As many of you know, we are a small school with a small playground and a small number of students. And that smallness is a gift: our teachers notice. They notice when games are getting too competitive, when classroom dynamics have been affected by the last kickball match, when someone seems a little “off.”
Last week, our teachers noticed that recess was getting too intense. Balls were being thrown and kicked too hard, too carelessly, and some friendships were carrying new tension into the classrooms. So, we called a meeting.
Together with students, we talked about awareness. What does it mean to be conscious of your surroundings in the middle of a game? To look before you kick a ball into open space? To slow down and remember that no college scout is watching this kickball game. From that conversation, we made a decision: we would take the balls away for a week.
The intention behind this wasn’t just about physical awareness. We also hoped it would spark creativity (“what else can you do at recess when kickball, basketball, and ball tag are no longer options?”) and rebuild friendships that competition had quietly frayed.
What we witnessed exceeded our expectations. A school-wide capture the flag craze took over, still competitive, but in the best way. 8th graders passing the flag to 5th graders. 6th graders tagging 7th graders. All ages, one game. When the balls disappeared, there was no evident moping or groaning. They simply adjusted. The balls were reintroduced yesterday, and we’re hopeful that spirit carries forward.
Our students are resilient. When pushed, they don’t just cope, they find joy.
-Ms. Riley
Upcoming Dates:
- April 3 – 10: Spring Break (no school)
- April 16: 11:30 dismissal
- April 16: Spread the Word (MS poetry night) 4 – 6:30 pm
- April 22: Art Night Celebration 5:30 – 6:30 pm
ELA: 8th graders made some final touches and adjustments to poems this week, while also transitioning into our investigative journalism study. We considered some examples of investigative journalism and how they stitch sources together to go deep into a topic. Students also started a dictation unit where we practiced formatting, punctuation, handwriting, and spelling. We will work on these skills until break, and plan to test the Thursday after spring break 4/9.
Next week, 8th grade will begin research on a social, historic, cultural, or political question that they want answered, forming the foundations of their investigative piece.
Science: This week in science, 8th graders continued their investigation into how organisms have changed over time by studying transitional fossils. Students observed how structures, such as fins in fish, have evolved over time and researched the emergence of the first true tetrapods. Students also continued collecting data for their science fair investigations.
Next week, students will wrap up data collection and deepen their study of how organisms change over time by dissecting owl pellets, using physical evidence to explore food webs and connections between past and present life.
Social Studies: Eighth grade students will continue to study the twenty year time period between WW1 and WW2. This is an important time in world history with the great depression, rise of new governments and the new technologies of the day. We will also finish our study of women’s history month as well, finishing our projects.
Math: This week in math, 8th graders wrapped up their probability unit with analyzing different conditional probabilities in both independent and dependent events. We played games to help us understand probabilities, and they received a study guide on Wednesday for their test next week. They’ll take their test on Wednesday – their final Geometry test of the school year! After Spring Break, we’re going to do lots of Algebra 1 prep and some Geometry Review to get ourselves ready for High School Math!
