Girls' Night Out!

Enjoy fine wine, hors d’oeuvres, sushi by Nikai and titillating conversation on Wednesday, May 23rd 6:30-9:30pm. This event will benefit the Journeys School Annual Fund. Please click here for the invitation and more details!

Spring Parent Council Meeting

Please join other parents for the last Parent Council meeting of the year on Thursday, May 10, 6 PM - 7 PM on the Jackson Campus. The goal of this meeting will be brainstorming ideas about changes, improvements and calendar dates for next year. Any idea and any family is welcome.

AGENDA:

1. Opening

2. Administrative notes (accreditation update)

3. Parent Council brainstorm within level

4. Sharing of ideas and action plan

Trimester Reports are Available On-Line

If you haven't already accessed your child's trimester report and need a bit of help remembering how to do so...this item is for you! This link will take you to a tutorial document to learn what to do. This link will take you to the netclassroom site. Call Rhonda if you do not remember your login ID and password.

Announcing Rachel Carson Day!

At this evening's town council meeting, the mayor will proclaim May 27th as Rachel Carson Day in the town of Jackson. A few Journeys School students will be present to assist in this proclamation, and the general public is welcome to attend. Rachel Carson Day is in honor of her prophetic work, citizens of Jackson are urged to focus their attention on the potentially serious hazards associated with chemical pesticides and refraining from using chemical pesticides on this day.

Community Lunch is Wednesday!

To facilitate activities on Grandparents' Day this Friday, we have moved the Community Lunch to Wednesday, May 9. Parent volunteers are still needed for serving! Please send a regular lunch with your child for Friday.

May Lunch Menu 

Wednesday May 9th:

Red Beans & Rice
Turkey Kielbasa
Corn Bread
Mixed Green Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing
Fruit & Dessert

Click here to view the May Lunch Calendar.

After School May Calendar

After School will meet outside of Pre-K this week due to Learning Team Meetings being held in K-2.  Pick-up for Monday and Wednesday will be at the Pre-K.  Park at the Welcome Center and walk to the last door on the right.  Thank you.

Click here to view the entire May Calendar.

Monday May 7th: Outdoor Games: Flying Kites, Soccer or Frisbee

Tuesday May 8th: Swimming at the Rec. Center

Wednesday May 9th: Gardening if weather is good...watching an educational movie if it is raining.

NO AFTER SCHOOL ON THURSDAY MAY 10TH

Sorry for any inconvenience, Erin will be out of town on this day.

Science Fair Thank You & Results

Thank you students, parents and teachers who participated and helped make our first Science Fair a success. If you didn't get a chance to witness the nail-biting Olympic competitions or peruse the impressive Science Project Room, please enjoy the following summary.

Impressive designs were entered for the egg drop competition. All three entries in the 3-5 grade level competition survived the first 4-foot fall (Michelle, Caden, Mellissa). Taylor and Hayden created this year's most sturdy design that survived a 12 foot drop, while Maggie and Brooke's model survived the 4-foot fall. Thanks to Tess and Cassidy and Montse and Megom for your creative designs!

The strongest structure competition was very exciting as onlookers cringed and cheered Sean, Nathan, Michelle, Melissa, Arthur and Taylor as their paper structures staggered under the weight of 5-19 heavy dictionaries!

Eight penny boat entries made this competition counting excitement for the younger students. Our strongest boat, submitted by Sean (PK) held 355 pennies. Remarkable designs by Reagan and Raines, Isabella, Hannah, Hans, Lyla, Wilson, and Forrest also held 100-300 pennies. Special note to Forrest Garland for the one brave entry of a slowest falling helicopter.

The projects were equally impressive. Student from Pre-K to 7th grade worked on their own or with their families to display their scientific explorations. Experiments included Melissa and Michelle's bacteria cultures, Julia's wind patterns, Mia and Ruby's animal paw preference and Samantha's lawn watering patterns. There were demonstrations including geyser mechanics by Tucker, static electricity by Luc, color mixing by Audrey and Matt, and Dolce's currents using solar, chemical and electric power. Interspersed were informative displays including explanations of horse diet and care by Kiva, mechanics of bird flight by Tessa, a local bird feather collection by Forrest and two interactive rock and mineral collections by Griffin and Leila.

Interest is already high for next year's Fair. Keep your eyes and ears open next fall and winter for parent and student workshops!

