Accreditation Team On Campus This Week

A team of 11 visitors are on campus Monday through Wednesday to take an in-depth look at Journeys School to determine if we meet our stated mission and purpose. These visitors are experienced educators and will be in and out of classes and around campus. This visit is the final step in the accreditation process through Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools. If you have any comments that you would like the accreditation team to hear, please contact your parent council representative.

Parent Council Education Seminar:

Coaching Skills for Parents

“Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” – Confucius (450 BC)

Parents you will not want to miss this exciting, informative, and interactive workshop- “Coaching Skills for Parents” facilitated by dynamic Kendall Colman of Colman & Company, Denver, CO. (Click here to visit their website: www.colmancoaching.com) Parents please support the very first Parent Council Education Seminar. We are very fortunate to have a speaker of this caliber. Kendall has been highly sought after by many educational institutions from the University of Wyoming to Denver area public schools! She is generously donating all proceeds to the Journeys School Annual Fund.

Journeys parents suggested donation will be $40 for an individual or $50 for a couple. Feel free to invite parents from outside Journeys School. It would be wonderful exposure for our school. The general public will be required to pay $40 for an individual and $50 for a couple.

This event will take place Saturday, March 31, 2007 from 9:00-11:30 am. Refreshments and complimentary childcare will be provided. RSVP to Julie Steele at (307) 733-3729 x1222/ Julie.steele@journeysschool.org

We are looking for volunteers for set-up, clean-up, flyer distribution, etc. Please contact Dana Nagel (239) 272-0805/ dananagel@cs.com or Carin McConaughy-Munn (307) 690-5701/Carinm@jacksonhole.com to volunteer.

Student and Parent Science Fair Information Session

Thursday March 8 @ 3:30-4:30pm in the Welcome Center Conference Room.  Whatever your burning questions are, Jo will help you design an interesting project just for you! Come learn what the Science Fair is all about!

Click here to view complete flyer with more information.

Parent Survey Still Open

Each year, parents are asked to give opinions and feedback to the Journeys School using an online survey. If you haven't already filled out the survey, please take the time to do so now by accessing the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=488473209892 . We appreciate the time you spend to help make our school a better place.

Open House Friday!

Journeys School is hosting its third Open House of the school year this Friday, March 9, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. If you know of any interested families, please encourage them to attend. We are now in our second round of admissions, and the application deadline is May 1. The open house is a drop-in event, giving families a chance to meet with Nate and Rhonda as well as to see classes in session.

Date Change for Parent Council Meeting

The date for the spring Parent Council meeting originally scheduled for next week has been scheduled for after Spring Break on Thursday, May 10. We hope to see you there.

College Acceptances

12th grade students are being accepted to more colleges for fall 2007:

• Anastasia Andreas was accepted to St. Olaf College in Minnesota.
• Chloe Frisella-Kunst was accepted to Humboldt St. University in California.
• James Hockett was accepted to Colorado College (also the college of Lukas Walton, class of 2005).

Congratulations to the students and their families!

March Lunch Menu 

March 9th

• Veggie-style Italian Minestrone Soup with white beans & tortellini pasta
• Organic turkey and Swiss cheese with tomato, lettuce, mustard & mayonnaise wrapped inside a whole wheat flour tortilla.
• Cream Cheese & Hummus with cucumbers sprouts & tomatoes wrapped inside a whole wheat flour tortilla.
• Apple wedge & Carrot sticks
• Congo Bars

Click here to view the entire March Lunch Menu.

After School March Calendar

Click here to view the entire March Calendar.

Monday, March 5th:

Cross-country skiing at the Dike

Tuesday, March 6th:

Swimming at the Rec. Center

Wednesday, March 7th:

Popcorn and a Movie "Ice Age 2: the Melt Down"

Thursday, March 8th:

Skating at the Snow King Outdoor Rink

Parent Coffee on Wednesday, 8:15 - 9:00 am

Please join parent council representatives in the Welcome Center to discuss the school or to just socialize! Everyone is welcome.

