December 9, 2017

In this post...

• MS Orchestra Performance in Chapel
• Twas the week before Winter Break...
• MYP: Language Philosophy Policy
• MS/US Lessons & Carols
• MS Holiday Tea
• Homework over break
• First Semester Final Assessments. 
• Uniform Reminders
• Transcript Requests
• Athletics 
• What We Are Learning...highlights from Individuals & Societies and PHE Programs
• Things To Do in our Community

MS Orchestra Performance in Chapel

In this week's MS Chapel, we were treated to three pieces performed by the MS Orchestra. Enjoy! Click on the titles to see and hear them play. 

• "Yee Haw" by Jeremy Woolstenhulme
• "The Boogie-Man Blues" by Carrie Lane Gruselle Solo violin: Ela Escobar, Vivienne Carr, Ella Salam, Maya Robinson; Solo cello:Mia Escobar, Sasha Zhang
• "Cello Squadron" by Richard Meyer

'Twas the week before Winter Break...

This year, we are trying something a little different for the weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks. While in the past, we have spread traditions through the month, we have put all special programming into the week before Winter Break, making the coming week one that is acutely focused on the traditions and the relationships that shape our community. While these celebrations are rooted in the Christmas, reflecting our Episcopalian heritage and identity, each provides us a special opportunity to build community and come to know each other in a different light. The variations in the uniform next week heighten our attention to these special events. 

• Tuesday’s MS/US Lessons & Carols: All Parents are invited to join for our annual Lessons & Carols service at 5:00pm in the Raynor Chapel. Lessons & Carols is a traditional liturgy that tells the Christmas story through text and through song. The current iteration is a model that was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but it has its roots in long liturgies known as vigils that go back centuries. The length of the service (some vigils go for hours!) and the integration of a variety of texts and songs build anticipation. Our service lasts only about an hour and is followed by a reception for adults in the Great Hall. Students will also have a reception in the Small Gym.
• Wednesday’s MS Holiday Celebration during our mid-morning activities block is a much more casual and festive atmosphere that includes basking in the glow of our MS tree, decorated with student-made ornaments, and singing some favorite carols.
• Thursday’s MS Holiday Tea is a cherished tradition for the Middle School community. Following the model of a formal high tea, the event includes performances by MS students. While the event is for MS Students and Faculty only, we’ll be sure to share photos of the event on Vidigami.
• Friday’s Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day: The Day School welcomes grandparents and special friends of students for the program. While the Lower School program includes LS Lessons & Carols and classroom visits, the Middle School program begins with a special performance for guests in the Great Hall followed by the Middle School Expo, in which students share about the process, progress, and products of various projects in the program. The schedule is designed so that guests visiting both Lower and Middle School can participate in both programs. Students will be dismissed at noon (there is no lunch service on Friday).

MYP: Language Learning Policy

When the Upper School pursued authorization for the IB Diploma Programme, AWS articulated a school-wide Language Philosophy Policy which captured both the scope and the aims of our Language Acquisition program. Rooted in our mission’s emphasis on preparing “responsible citizens for a global society,” the policy expresses our deep commitment to promoting literacy and language acquisition for all students. Usually, school policy language is pretty dry, but this one particular nugget of wisdom that deserves highlighting. The policy shares the belief that language “empowers students to understand, interpret and respond to ideas, attitudes and feelings, as well as solve problems, think critically, act creatively and expand worldviews.” For us, language and communication are primary, not only to cognitive learning but also to social interaction and building relationships and communities. We invite you to read the policy and consider how language learning, both mother tongue and acquired languages, serves your student, our community, and our world.  Visit the blog for a brief reflection on our Language Policy.

First Semester Final Assessments

First Semester Finals are scheduled for January 18-20. In Middle School, final assessments are designed to give students the experience of preparing for and taking a longer cumulative test. We will have special schedules on those days - the day will begin and end at the usual times (8:00am and 3:10pm) and will include time for Art, PHE, Design, and Athletics. In preparation for final assessments, we ask for your help to ensure that students are prepared but not stressed or overly stretched by the experience of finals. Some starting points:

• Please don’t schedule off-campus appointments on January 18, 19 & 20.
• Ensure that your student is sleeping and eating well in the days leading up to finals. 
• Keep the temperature low - don’t put any more pressure on a student’s performance during finals than you would on any other assessment. 
• Remind your student that finals are about good preparation and demonstrating mastery and growth.