Pre-Kindergarten

Announcements
Thank You
The strength of our community was evident this week as so many of our Pre-K parents offered to help out in the classroom in our time of need. It was warming to know that that support existed and to that extent.

Special thanks to Remy Levy, Kathy Coosaia, Nancy Lee, and Bari Bucholz for coming in on Thursday and Friday to offer their hands to help when we were short staffed.

We really appreciate your understanding and flexibility in this time. Charlie returned to us on Friday and we look forward to Anna’s return on Thursday.

We would also like to thank and recognize the support that came in abundance from Journeys School Faculty. Thank you for checking in and offering your time.

Birthday Parties
To avoid hurt feelings please only send invitations to school if you are planning to invite all 29 of our Pre-K children. “You can’t come to my Birthday party!” is one of the worst insults that a 3, 4, or 5-year-old know how to say and to our 3, 4, and 5-year-olds this is very upsetting.

If you would like to host a birthday party for your child but feel that inviting 29 young children might be chaotic at best, please use the student directory to contact friends via their phone number or address. If you need help finding their contact information or have questions we would be happy to help. Thank you for your understanding.

Community Lunch Switch
There will be no community lunch for the next two Fridays in a row. We will have Community lunch on Wednesday, May 9th and on Wednesday May 16th. Please mark your calendars and plan to pack your child a lunch for the next two Fridays, May 11th and May 18th. In addition please remember not to send lunches that require micro-waving on Community lunch days. Thank you.

Curricular Updates
Kids’ Pages
David and Jackie Baxa worked with our students to create a kids’ pages website. The Kids' Pages can all be accessed from http://baxamarketing.com/journeys/ including a gallery of the pictures they made in TuxPaint.

Learning in the Studio
Through art children represent and communicate their experiences, ideas, and curiosities. They construct from memory, observation and imagination. While in the studio children engage in conversation with each other in productive ways...commenting on another child’s progress, creation or idea. They may even build off of it; inspired to make something for some else’s original idea or to create something of their own. The materials offered in the studio are open-ended and unrestricted for creativity. Lella Gandini, a U.S. liaison for the Reggio Emilia program, said, “The studio is not an isolated place where artistic things happen. It is a laboratory for thinking.”

Papermaking
Papermaking is a collaborative and multi-step process. Students engage in the processes that appeal to them the most. One child may enjoy cutting used paper into small bits while another enjoys punching buttons on the blender to mix the paper and water into a pulp. All students are gaining hands on experience with Reusing and Recycling materials. Throughout the week children working on making paper together. Examples of paper are laying about drying and soon we will start using our own paper for projects. Click here to access a papermaking website if you are interested in learning more.

Announcements

K-2 Curriculum Night: Tuesday, May 8th from 6-7 p.m.

We will be discussing the upcoming (June 7th and 8th) spring overnight journey in detail. There will be handouts created for any parents who will not be able to attend. In addition, student work will be placed on tables for you to peruse. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Welcome, Julie Steele!

Julie Steele joined our K-2 team for the rest of the school year. Julie has subbed for us throughout the year, so she is no stranger to our students. She has become a great addition to our team and students adore her. Thanks to Julie for all of her time and energy!

Tick Check!

YEP! Once again it that time of year for the creepy crawly blood suckers to find warm little bodies to cozy up with. We have found ticks on the hill and on the playground. We have tick checks after every recess or outdoor excursion. We encourage you also to check your children for ticks, particularly in the warmer and darker areas of the body! In addition, if your child does have a tick, encourage your child to remain calm to reduce panic in others. The ticks around here are not too bad!

Community Lunch Switcharoos

There will be no community lunch for two Fridays in a row. Community lunch will switch from Friday, May 11th to Wednesday, May 9th. The following week, it will switch from Friday, May 18th to Wednesday, May 16th. Thanks for your attention to this change.

Poetry Comes Alive

The K-2 classroom had a wonderful opportunity to kick off our spring study of poetry with pizzazz! We journeyed to the Teton County Library to see the theater troupe, Poetry Alive!, perform poems of all shapes and sizes. We all got to listen to, watch, and participate in poems that were silly, serious and full of wonderful images (including all the teachers turning into monsters!). Part of the performance included a reflection on what poetry is. In our individual literacy groups, we will continue to explore poetry and integrate it into our literacy and theme times. If you have favorite poems at home, send them in for the students to share.