NAIS Annual Conference

Rhonda Watson and Charlotte Quesada represented Journeys School at the National Association of Independent Schools' Annual Conference in Denver last week.

Financial Aid Deadlines Approaching

The Parent Financial Statement (PFS) form must be mailed or completed on-line by March 15 (that's next week!). The website to complete it on-line is https://sss.ets.org. Supporting documents must be submitted to Journeys School by March 22. If you complete the PFS on-line, request a packet from Rhonda for the supporting documents.

Organic Coffee

Support the Journeys School Annual fund by ordering Journeys School Organic Coffee. Call (307) 733-8046 or visit online: www.FreshOrganicCoffee.com/journeys.html

Pre-Kindergarten

Announcements

Thanks

Thank you to Dave Bucholz for donating the time and materials to build the greenhouse. This was a big project that greatly improves our outdoor learning space.

Thank you to Kristen Hershock for gathering willows for the Tree House roof.

Thank you to the crew of parent skiers who joined the Pre-K students for their final ski day last Friday. It was a successful program and we hope to offer it again next year. If you have any comments or suggestions for the following year please email them to Anna, anna.mccamy@journeysschool.org

Thank you to Joann Hongiman for donating a cable line and clips to hang art work with in the studio. We hope to install it soon.

Thank you to Jackie Baxa for continuing to be motivated to enter books into the Pre-K library catalogue.

Parent Zone
Absences
In addition to notifying teachers, please write all planned absences on the list hanging in the Parent Zone. This helps us prepare the classroom for the appropriate number of students each day.

Volunteer Calendar
The new March volunteer calendar is up! We are particularly in need of volunteers for Community Lunch on Fridays.

Sharing Time in the Pre-K
We would like to remind parents that sharing should only include found natural objects, something your child has made or an experience that they would like to share with us. We are trying to steer away from sharing toys. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help remind your child of this when they ask if they can bring something in for sharing. We are also starting a new system of signing up for sharing by having students write their name on the dry erase board in the morning meeting area.

Curricular Updates

Tree House
There is a new enchanting space in our classroom…willow branches make its roof, tee pee poles make its siding, and burlap makes its strong trunk…our loft is being transformed into a tree house. The image of a tree house conjures up a secretive and magical hide-away where adventures can begin. Students climb up the ladder to the loft and point to new places on the map and plan expeditions for pirates and tell their stories. Last week students wrote many letters to share between friends. They stuffed them into envelopes, stuck sticker stamps on the outsides and either put them in our special mailbox or lowered them with our basket pulley system. We are going to continue to find ways to add beauty to our tree house and lure more children up to write messages and begin adventures!

The Doctor’s Office
Patients, Surgeons and Physicians alike are all welcome in the newly established Doctor’s office on the corner of Kitchen and Loft Place. The beds are clean, examines are thorough, and the doctors are even kind enough to offer you a cup of water. After a visit to Dr. Joy Lewis’s office in town, students have a heightened interest in medicine. They are learning to use various tools and instruments that are like those found in a real doctor’s office and they are filling out S.O.A.P. notes of their patients. These S.O.A.P. notes require students to circle their findings, including heart rate, temperature, body weight, and symptoms such as coughing, red bumps, sore throat, broken bone, bleeding, and sneezing. Our student doctors sign their names to their patient assessment forms much clearer than any doctor’s signature you’ll see. We are still accepting new patients and walk-ins are welcome!

Who is Rascal?
Rascal is a small stuffed animal Husky, also referred to as a sled dog. His closest relatives are the wolf and the coyote. Rascal lives in Coyote Canyon, near Jackson, Wyoming and has recently been leaving tracks and clues for us to follow. It all started when Mandy told an imaginative story about a runaway sled dog that escaped into the canyon. Students were eager to track Rascal and try to find him. Through riddles, clues, and maps students learned about Rascal’s whereabouts on Friday. Molly was the first of many to be able to take care of Rascal for the weekend. Check out the new Rascal Journal on the sign-in table. Molly drew a picture of their adventures together this weekend to share with the class.

