Weekly Update
April 25, 2014
“If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over?” ~John Wooden
Days in Rotation:
Monday, April 28th - Day 1
Tuesday, April 29th - Day 2
Wednesday, April 30th - Day 3
Thursday, May 1st - Day 4
Friday, May 2nd - Day 5
Virtues Celebration
Students enjoyed being recognized for receiving a virtues voucher for their virtuous behavior during this month. Fourth and fifth grade students received a goody bag and a dress down day sticker during an assembly in which we stressed the importance of practice as one strives toward excellence. I encouraged students to read the book Outliers to learn about very successful people who achieved success as a result of the “10,000 hours” they spent perfecting their craft. First through third graders enjoyed our beach-themed luncheon. All were impressed with the beach buckets and the special cupcake creations made by our very talented Mrs. Walton. She, along with Mrs. Cheves and Mrs. Robertson, hosted another special event for our students. Congratulations to all students for their positive behaviors. We look forward to our Unity Picnic on May 21st which will be our culminating virtues celebration for this school year.
A Celebration of Writing
Mrs. McCabe’s third graders enjoyed sharing their published writing with their classmates as well as fourth grade guests this week. Dressing up special for the occasion, each third grader shared their published piece of writing proudly with those students who visited their station. The fourth graders were engrossed in their reading and asked excellent questions of the authors. Infusing a touch of “musical chairs” allowed students to visit a wide array of authors during their visit. Everyone should be proud of their consistent hard work throughout the writing process that allowed them to reach this day.
Earth Day Activities
Fourth grade science students have been commemorating Earth Day all week. They have planted native plants along the nature trail and raked mulch into the walking path to improve the trail. Students also pulled weeds, planted impatiens, and put out pine straw in the small garden across from the Lower School library door. Also, during this week, the maintenance department installed a rain barrel for us near the Lower School garden which will catch and collect the rain from the roof. This will allow us to irrigate the plants in the butterfly garden at the end of the primary hall.
In addition, fourth and fifth grade students attended the Disney Nature movie, Bears, as part of our Earth Day experience. This story of a mother bear and her cubs was entertaining and educational with breath-taking photography. The movie highlighted the life of a bear family during their journey from their den in the Alaskan mountains to the river where they fattened up on salmon before their hibernation. In science class, students will use the scenes in this movie to help understand learned behavior, instinctual behavior, bear habitats, and adaptations as well as learning about the diversity of Alaskan terrain.
Mining for Gold!
Our fourth graders enjoyed mining for gems in the Diamond Del Mining Van. This foray into the mine is always a highlight for fourth grade students extending their learning of geology. All students enjoy sifting through their rocks, finding valuable gemstones, and identifying all that they find. If they are anything like our past students, they will keep their treasures for a very long time.
Instrument Encounters
Third graders enjoyed a musical encounter with ukulele player Donald Whitley (aka Noodle). He introduced his many ukuleles and shared the history of the instrument. Interestingly, we learned that the word ukulele is a Hawaiian word that means “hopping flea”, and the instrument was brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese who went to Hawaii to work. He played his cigar box, banjo, and baritone ukuleles sharing ragtime, early jazz, and country tunes. Mr. Monsell concluded the session with the good news that as a new addition to our music program, next year’s fourth graders would have the opportunity to play the ukulele. The students enjoyed the presentation and look forward to their turn to play!
South Carolina Comes Alive!
Third graders are hard at work preparing their final projects and perfecting their roles for Carolina in the Morning. I happened upon a group of very busy students creating their display boards to show what they learned as they traveled throughout the state. The topics are very interesting, covering areas that are as unique as our students! The pride in their hard work was evident, and everyone is excited about sharing what they have learned with their classmates and parents.
Showering Mrs. Gerth with Gifts for Her Baby
Faculty enjoyed showering their colleague, Mrs. Gerth, with special gifts for her much anticipated little baby boy. Her students enjoyed doing the same - they showered her with their favorite books, building a very special library for her very lucky son. The children also “enjoyed” tasting baby food and guessing what each was - the looks on their faces were precious! Mrs. Gerth’s little bundle is due at the end of May, and we are all excited to meet him and welcome him as a future Cyclone!
Meeting with Other Independent School Leaders
I attended a meeting in Chicago at the end of last week with other school leaders from independent schools throughout the country. It was wonderful being with other educators who do similar work with students just like ours. We discussed topics relevant to all of us including interdisciplinary learning, creating positive school cultures, developing school leaders, and moving from grades to standards-based report cards. All conversations were very interesting, and we enjoyed learning from each other. A highlight was a meeting at an architecture firm that works with schools to develop state-of-the-art learning spaces. It is exciting to think about our goals for our students and then the spaces in which we can best meet those goals. I always come away from these meetings feeling lucky to be part of our Porter-Gaud learning community and excited about what we can do to enhance our programs, and this was no exception.
Reminders:
- Monday, April 28th 6:30pm - LS Spring Concert
- Tuesday, April 29th 7:00pm - MS/US Spring Concert
- Friday, May 2nd - Hollingsworth Grant application due. We encourage all interested 4th graders to apply for this exciting arts opportunity.
- Saturday, May 3rd - Girls’ Leadership Day
- May 5th-9th - ERB Testing