Upcoming Uniform & Civvies Days

• Tuesday, December 13: Dress Uniform (Lessons & Carols)
• Wednesday, December 14: Civvies Day (MS Holiday Celebration)
• Thursday, December 15: Dress Uniform(MS Holiday Tea)
• Friday, December 16: Dress Uniform (Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day), Noon Dismissal

Please remember that Dress Uniform includes black dress shoes, a black belt for students wearing khakis, black tights for students wearing the uniform skirt, the AWS sweater vest, and a uniform tie. 

Homework over the Break

Please note that over the breaks, we encourage students to really take a break! While many students plan to use time during breaks to catch up on work or to get ahead on projects, we encourage students to focus on their families, on being well, and to close their laptops. 

8th Grade: High School Applications and Transcript Requests

Just a gentle reminder: If your student’s application will require any components from Annie Wright, such as a transcript or letters of recommendation from teachers, please notify and deliver any relevant materials, such as forms or templates, to Alicia Mathurin, Middle School Office Coordinator. Please provide any forms that need to be completed at least three weeks ahead of the submission deadline. Teachers’ recommendations, transcripts, and other requested materials will be collated and mailed directly from Annie Wright to the schools unless specifically requested to be picked up. If information or recommendations are to be completed online, please ensure that recommenders receive that link at least three weeks ahead of the submission deadline. For more information about local schools' processes, please refer to the High School Application Process that was emailed out at the beginning of the school year.

What we are learning...

This week, we highlight our Individuals & Societies and PHE programs! 

In 6th Grade Individuals and Society the students are nearing the end of our unit on Ancient Greece.  We examined the different types of government Greece has had and discussed the importance the Greek democracy had on the development of government in the United State.  Along the way we talked about the Trojan War, daily life, the Spartans and even took time to have some Sophist debates. They are currently working on a visual presentation that comes with our SOI, “The cause of progressive change remains”. Please note that the first major unit test will take place after the break during finals week. It will include all of the sections covered in the book as well as a map and essay question. The best way to support your student is to make sure they are reviewing their notes periodically.  It will help them feel more comfortable with the material, and afford them opportunities to ask questions in class about material that they still may be unsure of prior to the test.

In 7th Grade Individuals and Societies we’ve started the Civil War unit, which has the following statement of inquiry: Change is hard. That’s a very transferable idea. Students are building content knowledge currently by reading some chapters and taking notes. Also, students will receive the next outside reading assignment next week. It’s not due until March, but some students like to read over the breaks. This time, the books have to do with our third unit, World War. Several of the books might require a little conversation at home, depending on which title the students select.

In 8th Grade Individuals and Societies, the students finished their first unit along with their first major project.  They also completed two minor projects for the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest and the Who Are We? Contest sponsored by Washington Secretary of State’s Office.  We are currently studying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in depth and will start our next unit on the Civil War/States Rights/Reconstruction when we return to class in January.

In the social-emotional side of Physical and Health Education, we have been exploring stress- the common causes, signs and symptoms, side effects and positive coping strategies to manage stress. In our next round of classes in January, we will be looking at ways to be a good and helpful friend, particularly when a friend might be experiencing a high level of stress or other negative emotion and expressing hopelessness or despair. Look for more information to come home on the researched-based curriculum being used to guide these discussions. In the physical part of PHE, we have started to explore the Skill Related Fitness Components. Agility, Balance, Power, Speed, Reaction Time, and coordination. We completed a series of stations that test our skills in these areas. Skill related fitness is essential to successful in athletics and activities.

Things To Do in our Community...

• The Christmas Revels: A Welsh celebration of the winter solstice with traditional music, dance, and drama. Performances on December 17, 18, 20, and 21 at the Rialto Theater in Tacoma. This year's production includes Annie Wright students!
• Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.

December 2, 2016

In this post...

