Eagle's Nest Middle School Classroom Blog
Spring 2019
In the Montessori primary and elementary classrooms the materials and lessons are arranged according directly to the students' needs and allow for each student to move through the curriculum at a pace appropriate for his/her learning. However, in the middle school classroom we have to approach “learning at the child's pace” in a slightly different way. Middle school is the bridge that takes the majority of our students onto traditional high schools where deadlines and group movement through instructional material are required. As a result, careful attention in the middle school is given to teaching the ability to work within deadlines and engage in group lessons as a skill while also allowing each student ways to grow at his/her own pace within the building of those skills.
The group receives lessons on each academic subject one a week together as a group. From that point the group is given choices as to how they will follow up with that activity to further their learning. The work expected from each student is also individualized to allow the students to work directly with the teacher on the expectations that meet the needs of the student. For example a student who is writing his/her first research paper may challenged to research and write three pages while a student who is now writing the fourth research paper will be expected to compose six pages with multiple sources and direct quotes to support the research.
Work in the middle school is given deadlines and due dates and skills around time-management and organization are a focus for all students. However, as we still do not give grades there are no external “consequences” to a student who needs longer on a work to gain mastery. Instead students are given support in planning strategies and organization in an effort to learn the skills necessary to complete work of a high quality within a timeframe.
The group receives lessons on each academic subject one a week together as a group. From that point the group is given choices as to how they will follow up with that activity to further their learning. The work expected from each student is also individualized to allow the students to work directly with the teacher on the expectations that meet the needs of the student. For example a student who is writing his/her first research paper may challenged to research and write three pages while a student who is now writing the fourth research paper will be expected to compose six pages with multiple sources and direct quotes to support the research.
Work in the middle school is given deadlines and due dates and skills around time-management and organization are a focus for all students. However, as we still do not give grades there are no external “consequences” to a student who needs longer on a work to gain mastery. Instead students are given support in planning strategies and organization in an effort to learn the skills necessary to complete work of a high quality within a timeframe.
Odyssey Trip 2018
Blog Day 1 & 2
Written by: Clare
Edited by: Lily
On Saturday we arrived at school at about 5:00 am. Everyone was tired but did not struggle to keep positive on the way down to West Point. The football game was very exciting and amazing to watch. The Army was playing the Air Force and the Army won. It was cool to see the Army win because they were playing at their home base. The cadets at West Point had to stand for the entire game and then had to walk back to their dorms and classrooms.
After driving for a few more hours, we arrived in New Jersey to eat dinner. We all were tired and hungry but I decided to only eat salad because I had eaten my two bagels about an hour earlier. We laughed when Rodi put a banana under the tire on the van and it smushed when we drove away, that was probably the funniest moment of our trip so far. Aside from the fact that I tripped and fell, the banana episode was just about the funniest.
We drove from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and stayed at our hotel to wake up and drive to Virginia. On Sunday, we were making our way to Monticello. Monticello was amazing, even though I had been before, it was more of a learning experience for me because the last time that I went I was much younger and I did not really understand any of what was going on. After Monticello, we drove for two hours before making it to the condo in Williamsburg.
The condo is super nice and I can actually sleep here, the beds are clean and the living rooms are really nice. Today is Tuesday and I am excited for the rest of the week and I am very excited to come home and tell my parents and friends about the great time that we had and are still having right at this moment! See you Saturday! ~ Clare
Blog Day 3
Written by: Bella
Edited by: Jonas
Today was our first day at the condos. All the girls woke up at about 6:15 am to go over to the boys condos, since that is where we pack our lunch for the day and eat breakfast. Mara, Elouise, and I went to the store with Ms. Mehlhorn while the rest of the girls stayed with the boys. It was Mara’s and my job to cook breakfast and dinner, so right when we got back from the store we started cooking. It took a little while to cook the bacon but we made it through and had a yummy breakfast.
We left at about 9 and left for Jamestown. It was pouring by the time we got there but we still had to walk around outside. When we got there we met our tour guyed and she took us to the ships. After the ships we explored more of town then left. We ate lunch at about 12 then went to the gift shop. I looked around for a while and found a shirt and hat. The last thing we did that day was go to Yorktown. I think this was my favorite thing we have done so far. Our tour guide was easy to get along with and was very sweet. There was a ten minute movie we watched about the last war that happened there. The movie had special effects like smoke and the seats vibrated. After that, we went home and Mara and I cooked dinner. We had tomato soup and grilled cheese. Then the girls spent the rest of the night in the upstairs living room playing games and having fun.
Blog Day 4
Written by: Mara
Edited by: Grace
Yesterday, Tuesday, our second day at the condos, was our first day visiting Colonial Williamsburg. Williamsburg is basically a town set up to look like it was the 1700s. There are people who work and live there, in the style of people from the 18th century. You can walk into shops and they will talk to you about what they do.
We started the day by heading over to the boys condo for breakfast, then jetted off to Williamsburg. We met our tour guide Josh, who was a pretty funny guy. He took us to the capitol building and showed us around, and told us about the jobs and the history of the people who worked and lived there. He told us about a lot of stuff that happened, and gave us a total information overload but it was super interesting, and made me like history a little more. He also took us to the governor's house, which was basically a castle.
We were with him until lunch, then we split off and did our own thing for awhile. We went into and old jewelry shop and talked to the silversmith who worked there. He was really funny and informative and we spent a long time talking to him.
After we left the jewelers, we went and watched a mock trial in the courthouse. The trial was about two men who had been drunk and done some dumb stuff. They were having people from the audience volunteer to come up and play the parts of the two guys. We, being the nice people that we are, volunteered Ross. The whole time he was at the stand we were all trying really hard not to laugh. After that, we went into the Magazine, the place where they hold all the weapons and artillery and got a quick lesson on weapons in the 1700s. Finally, after a long, fun, interesting day we jumped back onto the van and headed back to the condos for some swimming and tacos.
Blog Day 5
Written by: Elouise & Clare & Mara & Grace
Today we went to Williamsburg and we had a lot of great adventures. In the first part of the morning we were together as a class. We looked around at some stores, then around lunch time we split up. The four 8th graders went with Ross and the 7th graders went with Mrs. Mehlhorn. Ross decided to purchase a haunted Williamsburg book. We joked that we were going ghost hunting and decided to read a story. The story was about a man that always had to lock the gaol (jail) because the other gaol keepers always forgot to lock up. The man stated that one night he was closing the gaol and found a penny. He picked the penny up and heard another drop behind him. We went to the jail, which is basically a very creepy old wooden box with bars, to go “ghost hunting.” Bella decided to make a cross in the jail with pennies. When she was setting down the pennies, a penny fell out of nowhere right into the middle of the cross. Everyone was so confused. We grilled Ross and he even told us that he didn't put the penny there. We totally thought that it was him, but we shortly realized that he was just as terrified as us. It was truly terrifying. I don't even believe in ghosts but that could not have been rigged. After our experience we sat down and tried to reason about what happened but no one could come up with an explanation. The rest of the day was good.
The 7th graders decided to head over to the coffee house, which was styled like an 17th century coffee house. When we went inside, we took a seat and they offered us a variety of drinks; tea, coffee, and chocolate. I chose the tea, and we drank our drinks, which were all very good, and a worker who was playing the part of a slave who had to work at the coffee house told us her story, and how she did not like it there and she wanted to go back to the farm. Then we were escorted into the private room, which back then, you could rent out for private conversations. Then we headed to a couple of other places, including the gunsmith, the wig maker, and the printer. We went into a couple other shops, and then we met up with the rest of the group. Together, we watched a military band perform, and then we headed back to the condos for chili and cornbread.
Spring 2018
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The middle school students have been very busy even with the abundance of snow and snow days over the past few weeks. From major projects getting started in history and science to beginning the spring work out on the farm, there is always the activity of busy students. Every year about this time the 8th graders begin to visit high schools, make choices about next year and sign up for classes this prompts most students to realize how much of the year has already passed them by and how much work they have truly accomplished. It is also a time that some realize they aren't feeling very productive during the day/morning work period. The best part about these realizations is that it leads to some class meetings and group discussions about how to make the classroom a better learning environment for everyone. In the Montessori classroom the students have a great deal of freedom around what work they choose to concentrate on at a given time as well as where and who to complete that work with. Sometimes this leads to amazing productivity and sometimes the students struggle with the responsibility this amount of freedom demands. In our classroom these discussions led the students to the decision that playing classical music during the morning work time three days a week would help them to be more quiet and focused on school work rather than a purely social interaction with a peer. The group also decided that they would like the other two mornings to be spent with everyone working in assigned table spaces – some students constantly struggle with deciding whether or not to sit with a friend during work time even if they know they need to work on something independently and quietly. The amazing thing about these choices is that all the ideas, on how to make the classroom a positive work place for everyone, were all student generated and the decision on which ideas to implement were all student decisions. The initial thoughts had the group trying a slightly different schedule which also included silent work time on some mornings; however, after a couple weeks the students brought this ideas back to the class meeting and decided that it was not having the desired effect and the group decided to amend the plan to what it is now. In the Montessori classroom we strive to be find a balance between the needs of all students to learn in an environment that is not only stimulating but supportive. Especially at the middle school level the students are gaining great understanding about what that means for each of them. The middle school class is also excited to introduce our newest member – Billy the guinea pig. Billy was originally adopted by the Puffin's Nest and this year when the middle schoolers decided they would like to embark on the possibility of owning a pet, the Puffins graciously loaned us Billy to get some practice. It was love at first sight and both the middle school students and Billy decided they couldn't live without the other. Having a pet in any classroom teaches the students many things about care of others, nurturing, responsibility, and in time loss. However, in the middle school, it has been so much more. In order to gain approval for a pet the students were required to do all the planning and research to know the care and environment that would be needed by the pet. They also needed to calculate the costs and how to pay for the venture. Once approved the students now have sole responsibility for daily care of Billy. They have created a schedule to be sure he is fed and given water, his cage is cleaned and the laundry done, his nails are clipped, he is played with and given attention. As much as I think Billy is cute, I am proud to say that I have not been in a position to need to take care of him in anyway since he joined our class. The students have stood by their commitment and done so with consistent care. |
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WINTer 2017
In middle school the students advance their math studies into the world of Algebra. Over the two year program we work our way through an algebra curriculum with the students most often advancing into honors level classes in high school or even the occasional movement directly into geometry. We use a book that I like to consider a "Montessori" math book because although it doesn't claim this through it's name, the process of each lesson leads the students through the self discovery of a new math principle.
The math curriculum also provides us with a great place to practice study and test taking skills. Those students who have come up through their education here at DMS often have very little to no test taking experience as we have always looked for other ways to show learning and understanding. While we still evaluate on a much more holistic scale, we do use this discrete area of study for the teaching of these new skills. And over the two years our goal is to make the students more comfortable with the process and begin to allieviate any anxieties around testing that may exist.
Below is a student perspective on how they have learned math over the years here at DMS:
Through the years in a Montessori school, we learn how to do math from addition to algebra. In the primary classrooms we start learning simple addition and subtraction problems, increasing their difficulty as we progress. In lower el we start using different materials and use them to do the math we already know how to do. Then we start using them for more complicated problems. The stamp game was great for learning how to do addition and subtraction. After that we move onto bead frames, small and large. They help teach us to multiply and divide. As we move forward, onto upper el we start learning long division and complicated multiplication. After that we start using more materials and applying the skills we learned long ago to everyday math. In sixth grade we start learning pre-algebra. This helps prepare us for middle school, where we start algebra. To teach all of our math through the ages, the teachers will use everyday situations to draw us in and help us understand the way the math works. In middle school we most often use pencil and paper, aside from the occasional activity days. We also learn how to use the graphing calculators. In middle school we take more tests and quizzes to prepare us for high school. We mainly do algebra. Algebra for us consists mostly of different types of complicated graphs. Usually about halfway through the chapters we take a quiz and once we have finished the chapters we take a test. The tests are ones that actually matter, the quizzes are mostly for practice. By the end of our 8th grade year we have finished the math book that we used for both of our middle school years. By then we are ready for high school math, hopefully.
The math curriculum also provides us with a great place to practice study and test taking skills. Those students who have come up through their education here at DMS often have very little to no test taking experience as we have always looked for other ways to show learning and understanding. While we still evaluate on a much more holistic scale, we do use this discrete area of study for the teaching of these new skills. And over the two years our goal is to make the students more comfortable with the process and begin to allieviate any anxieties around testing that may exist.
Below is a student perspective on how they have learned math over the years here at DMS:
Through the years in a Montessori school, we learn how to do math from addition to algebra. In the primary classrooms we start learning simple addition and subtraction problems, increasing their difficulty as we progress. In lower el we start using different materials and use them to do the math we already know how to do. Then we start using them for more complicated problems. The stamp game was great for learning how to do addition and subtraction. After that we move onto bead frames, small and large. They help teach us to multiply and divide. As we move forward, onto upper el we start learning long division and complicated multiplication. After that we start using more materials and applying the skills we learned long ago to everyday math. In sixth grade we start learning pre-algebra. This helps prepare us for middle school, where we start algebra. To teach all of our math through the ages, the teachers will use everyday situations to draw us in and help us understand the way the math works. In middle school we most often use pencil and paper, aside from the occasional activity days. We also learn how to use the graphing calculators. In middle school we take more tests and quizzes to prepare us for high school. We mainly do algebra. Algebra for us consists mostly of different types of complicated graphs. Usually about halfway through the chapters we take a quiz and once we have finished the chapters we take a test. The tests are ones that actually matter, the quizzes are mostly for practice. By the end of our 8th grade year we have finished the math book that we used for both of our middle school years. By then we are ready for high school math, hopefully.
Odyssey Trip: Washington, D.C. 2017
Odyssey Trip Blog Day One:
Written By: Clare Colburn and Mara Abbott
Edited by Bella Herring
Clare Writes: Today is Sunday, October 29th. Our class went to the Natural History Museum, and the National Art Gallery west wing. It was extremity fun! Since I have been to Washington before, it was very cool to see how things have changed. I noticed that when we went to the Natural History Museum there were many more digital images instead of text or audio. Tomorrow we are going to the Arlington Cemetery and we are also going to get a guided tour of all the Memorials/Monuments. If my mom is reading this I just want you to know that I am having a ton of fun!
At the Natural History Museum there is a new exhibit that was for older kids and was extremely cool. There were many drawers that had many artifacts in them and four or five microscopes that you could look at the artifacts through. We started experimenting with the microscopes and started looking at our hands.
Mara Writes: It was really interesting to see the dirt on our hands because you couldn't see it without the microscope. We were also looking at other things, like, sea urchins and dead birds. After we left the Natural History Museum we went to the National Art Gallery. We all wanted to go to the Medieval room. Ms. Mehlhorn gave us an activity to do. We had to find a painting or sculpture that could be either in a story you have written before, something that you could write a story about or a piece that you would have in your room. I picked a painting that had a bunch of boats and people in it. I think that I could probably write a story about it.
After we left the gallery the girls headed to the grocery store to go shopping and the boys headed back to the hostel. By the time we finally got to the grocery store we were all really tired of walking and our feet hurt. We got done shopping after about a half an hour then we walked back to the hostel with heavy grocery bags in tow.
One thing that I have found cool about this trip so far is that when we are at the hostel there are people from many other countries and they are all speaking different languages. Sometimes, like at breakfast, you can hear multiple different languages at once and it's kind of cool to try and guess what they are saying. I am now sitting in the game room writing this and Ross and Clare are playing pool. I think we all are going to make so many amazing new memories, and later this week we are going to meet with the senator from Maine, go to the zoo of DC and so many more fun things you will hear about in the blogs later this week.
Odyssey Trip Blog Day #2
By: Bella, Mara, and Clare.
It is October 30 and it was our second full day here in DC. Today we went to the Arlington Cemetery. When we got there we looked around at the amazing pictures and videos of different wars and people that served. After that we met with our tour guide, I forget her name but she was very sweet. As we walked around we saw the graves of the 436,500 people that were buried there. It was very moving to hear the stories about how people died while serving. After we walked around the graves we went up to JFK's amazing grave. When we went up to him, we saw something called the eternal flame. The eternal flame is what JFK's wife Jackie had a last minute idea to add, it was the night before he was going to be buried she said it should be put there. The reason behind him being buried there was that someone told Jackie JFK said “I could look at this view forever,” now he and his whole family including Jackie despite that she got re-married will see the breathtaking view forever.
Next we walked to see the changing of the guard, this is a very serious and important event. The changing of the guard is a event to remember the lost solders. The lost soldiers are men or woman that went to serve and went missing or their bodies were too destroyed to be identified back when we did not have DNA testing. There were three guards out at the event.The guards had to be perft, not even a hair on your shoulder or you wouldn't pass. If they find two things wrong in the inspection you would be dismissed from the whole guard of the unknown soldier.
After that we took a walking tour with the same tour guide around DC. We saw many of the monuments and memorials. We saw the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. When you were standing on the top steps of the Lincoln Memorial you could see the entire Washington Monument and it reflecting in the reflecting pool. We went and saw the World War II Memorial. It was really cool to see because there were lots of water features and fountains. We saw the White House which was all decorated for Halloween. On the front there was fake spider webs with big fake spiders in it. It was really cool to know that the President was in there.
When we were heading back and saying goodbye to our tour guide we stopped by one of the carts that sell sweatshirts and shirts, and most of us got sweatshirts. We had a very amazing and heartwarming day and I hope we all take something out of this experience.
After visiting all the Memorials of people that were lost it really makes you realize that America has made some bad choices. My favorite Memorials were the World War II and the Washington Monument. It was also very interesting to hear the story of Kilroy and how he would go around to make sure that nobody was cheating to get paid extra. I also bought a cool sweatshirt at these cool clothes trucks. I am very exited to visit other places and I am glad that everyone is having a good time!
Odyssey Trip Blog Day #3
Written By: Elouise Falabella
Edited By: Emma Beauregard
Today was a great day. We went to senator Susan Collins office, the Capital, the Library of Congress, and the Air and Space Museum. This was our third full day in the beautiful city of Washington DC. We woke up, ate breakfast, packed our lunches, and had some time to hangout. Then our journey started! We set off from the Hostel and headed to the Supreme Court. When we got there, there were multiple guards and we had to wait in line for a few minutes. We got tickets that said 'three minute watching'. This meant we went into the supreme court and watched the case for three minutes. We were being watched by guards the whole time and at every place we went to, we had to go through metal detectors.
After we watched the debate, we departed from the courtroom and made our way to the Library of Congress. There was also security there so nobody would steal any of the old, precious books. There we looked at a room about the government, but it was fulled with interesting facts and funny videos about getting elected and poll booths. Some of the cartoons were taken from Looney Toons. After, we walked through a Halloween exhibit. It was full of different news articles and books related to Halloween. There was a room full of huge screens that were playing short, creepy videos filled with zombies and vampires. After we left (and headed through more security), we headed off to eat lunch. It was amazing because we were all famished. Then we went to visit Senator Collins. We took pictures and she told us some stories about different places she's been and the different pictures in her office. After she gave us a quick tour of her office, she had to go to lunch, and one of her workers gave us a tour of the Capital building. To get to the Capital building we took a trolly underneath the Senator's office. It took us about ten seconds to get from the office to the building, but riding with the roof off, it was fun. We walked all through the tour and went back to the Senator's office to grab our bags. To get there, we took the trolly again.
After we left the Senator's office we had to decide where to go next, because Ms. Mehlhorn wouldn't let us just go home. We had two choices, the Air and Space Museum or the American Indian Museum. We decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. It was absolutely amazing! We saw different kinds of planes and rockets.
Today we had a great day. One of the highlights of the day was getting to take the Metro back home, instead of working our tired feet any more. We don't mind walking, but we were tired and didn't want to meet any ferocious squirrels. Today was a wonderful and busy day. We can't wait to visit the Holocaust museum tomorrow.
