Throughout the year, the 4th graders researched and prepared all the necessary steps to create a “Zen” garden. This class project is above all a collaborative school project. The students studied the culture of Japan through various subjects and topics. They were able to observe the details of the Japanese Friendship Garden located in Balboa Park, design their own 3-D mini “Zen” garden, as well as create a blueprint for a larger scaled one. Then the students came together to realize the life-size garden and have begun to finalize the completion of the project with help from their parents. The “Zen” garden seeks to interpret nature (through design) and realizing it (by implementing the plans). This garden creates opportunities for mindfulness to reflect on nature and the world around us.
The 5th graders had their final field trip last week to Astrocamp. In the beautiful town of Idyllwild, students worked on many different science activities. They had fun, they learned, and they made wonderful memories during a unique experience shared with their classmates.
All pictures and videos will be shared by teachers.
https://vimeo.com/337349196
Each year the 4th Grade students attend an eventful, 3-day and 2-night field trip to Rawhide Ranch located in Bonsall. They gain confidence and independence while learning new skills and information during activities and work collaboratively to take care of the animals present at the Ranch. They always leave with fun and lasting memories of their horse, friendships, and accomplishments.
In 1st and 2nd grade students are invited to express themselves poetically based on their experiences at school. They began this project with the help of the teacher and then, little by little, became more autonomous and created their haikus by counting the verses and using a specific vocabulary. This activity also allows them to help each other, improve their work and then share their creations.
3rd graders have reacted to the sad news coming from Paris today…
The third grade forum was a big success this morning. Family and lower elementary students enjoyed a wonderful slideshow featuring different learning experiences the third graders had throughout their school year. The third graders also impressed the audience with their beautiful singing of “Je Veux Apprendre Paroles,” a French song describing what it means to be great students, and “Count on Me,” an English song about the importance of friendship. The third graders worked very hard to be ready for their forum, and their French and American teachers could not be more proud.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CAfJH–3-UegzpUI-0Rb-yV3Ck04oEHg
1stgrade students have started to work on gardening. Using the planters prepared by the 2ndgraders, children are working on seeds, germination and pollinators. Following this step, students will have a presentation on bees.
On Thursday, March 28th, all kindergarten to grade 8 pupils took their art work out of the classrooms and displayed them outside. This event, called “The Big Laundry” is a global event organized the same day all over the world in French schools.
This is an opportunity to appreciate the extent of the creativity of all our students, from the youngest to the oldest.
The fourth graders have started learning about energy transfers in science. They were able to use toy skateboards to demonstrate the effect that mass has when transferring kinetic energy. They documented and collected the data of the distances that the skateboards traveled when “transferring their energy” (ie crashing) and took the average to learn which collision had the greatest impact.
-Cathleen Anderson-