• MYP: Authorization & Assessment
• How was school today?
• Social Media
• Upcoming Dress Uniform and Civvies Days
• Homework over break
• Transcript Requests 
• What We Are Learning...highlights from Arts and Math Programs
• Things To Do in our Community

MYP: Authorization & Assessment

On October 1, we submitted our application for authorization as an MYP school. This was the result of several years of reflection, planning, analysis, and professional development. Recently, we heard that our application was accepted, and we have scheduled a visit from an authorizing team in April. For that visit, we will welcome a small group of educators who will meet with faculty, students, and parents. As we get closer to April and we come to understand what the visiting team wants to see and whom the team wants to meet, more information will be disseminated. In preparation for that visit, the MS faculty will be systematically reviewing and reflecting on the materials we submitted and collating evidence to demonstrate implementation of the philosophy and practice of the MYP framework. It's important for all members of the community to be familiar with the policies we've articulated to implement the MYP framework, and in this blog, we'll be sharing some important information for MS families to become more familiar with our MYP implementation.

The first policy to put on your radar is the MS Assessment Policy, which is integrated in the Day School Handbook. The Assessment Policy captures the variety of forms of assessment that teachers use throughout the program and articulates how the policy reflects our mission and aligns with the MYP framework. An important aspect for families to reflect on is the purpose of assessment and the practices that come out of it (grades, reports, conferences, etc.). The policy articulates much of the faculty's reflection on the purpose of assessment, essentially indicating that assessment is much bigger than grades and academic progress - it is used to measure intellectual growth and to promote students' self-awareness as learners and as people. Parents have a role in assessment as well - including understanding that assessment is about individual growth (not comparison or competition), understanding that assessment is holistic and address considers the academic, social, emotional, and physical growth of students (not just content acquisition), and partnering with the school by providing as much information about students as learners as possible to get the fullest view of each student's profile.

How was school today?

When I was in Middle School, my mom would pick me up at the end of the day and transport me from school to rehearsal, which was a 10 minute trip. Whether it was a good day or a bad day, I was always looking forward to rehearsal, which gave me a different space to relax, have fun, and connect with my friends, and I spent most of that 10 minute ride turning my head to what would happen next. Most days, I'd hop in the car and my mom would ask, How was your day? For 11-, 12-, and 13-year old me, that question was overwhelming - there was too much to sort, too much to react to, too much that I didn't understand - so my daily response was, "Fine." Looking back, I wonder how frustrating that was for my mom. Was she really longing to hear the details of my day? Did she want an insight to whether I was in a good space or a bad space in my head? Did she just want to talk and maximize the 10 minutes we had alone together? I'm the youngest of a big family, so I'm guessing she understood the workings of the pre-teen mind years before I hit that phase, and I do remember very clearly that I'd get a handful of very specific questions about the events of the day at the dinner table, and that's where the real conversations began. 

At the end of October, Edutopia published a useful article that addresses this problem directly - how do you get your kid to talk to you about the day - and offers a series of conversation prompts that target specific feelings, efforts, or interactions. Some questions invite the positive moments, like excitement about learning or moments of pride, and some lean into more difficult territory. To me, one of the most important questions - and one of the hardest for students to answer - is, What did you learn about yourself today? The ability to be self-reflective is an important indicator of both social and intellectual maturity, but it also enables kids to develop their voices, their ability to advocate for themselves and to carve their own space in the world. 

Social Media

Earlier this year, I sent a message to MS parents about the use of technology by students. The original message can be found here. Technology will always be a powerful tool and a powerful distraction, and misuse of technology can have immediate and long-lasting effects. If you haven't already, we urge you to open a dialogue with your student about the use of technology and social media. The letter linked above includes a couple of resources that might be helpful in engaging this topic. In the past and coming weeks, Middle School students are also engaging in a unit on cyber safety as part of the PHE curriculum with a particular focus on cyberbullying. Ms. Heath has prepared a series of slides on the topic that clarifies definitions, legal implications, and strategies for responding to cyberbullying. Please review these slides, which include a few poignant and brief videos to illustrate the meaning and effects of cyberbullying, and engage your student in a conversation about what it means.

Upcoming Uniform & Civvies Days

• Tuesday, December 13: Dress Uniform (Lessons & Carols)
• Wednesday, December 14: Civvies Day (MS Holiday Celebration)
• Thursday, December 15: Dress Uniform(MS Holiday Tea)
• Friday, December 16: Dress Uniform (Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day), Noon Dismissal

Please remember that Dress Uniform includes black dress shoes, a black belt for students wearing khakis, black tights for students wearing the uniform skirt, the AWS sweater vest, and a uniform tie. 

Homework over the Break

Please note that over the breaks, we encourage students to really take a break! While many students plan to use time during breaks to catch up on work or to get ahead on projects, we encourage students to focus on their families, on being well, and to close their laptops. 