Odyssey Trip Day #4
Written By: Journey Bennett
Edited By: Bella Herring
Today we went to the Holocaust Museum and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. The Holocaust Museum wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be, but it was very powerful. At the beginning we all got identification cards that showed the information of someone that lived through the Holocaust. After that we stepped into a dim elevator that took us to the fourth floor. From there we went through all four floors and learned the horrors of the Holocaust. The thoughts of what those people went through hurts my heart. There were so many deaths, so many people tortured. Men, women, and children were killed by the millions in the gas chambers. To think that there are still people alive that went through this sends chills down my spine. I can't fathom how much pain and torture they went through.
After the Holocaust museum we headed to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. The tour was pretty quick, but it was very cool. We got to see actual monty being made. On our way home we visited a couple monuments. My favorites were Franklin Delano Roosevelt's and Martin Luther King Jr.'s. They're complex and hard to explain, but they were extravagant.
By the time we got back to the hostel everyone was tried and our feet hurt. It was a very eventful and fun day.
Odyssey Trip Day #5
Written By: Emma Beauregard
Edited By: Mara Abbott
Today was the day we've all been looking forward to. The zoo... And Chipotle!
We have been looking forward to going to the zoo since we found out we were going, and today was the day. We woke up at normal time, although some of us woke up a little early. We got ourselves ready and went downstairs for breakfast. We didn't have as much chill time before we left because we had to get on the Metro on time. The zoo opened at nine, and we wanted to be the first there. We all love taking the Metro. It's super fast and you don't have to sit down.
When we got to the zoo, the gift shop was closed so we went right to looking at the animals. The first couple of exhibits we didn't see any animals, but after a little while we saw a couple of otters in their habitat. They came up to us and started chewing on some pumpkins that used to say OTTERS but because they chewed them up, it read OTTR. While we were watching, one of the otters tipped over one of the T's.
After the otters, we looked at a giant panda. There were two, but we only saw the dad. He was super cute and started eating a piece of bamboo. When we were finished with looking at the panda, we looked at a couple more exhibits and than watched some trainers check up on the elephants and they did a couple tricks. They had the elephants lift up there feet and open their mouths to check on the teeth and gums. One elephant even stood on two feet a couple of times!
Before we watched the elephant show, Elouise was getting something from her backpack, and it fell between a maned wolf exhibit and the sidewalk. The gap was about six feet deep, and we couldn't go in it to retrieve it because it was filled with bushes. Nobody could reach down and reach it either. We ended up looking at more exhibits and then asking someone to help get it out. Ross and Elouise stayed behind so the zoo police could come and try to help while the rest of us watched the elephant show. While Ross and Elouise were waiting for the police, Ross found a stick and he pulled it out. They couldn't come to the elephant show yet though, because they had to tell the zoo police what had happened. We then met up with them and had an early lunch.
After an exciting lunch of people spraying each other with their water bottles, we moved on and looked at the monkey/gorilla exhibits and the reptile, small mammal, and amazon houses. The amazon house was amazing. In the whole house there were animals out of their cages roaming around. In the upper level there was a room full of greenery. It had a monkey it it somewhere, but nobody could find it.
After we looked at the houses we moved on to sea lions,eagles, beavers, and more otters. We took a lot of videos of the sea lions. They were really cute and kept swimming around us. One sea lion would do flips underwater if we flipped a water bottle in front of the glass! After we looked at the eagles and beaver we saw two deer in the woods. At first we though they were part of an exhibit, but when one jumped onto the road, we realized that they were wild animals. There were two deer, one was a big doe and the other one was an eight point buck. The buck was a really big deer. He was chasing the doe all over the woods really fast because it is mating season. The doe looked like she really wanted to get away from him, most likely because she was scared of all of the people and he was chasing her at the same time.
This was pretty much the end of our exciting day, although most people will probably disagree. After we left the zoo, we went for a quick walk to Chipotle. We all got burritos, which were delicious! After a filling dinner we got back on the Metro and came home. Now we're just chilling, or in my case writing this (while Mara stares creepily over my shoulder). Hope you all are having a nice time at home and the storm hasn't impacted you guys too bad. See you in a couple days!
Odyssey Trip Blog Day #6
Written By: Bella Herring & Mara Abbott
Today in November 3rd and today we went to the National Museum of American History. There were a variety of really cool things. We split up into two groups and explored the museum separately. One of my favorite exhibits was the First Lady exhibit. It showered all of the dresses that the first ladies wore to the inauguration ceremonies of their husbands. Some of the dresses were really pretty but some of them were really ugly and kind of funny. There was a video about life in the White House and it was really cool to see the part about pets. Who knew Calvin Coolidge had a pet raccoon! We saw a skit about equal rights. It was about when four collage aged African American men went to a lunch counter and sat down. They were not allowed to do this because they were supposed to go to the back of the diner and eat at the standing counter, this started the sit-ins. Black Americans from all over the country would sit down at lunch counters and they would be taunted, teased and hurt and some even killed. They refused to resort to violence so they just sat there while the others teased and hurt them. We saw an exhibit about transportation and there were a bunch of old cars and motors. It was really cool to see. We saw an exhibit about water transportation too. There were model boats and gigantic propellers and it was really awesome. Now we are sitting in the game room playing pool and just hanging around. We had a really goos last day in Washington DC and I am looking forward to coming home but at the same time I don't really want to because I'm having tons of fun.
We have had a great week and we can't wait to get home to our families. Tomorrow is our day of travel so this will be our last blog of the trip. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday.
October 2017
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Being a solo teacher in the middle school can have its challenges and its rewards. I love the autonomy and freedom I have with the space and the students and the curriculum. However, there are some weeks where there are many plates up in the air and it is a challenge to be solo with the responsibilities. This is where the beauty of the Montessori classroom truly comes out. The students can be given new responsibilities and these times can be a great opportunity for learning. This month as I was spending extra time preparing for our exciting trip to Washington DC I was feeling the crunch to write a meaningful blog. So instead I turned it over to the students. Below is a student perspective on how natural consequences work within the classroom and how the students feel about the freedom of movement they have throughout the day:
"The Eagles Nest classroom has had a very rambunctious couple of weeks. Many of our classmates (including us) have broken various classroom rules. Ms. Mehlhorn gave us warnings, but there was no change in our behavior. So Ms. Mehlhorn took away the materials we used to break the rules. The first instance was when some students were looking up non-school related material on computers. As a result the internet now doesn't turn on in our classroom until eight. This was a direct consequence of our actions. The Montessori way is not to send us to the principals office or detention, the Montessori way is to take away the material that was improperly used. This teaches us to treat our materials with kindness and respect. And we learn that it is a privilege to have the freedoms we have within the classroom but we have to show responsibility to keep those privileges." *The students have also been struggling with using the floor cushions provided with respect and without them sustaining damaging. After a few reminders and some repairs/sewing being completed this still seemed to be an issue. The class was told that the next time it happened all the cushions would be removed. Unfortunately, the cushions in our classroom are now put away. The students look forward to taking them back out in a few days and trying again. The natural consequence that the students were informed would occur was followed through with when the choice was made by the students to continue the behavior. These types of limits, responsibilities, and follow through are critical for the students to feel safe and secure in the classroom, knowing that the teacher's word is meaningful. Students also enjoy the movement they have within the classroom. One student said the following about her experience in the middle school classroom. In the Eagles Nest classroom we do not have to sit at desks or tables. During independent work time we are allowed to move around the classroom freely. We can sit at a table, at the computers, on the floor, or on the porch. We rarely get antsy and we complete great amounts of work in the environment that is provided for us. This school is very efficient with what it was made to do and it is the perfect environment for me. |
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september 2017
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September and the beginning of the school year mean a trip to Kieve for the middle school students. Our DMS relationship with Kieve is one to be treasured as our students begin their visits to the campus in the lower elementary. For many students and parents this is a very big life experience and by middle school some our students have spent the past seven or eight years visiting Kieve and taking part in leadership education. The programs and goals of The Kieve Leadership School fall in line with our Montessori classrooms and philosophy so nicely and compliment the work the students do here at school on a daily basis. By the time our students are in middle school, the teachers at Kieve work hard to create a curriculum that challenges and teaches the group to take on the next level of leadership. During our week the students spent time having fun together playing games, sharing meals, canoeing, and climbing on the ropes course. During all of these fun activities, the teachers also work to lead the students through discussions that help to expand their knowledge and practices in leadership. Because of their experiences, the students are also challenged to work in groups to create their own activities/challenges to facilitate for the larger group. This experience allows the students to see leadership in a very active practice. It also provides new respect within the group for how difficult it can be to create and lead each other. These activities build their creativity, communication, and expand the bond within the group. After a week of fun most students reported not wanting to leave for home just yet. A sign of a successful week and a group of students ready to embark on a year of hard work and learning. |
May 2017
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Where did the year go? In the middle school we can not believe the year is already coming to an end. We have had a very busy spring already and looking forward to the good weather, play productions, field day, and graduation. Recently the class has begun reading The Omnivore's Dilemma in our literature discussion. The reading connects directly to our work with the farm as well as with some great discussions of mindfulness around food and the choices we all make in life. In conjunction with the reading we also had Lisa Packard the farm educator at the Morse Farm come speak with the students about different aspects of nutrition and farming. This also coincided with our science study on the human digestive system. Once again I was able to witness the amazing communicators our Montessori students are. The class all had insightful questions and drew great connections between the book, the classwork in science, the work on our farm here, and the presentation.
It was a week full of visitors as we also had Garrison Beck of the Midcoast Conservancy visit us and speak about the work being done around our waterways to keep them clean and useable. He had a very interesting take on the work being done, the work the students could get involved with and how to seek out interesting opportunities throughout education. Garrison grew up in Monmouth, Maine and went to Colby College so he was also able to provide some really great insight on the experiences of high school and college in Maine and how to take advantage of all the unique opportunities available to students even in our small state of Maine. It is always a fun opportunity when we get to hear about the different ways that young people are approaching and then using their education. Lastly we were visiting by a middle school class from the Village School in New Jersey. This class comes to the Darling Marine Center each spring to do a project similar to the DEEP program our students also participate in. This year they contacted us to come and learn more about our farming program and Montessori here in Maine. The DMS class planned and then acted as tour guides for the 24 visiting students, showing them around the campus and sharing the many things that make us all proud of the DMS community. The students then joined in a full scale game of capture the flag. In just a couple short hours of visiting some really fun friendships were formed. Lastly we would like to thank all the mothers for coming and joining in our Mother's Day Lunch. The students worked hard to plan and execute the lunch. We also had a great day creating the individual gifts for each mom. Attached are multiple pictures of the process of gift production. It was a very “Montessori” day in that the students entered a classroom with all the materials and instructions laid out ready for each student to complete his/her chosen project independently. It was a fun afternoon that made me proud of all these students have learned this year. |
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March 2017
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Spring Fever has set in at DMS. From students “bathing” in the warmth of the First Day of Spring Sun to the middle school students starting the spring planting, it has been a mixed up few weeks of cold and snow and the tropics of the hoop-house. It is always a bit of a shock to the system when the students walk from the snowy playground back into the humid warmth of the hoop-house to begin preparing for the spring season. Over the past couple weeks the students have been watering, preparing the soil, lining the beds and planting the first set of seeds. There are always challenges to come with each season. This spring the students did a great deal of prep work and research and have chosen some new varieties of customer favorites to try on the farm. Some new kale, beets, and radish will be gracing the bags on the CSA customers. And for a completely new adventures, the students are excited to try beans for the first time. This spring the group worked together to plan what they would plant, what seeds needed to be ordered, and what other supplies needed to be ordered. The students were then also responsible for placing the orders and making the shopping lists. Last week the first set of seeds went into the ground and it shouldn't be too long before the green starts to take over.
With all the snow days and variety in schedule through February, the middle school group has embarked on a new system within the classroom to aid all students in the critical executive functioning skills that can be so hard to build – organization, time management, work completion, and accountability. Each student has been paired with an accountability partner; if you've ever participated in a health club, fitness challenge, or maybe work project you might be familiar with this idea. The partners meet each day to help each other meet goals, organize work and a work plan, together celebrate the accomplishment of each work completed, and lend support and encouragement. Most recently the students decided to add a tracking document to the plan and to work together exclusively with their partners one day a week. I look forward to seeing how this new support system can help everyone in the class. We will leave you with some pictures from our fun in warmer times as we all look forward to the arrival of a beautiful spring in Maine. |
February 2017
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The Montessori philosophy focuses a great deal of the daily work on the social and emotional health and growth of the students. Each classroom works on problem solving and relationship building while also growing the academic minds of the students. This takes place through activities just as the peace shell resolution process and the class meeting. In the middle school this is no different as we attempt to help the students navigate the often tumultuous time of adolescence. There are so many changes happening for teenage students that while the academic rigor is increasing, there is also a great need for the students to be able to work closely with peers to solve problems and resolve conflict.
This month we were excited to welcome Nadejda Stancioff to our class for a seminar discussion on the work being done by The Restorative Justice Project here in Maine. The students did some work to prepare for the discussion by reading a short article about general practices of restorative justice. Nadejda works with multiple aspects of the program here in Lincoln County and has an office right in Damariscotta working with both adults and students through the legal system. Their goals within the Restorative Justice system are to try and find ways for people who have been harmed or had a crime committed against them can work to find connection and resolution. As soon as she began describing the goals and the steps of the process, the students quickly noticed that it mirrored very closely with how we strive to not only hope to avoid conflict but how we solve conflicts that do arise. The hope is that those who are part of a community, who feel supported, who have connections to their peers and their neighbors will not want to or need to commit crimes against them. The more connection that can be built the more peace that can exist. And when that peace may be broken and harm is done, what can be done to repair that relationship in a way that both parties can feel healed. Montessori hoped for the same thing with students in the classroom and this is why we work with our students to learn how to connect and build community, how to communicate effectively with each other, and how to solve conflict and make amends for wrongs that are done. |
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january 2017
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It's a natural part of growth and development for teenagers to become more self-absorbed and self-concerned. These may sound like negative attributes but actually, they are an important aspect of the teen developing his/her own thoughts, opinions, belief system, and individual preservation. They must learn to contradict parents, teachers, and friends in order to form these personal foundations. Having a safe environment in which to explore these boundaries is one thing we try to set up here in the classroom. Through daily discussions of our lesson topics as well as the weekly seminar, I am constantly asking the students to think for themselves and form new thoughts and opinions. All of this must be done in a respectful environment as well because it is important that students learn the limits of this new independence and the responsibilities and consequences that come with having opinions and a belief system that might be different from others in the world.
As a way to keep the students also focussed on how they can effect our community here at school, we work with the younger students to provide a balance to the self-concerned teenager by serving another. Every Wednesday we join the primary students outside with the goal of engaging the students in something they care about – playing with them, talking with them, teaching them. One day, a couple weeks ago, it was much to cold to head outside for our weekly play. Instead, we used the opportunity to challenge the middle school students while providing a fun and new experience for the primary students. Fifteen minutes before recess was to begin, I pulled a jumble of materials out of the closet and set the middle school students into groups to design an activity or challenge for the primary students. Within those fifteen minutes we had circle games, four person “air” hockey, mask making, musical instruments creating a band, collages, and storybooks. The students were all entertained and interacting in new ways for the entire period stuck inside. We always look forward with out time spent with other classes but this was a really new and unique opportunity. The middle school has recently entered the world of cells in our life science study. Students have studied the parts and functions of the cells, created 3-D models, and practiced taking a quiz on the information. The group then branched out and began learning about the process of Mitosis where cells divide in order to create more cells. As a group we did a giant card sort after learning about this process. Now the group is moving into an investigation on bacteria and viruses as the next level of cell study. This is a great time to address this subject because it is a wonderful time of year to remind ourselves the importance of using caution with spreading of germs. They all had quite a bit of fun with our infection disease game and seeing how far one small germ spread so quickly. We hope everyone stays healthy! |
December 2016
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Eagle's Nest Blog December 2016
“How do you get away with not giving grades to middle school students?” I hear this question all the time from parents and from other Montessori teachers. “How do you know if the students are succeeding if you don't give them a grade?” For those who went through a traditional school setting, it can be very difficult to understand how students, parents, and future schools can assess the success of a student if there is not a number given in evaluation. In our classroom we spend our time focusing on the intrinsic motivation that comes from accomplishing works, learning new information, and improving skills instead of focusing on a number to tell us if the student is succeeding. At the same time we strive to teach the students how to handle receiving grades, completing homework, taking tests, and evaluating their own work. Over the past few weeks the class has been doing weekly evaluations of the percentage of work that is completed. We are focusing on individual goals around work progress in conjunction with whole group goals of work completion. The students discuss and work on ways to help themselves as well as the group to accomplish goals of learning and work. In teaching the students the skills for testing and receiving grades in the future, we work around our classroom and Montessori principles while also exploring testing in a safe space. Over the past two weeks the students have participated in multiple activities learning about plant and animal cells. Students read a section in a science textbook, then practiced how to take notes and synthesize information in answering questions. Next the students experienced the differences between the two types of cells hands-on by observing them under the microscope as well as building their own models. To round out the unit the class worked on ways to study and useful activities. Students then worked together to study and complete study activities of their choice. The unit concluded with a “formal” test asking the students to use their knowledge in multiple ways to experience a testing environment and the expectations to recall information. The emphasis for the unit is placed on the process of learning in multiple modalities and in how to study, rather than on the score on the test. Students then evaluate the methods of studying that worked or didn't work and then set goals for the next unit. |
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november 2016
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It is hard to believe I am sitting down to write the November Blog. Our middle school classroom as been so busy and accomplishing so many works this year that the time has flown right by. We had an amazing time on our trip and if you missed the blogs from the road you can visit the school's facebook page to see the trip from the students' perspective as well as some pictures.
Since we returned from Virginia we were busy with two major projects. First the students spent a few weeks researching the political system, the candidates, and the ballot questions here in Maine. We began the research by focusing on the party platforms and how those are meant to shape the message from each candidate. The students quickly noticed that these important issues were not the focus of the news coverage they were seeing on the election. This research led to some great conversations in the classroom. Next the students all chose a candidate or a ballot question to research with the goal of presenting the person/topic to the elementary students. Students were careful to keep the audience in mine when preparing to speak to either the lower elementary or upper elementary students. They were also only permitted to use the campaign website of each candidate in order to filter out the popular media stories and scandals. After much research and practicing the students presented to the elementary students. The following day the middle school students administered a Mock Election for the elementary classes. It was a joy to see all the students excited to be learning and about and talking about voting and the importance of involvement. Although our election did not go the way of the national results all the students learned a great deal and became interested in the process. The second big project for us had the group involved with the STEM program of Lincoln County and Click-2-Science which is a national group. First the students were asked to participate in two activities to “test drive” science activities that could be used in STEM programs for after school programs or classroom learning. The students worked through processes of inquiry, designing investigations, asking questions, and following through on experiments. Part of the activity was also to evaluate the process to allow for future improvements. Based on the work they did, the group was invited to participate in a film-making project by the national group to be used for schools and teachers around the world. We of course accepted, because what a fun and unique opportunity. So last week a film crew from Nebraska arrived with their $20,000 plus cameras and a “director” to film the students going through the process of inquiry questioning, designing an experiment, and following through with experiment. It was a busy and fun day working with the film crew and being able to experience such a professional activity. |
Odyssey Trip - Day 5
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Hello, it’s Jake. Today again we went to Colonial Williamsburg. It was very fun. Today we did not have any guided tour, so we had a lot of time to explore. We first went to a historically accurate auction. They had many interesting things made of pewter, like cups candles holders and spoons. The auctioner was very funny. He also was very enthusiastic. I think that he sold about double the things he would have if he was very subtle. Olivia was the only one from DMS that got anything. She got a hand-crafted tin pennywhistle. It sounded awesome. All the things there were made there and hand-crafted. I think that it is very amazing that they make all of those things.