Rachel Carson Day (TODAY)

Today, the mayor of Jackson will declare, May 7th to be Rachel Carson Day in Jackson Hole. Our second graders were invited to present the proclamation to mayor at the Town Council/ County Commissioners meeting at 3:00. Last Friday, the second graders learned about Rachel Carson and her contributions to the environment and the health of our nation nearly 50 years ago.

1st graders to attend Wyoming Reads Celebration on May 15th

The Governor has declared Tuesday May 15th, Wyoming Literacy Day! In honor, 1st graders will join Teton County 1st graders at a special WY Reads Celebration at Jackson Elementary School. Festivities include pizza lunch, (compliments of Teton County Library and Teton County School District), reading with celebrities, and the grand finale’… when students will receive
a hard-cover book of their choice with their names printed inside! Thanks to the Sue Jorgensen Foundation in Casper, 1st graders from every county in Wyoming will receive their own book… over 7000 to be distributed across the state. Congratulations 1st graders and keep on reading!

Curricular Updates

The Kingfisher Math Group with Jean and Shannon

Wow! The Kingfishers have certainly come a long way with their mathematical learning. The students are becoming comfortable with larger and larger numbers and have been working hard at identifying three digit numbers. The students have also been continuing to work on identifying coins and their amounts and telling time to the hour. Kingfishers can count forward, backward and by 2s, 5s, 10s and sometimes 3s and 20s! The students continue to look for patterns all around, and then try to apply the patterns to predict outcomes. Recently the Kingfisher Math Group dived into fractions. The goal is to understand the concept of half and begin to explore smaller fractions. The group will use manipulatives, food, geo boards and paper and pencil to explore this concept. See if you can help make a connection at home by pointing out fractions you, or your child, might notice. Have your child help to divide lunch items in half, or make the connection to time by pointing out when it is half past the hour.

The Quiet Cougars Literacy Group with Betsy

The Quiet Cougars did a wonderful job presenting their tear-art posters at our Character Study Celebration. Each Quiet Cougar chose a character from James and the Giant Peach and created an image of their favorite scene out of torn scrap paper. They also wrote a paragraph explaining the scene and the characteristics of their character. The Quiet Cougars have now moved on to an exploration of Reader’s Theater and poetry. Inspired by our visit to the Teton County Library’s presentation of Poetry Alive, our reading group has been practicing reading and acting out poems. Students have also explored syllables through our writing of haikus. As our year winds down, students are encouraged to bring home Just Right reading books to practice at home. Families are also encouraged to continue to read together as a family!

Announcements
Learning Team Meetings
Thank you to all of the families who have already joined us for Learning Team Meetings. Learning Team Meetings for Grades 3-5 will continue through Friday, May 11. We sent home an orange sheet to remind parents of their scheduled meeting time. On this sheet, you will find space to write specific comments or questions you would like to address during your child’s meeting. Please return the bottom portion of this sheet to school at least two days prior to your child’s meeting. Thank you!

Tutoring
In the past week, two Journeys Middle School students have approached Grades 3-5 to express an interest in tutoring an elementary school student. If you think your child would benefit from working with a tutor, please contact your child’s advisor for more specific information about the Middle School volunteers.

Pinedale Journey Payment
Third and fourth grade parents, please remember to send in a check for $85.00 for the upcoming Journey to Pinedale. Checks should be payable to the Teton Science Schools or Journeys School. Thank you.

Thank You
Thank you to Tessa Johnson for coordinating meals and snacks for the upcoming 3rd and 4th Grade Journey to Pinedale.

New Toothbrushes
If you have not already done so, please send a new toothbrush to school with your child. He/she will exchange his/her old toothbrush when a new one is brought in. Thank you!