8th Grade: High School Applications and Transcript Requests

Just a gentle reminder: If your student’s application will require any components from Annie Wright, such as a transcript or letters of recommendation from teachers, please notify and deliver any relevant materials, such as forms or templates, to Alicia Mathurin, Middle School Office Coordinator. Please provide any forms that need to be completed at least three weeks ahead of the submission deadline. Teachers’ recommendations, transcripts, and other requested materials will be collated and mailed directly from Annie Wright to the schools unless specifically requested to be picked up. If information or recommendations are to be completed online, please ensure that recommenders receive that link at least three weeks ahead of the submission deadline. For more information about local schools' processes, please refer to the High School Application Process that was emailed out at the beginning of the school year.

What we are learning...

This week, we highlight our Arts program!

In the sixth grade strings class, students are getting ready to perform “Carol of the Bells” with the MS orchestra at the Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day program on December 16. They are turning in videos of excerpts from the song to help them assess their readiness for the show.

Middle School Orchestra is very busy the next two weeks, playing three pieces in Chapel December 7, performing eight different songs with US orchestra at Lessons and Carols on December13, doing a special ‘Rudolph on the Balcony’ appearance at MS Tea on December 15 and rocking ‘Carol of the Bells’ with the 6th grade class on December 16.

6th grade visual arts have been creating their 3-D models and clay facades of ancient Greek architecture. They began by researching a building and finding a picture. They then translated that picture visually into a 3-D model and used parts of their models as templates to cut their clay.

7th grade visual arts has focused on the social histories that may have influenced the aesthetics of a culture's pottery. Some discoveries include how Majolica came to be used in Italian pottery, modern decorations on ancient stone steps, and the symbols used by specific cultures.

8th grade visual arts has just finished up their self-portraits and have begun their research investigations into the globalization of an indigenous culture’s art and the effect that globalization has on the art, the resources, and the indigenous culture.

Things To Do in our Community...

• The Christmas Revels: A Welsh celebration of the winter solstice with traditional music, dance, and drama. Performances on December 17, 18, 20, and 21 at the Rialto Theater in Tacoma. This year's production includes Annie Wright students!
• Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.

November 18. 2016

In this post...

• Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season: 
• Spring Journeys
• Homework
• Transcript Requests 
• What We Are Learning...highlights from Language & Literature and Science
• Upcoming Dress Uniform and Civvies Days
• Things To Do in our Community

Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season:

For the last few years, as we approach Thanksgiving I typically return to a short book by Anne Lamott, Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers. The book is a meditation of sorts with insights to three words that reflect much more than prayers - they reflect dispositions that are formed from life experiences. When it comes to "Thanks," Lamott explores the origins of gratitude as well as what to do with it when it's felt. Gratitude can be for everything, she writes,

"from the daily break of good luck and found money, to the magical, mystical magnetic force of quiet or exuberant relief, when you know that something - God, fate, luck, kismet, the law, Powerball - has smiled on you big-time...Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides...When you are aware of all that has been given to you, in your lifetime and in the past few days, it is hard not to be humbled, and pleased to give back. Most humbling of all is to comprehend the lifesaving gift that your pit crew of people has been for you, and all the experiences you have shared, the journeys together, the collaborations, births and deaths, divorces, rehab, and vacations. Every so often you realize that without all of them, your life would be barren and pathetic. It would be Death of a Salesman, though with e-mail and texting."

This week, the Middle School was able to translate gratitude into giving back. Many students demonstrated initiative and generosity in encouraging each other to bring donated bags of foodstuffs for the Food Connection. Additionally, in Wednesday's Chapel, students prepared decorations for the annual Gingerbread Jamboree at the Children's Museum, part of our annual commitment to the event. Amidst all the "giving back," it's still important to say "thank you" to, as Lamott describes, the pit crew that gets us through it all. I'm particularly grateful for the diverse talents, gifts, and perspectives in our school community, for our students who are so extraordinary, for our families who show commitment to students and to our mission, and especially to our faculty and staff who care and support our students every school day. For all this - thanks. 
  
