We've had a very positive, productive first month. Everyone is eager to engage in extracurricular experiences that were put on hold during the pandemic; we have many teacher and student leaders planning upcoming events such as Homecoming, a Haunted House, and a field trip to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. There will be more to come, of course, so please watch for notifications from ParentSquare.
Teamwork in Middle School Math: Sixth and seventh grade math students worked to hone their skills in teamwork during the first few days of school. They will apply these skills throughout the year by engaging in a series of challenges; please see the Cup Challenge video linked below for just one example.
What Can You Do? The book, Giraffes Can't Dance, is a great read aloud for the beginning of the school year. This is a story about a giraffe named Gerald who discovers he can't dance like everyone else and then realizes he can dance in a different way that amazes his friends. One of our second grade classes enjoyed the book and then answered the following question, "What can you do that you love?" Our children love: making art, playing video games, riding dirt bikes, taking care of cats, coloring pictures, making new friends, and so many others. Enjoy our community friends' amazing talents at the Saturday, October 8th Fall Fest being held at Waterfront Park from 10-4. Vendors, music, events for kids, and other activities are being scheduled. May you find joy in doing what you love, friends!
A few wonderful examples...
Pre-Kindergarten: Our Pre-K students have come together as a delightful, energetic, and curious learning community! I've had opportunities to visit during play time, lunch time, and learning meetings. Usually we see a lot of side-by-side play with our youngest learners; however after the first two days of school, the children were already interacting, having conversations, and sharing during play time. Student artwork brightens the hallway and the classroom. These apples are stunning with the light shining through. For apple lovers here are 6 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Apple and Most Tart to Most Sweet Chart and 55 easy to make apple recipes.
TinkerCad: Students in Mr. Clapper's science class are using TinkerCad to develop 3D designs with a powerful drag and drop interface. Learn more here and see the video linked below to learn from Luca what the students are doing. TinkerCad is a free application that was developed by the makers of AutoDesk, a professional design application used in architecture, engineering, and construction. High School students use AutoDesk in our fabrication lab.
Welcome Our Social Worker: We are excited to share that we have hired a full time social worker, Ms. Andrea Bovee, who will join our team on October 11th. Andrea shared, "My career started as a Pre-K teacher at Parsons Child and Family where I immediately found myself wanting to understand the behavior I observed. I wanted to help the students understand and cope with their own behaviors, as well as to share perspective with the adults to plan for an emotionally safe environment. My work is really with kids, for the kids, to advocate for the needs of students and their families and to meet them where they are."
Our Learning Lab: Thanks to our NERIC partners and our Director of Technology, Ms. Luckert. "We are so thrilled to have joined the DL network and be able to expand our class offerings to our students while also increasing student engagement with esports. We have so many great ideas to continue utilizing this dual-purpose space to the max, including retro game nights on the big screen TVs, utilizing the esports computers for classes like digital photography in the future, and Minecraft tournaments for our elementary students. We also have teachers who connect via Webex with virtual speakers and we are so happy to have a second space in our building to be able to host those virtual visits. Thank you and your teams for all your help in getting us up and running. We are getting our toes wet in esports this semester through the HFM Rocket League league." (Ms. Luckert, Director of Technology)
Congratulations: NCS senior Rachel Williams represented Northville as a member of the New York team on the Spectrum News Challenge, a game show where high school students from the state compete against high school students from another state! And we won!
If you would like to meet with me in-person or virtually, just email or call to schedule a time during the day or after your work day.