Announcements
Thank Yous
Thank you to Anne Ladd for making a sweet Valentine’s treat for our class. Thank you to Valerie Luckey for bringing in some healthy teacher snacks to our faculty meeting before the February break, and to Dana Nagel for the chocolatey teacher treats and coffee cards A big thank you to the following parents who helped out with our super hands to work project after our Winter Journey: Valerie Luckey, Chip Holdsworth, Katie Pierce, Jenn Foley, Miriam De la Cruz – Morillon, and Carol Chesney. Thank you to Carrie Geraci for washing our pillow covers and Katie Pierce for washing all of our washcloths and rags.

The following are special thank yous to individuals and business who helped to make our Winter Journey a great success: Ryan Bolton who volunteered his time and energy as an additional overnight chaperone, all of the parent volunteers who helped with our journey meals, John Haskin (Director of Education at the Kelly Campus) for sharing some wonderful constellation creation stories, Yippy I-O Candy, Jackson State Bank, Skinny Skis, Wild By Nature Gallery, Mountain Trails Gallery, The Bunnery, and Browse n’ Buy.

Goodbye to the Hesslers
We are sad to say farewell to Nikki Hessler and the Hessler family who will be returning to Boston, (but hopefully returning to Jackson and the Journeys School in the fall). Nikki has been a wonderful, smiling addition to our K-2 community with her great sense of humor and will surely be missed.

Author Study Celebration
On Friday March 9th from 9:30 – 10:30 am K-2 students will celebrate the culmination of our Reading and Writing Workshop Author Study unit. Students will share short skits and host a gallery walk of their writing samples and art work associated with the author studied in their small groups. We will end our celebration with a special snack and some social time before recess. Parents are welcome to attend.

Curricular Updates

Extended Winter Journey
With eager energy and a bundle of excitement, the K-2 community continued to explore their winter theme of Navigation on their extended Journey on February 15th and16th. With many skills already under their belts, students navigated the Conservation Research Center land using snowshoes and compasses. Back in the classroom, students painted murals of planets, stars and constellations, such as the Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt. Students also envisioned and invented their own artistic constellation creations. To put navigation skills to the test, the K-2 students went on a scavenger hunt around the Town Square. Incorporating a myriad of skills, riddles, rhymes, directions, and tasks, each group navigated their way through Jackson State Bank, Mountain Trails Gallery, The Bunnery, Browse n’ Buy, Skinny Skis, Wild By Nature, Yippy I-O Candy, and the Town Square memorial. Students also had the opportunity to watch Freedom Bound, performed by the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Afterward, a plethora of parents joined us for a pizza dinner. Closing the evening, John Haskin (Kelly Campus Director of Education and parent of three middle schoolers) engaged and captivated the students through constellation storytelling. Another highlight of our journey, the SLEEPOVER, was a tremendous success! Students cozied up in sleeping bags for the night while reading, listening to stories, and chatting with friends. After a little shut-eye, the children awoke to a pancake picnic prepared by several parents. Students spent the remainder of the Journey writing constellation stories and exploring other navigation and choice time activities, such as watching Winged Migration, creating craft projects and star books, exploring outside, and reading. Overall, the children enjoyed an active and fun-filled two day Journey exploring the town of Jackson and unveiling the mystery of what it’s like to stay overnight at school!

Navigation and Exploration
Last Wednesday K-2 students and teachers went on a journey to the National Elk Refuge and Visitor Center. We enjoyed some spectacular wildlife sightings, including: Big Horn Sheep, Coyotes, Elk, Bison, and Ravens. We have begun to discuss how animals use navigation as a means to move from one place to another in search of food and warmer temperatures. Students enjoyed exploring the Visitor Center’s hands-on displays and specimens. We will continue to learn more about migration in the coming weeks and do some special activities to learn more about the local migration of Pronghorn Antelope.