 
As the holiday season continues, we will have numerous opportunities to celebrate these aspects of our community. When we return from Thanksgiving Break, you will see a flurry of decorations throughout the school to mark the season and the many winter holidays on the calendar - Diwali, which concluded a couple of weeks ago, Advent and Christmas, Chanukah, Bodhi Day, Kwanzaa... so many ways to celebrate. Engaging our heritage as an Episcopal school, our school honors the annual tradition of Lessons & Carols (December 13), a Christian liturgy that tells a story, through text and through music, about the meaning of Christmas. For us, it also serves as a chance to celebrate the talents of our students and to recognize the power of community. In the Middle School, we also have two much-loved traditions to mark the season - our annual MS Holiday Celebration (December 14), an informal sing-a-long in the Lounge, and our annual Holiday Tea (December 15), a formal afternoon tea in the Great Hall. All of these events will lead up to Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day (December 16), in which we invite our guests to get a glimpse of life in the Middle School and the extraordinary talents and ingenuity of our students, before the Winter Break. Throughout the season, I invite students and families to share any ways that they might celebrate and observe winter holidays. 

Spring Journeys

• 6th Grade Journey to California To register your 6th Grader, click here.
• 7th Grade Journey to the Southwest To register your 7th Grader, click here.
• 8th Grade Journey to Costa Rica To register your 8th Grader, click here.

Homework over the Break

Please note that over the breaks, we encourage students to really take a break! While many students plan to use time during breaks to catch up on work or to get ahead on projects, we encourage students to focus on their families, on being well, and to close their laptops. 

8th Grade: High School Applications and Transcript Requests

Just a gentle reminder: If your student’s application will require any components from Annie Wright, such as a transcript or letters of recommendation from teachers, please notify and deliver any relevant materials, such as forms or templates, to Alicia Mathurin, Middle School Office Coordinator. Please provide any forms that need to be completed at least three weeks ahead of the submission deadline. Teachers’ recommendations, transcripts, and other requested materials will be collated and mailed directly from Annie Wright to the schools unless specifically requested to be picked up. If information or recommendations are to be completed online, please ensure that recommenders receive that link at least three weeks ahead of the submission deadline. For more information about local schools' processes, please refer to the High School Application Process that was emailed out at the beginning of the school year.

What we are learning...

This week, we highlight our Language & Literature and Science programs!

If you have a student in Middle School who has not developed a habit of reading, the holidays are a great time to work on that. Even just 20 minutes every night before bed can make a big difference, over the long term, in developing better reading comprehension and in building a stronger vocabulary. And studies suggest that people sleep better when they don’t end their days with screen time.

Talking about books with your kids is also a great way to encourage reading.  6th and 8th graders should by now have chosen their Choice Novel for the semester and hopefully they are enjoying their choice. Engaging them in a conversation about what they are reading  - or what you are reading - can open up new and interesting areas of conversation.

If you need book suggestions for your kids, you can always talk to Kyle Price, Shelli Strate or Joe Romano.

Eighth Grade Science is still exploring Genetics and Variation and recently completed the popular “Design a Child” activity in which they looked at the variation in facial features that parents can pass on according to Mendel’s Laws. They’ve also spent time determining the probability of inheriting traits through Punnett Squares and tracing the path of traits in families through pedigree analysis. After Thanksgiving break they’ll be researching a genetic disorder that is of interest to them and looking at how science has been applied to improve the lives of individuals with that disorder.

Seventh Grade Science students were challenged recently with a lot of new vocabulary terms when learning about the organelles that help a cell to carry out the characteristics of life. Ask your student to name some organelles and if they can describe their structure and function. A recent highlight was a few labs using compound microscopes in which students learned about proper microscope technique and were able to make their own slides to look at cheek and onion cells. Ask your student how they identified the differences between animal and plant cells.

Sixth Grade Science students are wrapping up their unit on Earth Science. Over the course of the unit we have enjoyed learning about the Earth’s interior, volcanoes and earthquakes. Students particularly enjoyed modeling the P and S-waves of earthquakes with slinkies. Ask your student about the difference between waves and how they can demonstrate them! After Thanksgiving break we will be transitioning to our next unit: Chemistry.

Upcoming Dress Uniform and Civvies Days
Tuesday, December 13: Dress Uniform (Lessons & Carols)
Wednesday, December 14: Civvies Day (MS Holiday Celebration)
Thursday, December 15: Dress Uniform (MS Holiday Tea)
Friday, December 16: Dress Uniform (Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day), Noon Dismissal

Things To Do in our Community...

• Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.

November 11. 2016

In this post...