Curricular Updates

Poetry Week
During the week of April 23, Grades 3-5 students participated in an intensive study of poetry. Our “Poetry Week” consisted of a variety of different activities. During reading and writing workshop, students read many different types of poems by a wide range of authors. Students discussed different kinds of poems, including haiku, cinquain, diamante, shape, and epic poetry. Students wrote their own poems, and seemed to enjoy the artistic freedom that comes with working within the genre of poetry. Grades 3-5 students also practiced reading poems aloud, and performed their favorites for classmates during an impromptu “open mic” on Friday morning. Poetry week was also marked by some special events. On Thursday, April 26, Grades 3-5 students traveled to the Teton County Library to see a performance entitled, “Poetry Alive.” Based in Asheville, North Carolina, “Poetry Alive” is a troupe of educators who bring poetry to life through performance. The Grades 3-5 students loved the performance, particularly when their teachers helped to act out a poem about witches. On Friday, April 27, professional poet Maria Melendez visited the Grades 3-5 classroom to teach two poetry workshops. During these workshops, students read and studied poems by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Using Neruda’s poems as a model and borrowing unique words from his poems, each student wrote a poem about family. Here is an example:

Grandma
By Cosette Kortum, Grade 3

My grandma is a snow dove.
She has soft smooth hair
that she curls every morning.
She has a warming smile.
Her fingers look as if she just got out of a long hot shower.
She comforts me when I feel like a volcano.
She warms me like the heat of the sun.

Class Meeting
Last Wednesday, Grades 3-5 students and teachers introduced a new activity into our weekly schedule: the class meeting. On Wednesday mornings, the Grades 3-5 community will meet to conduct a class meeting. Class meetings are designed to help students get to know each other, to build our community, and to provide a space to problem-solve community issues. Each meeting with start with a team building exercise. Then, we will address discussion topics suggested by students. Students are able to suggest topics for discussion by writing them (and their name) on a whiteboard in the teachers’ offices. Possible topics for discussion could include, for example, “How can we thank the Tai Chi teacher?” or “Recess rules and expectations.” The teachers stated that appropriate topics for discussion should involve everyone in the class, not just one or two students. Every class meeting with end with thank you’s. We encouraged students to try to thoughtfully recognize students who started “positive pathways” or made a special contribution to the Grades 3-5 community. The students and teachers are excited about adding class meetings to our weekly schedule. Please stay tuned to Basecamp News for updates about the subsequent class meetings.

Recycling Pathways
During March and April, Journeys School students in grades 3 and 4 worked with Jackson Community Recycling to answer the questions: Why recycle? Where does our recycling go? What does that pathway of recycling look like? This integrated project included many lessons.
-First, students created journals to record their experiences. Journals were made of recycled cardboard.
-On March 22, students went on a journey to Jackson Community Recycling. They toured the center and got to see behind the scenes. Students asked Executive Director Heather Overholser many questions about what can be recycled and where the recyclables go once they leave the recycling center.
-On March 27th, students had the opportunity to interview people involved with recycling in Jackson Hole. Thank you to Karen Jerger, Ellen Fales, Dave Ferrin, Heather Overholser, Paul Maddox, and Dean Miller for being available by phone or in person for these interviews.
-Next, students worked in groups to compile information about recycling and write one- page descriptions to educate the public.
-In art, students used recycled materials as a medium and wove small and large weavings out of recyclables. The weavings can be thought of as a metaphor for resource use. What connections do you see between pathways in weaving and recycling? Students also constructed large wooden frames out of an old bed frame to hold their weavings.
-Finally, students worked in their groups to create an educational display using their frame, write-up and weavings to show their new knowledge of recycling and art.
-Student work was on display at the EcoFair and is now available for viewing at the Rec. Center. Special thanks to Emilie Lewis from the Recycling Center for her enthusiasm and willingness to work with Journeys students. This project was her brainchild and took on its own pathway with teacher and student energy.

Announcements

Looking for Parent Chaperones for Field Trip to Center for the Arts Play, Thursday
Looking for two parents to help teachers chaperone the 6th and 7th graders as they go to the Center for the Arts (leaving Journeys at 12:15 and returning by 2:30pm) on Thursday for a performance called "Alice." Please contact Margot if you would be willing to join us. margot.martin@journeysschool.org

Parent Communication Brainstorm this Wed. & Thurs.
In response to some requests for more effective communication between parents and teachers, we have planned two opportunities for middle school parents and teachers to share suggestions and brainstorm improvements. If this issue is a concern of yours, please try to attend one of these two meetings which will be held Wednesday, May 9 from 9–10 a.m. and Thursday, May 10 from 5–6 p.m. before the parent council meeting. Both meetings will be held in the education center.

Film Elective Will Not Stay After School, May 16.
Students will be able to complete their work during school hours. See film description in elective section of Curricular Updates.