Kingfisher Math with Shannon and Jean
The Kingfisher Math Group has been diving into time. We have read time stories, sang time songs (like “Early in the Morning”) and made our own clocks. The students even made up names for the hands on a clock to help them remember the hour and minute hand. You can support us at home by asking your child to identify the time on an analog clock when it is telling time to the hour. The students have also been studying patterns and have learned that patterns show up everywhere: in number lines and charts, on clothes, even in building materials. The students have made patterns with stamps, beads, pattern blocks and each other! The Kingfisher Group’s latest endeavor has been to work with the hundred’s chart to practice identifying and writing numbers, and to look for and record number patterns. We also continue to work on addition and subtraction in our Number Story Journals each week.

The Squirrels Reading and Writing Workshop with Kalen
Throughout the month of February, the Squirrels have been immersed in a unit exploring the author and illustrator, Bill Peet. Bill Peet published over 30 children’s books filled with fantastic stories and illustrations. During each literacy block, we read aloud and discussed one of his books, added the story to our Book Comparison Chart, and engaged in a Writer’s Workshop activity relating to the author or one of his books. The eager and excited children listened to stories read aloud and then filled in a Book Comparison Chart. As a way to organize thoughts and discover patterns/styles of writing, the Squirrels completed the following: 1) determined if the book is fiction or nonfiction, 2) listed and described the main characters, 3) identified if the story used rhyme, 4) uncovered the “Take Home Messages” or “Lessons Learned” from the story, and 5) rated the book (one to five stars). Bill Peet had a special gift of integrating life lessons and reminders of how to treat each other and the natural world. The Squirrels have done an amazing job uncovering these messages within the stories and applying them to their own life.

Our Author’s Study will culminate with a K-2 Celebration on March 9th where each group will share author explorations. The Squirrels are working on creating and compiling several written and illustrated pieces for the Gallery Walk, such as letters to Bill Peet, descriptions of favorite Bill Peet characters, Peet’s Take Home Messages, and book promotions.

Along with our author’s study focus, students have also engaged in word study, spelling learning opportunities, and just right reading. An unexpected (but exciting) student-driven project entails mini-author studies while reading Just Right books. K-2 students are gearing up for another reading and writing focus: A Character Study. As a natural transition from our Author’s Study, the Squirrels are sure to continue caching away new literacy strategies and adding a textured layer of character awareness to their repertoire of reading and writing!

Announcements

Freedom Bound DVD
A friend of the Grades 3-5 community, Kristen Gilbert, created a DVD of the Freedom Bound performance. She made a very professional James and the Giant Peach DVD last year, and it was a big hit! The DVD will include student interviews and multiple angles of the show. They are an excellent gift for grandparents or relatives who were not able to attend the production in person. The cost per DVD is fifteen dollars. Please make checks payable to Kristen Gilbert. Please contact Andie at extension 1117 with questions about the DVD.

Thank You
Thank you to Ellen Speers for washing our kitchen rags and art smocks.

Mid-Year Capstone Program Meeting
The parents of students in Grade 5 are invited to attend a Mid-year Capstone Program Meeting on Wednesday, March 7 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. At this meeting, Tina will address the components of the Capstone Project including the small moment story, community service hours, and place-based investigation. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend if they have questions about the Capstone program.

Curriculum Updates

Freedom Bound Performance
The Grades 3-5 students performed Freedom Bound: A Musical Journey to the Land of the Free for family and friends on the evening of February 15. Putting the production together was a community effort from start to finish, so it was wonderful to have so many family and friends attend the performance. Thank you to all of the Grades 3-5 families for their support of the Freedom Bound musical production.

ERB Testing
Standardized tests are administered at Journeys School each year for students in Grades 3-8. These tests are an additional form of assessment to measure individual student growth and to assess our overall program. The tests will be administered during the mornings of Monday, April 2 through Thursday, April 5. April 6 will be a make-up day. If your child misses the ERB’s due to Spring Break travel, they cannot be made up. Please keep this in mind while making Spring Break plans.