• Veterans Day
• MYP: Statements of Inquiry
• Spring Journeys
• What We Are Learning...highlights from Language Acquisition and Design
• Upcoming Dress Uniform and Civvies Days
• Things To Do in our Community

Veterans Day

Today included our annual observance of Veterans Day, made particularly special by the opportunity to honor faculty, staff, parents, and grandparents who have served. To all whom we could recognize today and to all who couldn't be here, thank you for your service.

MYP: Statements of Inquiry

Throughout the Middle School, you'll see posters with terse sentences in classrooms and in hallways. Too dense to be a simple conversation starter, these "Statements of Inquiry" are crafted by teachers to reflect the concepts being explored in curriculum units. As pedagogues Erickson and Marzano have described, each SOI "expresses the relationship between concepts and context; it represents a transferable idea supported by factual content. Statements of inquiry facilitate synergistic thinking, synthesizing factual and conceptual levels of mental processing and creating a greater impact on cognitive development than either level of thinking by itself." MYP provides guidelines for constructing each statement, such as the integration of the key and related concepts and global contexts that are central to the unit.

Because of the awkwardness and density of these statements, some teachers simplify the concepts further so that students can readily access the idea driving the unit. For example, in Individuals & Societies, students are beginning a unit driven by the SOI "The cause of a culture's progress is rooted in their identity, which can lead to lasting change that may still influence us today." The statement deliberately integrates words like culture, identity, and change, but Mr. Hunt gives students the simplified version as well: The cause of progressive change remains. As we prepare for our authorization visit in the spring, please engage your student in reflection on the SOIs that are guiding her or his courses. Start by asking, What is the statement of inquiry? Ask to identify the key concepts in the statement, and explore what you think the SOI means. As the unit progresses, ask about how different texts, ideas, assessments, or projects connect to the SOI and inform about the concepts driving the unit.

Spring Journeys

If you haven't already, please register your student for the Spring Journeys via the links below by October 16, 2016. 

• 6th Grade Journey to California To register your 6th Grader, click here.
• 7th Grade Journey to the Southwest To register your 7th Grader, click here.
• 8th Grade Journey to Costa Rica To register your 8th Grader, click here.

What we are learning...

This week, we highlight our Language Acquisition and Design programs!


Language Acquisition

Spanish students working in the unit Deportes are wrapping up their summative assessment. Using their SOI (Verbal and non-verbal communication affect the way teams interact) as a starting point, students created sports trading cards that highlighted their physical and communication skills. Cards will be presented to the class next week and students will be able to choose a valuable player to be added to their team. Elements of their assessment include grammatical accuracy, presentation, audience, pronunciation, and vocabulary use.

The Sixth Grade Chinese has finished their first PowerPoint presentation on self-introduction and introducing others. They learned to dance a Chinese pop dance “ You’re my little apple.” In order to have their ears getting used to Chinese language students were assigned to watch an authentic Chinese movie “Hua Mulan”, which was in Chinese but with English subtitle. Students were also asked to answer three questions about it. They were shocked that this version was so different with the one made in Hollywood. In order to engage all students with multiple intelligences I also introduce and practice all kinds of teaching approaches and methods with my students. Students just completed their first Kahoot presentation having much fun.

The Seventh Grade Chinese class has learned how to use time phrases to express their plans on doing something. In order to engage all students with multiple intelligences I introduced and practiced all kinds of teaching approaches and methods with my students. I allowed students to make a movie called “A Little Monkey in Chinatown.” They put the whole movie together writing script, acting, videotaping, and editing it. They also watched a documentary called “Chinese schools” accessing relevant and authentic materials. Students have completed their first Kahoot presentation for this year.

The Eighth Grade Chinese has learned how to ask about and describe their schedule. They all made a Kahoot presentation on phrases and sentence structures taking their ownership for their learning. They also learned to dance a Chinese pop dance called “You’re my little apple.” In order to engage all students with multiple intelligence allow them to make a movie called “Annies vs Gators” together. They had fun writing the script, acting, videotaping, and editing it. This is a student-centered class. They are making dramatic progress this year.

