Weekly Update
May 2, 2014
“Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun.” ~Kahlil Gibran
Days in Rotation:
Monday, May 5th - Day 6
Tuesday, May 6th - Day 7 - No Chapel
Wednesday, May 7th - Day 1
Thursday, May 8th - Day 2
Friday, May 9th - Day 3
Let There Be Music
Our week began on a high note with our Lower School Spring Concert. Under the leadership of Todd Monsell, our fourth and fifth grade students treated the audience to a beautiful performance. They presented a varied program that highlighted the many talents of our students. From singing, to playing tin whistles and tone chimes, to beating the African drums - our students did it all with positive energy and smiles on their faces. In addition, one teacher observed, “It was really neat watching the kids who weren't performing on stage singing, drumming, and motioning right along with those who were performing! There were big smiles all around!” I could not have been more proud. I was awed by everyone’s talent and the joy with which they performed.
The following day, the Treblemakers performed at St. Luke’s Chapel as part of their Recital Series. Hearing their beautiful voices resound throughout this intimate and beautiful venue was a welcome respite in the middle of a very busy day. One can only beam with pride when our students present Porter-Gaud to our wider community in such an impressive way. We thank Mr. Monsell for all he does and the musical opportunities he affords our students.
Fourth Graders Celebrate the Filling of Their Marble Jar
Mrs. West’s fourth graders enjoyed an old-fashioned celebration to mark the filling of their marble jar. They brought in favorite board games to share with their classmates and had a fun snack that included root beer floats. It was a perfect way to end a rainy day. Congrats to all for their cooperative efforts that allowed them to reach their goal.
Geometry Safari Presentations
Our fourth and fifth grade students explored the playground on a geometry safari. Their cameras were poised and ready to capture all of the different geometric shapes that can be found on the grounds and on the play structures. Following their explorations of the playground, they compiled their photos and put together a video presentation of their geometry safari to share with their classmates. Students received points for each figure they included and shared. This was a motivational activity integrating the study of math in the real world and the use of technology to record and share the learning.
Published Authors Share Their Writing
Mrs. Corbin’s third graders proudly hosted a publishing party to share their finished written pieces with classmates, siblings, and parents. Students enjoyed sharing their pieces with guests and talking about the process that led to the publication of their work. Brothers and sisters from other classes enjoyed their visit, as did the parents. The writing process is challenging and demands a great deal of effort and dedication. It is rewarding to have an audience with whom to share the finished products, so we thank all of our writers and our readers.
A Year in the Life of Galileo
For the past few weeks, fourth grade students have been learning about astronomy and astronomers in science class. The students read the book called Galileo's Journal which recounted one very important year in Galileo's life. During this year of his life, he used a tube and lenses to make a telescope. He pointed this towards the night sky and made wonderful observations of the moon, Saturn, and Jupiter. Like Galileo, fourth graders made a simple refracting telescope using a tube and 2 lenses. Then, they went outside and practiced pointing their telescopes at objects around the campus. They saw birds, trees, and lots of other distant objects. Ask your child to show you his/her Galilean telescope.
Exploring Wall Street
Learning about stocks has been a fun experience for fifth graders. As students become more aware of money and other financial concepts, Mrs. Evans felt it was vital to arm her students with important investment knowledge. Students in Mrs. Evans’s class selected two stocks to track over a ten day period. They were encouraged to select a company that interested them.. Some students who already own stocks volunteered to serve as teachers by imparting the basic knowledge required for investing. Conolly Burgess even dressed the part as a stockbroker. The students enjoyed the teaching and the learning.
Marine Biology Students Share Knowledge with our First Graders
Students from Ms. Tate’s marine biology class visited our first graders and shared some of their learning. The Upper School students read books about whales, sea turtles, and sharks and discussed many interesting facts about these animals. They brought math word problems for our students to solve and were very impressed with the understanding and abilities they observed. We thank these students for helping our first graders learn more about animals of the ocean in such a fun way!
Instrument Encounters
Fourth graders enjoyed a musical encounter with Ms. Kathy St. John who plays the bassoon with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Students learned that the bassoon, a woodwind instrument, became popular in Germany and all of Europe during the 1660s through the 1800s. It is used in many different genres of music including orchestral music, chamber music, and movie music. The students were treated to the Sonata in F Minor by Teleman played by Ms. St. John and Mr. Monsell on piano. The students enjoyed learning about and listening to this somewhat unusual instrument.
Join Us for An Afternoon Concert
The Treblemakers will perform a friendship concert alongside the Savannah Children's Choir this Saturday, May 3 at 4PM at St. John's Lutheran Church (corner of Archdale and Clifford Streets downtown). Admission is free, and the concert will last one hour. Please come support our talented singers!
Reminders:
- Saturday, May 3rd 9:00am-11:am - Girls’ Leadership Gathering at PG
- May 5th - May 9th - ERB Testing for Grades 2-5. Testing will begin at 8:00am each morning, so it is very important that all children arrive at school well rested and on time.
- Tuesday, May 6th - There will be no Chapel. Students do not have to wear their dress uniforms on Tuesday. Students can wear their everyday uniform or PE uniform if they have PE.
- Thursday, May 8th - Final Intramurals
- Friday, May 9th 1:30pm - First Grade Mother’s Day Tea