Announcements
Winter Journey Payments due March 9
Remember to send check for winter journey to Rhonda by March 9. The 6-7th grade journey to the Kelly Campus is $100, and the 8th grade Capstone journey to Washington, DC is $800. Checks should be payable to the Teton Science Schools with “MS winter journey” written in the memo. Please contact Rhonda with any questions.

Winter Learning Team Meetings
Winter learning team meetings are approaching in March. This is a time to check in with students, teachers and parents regarding school performance and progress since the fall. Your child’s advisor will be contacting you soon to schedule these 1-hour meetings.

Heart Mountain’s Romeo and Juliet
Friday, March 9 at 1:30 and *6:30pm in the Dining Lodge.
*Please deliver kids to the Dining Lodge by 5:45pm on Friday to warm up and prepare.

We are down to the last week and a half of rehearsal! Things are going very well. I am proud of the kids and their commitment to the rehearsal process. Here are the last of the “things to do” and a schedule of the next week.

Things still needed:
1. Gees (Karate outfits with belts are desperately needed!)
2. Parents to help chaperone backstage and dress kids with costume changes. Times needed: next week, March 5-9. Contact Jill if you can help either in the AM or the P.M. these days.
3. Videographers—Milestone Media is producing a DVD of the making of the play, the performance, and some history of Heart Mountain. We need volunteers at both performances to digitally video the play.
Please contact Jill Wright 733-4567 ghufsmith@wyoming.com if you can help out!

6th and 7th Grade Winter Journey Update
The 6th and 7th graders will be taking part in their Winter Journey during the week of March 12-16. A letter was sent home with students on Friday February 16 that included a schedule and packing list for the journey. At this point we are all set for chaperones, but thank you to those of you who expressed interest. Please contact Margot or Charles with any questions or concerns. Thanks for your help in making this Journey possible!

8th Grade Winter Journey to DC Update:
We are getting very excited as our journey to Washington DC approaches. By now parents should have received (c/o your 8th grader) a packet with an updated itinerary, packing list and contact numbers. A copy of our itinerary and contact information will be with Rhonda at Journeys School. In addition, we will be calling Rhonda several times during the journey to give updates and check in. Should you need to contact us while we are in D.C., please call the school and Rhonda will put you in touch with us. Should any travel times change upon our return, you will be called as soon as possible with any new information. Should you need to contact a teacher during the week prior to our departure, call Karl Van Sycle or Joanna Snyder.

Thank you

Thanks to Jack Shea for the donation of the eight DVD set on WWII. The box set is a valuable addition to the middle school social science library.

Thanks to Anna Skrabacz and Darla Worden for loaning a copy of Paper Clips to the middle school.

Teens Can Multitask, But What Are Costs?

Many of today's high school students do other activities while working on homework. Students say they feel more productive while multi-tasking. However, some experts worry that this multi-tasking will hurt students' focus and analytical skills.

The Washington Post, February 26, 2007

More "Reliable" Wikipedia Soon to Launch

The co-founder of Wikipedia says he is looking to create a more authoritative online encyclopedia.

eSchool News, February 22, 2007

Curricular Updates

Social Science
Sixth and seventh grade social science students just concluded our study of WWII. Students investigated the effects of the war on American society, particularly how the role in American public life changed. Students also watched a video called Paper Clips. It documented a Tennessee middle school social studies class’ quest to understand the number six million, the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Eighth grade students are preparing for their journey to Washington, D.C. by studying maps of the Mall area. They are also becoming “experts” on a location we will visit next week. Upon visiting the location our expert will become our very own tour guide.

Spanish
In the week before mid-winter break, Spanish students prepared for and completed a test on the history and culture of Spain. After they demonstrated strong comprehension and language skills, they began to discuss springtime celebrations in Spain. We watched a movie about several different traditions, including Semana Santa, La Corrida de Toros and La Feria de Abril. The students compared and contrasted Holy Week, bullfighting, and the April Fair with traditions from their own cultures. Finally, they learned how to dance the Sevillanas, a popular folk dance based on flamenco dancing.

