Cohort Report
April 5, 2024
Star Lab has Landed
This is mission control to Star Lab. Randolph School, you are cleared for take off in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,....
Of the many exciting curricular experiences your children interact with at Randolph School, Star Lab is unique . Thanks to the Mid-Hudson Teaching Center at New Paltz, Randolph School is home to an inflatable planetarium for two weeks in April. We all lose ourselves in the mystery of the cosmos as we lay back and listen to our personal guide to the galaxy, evan, teach us about the ways that humans have always looked to the stars to make meaning of our life on earth.
This year Star Lab auspiciously aligns with a total solar eclipse. It's always nice when the universe serves up a solid curricular connection. Thanks moon! As we all get excited about constellations and outer space we spent some time today learning about the star closest to home, the sun, during our all school choice time. See pictures below.
We look forward to observing the eclipse together at Stony Kill Farm on Monday, April 8th. Students and families will help Randolph School participate in the NASA Soundscape Project. This citizen science initiative is helping NASA collect data on the ways that a total solar eclipse affects life on earth by documenting changes in the sounds around us. Sounds like fun! Sorry.
Downstairs (3s, 4s, 5s)
Spring is springing! Or at least trying to, as we joyfully make our way through the rain to all that follows - buds, growth, mud, puddles, and more. For us at Randolph spring is not only a new beginning, but also a return to some familiar themes such as gardening and scientific exploration and discovery. We will also get a chance to look "upward" soon with the return of Star Lab to campus.
Two specific updates:
- We have updated our Downstairs Song Book with the songs that we have been singing the past few months, including "On Top of Spaghetti," "I Am a Pizza," "Boa Constrictor," and "Ladybug, Ladybug." We have also brought back out a few favorites and learned a few new songs to coincide with the arrival of spring, including "Shoo Fly," "Hungry Caterpillar," "See the Little Bunnies," "This Is My Garden," "Bluebird, Bluebird," "Birdie, Birdie," and "Going on a..." We shared "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom" with Michael, where we practiced incorporating drums.
- We have a "spring edition" of our Morning Messages so you can follow along with our gatherings. Just this week, we have been noticing similarities and differences, finding letters from the word "grow," brainstorming "things that grow," and finding rhymes for "grow." We have definitely noticed how much our brains and bodies are growing!
Upstairs Neighborhood(5s,6s,7s)
Crystals
What does it mean to “grow” a crystal? Do crystals eat and move like other living organisms? Or are they molecules organized in a particular way that build upon each other as they separate out from other molecules? The Upstairs Neighborhood kiddos have been curious about crystals since January when they learned how snowflakes develop!
We observed snowflakes with magnifying glasses and learned they are almost always hexagonal in shape and each one is unique. Snow needs a “seed” like a particle of dust in the air around which to structure itself. It turns out Borax needed the “seed” of the fuzzy fibers of a pipe cleaner when making our own six-rayed “snowflakes.”
Next, we focused on sugar. In the maple sugaring process the kids got to observe (and taste) maple sugar in all its stages: syrup, fudge, and hard candy. The kids were interested in observing white sugar more closely. As with the Borax, we created supersaturated solutions of hot water and sugar. As the liquid cooled, the sugar molecules rearranged themselves into multifaceted crystals around the “seeds” of a sugar-coated wooden stick. Experiments were set up, results were observed, and a microscope was used to see the details of sugar crystals. USN students made observational drawings of what they saw under the 50x microscope. In the end of our observation, each child will go home with a little bit of rock candy and sugar crystals to share.
Finally, we will move on to growing Epsom salt crystals! In the meantime, kids pore through books, learning about gemstones, geodes, stalactites and other fascinating crystals that occur in nature.
One little snowflake led our studies down a meandering path that includes learning about symmetry, geometry (rectangular prisms vs hexagonal prisms) states of matter (solid, liquid, gas), supersaturated vs regular solutions, evaporation, taste, observational drawing, scientific questions and hypotheses, the use of microscopes and magnifying glasses, curiosity, and loads of opportunity for creativity!
Eagles(7s,8s,9s)
Eagle Eye Magazine, Take 2!
“The Eagle Eye” magazine was created at the beginning of the school year as an evolution of choice time. The idea was that a public showcase in the form of a ‘zine would motivate The Eagles to produce high quality work for the whole community to enjoy. The product was as quirky, charming and fun as expected, but after the first issue launched in November, the magazine became mired down with creative blocks, logistical problems, and administrative issues, and was put on the back burner…Until now!
We are re-launching The Eagle Eye with the full force of Project Based Learning behind it, seeking to find the answer to this driving question:
“Can we self-publish The Eagle Eye and share it with the outside community as a local news source for kids?”
Project-Based Learning
Step 1: The Eagles digested some established kids’ magazines (The Week Jr., Conservationist Kids, The Scoop) to build their schema and find inspiration for their own pieces. In small groups, we used The Week Jr. to help us come up with the different sections of a magazine on sticky notes, which we represented as an X axis on a bar graph. Then, also using sticky notes, each Eagle submitted their name to the section they would like to work for. We quickly realized an imbalance of kids interested around a couple of the sections, made immediately visible in the bar graph format. What followed was a wonderful example of kids showing that they can notice, discuss and help solve a problem right alongside the adults in the classroom - instead of the teachers working to reassign writers to each section via a 2nd choice vote, the kids were able to arrange themselves into groups of 4 writers, representing two “symbiotic” sections that will work closely together.
Step 2:
Once the writers had found their sections, they were asked to describe the kind of piece they would like to create and then were guided through the process of setting standards for their own finished work based on our models. Next, they began outlining their plan for completing the work, while teachers circulated and provided feedback around their ideas, as well as their level of self direction during these increasingly independent work sessions. Currently, some exciting ideas are emerging as rough drafts, which will blossom into dazzling pieces to be enjoyed in our next issue of The Eagle Eye! Our fast approaching deadline will be Grandfriends day! Stay tuned!
Wolf Spiders(9s,10s,11s)
Hoops in Hudson
On Thursday, April 4th the Wolf Spiders had the opportunity to travel to Hudson NY to view an art exhibition of photographs by Randolph parent Sean Hemmerle. This experience allowed the Wolf Spiders to think critically about art as they engaged in conversations that touched upon geography, economics, sports, culture and diplomacy. Sean's photographs feature basketball hoops from around the world. They are full of details that illuminate different aspects of culture and landscapes using imagery that was familar to the children. Elizabeth was able to join us to incorporate the work she has been doing with the elders utilizing Visual Thinking Strategies. Throughout the winter, Elizabeth has been integrating her knowledge of photography into our curriculum. The children have spent time thinking about how light, shadow and composition can come together to tell powerful stories.
The Wolf Spiders were captivated by Sean's photography and we all left the exhibit full of questions and inspiration. We are grateful to Sean and Elizabeth for sharing their expertise and broadening our horizons.
You can read more about Sean's exhibit and work here.