Collaborative Learning in Uppers Math
In Uppers math this year we are working on building thinking classrooms. Building Thinking Classrooms is an educational approach developed by Dr. Peter Liljedahl, professor of mathematics education at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Sparked by observing dozens and dozens of teachers struggle to engage students in deep thinking and problem-solving, and observing hundreds of students engaged in a lot of behavior that didn’t include thinking—or learning—Peter set out to find the answer to a simple question: How can we get more students to think and to think longer?
Skin Tone Talks in Mups Orange
In the Mups classroom, we began our year with a powerful exploration of skin tone and race, rooted in self-love and community care. At our school, we believe that developing a deep understanding of identity is crucial for young learners. By helping our students see beauty in themselves and others, we lay the foundation for an inclusive, anti-racist mindset.
Outdoor Play in the Middles
We read the book Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran at the start of each school year. It’s a book that has traveled with me through my teaching years in various urban and rural schools. The picture book describes a scraggly hill the neighborhood children call Roxaboxen. The hill is dotted with wooden boxes, ocotillo plants, and cactus. The hill looks unassuming, but to the children, it’s a magical place that comes to life each time they are there.
Power in the Power Primes classroom
This year our class is called the Power Primes! We chose this name because we wanted to embrace and celebrate all the power within a preschool classroom and more specifically in a 2-4 preschool classroom. Throughout our days together we come up against ‘power’ all the time.
Should 12-year-olds be allowed to vote? (8th Grade)
As part of our eighth-grade election/civics unit, we will be diving into some big questions about America using the PBS digital series, America from Scratch. Designed with young viewers in mind, each episode in the series asks a question about a fundamental building block of the United States as we know it.
Bridging Subjects and Best Laid Plans (7th)
The seventh-grade lit class is reading One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. We are only four chapters in and the author has ignited deep and important discussions about family dynamics, racism, and the economy.
Caring for Our Woods Spot (Preschool)
In the fall of 2023 preschool teachers noticed that some areas of our woods spot had been worn down to bare dirt from years of playing. We proposed to the children that we place a boundary line around some of the areas in the woods and take a break from walking or playing in those areas. The children agreed and went to work deciding together about which areas we would protect.
Creating Community with the Woods Primes
The beginning of a new school year is always an exciting time for both children and teachers, partly because so much is new, but also because so much is possible. Teachers, like any good collaborator, approach new experiences with careful listening and thoughtful intention. Intention centers around a “something” you mean to do—whether you pull it off or not.
Wonder Primes and Emergent Curriculum
The Preschool team of teachers met before school started and had a discussion about the names of our classrooms. Teachers from the toddler class, 3 and 4 year old class, and 4 and 5 year old class, along with Kiah, from student support services and Bev from Aftercare sat down together to brainstorm what we would like the names of our classrooms to be and how we can create new names that unify our preschool team.
Enriching Field Trips with the Mups (2nd/3rd)
As the Mups embark on another exciting school year, we want to highlight one of the most enriching aspects of our first-trimester curriculum: field trips! At The Center School, we believe that learning extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. Field trips play a pivotal role in our students’ educational journey.
Community Building in the Uppers
Building bonds in the first few weeks of school is crucial for creating a positive and supportive learning environment. Establishing strong connections with teachers and peers helps students feel safe and comfortable, which in turn fosters a sense of belonging and confidence.
Back to school: transitions, routines & excitement - oh my!
Ahh, the time is finally here - the end of summer in New England - when one reaches for a sweatshirt upon waking to a crisp 50 degree morning and then quickly peels off that sweatshirt as the temperature climbs into the 80’s by lunchtime. The changing temperatures remind me that layering is essential and it is time to transition back to school - back to packing lunches, organizing the carpool schedule and settling back into the school routine.
Uppers Up, Up, and Away! (6th-8th)
For now the second time, the Uppers went on an end of year field trip to the one and only Red Gate Farm. Full of opportunities for hands on experiences with plants, animals, tools, big sleepovers, group meals, and new teachers (the farm staff), we are lucky to get to go on such a trip.
Math Integration in the Forest (K/1)
Do you ever wonder how math shows up in our K/1 classroom? Read below for a few examples of the many ways that math is integrated into our forest curriculum this spring.
My Powerful Body in the Mups (2nd/3rd)
At the Center School, body education begins in the earliest grades. Step inside of a preschool classroom and you can hear teachers and students using anatomically correct language to talk about bodies. The youngest of children can easily access books like Bodies are Cool, by Tyler Feder and First Conversations - Every Body, by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, and Tequitia Andrews. In the Mups, we honor, respect, and celebrate our bodies all year long, as well.
Fire Studies in the Uppers (6th)
We've taken our 6th grade fire class to the outdoors to ignite the learning process with hands on work. Starting with learning how to light and hold a match, we have built up to bigger fires with bigger purposes.
Air and Space Theme In the Mups (2nd/3rd)
For the last 6 weeks, the Mups have delved deep into our latest science/engineering theme: Air and Space. Students began this theme with an exploration of the power of gravity and the effect gravity has on all matter on Earth.
Mindful Minutes and Memories in the Forest Primes (K/1)
“As you walk, look around, assess where you are, reflect on where you have been and dream of where you are going. Every moment of the present contains the seeds of opportunity for change. Your life is an adventure. Live it fully.” -John Francis, Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence.
An Unforgettable Visitor in the Uppers (7th/8th)
This Monday, a local Holocaust survivor named Henny Lewin came in to share her story with the seventh and eighth graders as part of our Social Studies class. Henny is a ‘child survivor’, or someone who was very young when the Holocaust happened.
Human Development in the Middles (4th/5th)
Human Development is, openly, one of my favorite things to teach in the Middles. With the solid foundation of Body Ed that Center School students get each year in the younger grades, students enter the Middles ready to have deep and respectful conversations about growing, changing, and becoming who they are.