After returning from break, the students began to look at some of the costumes and clothing styles that are currently in fashion in Spain. The students chose to research either everyday clothing or the flamenco dresses and horse riding costumes worn during the Feria. Each student created an advertisement for a clothing store that included 5 items with brief descriptions, prices in euros and dollars, and photos. Students will use the skills developed during this unit in the spring term, when we examine Mexican and Central American economies, markets, and trade.

“Forces in Opposition” Culminating Project
At the end of each trimester, students participate in a week-long culminating project which highlights the topics and skills developed during the trimester. All core subjects are integrated into the project and assessed by each teacher. In the past, culminating projects have ranged in medium and presentation: weather documentaries, ancient cultures fair, environmental views survey, historical newspapers, mock trials and debates, to name a few.

This is our winter trimester culminating project week! As many of you may already know, the focus of our “Forces in Opposition” culminating project is a production of Heart Mountain’s Romeo and Juliet. More than any of the other culminating projects, this one has been a labor of love (tragic and otherwise!) throughout the entire trimester, which began in language arts with the reading of the original play. Level 3 language arts researched the World War II era, focusing on Japanese internment and Japanese culture. They used this information to inform their adaptation of the play to…Literature, projects and study of World War II in social science and language arts also provided context for all students. Throughout the trimester in art class, students have been exposed to all areas of performing arts, from acting, choreography, blocking, costume and set design, and all have been instrumental in the production of the play.

Because this project is humanities focused, during the week they will also have integrated math (a multi-level math project that is described in more detail below) and presentations of final science projects (also detailed below). To accommodate these projects and final rehearsals and set building for the play, our weekly schedule is adapted. We will also have two field trips. On Tuesday we visit the new theater at the Center for the Arts. We will tour their set design and building department, the lighting, backstage, costume rooms, dressing rooms, and practice in the new theater. We will also talk to actors from the Off Square Theater Company and learn some tricks of the trade. On Thursday we will visit Jackson Elementary with our science projects (details following).

We look forward to a busy and rewarding week! We hope you will be a part of the excitement too!

Final Science Project
Students have been working in teams of two or individually with TSS graduate student Jay Tomich to develop a museum exhibit piece for the traveling Forces in Opposition Exhibition. Students chose a topic and created an informative science museum exhibit. All exhibits consist of a hands-on model or demonstration, a visual piece that has photos and diagrams, and a written statement explaining the project. Topics include simple machines, gas laws, bird flight and early human flight inventions. The purpose of this project is for the students to integrate and apply the skills and material presented in class this trimester. Students will act as docents while presenting their exhibits to peers, Journeys elementary students and Jackson Elementary second graders this week. The Museum Exhibition will be on display for friends and family to experience before and after the evening performance on Friday March 9th.

Integrated Math Project
Along with the excitement of Romeo and Juliet and the Science Project, next week the Middle School will be working on their Integrated Math Project! Dennis introduced students last week to the work of Alexander Calder, an incredibly creative artist and engineer, who designed mobiles, "stabiles" (standing mobiles), and sculptures that have found their way to dozens of cities in the U.S. and overseas. Inspired by Calder, students will create their own blueprints of mobiles in connection with the trimester theme of "Forces in Opposition." Working with graduate student Krista Hollis, students will practice mathematical and scientific understanding of variables, forces, and balance to create a blueprint for their mobile. Each mobile will illustrate a favorite theme of Forces in Opposition from Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts class this past trimester. Level 3 Math students will assemble these mobiles into three larger mobiles, which will be on display around the Jackson Campus. Check out more about Calder and photos of his work at: www.calder.org