Sabbatical for Chris
After six years of teaching at Journeys School, Chris has earned a sabbatical. His last day teaching this year will be Friday, June 1. During his time away, Chris will be getting married to Pre-K teacher, Mandy Hullander, and traveling to Italy for their honeymoon. Chris has arranged coverage for his teaching duties while away and will still be writing spring trimester reports.

Congratulations Hannah!
Middle school students participated in the Wyoming Young Author’s contest this winter. All students submitted an entry, non-fiction, fiction, or poetry, to Margot, who reviewed and chose one entry from each grade for each category to send to the district for judging. Those students competed against the public middle school entries. The entries that succeeded in that round were then sent to the state to compete with all other county entry winners. After that grueling process, Hannah Wells’ non-fiction piece, “Describing a Color,” won! She will get her award on May 9.

Registration: R.A.P. – Random Acts of Poetry Contest.

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are invited to enter a Random Acts of Poetry Contest, featuring digitally-recorded performances or readings of poetry to be viewed on youtube.com. Sign-up May 5-12. Find information on contest rules and prizes at Youth Services Desk or www.TCLib.org/teens. Cost: Free. Contact: Youth Services, 733-2164 ext. 103.

Curricular Updates

Level 1a Math
Students in Math 1a are learning how to add and subtract mixed numbers, and continuing to practice skills associated with finding a common denominator and conversion of fractions to mixed numbers. This week we are completing our work from unit 6 and volume 1 of Everyday Math. Please remind students that we will be working out of their volume 2 journal beginning next week. Starting next week, we will be investigating exponents and negative numbers.

Level 1 Math
Level 1b math class has been flipping coins lately and discovering some of the principles of probability. We have found that in some cases the experimental probability and the theoretical probability of a chance event do not always correspond. Ask your student why this happens and how to avoid this discrepancy. Soon we will be looking at more complex situations involving dice and spinners in order to predict the likelihood of certain outcomes.

Level 2 Math
Level 2 math is continuing investigating the geometry of three dimensional objects. Students have been calculating and estimating the surface area of 3-D figures, understanding, calculating, and estimating the surface area of 3-D figures and finding and interpreting the dimensions, surface area, and volume of rectangular prisms. Last week, students learned about the concept of square and cube numbers. Ask your student to explain this important yet misunderstood concept.
This week, students will develop strategies for finding the dimensions, surface area, and volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres. Students will be challenged to explore the relationship of the surface areas of rectangular prisms and cylinders to the total area of a flat pattern needed to wrap the solid. Also, they will discover the relationships among the volumes of cylinders, cones, and spheres.

Level 3 Math

Students have been exploring sampling and data display methods. Last week students explored different sampling and questioning strategies to minimize potential bias and maximize chance for creating a representative sample. Students created a survey and used it to collect a sample from each main strategy (convenience, volunteer-response, systematic, random) to see the difference when trying to understand our population of students at Journeys School. This week students will analyze their data and explore deeper into the use of random sampling in science research.

Level 4 Math
In algebra we have finished our unit on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing regular and complex polynomial fractions. As that last sentence shows, it was a doosy of a unit! We are now moving into more familiar territory, graphing, using linear equations to find the slope of a line, graphing linear equations, and finding x and y-intercepts.

Language Arts
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono follows The Lorax well. Instead of a shortish, oldish, brownish, mossy creature advocating for the trees and creatures that have no voice, we are introduced to Elzeard Bouffier, a lone shepherd, in a desolate, mountain region of Provence. Bouffier’s way of seeking balance is “small,” consistent acts over time planting acorns, until a forest grows, animals return, water flows once again over the barren landscape, and villagers are “reborn.” This resurrection springs from the dedication of this humble, old man. Aside from the obvious message that little acts can create a chain reaction and have great impact, Giono makes it clear that he writes about Bouffier, a truly unforgettable character, in order to promote the “the qualities of a truly exceptional human being.” These four qualities are a character devoid of egoism, with unparalleled generosity, heedless of recompense, and one who leaves a positive, visible mark on the world. This beautifully written short story has a lot to say! Ask your student which of the four characteristics they decided to focus on in their essay, how Bouffier embodies that trait, and how this story connects with them.