After we went to the auction we split up. When we split up we went in three groups. I went in Chris’s group with Miles, Journey, and Emma B. We saw many things. My favorite thing that we saw was the blacksmith. It was very cool to watch them make all of the different items. Then we went to lunch. Like normal lunches, we had a lot of bottle flipping. We also went to this show that was the afternoon bell. They had muskets and a cannon. They also had drums and flutes. They were very coordinated. We went home and went to the swimming pool. At the swimming pool we went in the hot tub, then into the pool. We spent a lot of time in the hot tub and in the pool. We also went in the sauna and spent a long time in the locker room talking, so then then we were late for dinner. We came into the girl’s condo and most of the people were already eating. The food was really good. We had chicken noodle soup and biscuits and salad. Overall it was an awesome day! Written by Jake Bickmore Edited by Ahlwynn Tabor |
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Odyssey Trip - Day 4
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Today we went out to Colonial Williamsburg. First we took a guided tour. There were lots of shops and colonial building that we visited. We also visited trades people. My favorite was the blacksmith. We spent a while just watching them work. The blacksmith and other trades people make all the things they need in Colonial Williamsburg.
After we were done with the tour (it was a couple hours long,) we had lunch. During lunch we predicted Jake’s future with the power of bottle flipping. After lunch the groups split up. I, (like most people,) went with Chris. I really liked what Chris did because we went to the silversmith’s shop. The silversmith was really interesting. He told us the advantages of investing in a silver spoon. Then he showed us how to make silver spoons. The whole thing was really interesting. When we left the silversmith we regrouped in the courtyard and visited four shops. I didn’t buy anything. (I haven’t yet mom.) While we were there I got to pet a horse, so I am really excited to come back tomorrow and pet more. After that we went home. Overall I would say we had a pretty fun day. Written by Aly Anderson |
Odyssey Trip - Day 3
Middle School Odyssey Trip to VA - Day 3
Today was our third day of our awesome and exciting odyssey trip. Today was also the first day of cooking meals. In case you didn’t know already everybody is going to do a day of cooking with three or four partners. Today the cooks were Ella V, Ella C, Miles, and Aly. In the girl condo when we woke up we all started to either get ready for the day or read. In the boy’s condo I heard that they were all still asleep when the girl cooks came over to start cooking. The rest either woke up while the cooks were cooking or when the rest of the girls arrived. After we ate breakfast we started our day of museums and tours.
When we left we got into the two separate vans, expecting a long ride. To almost everyone’s surprise we got to Jamestown in less than 10 minutes. While we were there we did a lot of different things. When we first arrived we talked about how the English got to America. Than we went inside and did the regular tour. We saw statues of Indians in the woods hunting, cooking, and picking crops. We also saw the different types of food the Indians ate in all the different seasons. We also learned about the English people in London. We found out different things about how they learned, how they lived, and about different queens and kings. After the inside of the museum we went outside to experiment how the Indians lived. We all got to do different things. Some of us got to play a trading games, we got to pretend to cook food, we even got to try to scrape off the fur of an animal skin to help make a loincloth.
Then we went to look at replicas of the ships that came to America from England. Before we went onto the ship we got to learn how to tie different types of knots. The person that taught us was really funny. When we left Jamestowne we went to a place called Yorktown. Well, at least we tried. When we first showed up all of us in the big van got out and waited on a strip of grass for our other classmates. When they arrived we went inside and Mrs. Mehlhorn tried to get us to our tour. Unfortunately, she found out that Mr. D had driven us to the wrong place! Luckily we had time to drive to the right place. When we arrived we waited while Mrs. Mehlhorn checked us in at the right place. When she came out again we had to wait about ten minutes before our tour guide arrived. When he did we went inside to the museum and learned a lot about the war between England and the U.S for freedom.
Inside the Yorktown museum we looked at different maps and our tour guide told us about how the different systems worked. The systems were things like slavery, the different kings and queens, and the other separate little feuds.
Before we went outside to look at other things, we watched a short movie about the people’s different perspective on the war. After that was over we went outside to where they had made a small replica of the different parts and places of war, and farm houses. On the war part we got to hear a cannon fire (With our palms over our ears), see where the soldiers slept, where they would stay, reasons they wanted to sign up for the war, and the different medicine’s and methods used to cure diseases and unhealthiness.
On the farm side we got to see the house and the kitchen, which were in two separate buildings. We also learned about the crops they grew and how selling tobacco worked. When we went back inside the museum we got to watch another film on the war. While we waited for the film to stop we got to look around the area close to the theater. Some of us watched a hologram on an English warrior and a resistant fighter talk about how the war was going for them and how they recruited people. Others went to a small game where you got to pick a side, either the British or the U.S, and got to send troops into battle and make the layout designs and when they would attack or defend. When the movie started it was very loud. This also explained the war from different views on the English side. It explained how people in the war, and people watching the war acted. It also showed small clips from a part of the war that the museum recorded.
When the film was done we went back to the condo’s and got to go swimming in an indoor pool and hot tub! We were all very excited about this. After we came back from the pool we had dinner and got to go to bed. We all hope that we are going to have as great as a time the rest of the week!
Written by Emma Beauregard
Edited by Olivia
Today was our third day of our awesome and exciting odyssey trip. Today was also the first day of cooking meals. In case you didn’t know already everybody is going to do a day of cooking with three or four partners. Today the cooks were Ella V, Ella C, Miles, and Aly. In the girl condo when we woke up we all started to either get ready for the day or read. In the boy’s condo I heard that they were all still asleep when the girl cooks came over to start cooking. The rest either woke up while the cooks were cooking or when the rest of the girls arrived. After we ate breakfast we started our day of museums and tours.
When we left we got into the two separate vans, expecting a long ride. To almost everyone’s surprise we got to Jamestown in less than 10 minutes. While we were there we did a lot of different things. When we first arrived we talked about how the English got to America. Than we went inside and did the regular tour. We saw statues of Indians in the woods hunting, cooking, and picking crops. We also saw the different types of food the Indians ate in all the different seasons. We also learned about the English people in London. We found out different things about how they learned, how they lived, and about different queens and kings. After the inside of the museum we went outside to experiment how the Indians lived. We all got to do different things. Some of us got to play a trading games, we got to pretend to cook food, we even got to try to scrape off the fur of an animal skin to help make a loincloth.
Then we went to look at replicas of the ships that came to America from England. Before we went onto the ship we got to learn how to tie different types of knots. The person that taught us was really funny. When we left Jamestowne we went to a place called Yorktown. Well, at least we tried. When we first showed up all of us in the big van got out and waited on a strip of grass for our other classmates. When they arrived we went inside and Mrs. Mehlhorn tried to get us to our tour. Unfortunately, she found out that Mr. D had driven us to the wrong place! Luckily we had time to drive to the right place. When we arrived we waited while Mrs. Mehlhorn checked us in at the right place. When she came out again we had to wait about ten minutes before our tour guide arrived. When he did we went inside to the museum and learned a lot about the war between England and the U.S for freedom.
Inside the Yorktown museum we looked at different maps and our tour guide told us about how the different systems worked. The systems were things like slavery, the different kings and queens, and the other separate little feuds.
Before we went outside to look at other things, we watched a short movie about the people’s different perspective on the war. After that was over we went outside to where they had made a small replica of the different parts and places of war, and farm houses. On the war part we got to hear a cannon fire (With our palms over our ears), see where the soldiers slept, where they would stay, reasons they wanted to sign up for the war, and the different medicine’s and methods used to cure diseases and unhealthiness.
On the farm side we got to see the house and the kitchen, which were in two separate buildings. We also learned about the crops they grew and how selling tobacco worked. When we went back inside the museum we got to watch another film on the war. While we waited for the film to stop we got to look around the area close to the theater. Some of us watched a hologram on an English warrior and a resistant fighter talk about how the war was going for them and how they recruited people. Others went to a small game where you got to pick a side, either the British or the U.S, and got to send troops into battle and make the layout designs and when they would attack or defend. When the movie started it was very loud. This also explained the war from different views on the English side. It explained how people in the war, and people watching the war acted. It also showed small clips from a part of the war that the museum recorded.
When the film was done we went back to the condo’s and got to go swimming in an indoor pool and hot tub! We were all very excited about this. After we came back from the pool we had dinner and got to go to bed. We all hope that we are going to have as great as a time the rest of the week!
Written by Emma Beauregard
Edited by Olivia
Odyssey Trip- Day 2
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Middle School Odyssey Trip - Day 2
Hello This Emma T and as you probably know, we are in Virginia for 8 days. Today is the second day of our Odyssey trip. We woke up in Pennsylvania, had some breakfast and made our way to Virginia! I was in the small van with Miggy, Abbie, Ella , Ella V. and Mrs. Mehlhorn. The car trip was so fun, we had a singing party and a sleeping party (except for Mrs. Mehlhorn because I wouldn’t be writing this blog if she were to fall asleep). Anyways, it’s so beautiful here. After many hours we arrived at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s house. It was super interesting and cool. We toured his house, which had many of his inventions, and we also saw the gardens. Our tour guide was really interesting; she was a very fast talker but we understood her. After a couple of hours, we hit the road and made a stop at Fishburne to see our good old friend, Quinny! Quinn is attending a Military school in Virginia. Everyone was super happy to see him. He looks so grown up. We decided to take him out for dinner. We went to a place called ‘Cook Out’, it is a hamburger place and it is super good. Then it was time to say goodbye to Quinn. It was sad, but we are all so proud of him. After we said goodbye, we drove to our condos which is about 3 hours away. I slept most of the way till I heard a song from the movie Grease. We finally got to the condos and got ready for bed and slept very, very well. That concludes day number 2 of the Eagle’s nest Odyssey trip. Written by Emma Tolley Edited by Olivia |
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ODYSSEY TRIP - DAY 1
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Middle School Odyssey Trip to Virginia - Day 1
Today we started our trip to Virginia. We got in the vans at 5:07 am, and began our long trip. It was still very early, so many of us were sleeping as we drove. We ate breakfast in the vans, because we didn’t have much time to stop along the way. It was lightly raining when we left, and continued to rain off and on throughout the rest of the day. Our first stop was West Point, the United States Military Academy. We went to West Point to see a football game, and ate lunch there. It was freezing, and so was everyone there. The football game was Army versus North Texas. It was still raining, but let up halfway through. We left before we could see who won, but N. Texas was winning 24 to 14, and it was the 3rd quarter, so we don’t think that West Point won (we later found out they didn’t). After the game, we went to the West Point Army museum, and saw a timeline of West Point, and the past and present of military technology, such as weaponry and outfits. After that, it was back into the vans for another couple of hours. We stopped along the way for dinner. Dinner was pizza, and everyone enjoyed it. After a while longer on the road, we reached the hotel that we would be staying at for the night. It was about 9:15 pm when we arrived, and almost everyone was tired. We went to our rooms, watched some television or read, and went to sleep, concluding day one. Written by Ben Schwink Edited by Connor Bross |
Back to school 2016
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Eagle's Nest Blog October 2016
Just this morning as my students sat with their grandparents, we reflected on what they appreciated about our school/class. Many students spoke about the community that is built here within the classroom and within the school. They reflected on how important that is for their comfort level at school, their enjoyment day to day, and in being productive learners. Each day so much of what we do is meant to build that sense of community and belonging for all students. This year for the middle school that mission started on the very first day of school, Labor Day in fact. The students traveled to Camp Kieve to begin a week-long intensive together. The students were challenged as a group to communicate, solve problems, and create their own activities. It was a wonderful way to jump start the community building for this year and a fun way to begin middle school. The level of trust that is needed to complete this first week away from home helps to bond the group together and prepare them for later challenges to come. As the school year has progressed we have embarked on ways to build community for the whole school. The middle school is involved with the primary students by having recess time with them every Wednesday and by observing our fire safety day together. Over the past two weeks the students have been studying Native American Tribes of the US and took the opportunity to share their knowledge with the elementary students through a museum of projects. Sharing in the learning not only builds the community between the classes but it also gives even greater meaning to the learning and the final product of a week's work. On Saturday we will embark on our eight day trip to Virginia and back with multiple stops and adventures along the way. This incredible week away from home is a unique opportunity for the students and provides so much more beyond the wonderful academic exposure. The students live together for a week and deal with all the joys and challenges that come along with that type of quarters. When the trip is over the students have memories to last a lifetime but they also have built a community that knows it can conquer any challenges the remainder of the year may throw out. |
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Spring 2016
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Every year seems to go faster than the last, and although there is no true way to speed up or slow down time, it really does seem to fly in the spring when the classrooms get busy. Between Mother's Day Tea, getting the 8th graders ready to go off to high school, and the fun of the final week here at DMS, there are so many wonderful memories made and so much hard work by the students and all the faculty. Each year it gets harder to watch another group of students who have been raised at this wonderful school embark on the new adventure that is high school beyond our walls. However, each year I become more excited to see and hear how they will each find their way in the world.
The middle school has been busy this spring with some terrific special guests to our classroom. It has been a pleasure to host each and every one of them and the learning experience they have provided the students has been wonderful. We were honored to welcome Iska Cole to our classroom to talk with the students about her experiences as a teenagers during the Holocaust. Her unique story has been a gift she has shared twice with our community and each time the impact has been visible with the students. We also were lucky to have Randy visit our classroom again to share his story from his time in the Vietnam War. Lastly, we also had Ramunas Stepanauskas, whose son Jonas is in elementary student, come and share his experiences in Soviet Lithuania during the independence fights. All of these experiences have shaped their lives and they lend an amazing lens to the studying the students do on these subjects in history and allow the students to make real connections to the past events we study. On the fun side of our work the students started out May by working to put on a wonderful lunch for their moms. The students planned an extensive menu which they then worked all morning to prepare while also decorating the classroom. It is always such a joy to have all the mothers with us and to see the students become ladies and gentlemen as they treat and thank their moms for the day. We have excitedly been working to finish the school year strong and put our creative energies into our play production. Thank you to everyone for another wonderful year, I look forward to seeing you all at the final events this year. |
March 2016
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“No one writes letters anymore.” This refrain is heard in many conversations, especially those that talk about the increased use of the internet, cellphones, and social media. It was the same thing that I heard when I told the middle school students we were going to begin writing letters to a middle school Montessori class in Andover, MA. The students had the unique opportunity of meeting this wonderful group of students while we were all at Camp Kieve earlier this fall. The initial reaction of the group was to grumble about this new writing project. Feelings of fear of the unknown around what to write and how to communicate with someone through letter writing. Lessons around letter format and brainstorming how to communicate in this way through writing made the students a little less reluctant. However, it was the excitement on the day that the letters were received from the Andover students that showed the true power of the project. The students were not only excited to hear from the chosen pen-pal but also interested to learn about the rest of the group. As we work to write our next set of letters and anxiously await the delivery of letters from Andover, I am relieved to see the students embrace the old tradition of letter writing. They are taking this opportunity to reach out to someone knew and enjoying learning about the life of a middle school Montessori student, a type of person they don't run into very much around here.
Our other new and exciting project has been to begin working on our quilt for the spring auction. The students have chosen a Maine theme and each person is working to design and sew 2-3 squares for the quilt. It is coming along so nicely and has been great to see the excitement as they work on each stage of the project. Students who have never sewed before are becoming comfortable with the sewing machines and being brave enough to take them out during independent work time and tackle the challenge of working alone with the machines. The pride and workmanship has been wonderful to see and I can't wait to see what the finished product looks like. I need to give an enormous Thank You to Martha Bracy, Mrs. Sewell, and Sondra DeLorenzo for the help they have given each student with sewing machine lessons. |
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January/February 2016
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It is hard to believe we have already passed the February Vacation mark of the school year. The middle school students have been working very hard and every day is busily filled with many different activities. Over the past few weeks the students have been studying the Roaring 20's and then the downfall into the Great Depression. As part of the unit I read Out of the Dust out-loud to the group. This narrative tells the hard story of a young girl growing up during the Dust Bowl in the midwest. The students have been writing some amazing creative stories, some of which were inspired by fantastical pictures. This week we began an exciting letter writing unit of correspondence with the 12 middle school students from Andover Montessori. These students spent the week at Kieve with us and we are excited about this chance to reconnect with them. In science the students have been studying the periodic table and were interested to learn of the discovery of four new elements. We have been exploring the bonding of elements, chemical reactions, and balancing those equations.
These two years in middle school are full of transitions, not just for the students while they navigate the life of a teenager but also academically as we strive to prepare the students for the changes that will be presented to them as they enter high school. The unique structure and expectations of the middle school curriculum is specifically designed to help our students transition between the Montessori classroom and a traditional high school classroom. We spend time exploring how to study for a test and how to take a test in all academic areas. The students learn strategies for answering multiple choice questions and writing strong short answer paragraphs. Skills for writing creatively are matched with practice at writing essays on academic topics. And probably the hardest but arguably the most important skills are those involved in executive functioning; in this area we work on organization, planning, and time management to increase student independence. |
December 2015
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Throughout Montessori education the importance of collaboration is in the forefront of each classroom. Students work together on academic work as well as in team building work and challenges. All are encouraged to first seek a peer when struggling with a work or needing support with an assignment. Large amounts of time are given each day for students to not only choose the work they will focus on but to also choose who, how, and where they will complete the work within the classroom. There are no topics of study that are off limits for collaboration as there is always ideas to be discussed and shared. Recently in the middle school, students have been collaborating in science as they work to understand the organization of the periodic table and how elements bond together. In history the students worked to create their own sets of three part cards about the time surrounding World War I. Peer editing is always part of the process in both creative and expository writing and allows the students to assist and learn from each other.
At any given time in the classroom students are communicating, negotiating, discussing, and compromising with each other to accomplish daily academic and business goals. As a way to directly support the growth of these skills we also plan specific time for team building challenges that will give time for the students to work together and then reflect on the use of skills. Recently the middle school students participated in some activities centered around building structures with some unlikely materials. The students were required to work in small teams within a time limit to reach a goal in the building. This type of structure provides a closed environment for the students to reflect on the groups abilities. This reflection process is critical in ensuring that the team building activities are not just a time of games and fun, but a time of growth and meaning for the students. |
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november 2015
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The Eagle’s Nest sends a giant THANK YOU out to Tyler and Keri Lupien and the crew from Moose Crossing as well as the other parent volunteers who worked many hours to put up our new hoop-house. The middle school class uses both hoop-houses to run a seasonal CSA business. The class plans their produce choices, purchases seeds, prepares the earth, plants, tends to and then harvests weekly to distribute to customers. The group decided to try some new items this year and were pleases with the results from planting beets and carrots. The final harvest of the fall season took place last week; although, the class plans one more harvest for the food pantry before the Thanksgiving break.
Hopefully many of you had the chance to see the students’ weekly blogs while we were on our trip to Washington DC. The trip was a huge success with many exciting new experiences. The students spent 8 days traveling to and exploring our nation’s capital. Highlights of the trip included a trip to the zoo, a tour of the bureau of printing and engraving, meeting with Senator Collins, the American History museum, the Holocaust museum, and playing pool at the hostel. During the trip, students are challenged to develop their independence while away from the comforts of home. The group depends on each other to solve problems and deal with homesickness. Along with the fun of travel the students also plan and cook meals at the hostel. This year the trip led the students to some independent study projects when we arrived back at school. Students did further research on topics of interest sparked by something they experiences on the trip. Topics included, American built ships used in WWII, the design of zoo exhibits, the conservation plans for large cats, the sinking of the Philadelphia, and the ceremony of the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Happy Thanksgiving! |
Odyssey Trip - October 2015
Day 1 of D.C Odyssey Trip
Hello! This is Emma, and as you probably know, our class is in Washington D.C. We traveled 8 hours on the train and arrived in D.C. at 8:00pm last night. We got to our Hostel. The girls’ room is on the 5th floor and next door to the girl’s room are a bunch of British girls with amazing accents! This morning was super fun! The girls woke up at 6:30, but I woke up at 5:45. We went down for breakfast and made our way to the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. I loved the tour, we got to visit John F. Kennedy’s grave. We walked back to D.C. to see the White House, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. It is so sad to see all the 58,837 deceased people from the Vietnam War. I kept on thinking about Christopher’s Grandfather, man that must’ve been scary!!