Design

The first big units in Sixth and Seventh Grades have just been completed with great success all around. Eighth Grade is currently working in small teams to submit their creations for the Verizon App Challenge. This national competition requires that each team to identify a problem in the school or community. They are then tasked with designing an app that can help solve or mitigate that problem. The creativity of the Eighth Grade has been impressive, and their knowledge of coding, gained from Design classes in previous grades, has most certainly aided in the solutions they have produced. The regional and national winners will be announced next year. However, as we stress in all Design units, it is the process of using the Design Cycle and Design Thinking that is valued in this subject and not solely the end product.

Upcoming Dress Uniform and Civvies Days
Friday, November 18: Civvies Day
Tuesday, December 13: Dress Uniform (Lessons & Carols)
Wednesday, December 14: Civvies Day (MS Holiday Celebration)
Thursday, December 15: Dress Uniform (MS Holiday Tea)
Friday, December 16: Dress Uniform (Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day)

Things To Do in our Community...

• Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.

November 4, 2016

In this post...

• MYP: Principled
• Honored Pumpkins
• Spring Break Trip to France & Italy - Last Chance!
• Spring Journeys
• What We Are Learning...highlights from Language Acquisition and Design
• Things To Do in our Community

MYP: Principled

During the months of November and December, we are turning our attention to the IB Learner Profile attribute "Principled." Like the other attributes that reflect the end-goal of an IB education, the IB offers a very specific definition of what it means to be Principled.

We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Along with the other attributes in the Learner Profile, Principled points to a vision of what it means to be an educated member of the global community, and the attribute's focus on justice and dignity along with responsibility for our actions, impels us to support students' ability and initiative to serve people on the flipside of these virtues - those who experience injustice in mundane or profound ways, those whose dignity is trampled because of various circumstances. It's impossible for any single student - or even our community as a whole - to eradicate injustice and uplift all people, but the Learner Profile reminds us that each of us has a responsibility and capacity to contribute in small or big ways. Our students and colleagues in the Upper School have already developed a thriving service program, and it's inspiring to see Annie Wright students have a hand in making a difference in the lives of individuals and the work of organizations combating systemic injustice. As we continue to develop our service learning program in the Middle School and as we continue to support organizations like the Food Connection, it's important to remember that we are not doing these things in isolation. As a community, we are in a position of privilege to be able to identify concerns of justice and dignity, propose solutions, and contribute to making a difference. In these efforts, we can be proud to be a community that strives to be Principled.

In Chapel this week, we invited Advisory groups to reflect on what it means to be principled in various contexts - in academics, in relationships, in our community, in decision-making, and outside our community. Their insights were profound, revealing both their values and hinting at behaviors and actions that they see in themselves and their peers. My take away from their insights is simple: students hold themselves and each other to very high standards, especially when it comes to questions of fairness and respect (even if they don't always live up to those very high standards). More importantly, they articulated concrete ways to reach those lofty goals and embody the attribute - as individuals and as a community.

Honored Pumpkins

The results are in! Our panel of guest judges, which included staff from throughout the school and the Fifth Grade, has awarded the honors of Fifth Grade Fan Favorite, Most Scary, Most Original, and Best Overall to the following Advisory groups: 

Fifth Grade Fan Favorite: Price Advisory (7th Grade)

Most Scary: Rockne/Lorance Advisory (7th Grade)

Most Original: Hunt Advisory (6th Grade)

Best Overall: Wagstaff Advisory (8th Grade)

Spring Break Trip - Last Chance!

Saturday, November 5 is the deadline to sign up for the Spring Break trip to France and Italy! The "Abundance" Journey focuses on Patronage of the Arts, as studied in 7th Grade Music. The group will fly to Paris, travel by the fast train to Nice, and travel on to Monaco, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. While the trip is especially geared toward 7th & 8th Grade students, 6th Grade students who are ready for independent international travel are also eligible as space is allowed. Click here for the itinerary and to sign up! Please contact Ms. Gettel for further details. 

Spring Journeys

If you haven't already, please register your student for the Spring Journeys via the links below by October 16, 2016. 

• 6th Grade Journey to California To register your 6th Grader, click here.
• 7th Grade Journey to the Southwest To register your 7th Grader, click here.
• 8th Grade Journey to Costa Rica To register your 8th Grader, click here.

What we are learning...

This week, we highlight our Individuals & Societies and PHE programs!

