In June, 4th and 5th grade students presented to their parents the results of their workshops with professional musicians/master teachers:

4th grade: Kourosh Taghavi, Persian classical melody and percussion

5th grade: Hirotaka Inuzuka, Balinese Gamelan

Parents had the opportunity to join the Gamelan session and try the instruments!

Fun, competition, team building and good memories for this last afternoon. From 1st to 8th grade, everybody has enjoyed a wonderful moment.

On Friday, June 9th all elementary students presented their last show of the year. Play, movie, opera, circus… the performance was exceptional! This presentation has been filmed and the link to watch it will be communicated very soon.

Our 3rd grade sailing  field trip to Mission Bay Aquatics center was a great success! Upon our arrival, students had a lesson about basic wind reading, parts of a Sabot sail boat, and how to maneuver using the sail and tiller. After our lesson, many students plunged into the bay for a swim test, and Francois and Nicholas impressed everyone with their swimming abilities. Students then had the opportunity to experience three types of boats: a small Sabot ( sailed with a partner) a larger Hobie Cat (sailed with a small group of students and an instructor), and a larger keel boat sailed with an instructor. All the teachers were impressed by students’ independence and willingness to try something new. Great work, third graders! After a long morning of being on the water, we were greeted by a fabulous potluck and lots of different games on the beach organized by our fantastic parents.  Thanks again!

Last Wednesday, the 4th graders performed an incredible interpretation of an opera. The audience heard songs inspired by classical themes from Mozart, Wagner, Debussy and others.

A modified version of this Opera performance will be presented during the End of the Year Show on Friday, June 9th.

Everybody has been very busy with science projects, experiences and Volley ball tournament.

Thursday have been a busy day at Astrocamp with Science activities in class and new challenges outside.

The 5th graders arrived yesterday at Astrocamp. After the lunch the activities have started: Giant Fuzzball  and Micro-gravity.

During the April break Mr. Parello, the 5th grade English teacher, travelled to the town of Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat, India.  He went to visit the Shaishav program, a child rights program that runs community schools in the town and aims to fight child labor by improving access to education. Shaishav facilitates child directed meetings where the children discuss such issues as gender equality and understanding between the local Hindu and Muslim communities.  In early April, the 5th grade students took photos of themselves to show their lives at SDFAS.  Mr. Parello brought the photos to Bhavnagar and showed them to the students in the Shaishav program, then distributed cameras so that the children there could take photos of their lives to send to the students at SDFAS.  Both before and after the voyage, the 5th grade students have used the exchange project with the Shaishav program to discuss a variety of issues, particularly the common interests enjoyed by children everywhere in the world.  The 5th grade class adapted a lesson used in the Shaishav program to promote unity between members of different religions, and used it as a starting point for discussing the treatment of difference in our own society.  Students will continue using the photos as a starting point for writing and discussion during this period.

Dorian and Julien show themselves hard at work in class

Elisabeth shows her interest in science

Mr. Parello with students at a community school in Bhavnagar

Students from Bhavnagar do some homework in the park

On Sunday, May 21, the 26th Kiwanis Junior Olympics took place at La Jolla High School. 1000 students from Bird Rock Elementary, Torrey Pines Elementary, La Jolla Elementary, The Gilisippe School, The Evans School, Stella Maris Academy, The Children’s School, All Hallows Academy, and SDFAS competed in this annual track & field event.

The all-day event started at 8:00 am, as students ages 5 to 12 competed in the 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, Long Jump, Softball Throw, and Obstacle Course.

At 11:30 am each school’s 4 x 100 m relay team took the track to see who would take home the Gold. Each relay team (girls and boys) are made up of one 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, and 11 year old.

Representing SDFAS for the girls was Norah Zadeyan, Mimi Rebeiz, Victoria DuRoure, and Tahlia Zadeyan. The girls team ran a strong race, finishing in 4th place overall.

For the boys, Andre Guizar, Gustav Westlake, Dorian Pauillac, and Nicola Redon made SDFAS History by becoming the first relay team to finish in FIRST PLACE. It was an outstanding performance with supersonic speeds and flawless baton handoffs. The team also made Kiwanis Junior Olympics history to be the first team in 26 years to beat BOTH Bird Rock Elementary and Torrey Pines Elementary, the reigning champions. Congratulations!

At the conclusion of the Junior Olympics, each school sends their chosen runner to race in the 400 m “Fastest Girl” and “Fastest Boy” race. For her 2nd consecutive year, the multi-talented Tahlia Zadeyan represented SDFAS, and finished the race as the 4th fastest girl in all of La Jolla.

On the boys side, John Guckian, the returning 2016 “Fastest Boy” champion, defended his title for the 2nd consecutive year. John’s hard work, composure, and confidence made him the ONLY boy in Kiwanis Junior Olympic history to win this prestigious title 2 years in a row. Amazing!

Andre Guizar (7), Nicola Redon (11), Dorian Pauillac (10), and Gustav Westlake (8) make SDFAS and Kiwanis History by placing FIRST in the 4 x 100 m.

John Guckian receives his medal as the Fastest Boy in La Jolla 2 years in a row.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in this fun-filled exciting day!