I wish we got to visit the White House, so that Lyla and I could take a selfie with the President. But sadly we didn’t get accepted to get a tour. But so far it’s been good. Our tour guide person was okay, she wasn’t the best, but I learned so much from her. Tomorrow we are going to the zoo and then to the Kennedy Center for a concert. It is going to be so fun! Then we are going to eat Chinese food in China town!! We had to walk so many miles today in order to get to our destination instead of driving, so I am very tired. That’s all for tonight.
Day 2 - DMS Middle School Odyssey Trip
Hey, this is Lyla and today we went to The Smithsonian National zoo as one of our choice day options. We all woke up at around 7:00 and went to breakfast at 7:30. After breakfast, we headed to the Zoo, were we would spend the rest of the day. Our class visited the animals for a few hours and then ate lunch on some picnic tables. After we finished out lunch, we looked around the zoo for another two hours. Some of the animals that wehad a chance to see were: Asian elephants, pandas, lions, tigers, cheetahs, sloths, chimpanzees, and snake and collection. We were very tired after walking so much even if it was still pretty early.
When we finished at the zoo, we walked again. This time we walked all the way to The Kennedy Center for the Preforming Arts. At the Kennedy Center we got an interesting tour of the theater and watch an interpretive dance performance dedicated to Mr. Sati’s art work. The performance was “interesting”, but kind of weird. The tour was amazing because the theater had so many stages and chandeliers and beautiful paintings on the walls. We saw the president’s box where he sits when he goes to the Kennedy Center. After our time at the Kennedy Center, we walked to a Chinese food restaurant to eat dinner! It was really good! When we got back to the hostel, it was pretty late so we all took showers and headed to bed. It was a long day.
Day 3 - DMS Middle School Odyssey Trip
Hi this is Aly. Today we went to the African art museum and the national archives. We woke up around 6:30 and went down to breakfast, for breakfast I had chocolate muffins and half a cream cheese bagel. After breakfast we walked to a spot on the road in-between the African and Modern art museum. Then we had a choice between the two I chose the African museum. The advantage of going to the African museum was that it was connected to another art museum. In the other museum we got to make Japanese paper fans. In the museum there was pool with a lot of money, I found two pence and showed it to Julius, then put it back.
The other group went with Mr. D to the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Gallery. They saw some really interesting sculptures at the modern art museum and some really paintings at the National Gallery from some really famous artists like Rembandt, Monet, and Leonard DaVinci. After the museums our groups rejoined outside the National Bureau of Printing and Engraving. This is where they make paper money. We saw them making 5 dollar bills and 20 dollar bills. One stack of 5 dollar bills is worth over a million dollars. There was a really funny worker there who had papers in pocket. One of the papers said “Hi,” and one said,“I Love My Job.”
After we were done there we started to walk back to the hostel. Then a woman tried to hand everyone a plastic thing. Everyone walked past, but Quinn decided to go back and get it. I ran after him because I thought it was funny. Once he got there he took it, and the lady had him write his name (he wrote Quan). And peace he turned to leave and she said,“Five dollar okay?”over and over again, until he gave her two dollars. We turned to go. She started following me and showed me a bracelet and started following me and saying “Five dollar okay.” I told her that I didn’t have any money and she went away. Well that pretty much summarizes my day.
Day 4 - DMS Middle School Odyssey Trip
We woke up around 6:30 a.m. this morning. We were all tired and three out of five people were upset that they woke up to Julius and me talking! We came downstairs about 7:00 a.m. and had breakfast. We had to leave a little early today to make our first appointment.
First we went to Ford’s Theater, the theatre where our 16th president was assassinated. It was really interesting, we got to see the real gun John Wilkes Booth used and his knife. There was also a life mask of Lincoln and a statue to give us a good vision of what he looked like. A lady came up onto the stage and gave a really cool story about the history of the theatre and the history of the civil war leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
There was a lot of walking to do to get to the Holocaust museum but it was worth it. When we were in there the guards did a very extensive search of our bags and I was stopped for all the pins on my hat. The museum was very thorough in explaining the events leading up to and during the Holocaust. It told about the different concentration camps and the people running them. It also gave me some information on the Nuremburg Trials where Eichman was tried and convicted. I saw a lot of quotes by Ellie Wiesel. He wrote a book called Night, that’s very short but hits you really hard, very much like the whole museum gets you by surprise. There was one part that showed the process of the gassing that really got me, it showed a lot of their faces which makes you realize that they were real people with real lives.
When we walked back we got to get a glimpse of the wax museum and I got to see my favorite president John F. Kennedy. Also there was Marlin Monroe and Rihanna.
october 2015
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The class meeting is a critical part of the Montessori classroom and here at DMS its use is carried through to the middle school classroom. Students practice on a daily basis to take responsibility for their actions and the decisions they make. Whether the decision/action affects the students’ work, his/her relationship with another student, or the environment of the classroom, all topics are open for discussion in a class meeting. No punishments are given when the student(s) take responsibility for a poor decision or a mistake and no one is blamed for the situation. Instead the students work closely as a team to discuss the issue and why it has become a problem within the classroom. Then the group carefully talks about how best to solve the situation or improve it for next time. The group evaluates the solution ideas to ensure that they are reasonable and will actually address the situation and then they must choose what steps to take in moving forward.
The practice of the class meeting was recently a topic of discussion in the middle school classroom; our grandparents visited for a few hours last week and the conversation turned to how the teachers handled “punishments” or doing “bad things” in the classrooms our grandparents were a part of. The grandparents told stories of standing in the corner, writing the same phrase many many times, or even of being hit with rulers. They also remembered being punished if someone in the class misbehaved or made a bad decision but then would not admit to the wrongdoing; as a result, the whole class suffered the same fate. The middle schoolers were in awe and vocalized disbelief, “how did that actually help you”, “how were you suppose to learn what to do better”, and “why didn’t they take responsibility”? It seemed laughable to the students that the teachers actually believed that by punishing the whole class or by hitting a student, they would all learn the lesson and not make the same mistake. The middle school students were able to share with the grandparents the process of the classmeeting and how it has made them all feel more in control of their decisions and in the outcome of a mistake. That is not to say that our middle school students never make the wrong decision or make a mistake but that they feel empowered to take responsibility for those decisions and to find an appropriate solution for fixing the mistake. This process also leads to students who are able to communicate openly and honestly with both peers and adults in order to solve problems. |
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September 2015
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What amazing weather to start off this school year; that has been very much appreciated by the middle school students as they spend the first days of the year out on the farm and at Kieve for a week. Many hours are spent before the school year even begins with middle school students getting dirty and working hard to prepare the land and plant the chosen crops for the fall season. There is a high level of dedication to the Erdkinder - the students spend time during the summer and weekends to ensure the crops are taken care of, harvesting, cleaning, and selling the produce. Students also work during the year to donate some of the produce to local food pantries and at the end of the year 20% of the profit is donated to a charity of the students' choosing while the remaining money is used on an experience of the students' choice. This entire curriculum focuses on teamwork, communication, financial planning, business planning, and outdoor involvement.
The second week of school is the middle school trip to Kieve. This is a week long experience at the local Leadership Camp where the students are pushed to challenge themselves and the group to complete tasks, climb the ropes courses, canoe, plan and execute their own activities. The staff at the camp does a wonderful job leading the group through the challenges they face in normal group life but also putting them in situations for growth and learning. This year the group had a wonderful and hot week, which made us very thankful to be at camp on the lake and not in the traditional classroom. The students were presented with the unique challenge of creating their own games/challenges to present to the class. They learned and practiced how to plan and organize an activity, how to run an activity as a facilitator, and then how to debrief and discuss the activity with the class to bring meaning to the game. The students all had a wonderful week and learned a great deal about their own abilities and the uniqueness of the group. |
may 2015
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Science in the Eagle’s Nest is all about the human body systems this month. Students started out by studying the skeletal and muscular systems. They did research, created diagrams, worked with card sorts, and investigated the connections between the systems. Students then dissected a chicken wing. It may come as a surprise to many of you, but the wing of a chicken is actually very similar to the arm of a human. Through the dissection of a chicken wing, the students were able to see how the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons work together to allow for movement in an animal and in a human. Careful use of dissection tools and proper lab management to guard against salmonella infection were important skills the students used in conjunction with their knowledge of the skeletal and muscular systems. Surprisingly, this was also a chance for some students, who thought they would struggle with the assignment, to find their inner science enthusiast. The “ick” factor disappeared quickly for the students as the fascination level increased with each layer of skin or muscle that were removed.
The next week it was onto the digestive system. Students created their own diagrams of all the parts of the digestive system. Given the choice, some students put in the extra effort to create three-dimensional and multimedia examples of the digestive system. The flexibility of the assignment allowed the students to find a manner that would be most meaningful to present the information he/she had gathered. During our work with the digestive system we also took time to continue our yearlong discussion on healthy eating choices. Courtney LaFon, dietician at Miles Hospital, visited the class to talk with the students about how food is used by our bodies and the effects of healthy and non-healthy foods. She spoke with the students about how as our cells regenerate they are built on the nutrients that exist in the body at the time; therefore, we really “are what we eat”. As our students become more independent, these are choices they make for themselves everyday as they pack lunches and choose snacks. Students learned that a balance between the healthy foods needed and the treats we would like to have must be found if we want to avoid clogged arteries, blood sugar swings, and poor mental capacity. The students had a really special time planning for, preparing, and enjoying our Mother’s Day lunch. It was exciting to have all the mothers in attendance for this special occasion. The students worked together and negotiated to plan a stellar menu. The group then split up into teams and worked all morning to prepare all the food and set up the classroom for the event. It was wonderful to see each and every students working hard to put everything together and truly rewarding to see them enjoy it with their mothers. |
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april 2015
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Socializing is an important part of the middle school experience. Students need to practice how to properly interact with each other on a professional and personal level. Our classroom is a unique mixture of students and this period in development can often be ruled by their social needs. Learning how to balance the social with the work is a key concept that each student has to address individually. For some this is an easy step while for others practice and assistance from peers is greatly needed. When socializing becomes an issue for the class and hurts the working atmosphere, we are able to address the issue as a group through the class meeting.
Over the past couple months the students have been working hard on strategies to overcome these hurdles. One very successful student plan was to have “work buddies” two days per week. These are students chosen by the teacher whom each student will sit with, work with, assist, and check-in with during the independent work period. This has allowed the students to interact and work with people they may not have chosen for themselves and to put a more focused effort into minimizing socialization during the work period. The students have also set work completion goals for the group and have worked to emphasize the need to work together, encourage, and teach each other. As a group, we also work to include team building activities and challenges throughout the month as a way to work on building the students’ communication skills. Team building activities can often look like games focused on fun; the key to a successful activitiy is the challenge and debriefing conversation that follows the activity. Students are asked to communicate through processing the events that occurred during the activity. Questions about what went well, how they worked together, and how/what skills could translate into the classroom are critical to making the activity beneficial. We were lucky to recently have Christine Roback from Kieve with our class for a week. She was here in the hopes of learning about Montessori education but she also did some wonderful work with the students on team building and communication. |
March 2015
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The calendar is telling me that spring arrives on Friday; however, in the middle school we have been consumed by snow and the consequences of the high amount we received this year. Last winter the students worked many hours to clear all the snow away from the sides of the hoophouse. During the winter we struggled with high winds ripping at the plastic on the sides of the hoophouse and destroying the connectors. As a result, the students decided that this year they would leave the snow along the sides as it slid off the top and hope that it would support the plastic and protect it from the winds. This plan worked for most of the winter and then February hit and the snow was coming by the foot every couple days. As the students departed for vacation, one last look at the hoophouse and we were all hoping it would weather the week on its own. Luck was not on our side and the week of vacation brought heavy wet snow without winds. Unfortunately, this was more than the structure could handle and when we returned on Monday morning we found a collapsed hoophouse.
The students reacted quickly, knowing that something would need to be done if the second and smaller hoophouse was going to survive the snow that had built up on its roof. All the students donned snow gear and headed out to the barn in search of tools. Shovels in hand all fifteen students were busy for hours clearing the sides and roof to allow for all snow to come down and leave room for any freshly falling snow. As the temperatures dropped and the wind picked up, cold and tired students finished the tough job and headed inside already beginning to brainstorm what the spring planting season would look like. After multiple planning meetings earlier in the winter, the group now had to meet again and restructure the entire spring plan. The ideas were already flying and the students had positive plans about how to make the most of only have one small hoophouse for produce. There was also talk of lessons learned and how to ensure this event was not repeated. Last week, we ventured out and began preparing the ground for our spring seeds. |
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February 2015
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Montessori holds the wonder and awe of the student in high regard. Learning is to be driven by this desire to explore the world surrounding the student. The wonder is inherent in the youngest students who look at the works on the shelf or the strange bug outside with new eyes. As the students grow older I feel it is important to foster and help create the wonder and desire to explore. Being a life-long learner is a quality that was to be honored in my family and I hope to bring to my students through the Montessori education. This year I have been working on continuing my learning as a student of Montessori principles and it has been a wonderful experience to share with the class. In the past few weeks we have been working on filming some of our activities to look at how our classroom is an example of Montessori’s hopes for learning.
Students have been working on an exceptionally interesting experiment about bacteria. After many different activities exploring bacteria and viruses in various formats, the students concluded by designing their own experiments that would compare or evaluate bacterial growth from surfaces or other materials with the classroom. Our results were widely varied. We found out just how “dirty” snow is and why the teachers always remind the students not to eat it. We were also pleased to learn just how effective our G cleaner was at preventing bacteria growth. The class has spent the past few weeks reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This novel asks the question, what will happen? Students have explored how a society could change and what allows the control of information, power, and knowledge to be compromised or even removed from the people of a society. For a group who loves to read it has been interesting to watch their reaction to a story where books are the enemy and knowledge is evil. We also had a visit by Capt. Michael Tolley this week in our group's Socratic Circle to talk about the conflict in Syria and his experience with rescuing the 241 Syrian refugees. To prepare for Capt. Tolley's visit, the students read the article about the rescue and then did additional research on the conflict in the area and the plight of the refugees in the region. It was a very powerful and moving presentation and discussion. |
January 2015
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January usually means cold here in Maine and at DMS it also means we have reached the middle of the year and conferences. In the Eagle’s Nest, the students have been setting goals and self-evaluating throughout the year in different stages. Sometimes we do group evaluations where the students are asked to look at and talk about the success of the group. For example every-other week and collectively at the end of the season, the group works together to process the work in the greenhouse and running the CSA business. Students also self assess and set goals during weekly seminar discussions, weekly work checks/plans, and as they set up a daily personal work plan. Much of this is done through the guidance of the teacher to help students recognize meaningful and realistic goals.
The process in January is a bit different. Students are asked to fill out a comprehensive evaluation of both the personal and social development along with progress in the academic areas. The teachers also fill out the same evaluation, allowing the students to compare how they see themselves with how the teacher sees the progress. The students use this information to present to each parent. The goal is for the student to run the conference and speak with the parents about the hard work they have completed as well as the areas they see as needing improvement. This process is difficult for many students. At this age it is hard to evaluate oneself and I often find the students are harder on themselves than I would be. However, the skills learned in self evaluation and then presenting are valuable to the students for the rest of their lives. |
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December 2014
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Building executive functioning skills is one of the primary focuses for the middle school students. Organization and time management are important components of our curriculum and are built into the classroom environment. In our classroom each subject (history, literature, science etc.) is given a color and the assignment sheets that correspond are copied in that color paper. Students are expected to maintain a neat and organized binder with a section for each subject where they store assignment sheets and any work that is in-progress or complete. The color-coded paper helps the students to easily find an assignment and keep track of their work. Each week there is a block of time set aside in our schedule for binder checks. During this time students collect any work that has been handed back to them, they organize papers into the binders, make plans for needed weekend work, and check each other to be sure everything is in order. This weekly support allows for those who are more skilled in organization to pass on those strengths to others while also giving a more supported environment for those who struggle with organization. The hope is that as the year advances, students will need this time less and less and will have gained the habits that make for an organized student. At the end of each quarter, work is taken from the binder and selected for the student’s portfolio.
Time management is an essential but difficult skill to learn. Many of us adults still struggle with this concept at least some of the time. To a middle school student, being social and having fun often seems like a much better way to pass time than focusing on a school assignment. Whether at school or at home, middle school students must fight against these temptations. I work closely with the students to develop planners that they feel will be most supportive of their time management. Currently in the classroom we have four different options available to allow students to pick a system that makes sense. Students are given one lesson per morning and then follow-up work is assigned for the week. It is the responsibility of the students to plan and decide when each assignment is to be worked on in order to complete the work on time. This is a challenge for most students throughout all of the seventh grade year. Often by the beginning of eighth grade, the students have had enough experience and learned enough about themselves as learners to be able to accurately predict the time needed for assignment completion and therefore plan the week out successfully. Both at school and at home it is important to dedicate a period of time for focused work. At school the students have from 9:30 – 11:15 am every morning (and sometimes more) to complete work of their choice based on their work plans. Students are then expected to set aside 1 ½ hours at home each evening to work on school assignments. We talk a great deal in class about how important it is to set this time aside in a quiet location and be sure to focus on work for the entire period. Many breaks for snacks, texts, snapchat, facebook, or talking with family mean that the time is not likely to be focused or productive. Some students find that based on how they work, they need to spend more time each evening on schoolwork. The building of the skill of making a plan and then making the tough choices that allow the student to follow through on the plan takes a great deal of practice. |
Odyssey Trip 2014 - Jamestown and Williamsburg
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 1 - The first day of the Odyssey trip was quite eventful. It started with us leaving the school at about five in the morning. The car ride was pretty great, mostly peaceful. Our first stop of the trip was about six hours away from the school in Highland Falls New York. We went to the United States Military Academy at West Point. It was really cool! We looked around for ten minutes then went on the tour. Our tour guide was really nice and we got in the big yellow bus. We drove around looking at all the cool places, stopping every now and then to get out and get a closer look at things. I think one of the coolest parts of the tour was getting out of the bus to go into the huge chapel. It was about one hundred and four years old this year. Still standing and beautiful. It was amazing how the pipe organ had its pipes throughout the whole room.
After the tour ended we went into the museum behind the visitor’s center. We split into two groups and headed separate ways in the museum. The museum had many cool exhibits like the large and small weaponry rooms. There were also rooms talking about West Point and the Civil War. We got to go in the gift shop after all that and it was so much fun. We got back in the car and drove for two hours to a pizza place. Mr. D ordered our pizzas and we waited. It was amazing how much pizza we all ate! Then we got in the car again! We drove to the Hampton Inn and unpacked the whole van. When Mr. D came back out and told us we were at the wrong hotel, we all thought he was joking. He wasn't. After Ms. Mehlhorn told us he was serious, fifteen frustrated students packed everything back into the van and buckled up. We drove for about seven minute, (which felt like an eternity!) and found the right hotel. We all unpacked our suit cases and left our day bags in the cars. It was really great to be able to shower and relax in a bed instead of sitting in a cramped car. The girls each had two hotel rooms and so did the boys. We got to watch T.V until nine and then we all went to bed. That is the end of the first day on our trip and, all in all it was really great.
-Written by Ivy Laakso, Edited by Mr. D
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 2 - Today we got out of bed at 5:45 in the morning and had breakfast. Quinn and Norbert made a mess that was supposed to look like waffles. After Quinn and Norbert cleaned out the waffle iron (see photo), we got in the car to go to Thomas Jefferson’s house.
The tour of Monticello was amazing. We all thought that this was pretty cool. “My favorite part was the Monticello tour,” said Deanna. Lyla said, “I loved the gardens at Monticello and the big view of the mountain.” “I liked walking on the grounds of Monticello,” said Christopher.