Announcements

Winter Sports Update

The past couple weeks have been packed full of competitions for many of our upper school students. At a recent meet in Rock Springs, speech and debate team members J.C. Hockett and Connor Nay finished 2nd in Congress and 4th in Poetry, respectively. Finishing off a strong season with the girls freshman basketball team, Annie Watters helped her team to two recent home game wins and a third place showing at a tournament in Worland. The alpine ski team competed in Pinedale over February break with Gordon Finnegan placing 3rd in the varsity giant slalom on the first day and 4th in the same event on the second day while Kevin Lucey placed 7th in the junior varsity giant slalom on day one and 5th on day two. At the USSA intermountain meet in Park City Utah, Patrick Finnegan placed 15th in the slalom and 21st, 25th, and 23rd in the subsequent giant slalom races. And after his first season on Nordic skis, Luke Stalker placed a very respectable 43rd in skating and 48th in classic at the state Nordic ski competition. Great job students!

Winter Journey Report

Due to a very-last-minute change, we ended up having our winter journey in our own front yard—Teton Science School’s Jackson Campus. While we were a bit disappointed to have lost the chance to spend 3 days on a secluded ranch, staying here enabled us to complete the same programming and, by eliminating driving, have more time to do it. Furthermore, we enjoyed the comfortable rooms of our dorms and the great cooking of the kitchen staff.

The focus of the journey was community building which we explored through the metaphor of expeditions. As models of group failure and success, we looked specifically at recent events on Mt. Everest and Antarctic exploration history. We were fortunate to have local resources that could share their knowledge of expeditions to some of these far-flung locales. Mountaineer/Snowboarder Stephen Koch met with students on our first afternoon and shared stories concerning decision-making and group dynamics. The next morning, Dr. Shlim, who previously practiced medicine in Katmandu and tended to the medical needs of many Everest climbers, detailed his experiences as well. We want to thank both of these gentlemen for coming in and so generously giving their time and sharing their wisdom.

We spent two days cross-country skiing in Grand Teton National Park and used the facilities of the TSS Kelly campus as well. On Friday, the group visited the newest exhibit at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and completed an art project that addresses behaviors the upper school community needs to exhibit to find success the rest of the school year. It was apparent that the journey provided ample time for reflection, community building and fun. The students continue to impress the faculty with their inclusive nature and positive attitude. We are confident that journeys encourage these characteristics and, in turn, make for a better learning environment in the classroom.

We would like to again thank our presenters as well as the Jackson Campus administration, faculty and kitchen staff, the Kelly campus faculty and staff, the folks at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the Teton County Library as well as Pat Windle for her always delicious brownies.

Curricular Updates

Math 5: Geometry
After completing a unit on triangle congruency and properties of special triangles, Math 5 students will apply those concepts to discovering and proving properties of polygons. As they explore the interior and exterior angles of polygons, and properties of kites, trapezoids, parallelograms and mid-segments, they will have opportunity to practice identifying relationships and write proofs using paragraphs, flow charts or two-column format. After discovering relationships and recording conjectures, students practice using these relationships to find missing angles and lengths. During these two units, students also keep up on their algebra skills by applying geometry concepts in the coordinate plane, writing equations for lines, and solving systems of equations.

Math 6: Advanced Algebra/Pre-calculus
Math 6 students are finishing up a unit on algebraic expressions. They have learned how to find binomial expansions by exploring the relationship among Pascal’s Triangle, towers built from two colors of blocks, and the distributive property. Next, they studied operations on polynomials, factoring, and reducing, multiplying, dividing and combining rational expressions. To build understanding, they explored the meaning of equivalence by looking at tables of values, graphs, simplification of expressions and solving equations. One way students applied algebraic expressions was to write function rules to find out how to maximize volume given certain dimensions. Most recently, they have discovered the formula for the sum of consecutive integers and seen how to use this to derive other summation formulas. The trimester will wrap up by reviewing how to solve systems of equations and then exploring how to use matrices to solve more difficult problems.