Students are also involved in the Teton County Library’s r.a.p. (random acts of poetry) program. Andy Angstrom, program coordinator of the Youth Services department, presented the program to the students (described in “Announcements”) last Friday. In the last weeks, we have been studying and writing poetry, focusing on emotion, images, and music, the foundations of poetry. For this unit, students will write a new piece, or revise a previous poem, to perform for the Journeys School community or to perform for the greater Jackson Hole community through the r.a.p. program. Inquiry of your student their poetry ideas.

Life Skills
The social pressures on adolescents are remarkable. Students will explore not only the social pressures of alcohol and tobacco use but also the biological dangers of experimenting with chemicals at such an influential time in their neurodevelopment. We will also explore the history of cigarette and alcohol advertising techniques and misinformation, and the legal actions that followed. Ask your students to share what they are learning. Please continue these conversations at home with your child. (See this week’s advisory discussion comments for more information.)

Physical and Health Sciences
The sun is out and the grass is turning green on the Journeys School campus. And with this beautiful weather Journeys students have begun a 3 week field hockey unit in physical and health sciences. In this unit students are learning the fundamentals of play, the basic rules, and specific tactics to help them become better field hockey players. Additionally, leadership and teamwork skills are being emphasized. This is the culminating unit for this year’s P.E. program, which engaged students in team activities that focused on working together, group participation, and recognizing individual strengths.

Advisory Discussion on Alcohol
Last week advisory groups discussed issues of alcohol use and abuse as a lead in to the life skills unit explained above. During daily practice were asked to submit questions and personal experiences with alcohol and then each group had a copy of all the comments for discussion. We were very impressed with the insight and honesty that all students brought to their questioning and discussions. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home. A good starting point may be some of the following questions that students posed:
- Why do people drink?
- Why do people make bad choices when it comes to alcohol?
- How is alcohol addictive?
- How is drinking as a teenager different than when you are an adult?

Electives
Stick sports ~This spring we are offering stick sports as one of the options for electives. Students who are interested in having a second PE class will be playing field hockey and lacrosse on Wednesday afternoons. The elective will offer students the opportunity to further develop their stick handling skills and have additional playing time during weekly scrimmages.

Yearbook ~With a small group of dedicated editors, this year the middle school is trying its first student-led yearbook. Students have created layout designs using Microsoft Publisher and are collecting digital pictures through a photo competition (encourage your child to submit photos!) Parent photos are welcome as well.

Film ~The MS Film Elective is in full swing with a student based script and storyboard being finalized that should allow us to start filming for our short film by next week. MS film elective students do not need to stay after school on May 16th for filming. Leigh and I have figured out a way for students to complete the project during school hours on that day. If you have questions please contact Dennis at 733-1327 ex 1139

Capstone ~The 8th graders have begun preparations for their spring capstone journey during their elective period. Kevin Taylor from Wildlife Expeditions has been introducing primitive skills such as fire making (without matches!) and shelter building. Students will be practicing these skills during elective periods with Chris and Charles as they anticipate their journey at the end of May. Interspersed between, students will spend some elective periods designing a service project for the middle school with Jo.

Announcements

Activities Update

Our upper school athletes have been very busy in recent weeks with soccer, lacrosse, and baseball. The Finnegan Brothers, Patrick and Gordon, recently contributed to two JV soccer victories against Rock Springs (8 to 1) and Cody (6 to 1). Annie Watters also had a successful soccer weekend helping her JV team defeat Rock Springs 1 to 0 and Cody 9 to 0. In lacrosse, Kevin Lucey and Fielding Lewis have been practicing with the local club team. Though the team hasn’t competed yet, they hope to travel to Utah and other areas for competitions in the future. Additionally, Bryn Windle has started Legion baseball, with the season hitting full force later this spring and summer.

Drunk Driving Education

Upper school students will attend a dramatic interpretation of the dangers of drunk driving sponsored by the Jackson Police Department on Thursday, May 17 at Jackson Hole High School. Drug and alcohol use and abuse education can not be overemphasized in high school. The upper school faculty thanks the Police Department for offering this important opportunity. Dismissal from school that day will happen at Jackson Hole High School. Students can be arranged to be picked up at JHHS; they can return to Journeys; we can also drive students to the Albertson’s bus stop after the presentation. We will make sure we know where each student is going before we leave to attend the presentation.