After the tour we got back in the van and drove to the condos. The girls liked that the condos are clean, big and pretty. The boys have three stories in their condo! We were all really excited so it took a little time but we got settled down, and then we ate dinner. Thomas, Kayleigh, and Christopher cooked a really good pasta with meat sauce.
Katherine liked the Jefferson house the best. Abby Andrews liked the hexagon room in the Jefferson house. Cam’s favorite part was the audio book in the van. Everybody had a really good time and so far everybody is glad that they came. Liam’s favorite part was “driving by the scenic overlook of the mountains and listening to Guns n’ Roses in the van”. Mardi liked not being with Liam.
-Written by Liam Bracy, Edited by Abby Roberts
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 3 - Monday morning we woke up early again! After breakfast, we headed to Jamestown Virginia, where we visited the Powhatan Indian village and learned about what our tour guide dubbed “the first day”
In the Indian village, we got to see the Powhatan’s Yuhakens (their homes). The whole class got to scrape hair off a deer hide with a shell, which was pretty hard because the shells where dull. If I had the choice I probably wouldn't wear clothes made of animal hide like the Powhatans did. After learning about the Powhatans, we went to see the three ships that made the journey to Virginia; the Susan Constant, Godspeed and the Discovery. Unfortunately, only two of the three were available, as the third was out sailing.
Finally, the class visited the museum, where we learned about life in the colonial time period. There were some dioramas in the museum too. “The big diorama of a street was cool. It was kind of weird with the blue lighting.” Remarked Abby R. We also learned about Pocahontas. “It’s amazing that she would change her entire life so she could marry John Rolfe. I wonder how the rest of the tribe reacted to it.”
After lunch, the class visited Yorktown, where we learned about stamp taxes. Then we talked about the Declaration of Independence and important figures in Virginia’s history. We also got to see a cannon fired. Quinn, Norbert, Ivy and Ms. Mehlhorn were selected to assist in the presentation. The last thing our tour guide showed us was the different tools and medicines used during colonial times. “The thing they used to pull out teeth was freaky,” says Lyla.
Back at the condos, we had chicken quesadillas with guacamole and home fries (courtesy of Katherine, Abby A (and Julius). All in all, it was a pretty good day.
Written by Lyla Corbett, and edited by Abby Roberts
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 4 - Yesterday was a fun filled day at Williamsburg. We woke up at 6:30, I know what you’re thinking 6:30 that’s pretty early, yeah it is but we powered through it. Then we went to the boy’s condo to eat some yummy breakfast made by Mackenzie, Mardi and Ivy.
After breakfast we headed off to Colonial Williamsburg. On the tour we saw Capitol building where we did a mock trial of a man stealing a pocket watch. Thomas played the thief but our jury found him not guilty. We then went to see the Governor’s Palace, it was very large and had fancy architecture. The original house burned down but they rebuilt it in the 1930’s.
When we finished the tour we went out on our own to see some of the other shops. It was amazing, we did so many cool things. “I thought it was so cool to feel like you were in colonial times, but I would not want to live there.” Said Katherine. “I liked the dress makers,” stated Mackenzie. While at the dressmakers we learned that you had to ask for what you wanted to see and the tailor would show it to you. It’s not like our stores where you are able to look for your clothes. In Colonial Williamsburg you could sit down and they would offer you tea and pie. “I would rather shop like that,” said Abby A. “I liked how everyone was in character,” said Deanna. We got to see the silversmith and a play about an actor. Other people in the streets are always in character.
After our day at Williamsburg we went back to the condos to get in to our bathing suits and we headed to the pool. It was so much fun. We played Marco Polo. Then we had a yummy dinner made by Mackenzie, Mardi, Ivy and Cam. We had Cam’s world famous Camburgers!
After that we had class meeting and then it was time for bed and that was our day.
Written by Abby Andrews and edited by Katherine Tolley
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 5 - Today was a day well spent in Virginia for the Eagles’s Nest. Everyone woke up bright and early to get ready for a big day! Quinn, Norbert and Abby R were our cooks for the day. For breakfast they made us delicious eggs and bacon (with some help from Deanna and Julius who helped with some difficulties.). Right after, we hopped in the vehicles and headed for our second day spent in Williamsburg.
When we got there, the teachers figured out plans as to what places we were going to for the morning. To start off, the class all went to a big event called “The Storming of the Palace.” There were actors and other tourists surrounding us. The villagers from “Colonial Williamsburg” (also known as the actors) were furious because all the gun powder from the Magazine had been stolen. In case you didn’t know, the Magazine is a place where they kept guns and gun powder, not a paper form of entertainment, as many of us thought. Everyone created a giant mob and protested in front of the palace, until the Governor came out and admitted he had stolen the gun powder. Afterwords, we split into two groups. Ms. Mehlhorn’s group included Abby A, Abby R, Thomas, Kayleigh, Katherine, Kenzie, Deanna and Lyla. Mr. D and Cam’s group included Christopher, Julius, Norbert, Quinn, Ivy, Mardi and Liam. Ms. Mehlorn’s group went to the Magazine (Super fascinating! And scary!), the shoe makers trade shop (different from a Cobbler), the printing shop and the wig makers! Each person who worked there gave us really interesting information about what they do and how. Our group has also been working hard on asking questions. Mr. D’s group went to the wig maker’s shop, the joiner, the wheel right, the apothecary and the exhibit on the hospital for the mentally ill. Then we stopped for lunch.
Our Afternoon was very busy! We continued on with our groups for the beginning. We journeyed to the Blacksmith shop which was a big hit in our group! They showed us how they work with Iron and Steel and make them into really cool, everyday things. Next door was the Tin Shop which was also really cool. We stopped in a few other shops and marketplaces and bought some souvenirs and played checkers! We then walked down to the mental hospital museum. It was very interesting but disturbing as well to find out what they used to do to the mentally ill people. When we left, there was an African American Slavery museum right next door that we walked through. A few of us got distracted by some really, pretty horses and we just had to stop for a minute to go visit them! When we finally got ourselves together, we visited a colonial garden and learned so much! We could identify many of the plants due to our hoop house work as well! Soon after there was another big, theatrical event that we attended which was the beginning of the revolution. We all gathered in the street, and moved around to different areas of the town. Some of the students got involved and marched around with revolutionary people! They fired cannons and we wrapped up our day in Williamsburg.
Back at the condos, we went to the swimming pool and swam for a while, then went back for dinner. Our chefs made us grilled cheese and tomato soup with veggies on the side. Mr. D got us a nice treat for dessert which was Cinnamon buns after class meeting. Then our wonderful day came to an end.
Written by Kayleigh Tolley and edited by Mr. D
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 6 – Today we went to the Living Museum in Newport News, VA, and got to spend the whole day there. We had to go to the grocery store so we were a little later than planned. We had the chance to visit all the animal habitats and the lower and upper exhibits of swamps and oceans. We also got to go in the planetarium which was really neat. After lunch we were invited to see a really cool animal presentation.
The first thing we did when we got there was to walk a big loop around the entire outside area. We got to see bobcats, wolves, beavers, skunks and more. “They were all really cool and cute,” said Mackenzie. Everyone took tons of pictures, and we had a lot of fun!
After we finished the loop, we went to the inside part of the museum which had an aquarium and caves, as well as a dinosaur exhibit. In the aquarium part we got to touch live sea stars and crabs. When we visited the dinosaur exhibit we saw two different types of dinosaurs: Allosaurus and Dilophsaurus.
While we were eating lunch, we saw a very long train that took a long time to pass us. Right after lunch we got to see a planetarium show, only it wasn’t about planets – it was on deep sea creatures! Then we got an animal presentation given by an educator there. It was about an eastern screech owl and a pine snake and we got to touch them. It was kind of scary for some people.
We ended our day in the gift shop. Then we returned to the condos and went swimming while the cooks made dinner. We got a great dinner of hot dogs with mac and cheese and left over vegetables made by Lyla, Deanna and Liam. Then we had class meeting and went to bed, signaling the end of our great day.
Written by Christopher Decker and edited by Abby Roberts
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 7 - This morning we woke up fairly early in preparation for our first leg of our trip back home. The girls got ready and walked over to the boy’s condo with our suitcases. It was really cold outside. When we got into the boys condo we had a breakfast of bacon and eggs. We packed up the cars and started our 3 hour drive.
We stopped in Gettysburg. We went inside and then they told us we had to eat outside. We sat with Abraham Lincoln and ate with him. Quinn tried feeding him but he wouldn't open his mouth (he was a statue). Then we went inside and watched a documentary about the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. After the video we went up an escalator and went to the Gettysburg Cyclorama. It is a 360 degree circular oil painting, depicting the entire battle of Gettysburg. It is the largest oil painting in North America, and depicts the entire Gettysburg battlefield. The docent explained the different parts of the battle and painting, and then we had some time to walk around and explore it.
The museum was really interesting. We looked around the museum and there was a lot of cool Civil War stuff. There were a few little videos throughout the museum showing how the battle happened. There was an exhibit about the different medical tools that they used during the war. There were also things that they had found on the field after the battle, as well as lots of guns, uniforms and swords from actual soldiers.
When we finished inside the museum we had a driving tour of the entire battlefield. The tour guide got into the driver’s seat and we were off. We drove around and we saw important battlefield sites. We saw a bunch of buildings that had been there since the battle, even one with a cannon ball hole still in it. There were hundreds of monuments from the different army groups that fought the battle. We also saw the original battlefield and we went up to the top of Little Roundtop where the 20th Maine fought. It had an amazing view.
We left and we drove for another hour and then we started getting hungry. We looked for a pizza place and we saw about 5 but all of them were takeout. We drove for what felt like half an hour. We finally found a place. It was called Jojo’s Pizza. It was a fancy Italian restaurant. I felt very out of place. We all ate a lot of pizza. We then proceeded to drive for another hour to the hotel. We had no hotel mix-up this time! It was then off to bed!
Written by Mackenzie Bickmore and edited by Mr. D
After the tour ended we went into the museum behind the visitor’s center. We split into two groups and headed separate ways in the museum. The museum had many cool exhibits like the large and small weaponry rooms. There were also rooms talking about West Point and the Civil War. We got to go in the gift shop after all that and it was so much fun. We got back in the car and drove for two hours to a pizza place. Mr. D ordered our pizzas and we waited. It was amazing how much pizza we all ate! Then we got in the car again! We drove to the Hampton Inn and unpacked the whole van. When Mr. D came back out and told us we were at the wrong hotel, we all thought he was joking. He wasn't. After Ms. Mehlhorn told us he was serious, fifteen frustrated students packed everything back into the van and buckled up. We drove for about seven minute, (which felt like an eternity!) and found the right hotel. We all unpacked our suit cases and left our day bags in the cars. It was really great to be able to shower and relax in a bed instead of sitting in a cramped car. The girls each had two hotel rooms and so did the boys. We got to watch T.V until nine and then we all went to bed. That is the end of the first day on our trip and, all in all it was really great.
-Written by Ivy Laakso, Edited by Mr. D
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 2 - Today we got out of bed at 5:45 in the morning and had breakfast. Quinn and Norbert made a mess that was supposed to look like waffles. After Quinn and Norbert cleaned out the waffle iron (see photo), we got in the car to go to Thomas Jefferson’s house.
The tour of Monticello was amazing. We all thought that this was pretty cool. “My favorite part was the Monticello tour,” said Deanna. Lyla said, “I loved the gardens at Monticello and the big view of the mountain.” “I liked walking on the grounds of Monticello,” said Christopher.
After the tour we got back in the van and drove to the condos. The girls liked that the condos are clean, big and pretty. The boys have three stories in their condo! We were all really excited so it took a little time but we got settled down, and then we ate dinner. Thomas, Kayleigh, and Christopher cooked a really good pasta with meat sauce.
Katherine liked the Jefferson house the best. Abby Andrews liked the hexagon room in the Jefferson house. Cam’s favorite part was the audio book in the van. Everybody had a really good time and so far everybody is glad that they came. Liam’s favorite part was “driving by the scenic overlook of the mountains and listening to Guns n’ Roses in the van”. Mardi liked not being with Liam.
-Written by Liam Bracy, Edited by Abby Roberts
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 3 - Monday morning we woke up early again! After breakfast, we headed to Jamestown Virginia, where we visited the Powhatan Indian village and learned about what our tour guide dubbed “the first day”
In the Indian village, we got to see the Powhatan’s Yuhakens (their homes). The whole class got to scrape hair off a deer hide with a shell, which was pretty hard because the shells where dull. If I had the choice I probably wouldn't wear clothes made of animal hide like the Powhatans did. After learning about the Powhatans, we went to see the three ships that made the journey to Virginia; the Susan Constant, Godspeed and the Discovery. Unfortunately, only two of the three were available, as the third was out sailing.
Finally, the class visited the museum, where we learned about life in the colonial time period. There were some dioramas in the museum too. “The big diorama of a street was cool. It was kind of weird with the blue lighting.” Remarked Abby R. We also learned about Pocahontas. “It’s amazing that she would change her entire life so she could marry John Rolfe. I wonder how the rest of the tribe reacted to it.”
After lunch, the class visited Yorktown, where we learned about stamp taxes. Then we talked about the Declaration of Independence and important figures in Virginia’s history. We also got to see a cannon fired. Quinn, Norbert, Ivy and Ms. Mehlhorn were selected to assist in the presentation. The last thing our tour guide showed us was the different tools and medicines used during colonial times. “The thing they used to pull out teeth was freaky,” says Lyla.
Back at the condos, we had chicken quesadillas with guacamole and home fries (courtesy of Katherine, Abby A (and Julius). All in all, it was a pretty good day.
Written by Lyla Corbett, and edited by Abby Roberts
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 4 - Yesterday was a fun filled day at Williamsburg. We woke up at 6:30, I know what you’re thinking 6:30 that’s pretty early, yeah it is but we powered through it. Then we went to the boy’s condo to eat some yummy breakfast made by Mackenzie, Mardi and Ivy.
After breakfast we headed off to Colonial Williamsburg. On the tour we saw Capitol building where we did a mock trial of a man stealing a pocket watch. Thomas played the thief but our jury found him not guilty. We then went to see the Governor’s Palace, it was very large and had fancy architecture. The original house burned down but they rebuilt it in the 1930’s.
When we finished the tour we went out on our own to see some of the other shops. It was amazing, we did so many cool things. “I thought it was so cool to feel like you were in colonial times, but I would not want to live there.” Said Katherine. “I liked the dress makers,” stated Mackenzie. While at the dressmakers we learned that you had to ask for what you wanted to see and the tailor would show it to you. It’s not like our stores where you are able to look for your clothes. In Colonial Williamsburg you could sit down and they would offer you tea and pie. “I would rather shop like that,” said Abby A. “I liked how everyone was in character,” said Deanna. We got to see the silversmith and a play about an actor. Other people in the streets are always in character.
After our day at Williamsburg we went back to the condos to get in to our bathing suits and we headed to the pool. It was so much fun. We played Marco Polo. Then we had a yummy dinner made by Mackenzie, Mardi, Ivy and Cam. We had Cam’s world famous Camburgers!
After that we had class meeting and then it was time for bed and that was our day.
Written by Abby Andrews and edited by Katherine Tolley
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 5 - Today was a day well spent in Virginia for the Eagles’s Nest. Everyone woke up bright and early to get ready for a big day! Quinn, Norbert and Abby R were our cooks for the day. For breakfast they made us delicious eggs and bacon (with some help from Deanna and Julius who helped with some difficulties.). Right after, we hopped in the vehicles and headed for our second day spent in Williamsburg.
When we got there, the teachers figured out plans as to what places we were going to for the morning. To start off, the class all went to a big event called “The Storming of the Palace.” There were actors and other tourists surrounding us. The villagers from “Colonial Williamsburg” (also known as the actors) were furious because all the gun powder from the Magazine had been stolen. In case you didn’t know, the Magazine is a place where they kept guns and gun powder, not a paper form of entertainment, as many of us thought. Everyone created a giant mob and protested in front of the palace, until the Governor came out and admitted he had stolen the gun powder. Afterwords, we split into two groups. Ms. Mehlhorn’s group included Abby A, Abby R, Thomas, Kayleigh, Katherine, Kenzie, Deanna and Lyla. Mr. D and Cam’s group included Christopher, Julius, Norbert, Quinn, Ivy, Mardi and Liam. Ms. Mehlorn’s group went to the Magazine (Super fascinating! And scary!), the shoe makers trade shop (different from a Cobbler), the printing shop and the wig makers! Each person who worked there gave us really interesting information about what they do and how. Our group has also been working hard on asking questions. Mr. D’s group went to the wig maker’s shop, the joiner, the wheel right, the apothecary and the exhibit on the hospital for the mentally ill. Then we stopped for lunch.
Our Afternoon was very busy! We continued on with our groups for the beginning. We journeyed to the Blacksmith shop which was a big hit in our group! They showed us how they work with Iron and Steel and make them into really cool, everyday things. Next door was the Tin Shop which was also really cool. We stopped in a few other shops and marketplaces and bought some souvenirs and played checkers! We then walked down to the mental hospital museum. It was very interesting but disturbing as well to find out what they used to do to the mentally ill people. When we left, there was an African American Slavery museum right next door that we walked through. A few of us got distracted by some really, pretty horses and we just had to stop for a minute to go visit them! When we finally got ourselves together, we visited a colonial garden and learned so much! We could identify many of the plants due to our hoop house work as well! Soon after there was another big, theatrical event that we attended which was the beginning of the revolution. We all gathered in the street, and moved around to different areas of the town. Some of the students got involved and marched around with revolutionary people! They fired cannons and we wrapped up our day in Williamsburg.
Back at the condos, we went to the swimming pool and swam for a while, then went back for dinner. Our chefs made us grilled cheese and tomato soup with veggies on the side. Mr. D got us a nice treat for dessert which was Cinnamon buns after class meeting. Then our wonderful day came to an end.
Written by Kayleigh Tolley and edited by Mr. D
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 6 – Today we went to the Living Museum in Newport News, VA, and got to spend the whole day there. We had to go to the grocery store so we were a little later than planned. We had the chance to visit all the animal habitats and the lower and upper exhibits of swamps and oceans. We also got to go in the planetarium which was really neat. After lunch we were invited to see a really cool animal presentation.
The first thing we did when we got there was to walk a big loop around the entire outside area. We got to see bobcats, wolves, beavers, skunks and more. “They were all really cool and cute,” said Mackenzie. Everyone took tons of pictures, and we had a lot of fun!
After we finished the loop, we went to the inside part of the museum which had an aquarium and caves, as well as a dinosaur exhibit. In the aquarium part we got to touch live sea stars and crabs. When we visited the dinosaur exhibit we saw two different types of dinosaurs: Allosaurus and Dilophsaurus.
While we were eating lunch, we saw a very long train that took a long time to pass us. Right after lunch we got to see a planetarium show, only it wasn’t about planets – it was on deep sea creatures! Then we got an animal presentation given by an educator there. It was about an eastern screech owl and a pine snake and we got to touch them. It was kind of scary for some people.
We ended our day in the gift shop. Then we returned to the condos and went swimming while the cooks made dinner. We got a great dinner of hot dogs with mac and cheese and left over vegetables made by Lyla, Deanna and Liam. Then we had class meeting and went to bed, signaling the end of our great day.
Written by Christopher Decker and edited by Abby Roberts
Odyssey Trip Blog, Day 7 - This morning we woke up fairly early in preparation for our first leg of our trip back home. The girls got ready and walked over to the boy’s condo with our suitcases. It was really cold outside. When we got into the boys condo we had a breakfast of bacon and eggs. We packed up the cars and started our 3 hour drive.