Individuals & Societies

In Sixth Grade Individuals & Societies the students showed their wonderful ability to research, synthesize information and to create through their Seven Wonders project. The end result was some amazing work, which I am hoping they have already shared with you. We ended last week with a pre-reading activity to show the importance of gathering as much information from the book prior to actually reading the chapter. From there we will begin our examination of the ancient Greeks. The text will become more prevalent as we examine chapters and also start taking notes from what they are reading. I would encourage them to get in the habit of reviewing their notes every few days just to make sure the material is fresh and to reduce the need for cramming before any unit tests. Sophist debates are on the horizon.

In Seventh Grade, the current statement of inquiry is the following: The local circumstances and power structures for a group of people can shape their identity and their interest in political revolution. Here’s the shortened version that students more readily see and remember: Circumstances shape identity. We’re using this statement to help the kids make sense of some geography and more specifically to make sense of the American Revolution. But it’s also a statement that can help the kids make sense of the election season. If you can engage your son or daughter in a conversation about how circumstances shape identity, it will help with their conceptual understanding of the world.

In Eighth Grade, students are continuing their exploration into the philosophies of our Founding Fathers. With their first major project, the students are researching a significant individual of the American Revolution who contributed to the formation of the American government. Our Statement of Inquiry for this unit is: Government systems are formed when shared cultures and ideologies create working relationships. We will be examining the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in the following week.  

PHE

Over the past two months the students have been arming themselves with the tools to create their own Personal Fitness Plan to round out our What is Fitness unit. They recently learned that math terms such as equation and variable come into play in PHE. The FITT Principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type) is a set of variable that when applied created an equation for an effective exercise program. Students will soon receive their packet to begin creating this plan as well as write SMART goals for their own health and fitness that they would like to work out throughout the year. We have encouraged students to include their families in their health and fitness plans and create family time to get out and be active together. Watch soon for the introduction of our next unit, Nutrition: Fuel Your Body!

In all grade levels, we have just completed the first set of rotations in the middle school PHE class that focuses on the social and emotional side of health. Ann Dicks, Day School Counselor, will rotate through each section for two rotations at a time, and will invite other speakers in as well throughout the year to ensure we are meeting the social and emotional needs of the students. In this first rotation we focused on the competency area of self-awareness. This includes a deep understanding of a variety of emotions, the ways they are felt in our bodies, positive ways to manage emotions and opportunities to practice empathy with others. We also followed up on the presentation by guest speaker Michael Gurian on gender and the brain. We will continue to explore self-awareness and will introduce self-regulation in the next rotation. In the rotation before the Thanksgiving break, Angela Heath will work with students during PHE on digital citizenship, exploring appropriate use of technology and the importance of setting boundaries.

Things To Do in our Community...

• Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.

October 28, 2016

In this post...

• Pumpkins
• Experience Days
• Spring Break Trip to France & Italy
• Spring Journeys
• Things To Do in our Community

Pumpkins!

On Wednesday, Advisory groups tapped their imagination and skills for the annual Pumpkin Carving Contest! 
Awards will include a fan favorite, based on votes from the 5th Grade. 

Experience Days

Students participated in a range of activities during this year's Experience Days! This year, Experiences were designed around the arts - from studio arts and architecture to culinary and martial arts! 
Below are glimpses into some of the experiences from last week. enjoy!

• Compilation from Beginning Ukulele 
• Photos from Day One of the  China Experience (aka Bruce Lee's Chinatown)
• Photos from Day Two of the China Experience 
• Snapshots of the Art & Architecture Tour:

• Fashion Designing turns Trash into Fashion!

Spring Break Trip to France & Italy

Ms. Gettel is leading a Spring Break trip to France and Italy! The trip explores the role of patronage of the arts in the Renaissance and includes time in Paris, Nice, Florence, and Rome. If you missed the informational meeting this week and have any questions, please contact Ms. Gettel. 

To register for the trip, visit www.explorica.com/Gettel-4828. 

• To qualify for payment in 3 installments, sign up by October 28. 
• The final deadline for signup is November 5. Signing up after October 28 requires payment in 1 or 2 installments. 

Spring Journeys

If you haven't already, please register your student for the Spring Journeys via the links below by October 16, 2016. 

• 6th Grade Journey to California To register your 6th Grader, click here.
• 7th Grade Journey to the Southwest To register your 7th Grader, click here.
• 8th Grade Journey to Costa Rica To register your 8th Grader, click here.

Things To Do in our Community...

• This is the last weekend to experience Tacoma Arts Month. From visual art to literary events, film to theater, and everything in between, you are sure to find something to do.