Spring Journey

The upper school spring journey will take place the week of May 21-25. Students will leave Jackson Hole the morning of Monday, May 21 and travel to Boise, ID. This spring we have worked toward answering the essential question: How do we change what we observe? While on the journey in Boise students will be asked to make observations and analyses about how Boise has changed from a small western settlement of the 19th century to a viable industrial and culturally diverse city in the 21st century. We will return to Journeys School by end of school on Friday, May 25. Details of the trip will follow in a letter home. The fee for the journey is $100. If your family has not paid the fee, please do so as soon as possible. Checks can be made to Journeys School. Please contact Kjera Strom for more information.

R.A.P. = Random Acts of Poetry

May is National Poetry Month. Librarians at the Teton County Library have organized a program called Random Acts of Poetry, or R.A.P. The purpose of R.A.P. is to excite students about writing and reciting poetry, recording their recitations, and posting them online in a poetry recitation contest. There are many prizes to be awarded to those who show originality and enthusiasm for their work. Students can register to compete May 5 – 12 at the library. The contest coincides with the study of Jewish poet Yehuda Amichai’s work in English classes and next month’s visit of former US poet laureate Billy Collins, also sponsored by the Teton County Library and its Foundation. All upper school students are encouraged to participate.

Summer Reading

All of us get better at reading by reading -- enjoying and learning from a wide variety of texts and genres. But if we take a summer vacation from reading and learning, we all come back a bit rusty in the fall. The National Council of Teachers of English Summer Reading and Learning Collection gives us many ideas for keeping ourselves, our children, and our students reading and learning in the summer months. If the internal link does not work go to http://www.ncte.org/collections/summerread.

Curricular Updates

Math 5: Geometry
The students in Math 5 just finished a chapter on the geometry of circles. They learned how to calculate area, circumference, and arc length, and to find angles, arcs and lengths created by chords, secants, and tangents. Moving from simple exercises to more complex problems, students were challenged to use several new relationships as well as the dozens of other ones learned this year—over 60, in fact! The topic we are currently working on is similar polygons. We will do a few outdoor experiments to find heights using indirect measurement, using shadows, mirrors, and a simple “clinometer” to measure angles. After a brief treatment of the sine, cosine and tangent ratios, the year will conclude by revisiting the concept of formal geometric proof, with the aim of beginning to understand geometry as a mathematical system.

Math 6: Precalculus
The students in Precalculus just finished a unit on systems of linear equations. We began by re-visiting how to solve systems with two variables by substitution, elimination and graphing. We then moved on to an exploration of operations on and algebra with matrices. Matrices can be used to represent and simplify a wide variety of situations. We explored ways to solve systems by doing matrix operations by hand and with the calculator, concluding the unit with a treatment of linear programming. The class will finish the year with a unit on exponential and logarithmic functions and equations. Exponential functions can represent many important situations, such as population growth and compound interest. Logarithms provide a way to solve equations that would otherwise be very difficult, and are convenient for modeling relationships that involve very huge numbers. Understanding of both types of functions and equations is an important foundation for calculus.

                     ¿Por qué hablamos español?
                      (Why do we speak Spanish?)
                              By Charlotte Quesada

Why does Journeys School teach Spanish from Pre-K through 12th grade when most schools in the United States only offer world language instruction at the upper levels? How do we teach Spanish since we don't use textbooks? And what should students be able to do and say by the time they graduate in 12th grade? Since Journeys School's inception, the Spanish program has been a unique and important part of the school curriculum and we teach language in a way that may initially seem unfamiliar to those of you who studied a foreign language in the past. Several parents have recently asked why do we teach Spanish, how do we do it, and what are the ultimate goals. I will provide responses based upon my experiences teaching in the upper elementary and middle school classrooms and working with Kjera as part of the Spanish department.

¿Por qué? (Why?)
One of the reasons Journeys School chooses to include Spanish in its Pre-K through 12th grade program is that it helps fulfill the purpose of the school by integrating ecology, culture, and community. Jackson Hole has an expanding Latino population, and knowledge of Spanish is becoming increasingly important for full participation in our local culture. As a result, learning to speak Spanish and to understand and appreciate other ways of life will help students to be a part of the community. Another reason that Journeys School values Spanish instruction is because we seek to empower students with an education for the 21st century. Educators, business leaders, government officials, and community members agree on the importance of language learning for US citizens (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 1999). Globalization necessitates the skills to communicate across language and cultural barriers and learning a second language from an early age will help students fully develop these abilities.