We stopped in Gettysburg. We went inside and then they told us we had to eat outside. We sat with Abraham Lincoln and ate with him. Quinn tried feeding him but he wouldn't open his mouth (he was a statue). Then we went inside and watched a documentary about the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. After the video we went up an escalator and went to the Gettysburg Cyclorama. It is a 360 degree circular oil painting, depicting the entire battle of Gettysburg. It is the largest oil painting in North America, and depicts the entire Gettysburg battlefield. The docent explained the different parts of the battle and painting, and then we had some time to walk around and explore it.
The museum was really interesting. We looked around the museum and there was a lot of cool Civil War stuff. There were a few little videos throughout the museum showing how the battle happened. There was an exhibit about the different medical tools that they used during the war. There were also things that they had found on the field after the battle, as well as lots of guns, uniforms and swords from actual soldiers.
When we finished inside the museum we had a driving tour of the entire battlefield. The tour guide got into the driver’s seat and we were off. We drove around and we saw important battlefield sites. We saw a bunch of buildings that had been there since the battle, even one with a cannon ball hole still in it. There were hundreds of monuments from the different army groups that fought the battle. We also saw the original battlefield and we went up to the top of Little Roundtop where the 20th Maine fought. It had an amazing view.
We left and we drove for another hour and then we started getting hungry. We looked for a pizza place and we saw about 5 but all of them were takeout. We drove for what felt like half an hour. We finally found a place. It was called Jojo’s Pizza. It was a fancy Italian restaurant. I felt very out of place. We all ate a lot of pizza. We then proceeded to drive for another hour to the hotel. We had no hotel mix-up this time! It was then off to bed!
Written by Mackenzie Bickmore and edited by Mr. D
mid october 2014
One of the unique practices in the Montessori philosophy that is clearly apparent upon entering any campus is the multiage classroom. Although each school established the three-year age grouping a bit differently many of the goals and effects are the same.
Here at DMS our multiage grouping consists of 3 year old – kindergarten, first – third grad, fourth – sixth grade, and our middle school of seventh and eighth graders. Within the classroom it is amazing to see the knowledge passed down from the eighth graders to the seventh graders each day. As we encounter challenges around new topics of study in each of the subject areas, the seventh graders are able to look to the older students for strategies and new skills. Along with adolescence come the challenges of executive functioning for many students; organization, time management, and problem solving are crucial skills being built in the middle school years and the relationship between the seventh and eighth graders is an important link in that process. Through modeling, collaborative work, and freedom within the working time, students are able to become teachers in the classroom.
Beyond the classroom, the mixing of age groups within the school is an important aspect of building relationships for all students. The older students have the opportunity to show leadership and maturity when working with the younger students. Last week the middle school students attended a fire safety presentation with the primary class to support the students who might be frightened by the people in the fire gear. At the same time the mixing of ages also allows the teenagers to remember that they are still kids at heart – building forts, playing in the leaves, and picking pumpkins are just a few of the activities the middle school and primary students have enjoyed together this year. Sharing of knowledge is also an important reason to mix the age groups. The middle school students will often invite the other classes to presentations in order to share their work and information with the younger students. This process is about the students taking pride in their work as well interacting in an academic environment with their younger peers.
Here at DMS our multiage grouping consists of 3 year old – kindergarten, first – third grad, fourth – sixth grade, and our middle school of seventh and eighth graders. Within the classroom it is amazing to see the knowledge passed down from the eighth graders to the seventh graders each day. As we encounter challenges around new topics of study in each of the subject areas, the seventh graders are able to look to the older students for strategies and new skills. Along with adolescence come the challenges of executive functioning for many students; organization, time management, and problem solving are crucial skills being built in the middle school years and the relationship between the seventh and eighth graders is an important link in that process. Through modeling, collaborative work, and freedom within the working time, students are able to become teachers in the classroom.
Beyond the classroom, the mixing of age groups within the school is an important aspect of building relationships for all students. The older students have the opportunity to show leadership and maturity when working with the younger students. Last week the middle school students attended a fire safety presentation with the primary class to support the students who might be frightened by the people in the fire gear. At the same time the mixing of ages also allows the teenagers to remember that they are still kids at heart – building forts, playing in the leaves, and picking pumpkins are just a few of the activities the middle school and primary students have enjoyed together this year. Sharing of knowledge is also an important reason to mix the age groups. The middle school students will often invite the other classes to presentations in order to share their work and information with the younger students. This process is about the students taking pride in their work as well interacting in an academic environment with their younger peers.
Mid September 2014
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The first two weeks of school have flown past and the middle school students are just beginning to get settled into the classroom and our regular routine. The class had the amazing opportunity to spend last week at Camp Kieve participating in the Leadership School. This week provides a great way for students and myself to become a team and work together to accomplish challenging activities. The students work all week on communication, focus, teamwork, compromise, being the teacher, and getting to know each other. Students participated in group discussions, indoor and outdoor climbing, canoeing, developing and leading activities, games, performances, independence away from home and interdependence on their peers. The development that occurs for students when they are away from home and outside the comforts of DMS become priceless for the group as we move through the school year. This week also becomes a good introduction for the Odyssey trip later in the Fall. These shared experiences are important for the whole group and help to address the yearning for deep connection that all adolescents are seeking. The academics still have a front row place in middle school but without these connections in the classroom, the adolescent will struggle.
We work carefully to build a classroom environment of acceptance and support, where students are the leaders in solving problems. Our students are normal teens and preteens who still need guidance but who are capable of communicating with each other and creating acceptable solutions. We support this through our class meeting format in which students set the agenda, lead the discussion of the problem and possible solutions, and then choose to implement a solution. This week I was blessed to see this process in action outside our classroom. When one student made a poor choice to react out of anger and hurt a classmate’s feelings, the situation escalated as other students got involved and came to the aid of each student. As the students filed into dinner, it was clear there was tension, anger, and hurt around the table. At the conclusion of dinner, I called for a class meeting and from there the students took over as I guided them through discussing the situation. All students sat quietly and attentively as all involved spoke about what had happened and how each was feeling. Next each student in the class had the opportunity to react to the situation and also share ideas on how to “solve” the problem. Genuine apologies were given, students took responsibility for their parts, and positive solutions were brought forth. Themes of the discussion revolved around small problems that grow bigger as more students become involved, how to confront each other appropriately when we are upset, and the importance of taking care of each others feelings. After the meeting the students went on to enjoy the evening’s game of capture the flag. When the students returned to the table for breakfast the next morning, the power of the class meeting was clearly evident. The students at the center of the conflict were sitting next to each other and working together to help clean the table. The tension of the night before was gone and there were smiles all around the table. There were no punishments handed down by the teacher and no students were “in trouble” for the events from the day before; instead, the students supported each other and worked through the conflict to allow for a positive outcome. |
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June 2014
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We have made it to the final days of another amazing year. The middle school students have worked very hard on their academics and on the farm right up to the very end. All the while they have been finding the theatrical side of their personalities to prepare for a performance of Cinderella. It has been so much fun to watch each of the students explore his/her character and make the performance a unique blend of our class.
As the class concluded our literature reading for the year, the group eagerly took on the challenge of reading To Kill a Mockingbird. This book addresses many difficult themes about discrimination, love, hate, family, and friendship. The students did a wonderful job opening themselves up to some very serious discussions about the history of civil rights and the connections to issues they still see existing today. As one of the concluding activities for this novel, the class prepared and performed a mock trial. This trial did not focus on the same issues as the trial in the novel but the students worked to understand the court proceedings and draw connections to the frustrations of the characters when our jury also did not vote as expected. This year the class had a special opportunity to deeply explore the history surrounding the Holocaust and World War II. The experience began this November with our visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. The maturity and compassion all the students exhibited during this visit was impressive and allowed them to bring knowledge back to the class for continued study. Earlier this spring the class reached World War II in our curriculum; the students each read a chosen literature book and shared the experiences with each other. They also researched and reported on other aspects of the War around the world. To conclude this study the students were happy to welcome Iska Cole to the school to share her story of survival. Thanks to a connection from the Andrews family, the students heard about Iska’s detention by the Nazis at multiple points during the war while she was 9-15 years old and her multiple escapes. This was a very powerful discussion and the students were inspired by her story and her strength in sharing it. The spring harvest concluded with a large and successful harvest on Wednesday. We hope all of our customers enjoyed their shares this season. The students have already planned and ordered the seeds for the fall harvest; be on the lookout for some new opportunities to purchase herbs from the CSA. With the conclusion of the harvest, the class was faced with the difficult decision of where to make their charitable donation for the year. As part of the farm’s business plan, the students take 20% of the yearly profit and choose a charity to receive a donation. This year the students could not make a final decision and instead chose two deserving location to receive the money. The Lincoln County Animal Shelter was chosen because of the hard work they do helping all kinds of animals from out community. Because of an inspirational message from our visitor Iska Cole, the students also chose to donate to the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Newcastle in an effort to fight hunger. |
Mid-May 2014In the Eagle’s Nest the students hosted the mothers for a very nice lunch. The class worked together to plan a menu of sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit salad, green salad, and dessert. Each student brought in a few ingredients and then spent the morning working together on different cooking assignments to create the lunch. As a result of the weekly hot lunch cooking, the students have become very comfortable in the kitchen and are able to follow a recipe with very little assistance or intervention from adults. The students then decorated the classroom and worked together to arrange the tables for all the guests and the food.
Our harvest season is in full swing and the garlic we planted in the fall is all coming up very nicely. The class also had a special visit from George Green who is a lower elementary grandparent and fruit tree expert. George returned again this year to give the students a lesson on pruning and caring for our apple and peach trees. The students learned about leader branches, extra growth, pruning, and bud types. After the initial lesson the students got right to work in the tree. The apple trees will take a few more years before they will produce usable fruit; however, the peach tree gives us some fabulous peaches each year. The only catch being that the fruit is ready the weeks right before school begins in September. We encourage families to come and pick peaches the last couple weeks in August as there are more than anyone can ever hope to use. The 4th – 8th grade students concluded their work in the DEEP program last week with a presentation of findings. Students began by completing some initial experiments to test different conditions in the estuary. From there, students worked on developing a research question and a method by which they would be able to test their hypothesis. The entire group then took a trip to the Darling Marine Center where they were able to put their work to the test. Some groups were quite successful in their planning and experimenting while other groups were faced with the realities scientists often encounter when they realized that they would be unable to complete the work as planned. The wrong tide or a missing creature meant a change in experiment or an analysis of the missing piece. Once the experiments were complete, the students worked together to create a presentation of the final findings. This work was then displayed for all the DMS students as well as parents and guests. |
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Mid-april 2014
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We have had a wonderfully busy couple of weeks in the Eagle’s Nest. Much of our activity has involved work with other classes and the older students have enjoyed the chance to share their knowledge with the younger groups. In addition to the large hoop-house that the middle school runs the Erdkinder Farm from, we also have a smaller hoop-house where the younger classes learn from the middle school students. We use the produce grown to allow the children to try the different varieties of greens we grow. The school also makes multiple donations to the food pantry, bringing fresh produce to the weekly offering at the Ecumenical pantry. This year small groups of middle school students took turns teaching the different classes about preparing the soil, marking beds, planting seeds, and then watering. It was very rewarding to be able to stand back and watch the students teach each other. The older students felt valued for the knowledge they were sharing and the younger students were excited to share in special time with the middle schoolers. It is wonderful to see the bonds between students of all ages grow throughout the year with the different interclass activities.
The upper elementary and middle school students have also begun our spring DEEP program. This is an inquiry based science program run by the Damariscotta River Association and the Darling Marine Center. For the past two years we have used this program as a wonderful addition to our science program as it allows the students the opportunity to work in the science labs at the Darling Center, exposes the students to the environment around them, and provides a great structure for some real inquiry based experiments. The other unique twist to this program is that the 6th grade students participate in all aspects of the program with the middle school students. This has become a wonderful bridge between the upper elementary and middle school and a meaningful transition activity for those students moving up. Back in the classroom, we wrapped up our study of the Cold War period with a powerful visit from a Vietnam Veteran. Randy Simonse took time to come speak with the students on a Friday morning. His moving story about his year sin Vietnam had the entire class transfixed as he told of his work as a medic and the tragedies he faced. Along with his story, he shared photographs and memorabilia while answer the students’ questions. The discussion continued on into the afternoon as Randy shared our weekly hot lunch with the group. We are so thankful for the people of our community who are willing to share and give the students these types of experiences. It was clear that each student went home that day having learned something and hopefully having a deeper appreciation for those willing to share their stories. |
end of march 2014
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It’s hard to believe March has come to an end and we are still dealing with frigid temperatures, snow, and ice. Last week’s high winds brought the middle school students out to the hoop-house multiple times in the attempt to fix the plastic sides that were being whipped around. Our young plants have not enjoyed the lack of warm sunny days in these early weeks of spring and the intense wind only added to the problem. The size of the farm is meant to give the students a sense of being needed to keep the system running but to also be small enough to allow the class to manage the work that needs to be done. When a repair such as the loose sides needs to be completed, the group must work together and take time out of work or recess to accomplish the needed tasks. With this particular situation, some major problem solving was also needed because the snow had played a factor in detaching the side from the anchor bar and we were unable to get the bar or clips for reattachment. A system of logs, rocks, hoop-house tape, and engineering led to a temporary fix that worked for a short time. We now have to hope for warm temperatures and low winds to allow for a permanent fix.
The farm also serves as a teaching tool that allows the middle school students to teach and work with the younger students. The smaller hoop-house is divided into sections for each class to work with. Together with the middle school students, some lower elementary students took some time this week to begin preparing the ground for planting. Old plants were removed and the elementary students worked together to maneuver the wheelbarrow. Then the ground was loosened up with rakes. This past couple weeks in the classroom we have been studying the Cold War era. The students have jumped into multiple assignments exploring the ideological tensions between the United States, the Soviet Union, and other Communist countries as well as the hot conflicts of Korea and Vietnam. Last week the class participated in a game I designed to simulate the divisions in Germany and Berlin and the subsequent Berlin blockade and airlift. The activity served as a great illustration of the difficulties the divisions brought to the region and was an opening to a class discussion about the intricacies of the Cold War. We have also begun reading To Kill a Mockingbird as a class. We introduced the book by participating in role-playing some situations that were considered moral dilemmas. The students were given a situation with which they had to decide on a solution and act it out for the class. After all the situations were performed, we discussed the other possible solutions and the moral implications of each solution. This served as a connection to the novel and got the students thinking about the multiple sides to a situation. |
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Mid-March 2015
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This past week the entire community at DMS came together for our winter field day. After a bad weather postponement and a cold weather switch of activities the day finally arrived. In the middle school there was excitement mixed with unsure feelings of whether they were “too old for this”. Days like this show the real importance of younger and older children working together. First thing in the morning the older students were divided into teams to go help the primary students to find their first activity. From that point on the older students did a wonderful job encouraging participation of the younger students, helping them to navigate between the activities, and getting into snow gear for the time outside. It was also wonderful to see the older students take the lead when an outside activity finished up early; the middle school students found a fun activity that could be completed with no equipment and was fun for all ages. The fun is important but we hope that the relationships that are begun on a day such as this will last and continue grow.
In the middle school we have also been working on some community and team building within our group. Just as in the younger classes, we use the class-meeting model as a tool for students to resolve conflicts, learn from each other, and find solutions for larger class problems. A couple weeks ago the issue of communicating frustrations with classmates was voiced. The collective class agreed that many felt the environment in the classroom was not always one where the work time was respected and that communication about the problem was becoming negative between students. Through a class-meeting the students were able to voice their personal concerns and evaluate possible solutions. The group decided they could use some specific practice on communication. They also decided to put together a class constitution where they could outline the jobs/responsibilities of the student and teacher as well as rules and rights that each group had within the classroom. Right away the students took to this idea and began brainstorming what was most important for them to feel safe and productive at school. We are now in the process of brining all those ideas together into one document, which all the students are looking forward to signing. |
End of February 2014In many schools, Dodge Ball has become a “bad word” and a forbidden game. However, at DMS Dodge Ball is a beloved game that draws students from first grade through eighth grade together for a fun, active, and self-directed recess period. The older students take on the leadership role and begin the game by dividing the players into even teams. The goal of picking teams remains on keeping things fair and challenging rather than stacking one team to “win”. When disagreements about who is out or who-hit-who arise the older students again take on a leadership role and mediate the situation. As a teacher observer, we are able to watch the process as students communicate with each other and resolve the issues fairly without teacher intervention. Instead of resulting in fighting, tears, and hurt feelings, when dodge ball is played at DMS the students and teachers leave the field feeling excited about the spirit of the game and the cooperative atmosphere that develops between students of all ages.
In middle school we have been enjoying all the snow, hoping for some warmer temperatures, and escaping to the hoop-house for the planting. The seeds are all in ground and our focus now turns to caring for the crops and preparing for the spring harvests. We have also been working on some in-depth research and writing. During our visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, the students were moved by the stories of the victims and the survivors. Our history curriculum this year covers US history from Reconstruction through the Vietnam War. In February the students began reading books written about the Holocaust. Each student read a different book and the sharing of the stories and experiences became a powerful discussion within the group. As a practice on the research and writing process, the students have chosen a person from World War II to research and then complete a biographical report. This project is accompanied by lessons on writing a web, tracking research through note taking, creating an outline, and then going through the drafting and revising process. Following this project we will turn our focus to a poetry unit. |
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End of January/Beginning of February 2014
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It is amazing how fast the year is flying by and that February vacation is just around the corner. With the bitter cold we have been dealing with, it is hard to believe that the spring growing season on the Erdkinder farm is about to begin. The students harvested the last of the spinach and began prepping the ground for planting. The first seeds will go into the ground on February 26th. On a freezing cold afternoon when the weather station read 12 degrees, the students were sweating it out in the warm hoop-house. It is on days like this that we come to appreciate the oasis that the farm can be. The hoop-house provides the ability to work on the farm even on the coldest days. The students welcome the opportunity to get outside, get some fresh air, and complete some physical activity after being cooped up inside because of cold weather.
The Erdkinder farm provides more than just outdoor physical activity for the students. Because the students harvest and sell the products they grow, they also must plan and carryout the operations of a small business. Over the past couple weeks the students have taken inventory of the seed stock, planned the spring planting, budgeted and ordered the needed seeds. The students also decided to replace the plastic tent stakes we have been using to mark off the beds in the hoop-house. Each year the group runs across broken spikes, ground that is hard to drive the stakes in, and the costs that come with replacement. The class decided to invest in metal stakes to replace all the plastic stakes and hopefully reduce the need for replacement spending in the future. In the coming weeks our customer service and marketing managers will begin advertising the sale of shares and collecting orders for the spring. The class is looking forward to a fun day at the Cabin Fever Contra Dance and to our school-wide Winter Field Day on February 14th. As the oldest students at the school, I have the pleasure of helping this group to become leaders among their peers and the younger students. It is events such as these that I look forward to seeing my class shine as they work closely with the younger students. |
January 2014
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I hope the New Year is finding everyone happy and healthy. We are happy for the warm temperatures during outside time but disappointed that it has brought so much ice and mud to our campus.
As we come close to the middle of the year that students are beginning to reflect back on their work and prepare portfolios of the work they would like to represent their efforts to date. When creating a portfolio collection, we discuss the different reasons for including a work. Instinctively the students include works that show best effort or appear attractive. However, we also discuss the importance of showcasing a work that he/she might have struggled with or learned a great deal from even if it may not present the best final copy yet. The students work to understand that the process and their efforts while working is just as important to their learning as a work that is easy and looks attractive at the end. Included in the portfolio process is a reflection of the piece included, which allows the students to think more deeply about individual accomplishments. The Montessori classroom is centered around the morning work cycle where students independently choose works and are encouraged to move around the classroom as needed. This does not change as the students enter the middle school. Our morning work period is still a designated time for students to make choices and control their own work. What does change is the level of responsibility a student takes on regarding work completion and focus during the work period. Recently in our classroom we found that students were not using this work time productively and the students became frustrated about their own progress. After some class-meetings discussing strategies for work completion and productivity during the work cycle, there was still a struggle to put those strategies into practice. As a group we began completing daily reflections asking each student to assess his/her own productivity during the morning and then to make a plan of steps to take to make the next day productive. As a result of this time allowed for personal reflection, the students are taking more specific steps to use their time well and also to help each other within the work cycle. |
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December 2013Upon our return from Washington DC the hoop-house was still in full bloom. This allowed the students to complete a bonus harvest and the greens were sold afterschool one afternoon. The Kale and Spinach were fast sellers and the coolers were cleaned out before dismissal was over. After a successful harvest season the class noticed that many of our beds were continuing to grow well. The group decided to complete a harvest to donate to the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Newcastle. The students harvested romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, and other mixed greens. Some students also worked with the lower elementary students to teach them how to harvest wash and prepare the greens from their hoop-house for donation to the food pantry as well.
