Robotics Teams Win Design, Amaze, and Research Awards
Posted on January 31st, 2019 by Allendale Columbia Schoolby Donna Chaback
AC’s Gia helps direct the MAGMA team’s driver Amora in a Teamwork Challenge.
Allendale Columbia School teams brought home three awards at the VEX IQ Robotics Qualifier, and at least two teams, VEX Chargers and MAGMAS, will be going on to the State Championships.
The Qualifier was held Saturday, January 26th, at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse. A total of 38 VEX IQ Robotics teams of students in Grades 4-8 participated. AC’s teams were all composed of 5th-graders. The State VEX IQ Championship will be held at the MOST on March 9th. AC has had teams go on to the World Championships in each of the last two years, with last year’s team winning one of the Sportsmanship awards. (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Centers for Impact, Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Highlights, Invent, Lower School
Feb. 1st Friday Night Delight Postponed
Posted on January 31st, 2019 by cnickels
We are postponing this month’s Friday Night Delight, originally scheduled for February 1st. We will communicate the new date as soon as one is confirmed. This pertains to the STEM-focused Friday Night Delight for our K-5 families.
Thanks for your understanding and stay tuned!
Young Soloists Turn Butterflies Into Bravado
Posted on January 24th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia School
Yes, there were a few butterflies in the stomachs of Lower School students who had signed up for the annual Solo Performance Night held January 18th. But once they got started, the young students turned those butterflies into brave and beautiful notes that floated to the receptive ears of a welcoming audience. (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Highlights, Kindergarten, Lower School, Second Grade, Third Grade
MLK-inspired Dreams to Rhombicuboctahedrons: Celebrating Learning in Lower School
Posted on January 18th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolFrom Kindergarteners’ dreams inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech to rhombicuboctahedrons made by fifth-graders, students in AC’s Lower School demonstrated some of their recent work in a Celebration of Learning assembly.
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- After reciting the “I Have a Dream” Poem in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, each Kindergarten student read a dream for the future.
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- Each Kindergarten student read a dream for the future. Above, they include: for poor people to have water, to love everyone, for homeless people to have houses, to give people food, and to keep the world clean.
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- First-graders recalled facts they learned about local animals, with masks they had made with Ms. Alexander. They also performed a rap song they wrote with Mrs. Grossman about recycling.
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- “Bee Kind” was the second-graders’ motto and recent project, with its bee mascot Zinger, whose voice made everyone giggle. They presented different ways people could add kindness in their daily lives.
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- Third-graders performed a skit to demonstrate multiplication strategies they’ve learned, including skip counting by threes, the sevens distributive property, halving the fives, and using solvemojis to “crack the code” of symbols representing numbers in multiple operations.
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- AC fourth-graders presented part two of their Zero Hunger project, explaining how wasting food also wastes money, labor, fuel, water, and time, and giving tips on how to reduce food waste.
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- Fifth-graders watched the documentary, “The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm”, which inspired the students to write letters to the film’s creators.
After reciting the “I Have a Dream” Poem in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, each Kindergarten student read a dream they have for the future. These kind-hearted children included dreams for everyone to have a house and car, food, water, give to others, take care of children, keep the world clean, help other people, and for everyone to be loved.
First-graders recalled facts they learned about local animals, with masks they had made with Ms. Alexander. They also performed a rap song they wrote with Mrs. Grossman about recycling:
Save the Earth, Recycling Wins!
By the First-Grade Rock Band
We want to help you know,
where all the trash should go.
If you have a piece of toast,
Where to put it? The compost!
Plastic, paper, cardboard, cans
If you recycle, you protect our lands.
Put them all in the big blue bin!
Do this now, and you will win!
Dirty wrappers, broken toys,
Listen up, girls and boys!
Don’t put things in the wrong space,
it makes our earth a stinky place.
CHORUS:
Recycling! Recycling!
Just as fun as playing!
Recycling! Recycling!
Saving our earth is thrilling!
Recycling! Recycling!
Just as fun as playing!
Recycling! Recycling!
Saving our earth is thrilling!
“Bee Kind” was the second-graders’ motto and recent project, with its bee mascot, Zinger, whose voice made everyone giggle. They presented different ways people could add kindness in their daily lives. They also performed a regal “Kings and Queens” folk dance.
What strategies can be used to multiply numbers? Third-graders performed a skit to demonstrate multiplication strategies they’ve learned, including skip counting by threes, the sevens distributive property, halving the fives, and using solvemojis to “crack the code” of symbols representing numbers in multiple operations, and having an “ice cream party” treasure hunt after solving their 1,000th math problem of the year.