¿Cómo? (How?)
One element that makes our Spanish program unique is how it is integrated into the curriculum from day one, following the same yearly themes and essential questions as other core classes. Research shows that for effective language learning, students need to begin instruction during the elementary grades and continue to develop their knowledge through high school (Christian, 2005). In addition, foreign language classes need to be given the same credibility as other content areas (ibid.). As a result, Spanish at Journeys is part of the core curriculum beginning in Pre-K and students learn about vocabulary, grammar and cultures in age-appropriate ways within the context of the yearly themes and questions. For example, students in lower elementary sing the "buenos días" song as one way to address the yearly theme of "community", while students in upper elementary examine "pathways" by learning the vocabulary to talk about their school, homes, and town. By middle school, students are able to look at the trimester theme "seeking balance" by examining the effects of NAFTA on Mexican corn growers and the subsequent rise in emigration, while Capstone students develop individual coursework reading and analyzing Spanish literature. At each level, the language and culture studies become more sophisticated as the students advance their language and critical thinking skills. Our integrated curriculum provides a coherent framework for age-appropriate activities, as well as the opportunity for students to make connections between what they learn in Spanish and what they are studying in their other core classes.

Another unique characteristic of our language program is that it is place-based. Our community demographics necessitate a greater understanding and appreciation of Spanish and the diversity within the Spanish-speaking world. The Spanish program at Journeys has worked with the local Latino community in various ways throughout the years. Kjera helped create the bicultural and bilingual exchanges that continue to be a part of the Jackson Hole High School language arts and ESL program, and the middle school continues to use this model with planned exchanges later in the spring. This year students from Journeys created altars for the Día de los Muertos Altar Walk, tutored students at the Latino Resource Center, visited local businesses owned by Latinos in our community, and viewed the "Por Qué" art exhibit on the reasons behind immigration. The Latino community is a vibrant and growing part of Jackson Hole and the Spanish program is prepared to use these resources to develop personal connections that enhance learning and understanding.

The language program at Journeys also looks different because it is experiential in nature. Instead of relying on textbooks to teach the material, we use an immersion style approach where classes are taught almost entirely in Spanish starting at the early grades. This approach, while frustrating at first for some students, produces the best results outside of a true immersion experience. Students in elementary school are able to understand and answer basic questions and follow instructions in Spanish, while middle school students begin to formulate full sentences both orally and in writing. By upper school, students who have been part of the program since the early grades can understand written and spoken Spanish and can speak more freely on a variety of topics. Students across the levels have the opportunity to learn vocabulary and grammar in context when they read authentic texts, explore relevant content and discuss topics of interest. Spanish becomes part of a larger picture when it is not just discrete facts isolated from everyday life. Students in middle school have been known to have "aha" moments when learning a bit of Spanish grammar helps them better understand a lesson from language arts. An integrated and experiential program encourages students to examine and reflect upon how lessons from the Spanish classroom connect to learning in other areas. In this way, it encourages students to become critical and independent thinkers.

¿A dónde vamos? (Where are we going?)
The final question that many parents have is what level of competency is expected at each level. Despite our greatest efforts, progress will look different for each student. One of the goals for the program is to have students proficient in Spanish by graduation from 12th grade. While there are students at each level with incredibly advanced skills, there are also students struggling to master the basics. Yet we are committed to having all students develop basic communication skills and cultural awareness while at Journeys School. At the same time, we hope to inspire life long learners who are eager to learn more about language and culture. To achieve these goals, it is imperative that students believe they are capable of learning. While the research suggests that the optimum time to learn languages is before the onset of puberty, people of all ages are able to learn (Cutshall, 2005). One of the greatest obstacles is the belief that it is too difficult or impossible. As parents, some of the most helpful things you can do are to encourage your children and let them know the value of their efforts and be accepting of the inevitable mistakes that will accompany learning. When we say "I can't learn other languages," that sends a powerful message. If we say instead, "We must learn other languages," we can create a strong incentive for students, encouraging them to become global citizens for the 21st century.

References:
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (1999). Standards for foreign language learning: Preparing for the 21st century. Alexandria, VA: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Inc.

Christian, D., Pufahl, I. U., & Rhodes, N. C. (2005). Language learning: A worldwide perspective. Educational Leadership, 62, 25- 30.

Cutshall, S.(2005). Why we need "The year of languages" Educational Leadership, 62, 20-23.

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