A few years ago the school decided to build a composting system. Mark Hutchinson, from the University of Maine extension worked to help set up the three-bin system we use today. As a fairly new addition to the staff and brand new to the three-bin system I was feeling unsure of how to support the students in successfully composting the schools’ food waste. We were very happy to welcome Mark back to our classroom last week for a refresher course on how to properly make and use our compost. Mark led the students in an inspiring conversation about the important ingredients in compost, which he then compared to the baking of chocolate chip cookies. After the cookies were eaten, the group headed out to the compost pile for some hands on inspecting of our piles. We learned that we needed to add some more leaves to the pile to balance the amount of fruit and vegetables our school population consumes. We also learned that we should be adding and spreading our compost “like pepper on mashed potatoes”. After Mark’s visit it was exciting to see the students’ new knowledge and excitement about composting. |
Mid November 2013
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The middle school students were excited to welcome so many grandparents to our class. The students had a wonderful time showing their guests around the classroom and the farm. With such a large 7th grade class there were many new things to share with families. As a group, the students illustrated a Socratic Circle discussion for the visiting grandparents. The class read and discussed “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe. After reading the story the students modeled a literary discussion where they addressed the topics of the setting, mood, characters, and message of the story. Although many students agreed that it was a “creepy” story they pulled out the greater messages of guilt and commented on the great detail and description used by the author.
The beginning of November was exceptionally busy for the middle school students. The group traveled to Washington D.C. from November 2nd – November 9th and spent a wonderfully busy eight days exploring many modes of transportation and the various sites of our nation’s capitol. The Odyssey trip takes place at the beginning of the year with the goal that the students will bond together through the shared experience of travel away from home and meeting new challenges together. Throughout the week students live and work together to plan, shop for, and cook meals, navigate through the city, and deal with homesickness. The trip is also a great opportunity for the students to experience first hand some of the many topics we will study in history, science, and Socratic circle throughout the next two years. These key experiences are fundamental in the Montessori education system and give both students and teachers a jumping off point for discussions, research, and projects. If you are interested in hearing more about our trip, please link to the website and read the blogs written by students while traveling. |
Odyssey Trip November 2-9th
DAY 1 - November 3, 2013: By Quinn DeLorenzo and Katherine Tolley
(Quinn) Well, this has been our first full day in Washington DC. This morning, after breakfast, the first thing we did was to head down to the “Hang-Out Room” and some of us played pool. The teams were Liam/Laurel vs. Garrett/Deanna. The winners were Garrett & Deanna. They had only the eight ball left, but we had to go to the store to get stuff for lunch, so we just counted that as a win.
We headed to the super market which was about two blocks from the hostel, but I forgot my bag along with my water bottle, so Annalisa and I ran back to get it. From the supermarket, we started heading toward The American History Museum, and it was a long walk. Once we got there, we had to open up our bags and show them to the security people. It was kind of weird.
(Katherine) The first exhibit that we saw, was the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. It was so cool! In the exhibit, the flag that inspired our National Anthem was right there. It was AMAZING. When we finished we went to the African American exhibit, which was focused on segregation since the Civil War. Then we visited the American Presidency and the First Ladies exhibit (only the girls went to that – it was so cool.) The boys went to the America at War exhibit. When we finished, we met up and some of us went to the gift shop and the others went to go start making the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. We ate in the museum cafeteria. We finished up lunch and then left.
Our next stop was the zoo. Once we got there we all went to the bathroom which all gave us a chance to sit down and it helped us because after all that walking and our feet hurt like crazy! In the bathroom there were “interesting” facts about animals waste. Apparently jellyfish eat and excrete their waste out of the same hole! We spent the afternoon at the zoo, and saw everything we could: elephants, gorillas, tigers, hedgehogs, armadillos and reptiles.
For dinner we had pizza near the hostel, and then returned to relax and go to sleep! It was a long day with a lot of walking.
DAY 2 – November 4, 2013 By Annalisa Paulsen
Hi everyone! We have now finished Day 2 of the Odyssey trip! And, for all of you fans, we're watching Doctor Who as I type! Today, we started off with... a tour of the Pentagon! We went through a MASSIVE security check, and saw a lot of history and time lines about the history of the Air Force,
Navy, and the Army. We also visited the September 11 indoor memorial, which had two large panels of victims that died at the Pentagon.
Next, we went to the park near the Washington Monument and had lunch. Then we went to the Holocaust Museum, which was the most beautiful, sad, depressing, humbling, and very energized place. It positively vibrated with energy.
After that, we went back to the American History Museum, and split up. Our group visited an exhibit about food in American culture. The other group visited the Presidency exhibit. We actually saw a reproduction of Julia Child's kitchen (we also watched part of an old episode of her show). After the food exhibit we visited an exhibit all about transportation in America. We saw old cars, and an exhibit on sea life and pirates. It was really fun, but we were starting to get tired, so we walked back to the hostel (that was almost on the verge of the blind leading the bewildered). Kenzie, Katherine, and Quinn are cooking quesadillas right now! Oh My Gosh I haven't had quesadillas in such a long time!! I bet they'll be awesome!!
DAY 3 – November 5, 2013 By Mackenzie Bickmore and Thomas Coombs
Today, we walked all the way to the Arlington National Cemetery from our hostel. When we arrived, we got a very interesting tour by a super cool man named Chris. After seeing a number of grave sites from famous people, like Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, and Robert Todd Lincoln, we got to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They show a very high level of respect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because they are honoring all of the people that went to war and were killed and ended up not being identified. We also visited the Kennedy's grave sites: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Jacqueline Kennedy.
After we left Arlington, we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, and went to the park and had lunch. Unfortunately, Katherine got pooped on by a bird because Mr. D was feeding the birds. Afterwords we went to the Lincoln monument and saw the place were Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. We also learned there are eighty-seven steps leading up to the Lincoln monument because of the beginning of the Gettysburg Address, which began with “Four score and seven years ago.” (A score is 20 years). We also learned that the back of Lincoln's head, if you look at it from the right angle looks like the profile of Robert E Lee. There is a legend that says that the sculpture carved the profile of Lee so that he was looking back at Arlington, his old home before the war.
When we finished at the Lincoln Memorial, we went to the Korean, World War II, and Vietnam War Memorials. At the Korean War Memorial we learned that there are nineteen actual statues and nineteen statues that are reflected in the wall which stands for the thirty-eighth parallel. We also learned that there is always a statue looking at you if you are at the memorial. When we went to the World War II Memorial there was a piece of graffiti that says “Kilroy Was Here” with a little cartoon. The reason that it was significant is because one of the people that would check the rivets on the naval ships when he was done checking them he would etch into the wall “Kilroy was here.” This saying then became a way for Navy men and women to recognize each other around the world and they began leaving the message in places they visited on and off duty. At the Vietnam War Memorial there was a person on the wall named Michael Tolley. After that we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. Finally, after tons of walking (10 miles) we came back to the hostel, and Laurel, Liam, and Garrett made dinner, which was burgers, fries/tater-tots and salad.
DAY 4 – November 6, 2013 Written by: Kayleigh Tolley and Abby Andrews
Today was definitely a day to remember! We had a bunch of fun and made lots of memories. We woke up at 6:00(AM) and got ready for the big day ahead of us. Breakfast was open at 7:30, so to past time we packed our lunches and chilled out. When 7:30 came, we ate a delicious breakfast and headed for the Supreme Court. We probably got there about 8:30 and we got in line for the big case. You may of heard about the case on the news and we were hoping to get into that one that started at 10:00. It was about saying prayers before town meetings in Greece, New York. We waited in line in front of the beautiful, marble court. Once it came time for that case to begin, we found out that we couldn't fit in to that case so we would go to the 11:00 one. I thought it was better because we would only have gotten time to go to the other case for 3-5 minutes, but instead we were able to see the entire second case.. We waited in line for another hour and finally we got to go in.
Inside the Supreme Court building, it was head to toe in gorgeous marble with beautiful, intricate designs on the ceilings. We all had to go through security (we have to everywhere, it's crazy!) and put all of our stuff in to lockers because they were not allowed in court. We were about twenty minutes late because of the lines, but we got in to the back seats. The case was very confusing and none of us (even the Ms. Mehlhorn and Mr. D) quite understood it - and some of us even fell asleep!. But, it was amazing to be in there. There was 9 seats for the Justices (and one of them looked like he was sleeping!) and 2 lawyers (of course) and a large audience. We looked around the court pretty much the whole time. It was interesting to see how much the lawyers knew and learned about what they were arguing about. I am definitely one for not arguing so I didn't like the concept of it really but how else do you do it. The case got out at 12:00 and we collected our stuff and left. It was a very cool experience for us all and we are very lucky we got the opportunity.
Our next plan on the agenda was to go to the Library of Congress. It was right next door so we were all very happy it wasn't a long walk. The Class was all pretty hungry so we took a break at the picnic tables and ate our lunch at the library. We had to go through security (once again) and we waited for everyone else. The Library was a work of art. It was beautiful with many columns and paintings. Mr. D tried to check in for our tour, but there was a mix up with the Senator's office and the Library, and our tour wasn't happening. Our class watched a quick video about the library and we started to explore! We split in to 2 groups and explored the exhibits. Mr. D's group looked through some of the exhibits, but didn't see the one downstairs, and the group decided it was time for the gift shop. We were down there for a long time while Ms. Mehlhorn's group was exploring. Soon after, it was time to gather up and Mr. D said to meet up in the lobby. However, Mr. Delorenzo soon forgot this and thought the plan was to meet on the steps out front so his group waited out there, I (Kayleigh) thought the plan was to meet inside also but I didn't say anything. Bad idea. Ms. Mehlhorn's group was waiting inside for us and we were waiting outside for them. 20 minutes later, Mr. D decided to contact Ms. Mehlhorn to find out what was happening. We all met up outside of the library and got ready for our next adventure. (This is Mr. D writing: I was framed. Ms. Mehlhorn conspired with Kayleigh to concoct this soup of inaccuracies and fabrications:)
Next stop, The Capitol tour! We headed over to Senator Collins office and we met up with her two interns that were going to be our tour guides. Her office was pretty cool! We left all of our stuff in there and started our journey to the Capitol. We took these cool subway cart like things from the office building to under the capitol or the visitor entrance. Our tour guides (Abby and another really nice lady) told us about the history, and we also watched a short film about the Capitol. The tour was amazing and we got to see places like where John Quincy Adams had a heart-attack and died, the old Supreme court and much more! We got to ride on the private subway system that the Senator's ride. We got to ride it a few times because we had to go back to the office, and then back to the Capitol to track down Senator Collins. When we got back to the Capitol, we waited in a super fancy-dancy reception room. We were going to meet Senator Collins and get a picture with her! She even hired a photographer that takes a lot of pictures of famous political people. Senator Collins is a very busy woman and it was awesome that she was coming! Once she came, we talked to her a lot and asked her questions and she did the same back. It was very cool! We got some pictures and she had to leave. We did to so we went back to the office, got our belongings, said goodbyes to our tour guides and left. We had had an amazing day so far and it wasn't even done! There was a beautiful, pink, fluffy sunset and we had to get a picture of the statue Freedom with the magnificent scene.
Our Class walked and walked and walked and it was about 5:10 when they decided we were probably not going to get to the hostel in time to cook so we stopped in China town and went out for Chinese food! The food was so amazing and we were all so hungry after the long day so we definitely ate a lot (Sorry Mr. D!)! We had to keep on moving after so we could get home and rest for the next day ahead of us. Today was definitely a highlight and we are all wiped out now!
Thank you and we miss you all very much!
DAY 5 – November 7, 2013: By Ivy Laakso and Laurel Gallione
Today was an amazing day for our class trip. This morning we had a good breakfast and then set off for the day. We walked to the National Art Gallery, went through security and waited for Ms. Mehlhorn to get a map. All of us had gotten an assignment from our art teacher Mrs. Proffety, which was to choose two paintings that were before 1850 and write the artist, the date it was painted, then we had to draw a rough sketch of it. Finally, we had to describe how we thought paintings looked before 1850. We also had to find two paintings that were after 1850 and do the same thing.
When we finished the project Garrett and Ivy were very excited about seeing some of Vincent Van Gogh's art. We walked around the museum and finally found the 19th century French paintings - and that means Vincent Van Gogh!!! We saw the art and we were all in awe of how amazing it was. After we went back to the main lobby we all divided into two groups, the ones who wanted to go to the Air and Space museum and those who wanted to go to the Natural History Museum. Eight of us went to the Natural History Museum and five of us went to Air and Space.
When we divided into groups we split up and walked to the separate museums. We had lunch at the museum cafes and then we started going through the exhibits. In the Natural History Museum we went to the fossils and the origins of life exhibit first. As soon as we walked in we saw a massive T-rex fossil. It was really amazing how they could recover the bones of something so old. It's amazing! Next we walked past the fossil and saw a model of how ancient humans would bury the people who died. They would tie up the bodies and put them in the hole that was lined with some sort of animal skin. They would tie them up because that would make it easier for the dead person to fit in the hole. We also went to the ocean exhibit. This exhibit was one of the coolest. We learned about how most water creatures today have evolved from bigger and more fierce versions of themselves. As soon as we finished there we walked into the human evolution room. It showed the time-line of the human species; how primates went from us being monkeys to us being tiny little people. We saw a few more places then we took the elevator upstairs.
When we got upstairs we went into the gem room. When you first walk in if you go to the right, (which we all did) you enter into the room that has the Hope diamond. It was so beautiful! Then we walked over to the left and as soon as we walked in all we saw were the most beautiful gems we had ever seen. They were all so beautiful. Katherine found a whole wall of pink rocks, and she was in heaven! Another part of the exhibit explained how rocks form and shape into crystals. We went to lots of other cool places but those were the best out of all of them.
The Air and Space museum was cool too! When we first walked into the museum we had to go through security. Then we went into the food court and there was a big McDonalds. Abby wanted to get a Big Mac so badly but we talked her out of getting one. So we had to eat our PB&J's. After we ate our lunch we went up stairs to look around. We first went into this big rocket ship, and explored the parts we were allowed to go into. Then we went into some other exhibits, including the story of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, and it was really fun. We also learned about the first African American to command a group of African American Fighter pilots, called the Tusgegee Airman. His name was Benjamin O. Davis. He was a really interesting man, and he became the first African American General in the Air Force (his father was the first African American General in the Army).
We learned a lot about airplanes and rocket ships, including how a jet engine works. After we walked around the whole museum we went into the gift shop and it was soooo big. We had to wait for Mr. D so he could charge his phone, in case Ms. Mehlhorn called, and, that was fun. After Mr. D’s phone was charged we started to walk back to the hostel, but first we had to stop at Starbucks, so Mr. D could get his coffee. Once he got the coffee we were walking back and we saw this big store full of Washington D.C stuff. When we got to the hostel the cooks were all ready cooking us dinner. They made us chicken ,mashed potatoes and some vegetables. It was really good. I liked the mashed potatoes the best out of all the food. After dinner we had a class meeting, then some of us watched T.V, played cards and played pool. Then a 9:00 PM we all had to go to bed. It was a really, really, fun day.
DAY 6 – November 8, 2013 By Liam Bracy & Abigail Roberts
We started out this morning at around 9:30 a.m. and we went to the Bureau of Engraving, where the government prints paper money. Unfortunately, we got in line and we tried to get a tour, but the next tour wasn't until 12:30 p.m. and that would only give us an hour in the museums we wanted to visit. So we skipped the Bureau of Engraving (which most of us were very disappointed about) and went right to the museums. We split into two groups.
The group that went to the Natural History museum yesterday went to the Air and Space museum, where there was a ton of cool stuff about airplanes, pilots and other methods of flying. They also had some stuff about stars, planets and constellations. It was really interesting.
The group that went to the Air and Space museum yesterday went to Natural History museum. (I learned that walrus' are HUGE and I think they're really cool). There was also a gigantic model of an armadillo and mammals of all sizes. One exhibit had the evolution of different animals throughout the ages, and there was an activity where you could see what you would look like as a caveman. The second group also went to the Native American museum. There was a very cool exhibit about the lives that Native Americans live today, including a great video about how the Inuit's use snowmobiles. We also saw a lot of Native American pottery, and a display of the weapons that they used throughout history. One exhibit displayed dolls from different tribes that were made by current artists. When we sat down for a break, we heard some music coming from the first floor. When we looked over the balcony we saw that there were people dancing. They were giving a performance on Native American dance and music.
Later, we met at the National Archives. We saw the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. It was really cool to see the original signatures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin on the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence was very worn, and you could barely see the ink.
The walk back to the hostel (approximately 7 blocks) wasn't too bad in my opinion. I think that after all the walking we've done this week, everybody's kind of used to it. As soon as we got back, the cooks (Ivy, Abby A, Thomas and Kayleigh) got to work and everyone else started packing. We're all so sad that this is our last full day in DC.
Dinner was really amazing. We had Mac 'N Cheese with ham, and a side of fruit salad. Good bye!
(Quinn) Well, this has been our first full day in Washington DC. This morning, after breakfast, the first thing we did was to head down to the “Hang-Out Room” and some of us played pool. The teams were Liam/Laurel vs. Garrett/Deanna. The winners were Garrett & Deanna. They had only the eight ball left, but we had to go to the store to get stuff for lunch, so we just counted that as a win.
We headed to the super market which was about two blocks from the hostel, but I forgot my bag along with my water bottle, so Annalisa and I ran back to get it. From the supermarket, we started heading toward The American History Museum, and it was a long walk. Once we got there, we had to open up our bags and show them to the security people. It was kind of weird.
(Katherine) The first exhibit that we saw, was the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. It was so cool! In the exhibit, the flag that inspired our National Anthem was right there. It was AMAZING. When we finished we went to the African American exhibit, which was focused on segregation since the Civil War. Then we visited the American Presidency and the First Ladies exhibit (only the girls went to that – it was so cool.) The boys went to the America at War exhibit. When we finished, we met up and some of us went to the gift shop and the others went to go start making the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. We ate in the museum cafeteria. We finished up lunch and then left.
Our next stop was the zoo. Once we got there we all went to the bathroom which all gave us a chance to sit down and it helped us because after all that walking and our feet hurt like crazy! In the bathroom there were “interesting” facts about animals waste. Apparently jellyfish eat and excrete their waste out of the same hole! We spent the afternoon at the zoo, and saw everything we could: elephants, gorillas, tigers, hedgehogs, armadillos and reptiles.
For dinner we had pizza near the hostel, and then returned to relax and go to sleep! It was a long day with a lot of walking.
DAY 2 – November 4, 2013 By Annalisa Paulsen
Hi everyone! We have now finished Day 2 of the Odyssey trip! And, for all of you fans, we're watching Doctor Who as I type! Today, we started off with... a tour of the Pentagon! We went through a MASSIVE security check, and saw a lot of history and time lines about the history of the Air Force,
Navy, and the Army. We also visited the September 11 indoor memorial, which had two large panels of victims that died at the Pentagon.
Next, we went to the park near the Washington Monument and had lunch. Then we went to the Holocaust Museum, which was the most beautiful, sad, depressing, humbling, and very energized place. It positively vibrated with energy.
