening
This is a short video that the Catlin Gabel School Garden Club elective created between November, 2013, and January, 2014. We made the video for the NAIS Challenge 20/20 program, focusing on the subject of how gardening helps combat global warming.
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From Summer Reading to Service Learning at New Roads Middle School
For New Roads Middle School students, this was summer reading with enough impact to last the whole year long: “Outcasts United” – the vivid and inspiring true story of a soccer team of refugee boys from war-torn homelands and their determined coach – had already stirred class discussions about migration, cultural differences and building a […]
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“Empathy to Action:” Wind and the Punahou Camp Experience
Our eighth grade team at Punahou School integrated the study of wind into our Camp Mokule`ia experience. By learning how the wind plays a role in the outplanting of naupaka at Ka`ena Point, students gained a greater understanding of how the resilient plant is an ideal choice to withstand the coastal winds of the area. […]
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Celebrating Reading & Writing
An exciting venture into Balanced Literacy was reading many versions of the Gingerbread Boy. The diverse cultures featured practice in recognizing character traits, comparing and contrasting, and creatively changing the ending…a fun and creative way to celebrate reading and writing during December.
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Yummy Synonym Rolls
Word Study is lots of fun using the SmartBoard and ipad minis for interactive games, but baking is a bonus. Pinetrest had a wonderful activity that had children over the moon. First we read If You Were a Synonym. We talked about old, worn out words and how to revise our writing. Children worked with […]
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Student-run Microlending Program Makes a Global Impact
MicroBank, a student-run microfinance club at The Meadows School, has been lending money to entrepreneurs in 42 developing countries over the past five years, one of the first U.S. schools to take on such a global initiative. Their efforts are impacting many lives, encouraging entrepreneurship, and teaching club members about responsibility, business management, and financial […]
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Turning Point School’s Dirt to Dish Program Expands
Turning Point’s Dirt to Dish Program is constantly expanding. We started two summers ago as our Middle School students used produce from our garden along with dairy products and bread from local farmers to serve snack to the entire Summer Camp every day. We have now expanded the garden three fold and have reinstituted our […]
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Students and Horses Become Teammates
Freshmen at Thacher School, a coed boarding school in Ojai, California, begin learning the value of teamwork and the power of true friendship on their very first day of school, thanks to the Horse Program. Each student is partnered with a horse that lives on the property, an idea that traces back to the school’s […]
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Level 6 Choral Concert Honors Nelson Mandela
In the afternoon of December 5, Level 6 students culminated their trimester of Performing Arts with their annual Choral Concert. This class was not just about singing; it was about history, art, poetry, equality, and peace. It was about the Land and Music of South Africa, and about the amazing man, Nelson Mandela. It could […]
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Kindergartners Give Back
Saklan School kindergartners will auction off their artwork Thursday and Friday to raise money to buy gifts for children with cancer. The auction is being held in from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, December 12, and from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Friday, December 13. “This is a lesson for them on who […]
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Student of the Day!
In my classroom we have a “student of the day” who is recognized for their positive attitude and contributions during the school day. The recipient for the “student of the day” honor is chosen by the previous day’s winner. This strengthens community within the classroom by fostering positivity and recognition of each others’ actions throughout […]
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Lake Washington Girls Middle School Service Project
Over 45 students from Lake Washington Girls Middle School participated in a two-day service event in partnership with St. Clouds restaurant and Angeline’s Women’s Center. On the first day of this event, students met at St.Clouds restaurant, located in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood, with bags of food donations and unbridled enthusiasm. John Platt, an Executive Chef […]
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Building community and accountability among students through great lesson planning and project design.
Eric Hudson is an Instructional Designer with Global Online Academy. Eric regularly creates short videos highlighting examples of excellent teaching and instructional design featuring Global Online Academy Faculty. Each member of our faculty currently works for one of our member schools. In this video, Eric highlights examples of instructional design, with an emphasis on community […]
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St. Mary’s Goes to Beautiful Lengths to Help Cancer Patients
At St. Mary’s, an Early Education to Grade 8, private IB school, the month of October is dedicated to educating the school’s community about cancer. “Through assemblies designed to teach students about healthy lifestyles through diet, exercise and sun care– to students’ service learning opportunities, we want our community to feel empowered to affect change,” […]
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OES Winterim Off Campus
Oregon Episcopal School Upper School students have the option to take a trip off campus for a one week Winterim. These trips are a lot of fun, but more importantly they cultivate the character of our students. Every Winterim trip is focused on Service Learning and/or Language Immersion.
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Beekeeping at Catlin Gabel School
This video was made for the NAIS 2013-2014 Teachers of the Future group, which is creating and posting lessons online that combine issues of social equity, environmental sustainability, and technology use. We began keeping bees at Catlin Gabel School as a Garden Club, a group of students, teachers, parents, and staff that oversees our 2,000+ […]
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Peter Boukaert of Human Rights Watch Speaks to New Roads High School Students about Social Media’s Role in Exposing Human Rights Violations
Peter Bouckaert, Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) Emergencies Director and an expert in humanitarian crises, spoke to students at Los Angeles at New Roads School’s Moss Theater on October 2nd, describing HRW’s global mission, and the increasingly pivotal role that social media and everyday technology play in the group’s investigations into human rights abuses. The presentation […]
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Middle Schoolers Program “Electric Costumes” at The Willows Community School
Design thinking is quite literally a “bright spot” at The Willows Community School. Director of Technology Amy Dugré recently offered a middle school elective, “Light it Up!” where students worked with circuit boards and LED lights to create some ingenious gadgets—including illuminated clothing! The class evolved as faculty prepared for this year’s Family Arts Night, […]
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Drawing Together Day 2013
Inspired by former arts faculty members, Drawing Together Day on September 9, 2013, brought back a tradition to the Catlin Gabel campus: a time when people of all ages take time to draw. Students from preschool through 12th grade and their teachers, and staff members, all spent one hour on a beautiful late summer afternoon […]
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Learning Science And Math By Doing
La Jolla Country Day School prides itself on pursuing the best approach available for the best education possible. It is not a slave to any particular curricular approach. As technology has allowed students more hands-on learning options, we have formed great partnerships to bring our students the best education available today.
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Students Tackle Real-World Problems in the Innovation Lab
The Nueva School in Hillsborough, California is engineering a new way of thinking for students. The Innovation Lab (I-Lab) teaches design thinking to prepare students with a solid mental framework for tackling real-world problems and brainstorming practical solutions. Students approach new projects with one core question: “What do we need to do next?” This seemingly […]
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Student Global Leadership Institute
The Student Global Leadership Institute (SGLI) at Punahou School convenes youth leaders who tackle global challenges and create positive social change. The Institute engages students in team-based projects that address issues such as the environment, economics, and globalization. It teaches principles of creative problem-solving and cross-cultural communication in addition to collaboration. In 2013, seventy-nine students […]
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Every Girl Can Be a Leader
Leadership holds a top spot among the Seattle Girls’ School’s cultural priorities, with opportunities galore and an extraordinary culture of participation. Each sixth grader must lead a community meeting, not just standing up and speaking, but choosing a topic and designing the agenda. Turning schools’ usual practice upside down, seventh graders lead both the younger […]
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Menlo’s Bridge to Engineering, Science, and Technology
Secondary school enrollments in computer science, engineering, and physics are notoriously skewed toward boys. But not at Menlo School, thanks in large measure to M-BEST: Menlo’s Bridge to Engineering, Science, and Technology. Approximately 40% of Menlo girls participate in this intensive program in which students research a topic each month and build curricula for day-long […]