AC fourth-graders presented part two of their Zero Hunger project, explaining how wasting food also wastes money, labor, fuel, water, and time, and giving tips on how to reduce food waste with waste monsters:
- Take smaller portions!
- Eat all your crusts!
- Plan ahead to buy food you will actually use!
- Use up leftovers. Make a soup or an omelette. Just use them up!
- Clean out your pantry. Use up food close to expiration or donate. Preserve, pickle, or can food!
They also wrote and recited a food waste reduction pledge:
As an Allendale Columbia school student, I pledge to do the following.
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- I pledge to be mindful about food during lunch.
- I pledge to ask about portions when getting more food.
- I pledge to waste as little food as possible by taking only what I will eat from the salad bar.
- I pledge to try and drink all of my milk, juice, or water each day.
- I pledge to be appreciative of the hard work our lunch staff does on a daily basis.
- I pledge to be courteous when informing others about the importance of curbing food waste.
- If I am out to eat and there are leftovers, I will bring it home in a box.
How many books have you read since September? Fifth-graders updated everyone on their 40 Book Challenge, where each student is challenged to read 40 books from a variety of genres. They’ve read a total of 239 books this school year, and since their last Celebration of Learning in November, they’ve read 102 books. They explained how to make polyhedrons (many-sided objects), starting with “nets,” which are flat shapes that can be folded into 3-D objects; rhombicuboctahedrons, objects made by folding paper into 6 triangles and 18 squares; and stellated (star-shaped) rhombicuboctahedrons with 18 folded pyramids. They also watched the documentary, “The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm,” which inspired the students to write letters to the film’s creators.
There’s a whole lot of learning going on in Lower School!
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John PalomakiJohn is a parent of twin boys in Middle School at AC, an active volunteer, and occasional contributor of stories and photos. John spent a stimulating 10 years at Microsoft through the 90s as a systems engineer and managing executive relations programs. Since then, John has worked with non-profit organizations and has held leadership roles in independent schools in New Jersey and Connecticut in development, communications, and technology. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences (Biology) from Colgate University. |
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Kindergarten, Lower School, Second Grade, Third Grade
Fearless Friday: Ginger-infused Edamame
Posted on January 18th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolIt’s Fearless Friday, and Super Chef Yessy Roman made a vegan, protein-rich side or snack for cold winter days. Food Service Director Laura Reynolds-Gorsuch, who generally does not like vegetables, and some Lower School taste testers gave it a try before it was available to everyone. While the first few tasters loved it, the last two had a different opinion.
Recipe: Ginger-infused Edamame
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs cooked shelled edamame
- 1 large red or white onion, finely chopped
- 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped small
- 1/4 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (or cilantro)
- 2 cups olive oil
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbs ground black pepper
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Procedure:
- Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.
- Add to edamame.
- Enjoy!
Posted in: Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Highlights, Kindergarten, Lower School, Second Grade, Third Grade
Improvisation Leads to Learning in Elementary Music (and Life)
Posted on December 7th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia SchoolBy Lynn Grossman
Many folks associate the word improvisation with one thing: jazz music.
But creativity and improvisation are crucial aspects of comprehensive music learning. Improvisation is recognized as one of the four components of the National Core Arts Anchor Standards in music (Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting). What’s more, improvisation is a learned skill, and perfect for learners of all ages.
I have made creativity and improvisation a central part of my curriculum within Allendale Columbia’s elementary general and instrumental music classes. As a result, I was invited to present two sessions relating to my work at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Conference in Dallas, TX (Nov. 11th-14th). (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Highlights, Kindergarten, Lower School, Second Grade, Third Grade
Building Connections with Grandparents and Special Friends
Posted on November 30th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia SchoolHearts filled fast at Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day. Allendale Columbia’s Lower School children welcomed their special guests for a glimpse of their school day, collaborative activities, a family-style lunch, and a special story from AC’s mascot, Wolfie.
Click on the collage to see the entire Google Photos album of Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day!
Posted in: Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Highlights, Lower School, Second Grade, Third Grade
Is Your Child Starting From Behind? Why Others Look to AC for Early STEM Education
Posted on October 26th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School
A delegation of educators from Belarus, seeking ways to boost innovation and economic development and cultivate a competitive workforce, visited Allendale Columbia School because of its reputation as the best school to visit for its “bottom-up” approach to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), which formally begins in Kindergarten. (more…)
Posted in: Centers for Impact, Eighth Grade, Eleventh Grade, Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Global Engagement, Highlights, Invent, Kindergarten, Lower School, Middle School, Ninth Grade, Partnerships, Second Grade, Seventh Grade, Sixth Grade, Tenth Grade, Third Grade, Twelfth Grade, Upper School