After that, we went back to the American History Museum, and split up. Our group visited an exhibit about food in American culture. The other group visited the Presidency exhibit. We actually saw a reproduction of Julia Child's kitchen (we also watched part of an old episode of her show). After the food exhibit we visited an exhibit all about transportation in America. We saw old cars, and an exhibit on sea life and pirates. It was really fun, but we were starting to get tired, so we walked back to the hostel (that was almost on the verge of the blind leading the bewildered). Kenzie, Katherine, and Quinn are cooking quesadillas right now! Oh My Gosh I haven't had quesadillas in such a long time!! I bet they'll be awesome!!
DAY 3 – November 5, 2013 By Mackenzie Bickmore and Thomas Coombs
Today, we walked all the way to the Arlington National Cemetery from our hostel. When we arrived, we got a very interesting tour by a super cool man named Chris. After seeing a number of grave sites from famous people, like Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, and Robert Todd Lincoln, we got to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They show a very high level of respect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because they are honoring all of the people that went to war and were killed and ended up not being identified. We also visited the Kennedy's grave sites: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Jacqueline Kennedy.
After we left Arlington, we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, and went to the park and had lunch. Unfortunately, Katherine got pooped on by a bird because Mr. D was feeding the birds. Afterwords we went to the Lincoln monument and saw the place were Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. We also learned there are eighty-seven steps leading up to the Lincoln monument because of the beginning of the Gettysburg Address, which began with “Four score and seven years ago.” (A score is 20 years). We also learned that the back of Lincoln's head, if you look at it from the right angle looks like the profile of Robert E Lee. There is a legend that says that the sculpture carved the profile of Lee so that he was looking back at Arlington, his old home before the war.
When we finished at the Lincoln Memorial, we went to the Korean, World War II, and Vietnam War Memorials. At the Korean War Memorial we learned that there are nineteen actual statues and nineteen statues that are reflected in the wall which stands for the thirty-eighth parallel. We also learned that there is always a statue looking at you if you are at the memorial. When we went to the World War II Memorial there was a piece of graffiti that says “Kilroy Was Here” with a little cartoon. The reason that it was significant is because one of the people that would check the rivets on the naval ships when he was done checking them he would etch into the wall “Kilroy was here.” This saying then became a way for Navy men and women to recognize each other around the world and they began leaving the message in places they visited on and off duty. At the Vietnam War Memorial there was a person on the wall named Michael Tolley. After that we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. Finally, after tons of walking (10 miles) we came back to the hostel, and Laurel, Liam, and Garrett made dinner, which was burgers, fries/tater-tots and salad.
DAY 4 – November 6, 2013 Written by: Kayleigh Tolley and Abby Andrews
Today was definitely a day to remember! We had a bunch of fun and made lots of memories. We woke up at 6:00(AM) and got ready for the big day ahead of us. Breakfast was open at 7:30, so to past time we packed our lunches and chilled out. When 7:30 came, we ate a delicious breakfast and headed for the Supreme Court. We probably got there about 8:30 and we got in line for the big case. You may of heard about the case on the news and we were hoping to get into that one that started at 10:00. It was about saying prayers before town meetings in Greece, New York. We waited in line in front of the beautiful, marble court. Once it came time for that case to begin, we found out that we couldn't fit in to that case so we would go to the 11:00 one. I thought it was better because we would only have gotten time to go to the other case for 3-5 minutes, but instead we were able to see the entire second case.. We waited in line for another hour and finally we got to go in.
Inside the Supreme Court building, it was head to toe in gorgeous marble with beautiful, intricate designs on the ceilings. We all had to go through security (we have to everywhere, it's crazy!) and put all of our stuff in to lockers because they were not allowed in court. We were about twenty minutes late because of the lines, but we got in to the back seats. The case was very confusing and none of us (even the Ms. Mehlhorn and Mr. D) quite understood it - and some of us even fell asleep!. But, it was amazing to be in there. There was 9 seats for the Justices (and one of them looked like he was sleeping!) and 2 lawyers (of course) and a large audience. We looked around the court pretty much the whole time. It was interesting to see how much the lawyers knew and learned about what they were arguing about. I am definitely one for not arguing so I didn't like the concept of it really but how else do you do it. The case got out at 12:00 and we collected our stuff and left. It was a very cool experience for us all and we are very lucky we got the opportunity.
Our next plan on the agenda was to go to the Library of Congress. It was right next door so we were all very happy it wasn't a long walk. The Class was all pretty hungry so we took a break at the picnic tables and ate our lunch at the library. We had to go through security (once again) and we waited for everyone else. The Library was a work of art. It was beautiful with many columns and paintings. Mr. D tried to check in for our tour, but there was a mix up with the Senator's office and the Library, and our tour wasn't happening. Our class watched a quick video about the library and we started to explore! We split in to 2 groups and explored the exhibits. Mr. D's group looked through some of the exhibits, but didn't see the one downstairs, and the group decided it was time for the gift shop. We were down there for a long time while Ms. Mehlhorn's group was exploring. Soon after, it was time to gather up and Mr. D said to meet up in the lobby. However, Mr. Delorenzo soon forgot this and thought the plan was to meet on the steps out front so his group waited out there, I (Kayleigh) thought the plan was to meet inside also but I didn't say anything. Bad idea. Ms. Mehlhorn's group was waiting inside for us and we were waiting outside for them. 20 minutes later, Mr. D decided to contact Ms. Mehlhorn to find out what was happening. We all met up outside of the library and got ready for our next adventure. (This is Mr. D writing: I was framed. Ms. Mehlhorn conspired with Kayleigh to concoct this soup of inaccuracies and fabrications:)
Next stop, The Capitol tour! We headed over to Senator Collins office and we met up with her two interns that were going to be our tour guides. Her office was pretty cool! We left all of our stuff in there and started our journey to the Capitol. We took these cool subway cart like things from the office building to under the capitol or the visitor entrance. Our tour guides (Abby and another really nice lady) told us about the history, and we also watched a short film about the Capitol. The tour was amazing and we got to see places like where John Quincy Adams had a heart-attack and died, the old Supreme court and much more! We got to ride on the private subway system that the Senator's ride. We got to ride it a few times because we had to go back to the office, and then back to the Capitol to track down Senator Collins. When we got back to the Capitol, we waited in a super fancy-dancy reception room. We were going to meet Senator Collins and get a picture with her! She even hired a photographer that takes a lot of pictures of famous political people. Senator Collins is a very busy woman and it was awesome that she was coming! Once she came, we talked to her a lot and asked her questions and she did the same back. It was very cool! We got some pictures and she had to leave. We did to so we went back to the office, got our belongings, said goodbyes to our tour guides and left. We had had an amazing day so far and it wasn't even done! There was a beautiful, pink, fluffy sunset and we had to get a picture of the statue Freedom with the magnificent scene.
Our Class walked and walked and walked and it was about 5:10 when they decided we were probably not going to get to the hostel in time to cook so we stopped in China town and went out for Chinese food! The food was so amazing and we were all so hungry after the long day so we definitely ate a lot (Sorry Mr. D!)! We had to keep on moving after so we could get home and rest for the next day ahead of us. Today was definitely a highlight and we are all wiped out now!
Thank you and we miss you all very much!
DAY 5 – November 7, 2013: By Ivy Laakso and Laurel Gallione
Today was an amazing day for our class trip. This morning we had a good breakfast and then set off for the day. We walked to the National Art Gallery, went through security and waited for Ms. Mehlhorn to get a map. All of us had gotten an assignment from our art teacher Mrs. Proffety, which was to choose two paintings that were before 1850 and write the artist, the date it was painted, then we had to draw a rough sketch of it. Finally, we had to describe how we thought paintings looked before 1850. We also had to find two paintings that were after 1850 and do the same thing.
When we finished the project Garrett and Ivy were very excited about seeing some of Vincent Van Gogh's art. We walked around the museum and finally found the 19th century French paintings - and that means Vincent Van Gogh!!! We saw the art and we were all in awe of how amazing it was. After we went back to the main lobby we all divided into two groups, the ones who wanted to go to the Air and Space museum and those who wanted to go to the Natural History Museum. Eight of us went to the Natural History Museum and five of us went to Air and Space.
When we divided into groups we split up and walked to the separate museums. We had lunch at the museum cafes and then we started going through the exhibits. In the Natural History Museum we went to the fossils and the origins of life exhibit first. As soon as we walked in we saw a massive T-rex fossil. It was really amazing how they could recover the bones of something so old. It's amazing! Next we walked past the fossil and saw a model of how ancient humans would bury the people who died. They would tie up the bodies and put them in the hole that was lined with some sort of animal skin. They would tie them up because that would make it easier for the dead person to fit in the hole. We also went to the ocean exhibit. This exhibit was one of the coolest. We learned about how most water creatures today have evolved from bigger and more fierce versions of themselves. As soon as we finished there we walked into the human evolution room. It showed the time-line of the human species; how primates went from us being monkeys to us being tiny little people. We saw a few more places then we took the elevator upstairs.
When we got upstairs we went into the gem room. When you first walk in if you go to the right, (which we all did) you enter into the room that has the Hope diamond. It was so beautiful! Then we walked over to the left and as soon as we walked in all we saw were the most beautiful gems we had ever seen. They were all so beautiful. Katherine found a whole wall of pink rocks, and she was in heaven! Another part of the exhibit explained how rocks form and shape into crystals. We went to lots of other cool places but those were the best out of all of them.
The Air and Space museum was cool too! When we first walked into the museum we had to go through security. Then we went into the food court and there was a big McDonalds. Abby wanted to get a Big Mac so badly but we talked her out of getting one. So we had to eat our PB&J's. After we ate our lunch we went up stairs to look around. We first went into this big rocket ship, and explored the parts we were allowed to go into. Then we went into some other exhibits, including the story of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, and it was really fun. We also learned about the first African American to command a group of African American Fighter pilots, called the Tusgegee Airman. His name was Benjamin O. Davis. He was a really interesting man, and he became the first African American General in the Air Force (his father was the first African American General in the Army).
We learned a lot about airplanes and rocket ships, including how a jet engine works. After we walked around the whole museum we went into the gift shop and it was soooo big. We had to wait for Mr. D so he could charge his phone, in case Ms. Mehlhorn called, and, that was fun. After Mr. D’s phone was charged we started to walk back to the hostel, but first we had to stop at Starbucks, so Mr. D could get his coffee. Once he got the coffee we were walking back and we saw this big store full of Washington D.C stuff. When we got to the hostel the cooks were all ready cooking us dinner. They made us chicken ,mashed potatoes and some vegetables. It was really good. I liked the mashed potatoes the best out of all the food. After dinner we had a class meeting, then some of us watched T.V, played cards and played pool. Then a 9:00 PM we all had to go to bed. It was a really, really, fun day.
DAY 6 – November 8, 2013 By Liam Bracy & Abigail Roberts
We started out this morning at around 9:30 a.m. and we went to the Bureau of Engraving, where the government prints paper money. Unfortunately, we got in line and we tried to get a tour, but the next tour wasn't until 12:30 p.m. and that would only give us an hour in the museums we wanted to visit. So we skipped the Bureau of Engraving (which most of us were very disappointed about) and went right to the museums. We split into two groups.
The group that went to the Natural History museum yesterday went to the Air and Space museum, where there was a ton of cool stuff about airplanes, pilots and other methods of flying. They also had some stuff about stars, planets and constellations. It was really interesting.
The group that went to the Air and Space museum yesterday went to Natural History museum. (I learned that walrus' are HUGE and I think they're really cool). There was also a gigantic model of an armadillo and mammals of all sizes. One exhibit had the evolution of different animals throughout the ages, and there was an activity where you could see what you would look like as a caveman. The second group also went to the Native American museum. There was a very cool exhibit about the lives that Native Americans live today, including a great video about how the Inuit's use snowmobiles. We also saw a lot of Native American pottery, and a display of the weapons that they used throughout history. One exhibit displayed dolls from different tribes that were made by current artists. When we sat down for a break, we heard some music coming from the first floor. When we looked over the balcony we saw that there were people dancing. They were giving a performance on Native American dance and music.
Later, we met at the National Archives. We saw the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. It was really cool to see the original signatures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin on the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence was very worn, and you could barely see the ink.
The walk back to the hostel (approximately 7 blocks) wasn't too bad in my opinion. I think that after all the walking we've done this week, everybody's kind of used to it. As soon as we got back, the cooks (Ivy, Abby A, Thomas and Kayleigh) got to work and everyone else started packing. We're all so sad that this is our last full day in DC.
Dinner was really amazing. We had Mac 'N Cheese with ham, and a side of fruit salad. Good bye!
Mid-October 2013October is a busy month in middle school as we try to fit in a great deal of in-class work and important work on the farm before leaving on our trip to Washington DC in November. This is a time where the students learn a great deal about time management skills. Content lessons rotate on a weekly schedule and students are given a morning work period each day to work through weekly tasks as they choose. As due dates come and work is not complete the students are faced with the reality of time that was mismanaged. Our goal is to teach the students and reinforce skills they have been gaining since the early primary years. As a class we sat down to discuss strategies that can be used to increase work completion in a timely manner while also being mindful of work quality. Building the independence needed to manage time effectively becomes critical as the students get ready to enter high school.
One of our goals in middle school is to aid in a smooth transition for students from the Montessori education into high school. Montessori speaks of the importance of a student learning at his/her own pace; although, much more of the curriculum in middle school is based on class work and discussions we still encourage students to work at their own pace and in a way that best uses their strengths. There is a delicate balancing act in play as we encourage the students to find a level at which they are challenged and can work as independently as possible. |
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End of September 2013
Wow, it is hard to believe that September has flown by so quickly. The middle school students have been very busy getting into the routine of our full workload and balancing schoolwork, homework, and the farm. The farm is an important source of science knowledge, teamwork challenges, and problem solving. As the students work to care for the plants and harvest the weekly shares, they run across problems such as under-watered plants, slow-growing plants, fast-growing weeds, and the time crunch of harvesting enough produce in one short afternoon. This Fall we ran into a few beds that were not producing. The students designed and are carrying out experiments to test different variables that may have effected the growing. The students will track and record their results and then hopefully be able to implement changes to the farm that will help the plants grow. To start our year in history we have begun with a study of the Civil War. This week we were happy to welcome David Cheever the Maine state Archivist to our classroom. He talked with the students about Maine’s contributions and connections to the Civil War. He also shared stories of people from Lincoln County. The students and I were interested to hear some unique stories about events leading up to the war and discoveries that were made by Mainers. All the students are in the middle of reading literature books centered on the theme of survival. One group is reading a story of a young boy climbing some of the highest peaks around the world, including Everest. The second group is reading the story of a young girl fighting to survive the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. In conjunction with the upper elementary class we were able to arrange for Don Fendler to visit and speak with the students about his time Lost on a Mountain in Maine. It was fascinating to hear him speak about what happened to him and to see the actual video footage from his rescue. |
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September 2013The Eagle’s Nest is off to a busy busy start. The dedicated middle school students came back to school a couple weeks early to get the hoop-house planted. With a class almost double the size this year the workload felt much lighter and the students came together well. Montessori speaks to the importance of the children’s connection to the outdoor environment; we use the farm as one way to make this connection but also to explore economy, teamwork, and responsibility. This year we were very excited to work with the younger students to plan and plant greens and radishes into their hoop-house. Sharing the skills that the students have learned with younger students was a bright point in the beginning of the year
After a short week of getting to know the classroom, the middle school students were off to Kieve for a week of teambuilding and class bonding. This week is a fabulous and unique opportunity for our students to challenge themselves both at being away from home for an entire week and with the physical/emotional challenges presented to them by the camp staff. Because this group of students has experienced Kieve for so many years, the staff presented them with a unique assignment of creating and facilitating a challenge activity for the rest of the group. We proceeded through “human knot” using tied shoelaces, “poison peanut butter” with a bridge building component, and “stepping stones” with a musical challenge. The students returned to school this week ready to jump into our academic work. |
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June 2013We have made it to the last few days of school and the students have worked hard to prepare for their play. The group performed Hyronomous A. Frog: The Frog Prince; we want to thank all the friends and family who came to see the wonderful performance. After weeks of practicing lines, putting together costumes, and constructing scenery, the group was thrilled to put all the pieces together in the final show.
This week was also our final harvest of the year. Thank you to all those who purchased farm shares this season. As this was my first year undertaking a project like the farm, it is exciting to see so many in our community support the students’ work. We all learned a great deal about farming and produce but also about running a business and all the details that go into getting the product out to the customers. As the year wraps up the class is getting ready to say a final goodbye to our four eighth grade students. As these four enter the world of high school I am excited to see what the future holds for them and sad to see them leave my class. I have had a truly wonderful first year here at DMS and this group was a fabulous introduction to the community. I look forward to my three seventh graders becoming leaders as we welcome the large sixth grade group into the Eagle’s Nest. I wish each and everyone of you a stupendous summer. |
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End of May 2013Our class had a wonderful time with our mothers at our annual Mother’s Day lunch at the beginning of May. The students worked together to plan a fabulous menu of Greek pasta salad, cob salad, fruit salad, finger sandwiches, peach cobbler and of course strawberry shortcake. Once the shopping lists were made and supplies gathered the entire class headed into the kitchen to prepare the meal. I was impressed with all seven students who worked seamlessly together to create the meal with almost no involvement from me. It was wonderful to see how comfortable they are all becoming in the kitchen and in working as a team. The classroom was rearranged, the tables set, and the gifts presented. We hope that each mother felt special as the students enjoyed designing the special day.
Our science inquiry with the Damariscotta River Association concluded in a presentation of the research last week. Parents and interested friends were invited to view the final projects and ask the students questions about their findings. The students were excited to speak with parents as well as representatives from the Damariscotta River Association and the Darling Marine Center. Every group received wonderful feedback from the invited guests on the impressive work they had completed. We were also excited to host the students from the lower elementary and primary classes and are happy to hear they learned some new information about our local estuary. The peach and apple blossoms have popped giving campus a beautiful spring look. The Eagle’s Nest welcomed George Greene (grandfather of a lower el student) to give a lesson about caring for and pruning our fruit trees. We did quite a bit of work on our apple trees to be sure that they will grow strong and produce apples in a few years. Some of you may remember that the peach tree already produces wonderful fruit so our work was just to clean up the branches to allow for better fruit production this summer. The students are working hard on a very fun and family friendly play this year and hope you will all be able to join for an afternoon trip to Spamalot with Hyronomous A. Frog. |
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Early May 2013It has been a whirlwind of activity since we returned from vacation and it is hard to believe it is already May. The middle school was very excited to welcome the incoming 6th grade class on their visit last week. The current middle school students stepped up and showed how the routines in our classroom function. The students also spent some time on the farm educating the 6th graders about their role in Erdkinder as they move into 7th grade. I am very excited to see my group grow but will be sad to see this wonderful class of 8th graders depart for high school.
This spring we have had a great opportunity to work with the Damariscotta River Association on the new DEEP program. This program has given the students the opportunity to design and carry out inquiry-based research on the Damariscotta Estuary. Mrs. Gardiner and I reorganized our classes and grouped the 6th graders with the middle school students. Students created questions they wanted to research; some included questions about the green crab population or the presence of different types of plankton and more. The groups worked together to refine their questions, plan their research, and then carryout the research on our fieldtrip to the Darling Marine Center. The fieldtrip was the highlight of the project; students were able to spend time out on the water collecting samples and driving the boat. We also spent time on the shore researching the animals and plants and in the lab observing the animals in the water samples collected when on the boat. All groups are mixed ages and the students have worked wonderfully together. The project will culminate in a research presentation here at DMS on Monday May 13th where visitors are welcome from 3:15 - 3:45pm. As we head into May the middle school is wrapping up their studies in Latin and Art. Our final project in art is a print of the school to be included in the auction. The group enjoyed their first experience with printing so much this year that it was an easy choice for them. They have worked hard to create a priceless piece for the lucky bidder. |
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