Academic and Personal Success in

Reading and Writing
Reflections from Grades 3-5
By Andrea Rongey

The skills a person must use in order to read and write are remarkably consistent, whether that reader and writer is 8 years old, 18 years old or 80. As readers, we try and try again to read with engaged minds, stamina, empathy, knowledge of genre, open-mindedness, fluency, critical eyes and questioning hearts. As writers we try and try again to write with focus, structure, detail, clarity, honesty and proper use of the language. We practice and hone these skills throughout a lifetime by telling stories to one another, reading books with friends, studying exemplary texts, drafting letters or memoranda, rereading our journals or a good book, and re-imagining who we are as readers and writers. Becoming a better reader and writer is a lifelong journey that requires honing a set of skills. Because of my belief in this philosophy, I was drawn to the curricular work of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University.

I remember the first time a colleague of mine at graduate school mentioned the Reading and Writing Project. It was in May just before graduation and Hilary was trying to convince me that attending the summer workshops hosted by the project was a must. She told me again and again about a woman named Lucy Calkins. Lucy, as her students call her, is a guru of teaching reading and writing and in my opinion, the Einstein of literacy. Her books are numerous. Her knowledge of good reading and writing instruction is not only research-based, but experiential. And her love of kids is evident in all aspects of her life. Her biggest hope is to share the joys of reading and writing with each of them.

More than two years ago, the Grades 3-5 teaching team began to use the reading and writing curriculum published by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. It has become our guide for reading and writing instruction. Lucy and her colleagues such as Kathy Collins are in our classes and in our minds as we teach and learn. The grades K-2 faculty recently revamped their reading and writing program to use the curriculum and allow for a more consistent K-5 progression.

The Project’s curricular calendar is fashioned on a yearly basis with the input of hundreds of teachers, curriculum coaches and administrators. While a small document in size, each curricular calendar is formed with thoughtful consideration. The curriculum varies according to grade level and student ability. It not only equips students with the skills needed to succeed as readers and writers in school, but also sets students on a pathway of lifelong reading and writing for enjoyment throughout their lives. Consider the four units of study we have completed in Grades 3-5 this school year.

Unit 1: The Pathway to Becoming Lifelong Readers and Writers
We began the year learning to make reading a part of our daily lives. We worked on choosing books that are “just right” or challenging but not overly challenging. We practiced reading with stamina and our minds engaged. We wrote stories from our lives. We incorporated our feelings, words, and thoughts in order to write stories that not only tell events, but have a heart or reveal our beliefs about the world. Whenever I hear the “This I Believe” series on NPR I think of my students’ writing their life stories and the importance of putting experience into written word.

Unit 2: Raising the Level of our Reading and Writing
During unit 2, we pushed ourselves to read more carefully and understand parts of a story including characters, setting and plot. We returned to writing personal narratives. We wrote in our journals each day, abandoning some stories and turning others into published works to share aloud with peers and parents during Author’s Share.

Unit 3: Being an Expert and Writing a Book
In unit 3, each student in grade 3 wrote a book about a topic on which he or she was an expert. Topics included downhill skiing, how to be a good friend, and being in a musical. Students learned how to write paragraphs and structure an informational text with a table of contents, index, and glossary. Dr. Mel Levine, who is the founder of the Schools Attuned program in which Journeys teachers are being trained, states that it’s important for all kids to have affinities and for these affinities to be fostered. This book project allowed for this, and the excitement to write and quality of student work was outstanding.

Unit 4: Performing a Musical
Our most recent unit of study culminated in the production of the musical Freedom Bound. Freedom Bound tells the story of a family’s immigration to the United States through Ellis Island. Students learned lessons in reading fluently and public speaking as we rehearsed and pulled together as a team for our performance. Students in my reading and writing group read a historical fiction book called A Long Way to a New Land and wrote literary responses to each chapter. In grades 3-5 we read to learn and experience the world through the eyes of others.

The school year will carry on with book clubs, writing poetry and fiction, and test taking skills. Our daily work with spelling and conventions will continue. And as my ultimate hope and goal, students will finish the school year equipped with the skills needed to succeed as readers and writers in academia, and also started on a pathway of reading and writing for enjoyment throughout their lives.                    

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© 2005, Basecamp News, Journeys School of Teton Science Schools.