Art
We try as much as possible at The Cooper School to create cross-curricular learning opportunities for our students. For example, when First Graders study insects, they learn how to closely read informational texts about insects. We are currently in a rich social studies unit all about the polar regions. In Art this week, students got to continue their social studies learning by creating traditional Inuit carvings. Skilled Inuit craftspeople carve with soapstone and bone, so we used the next best thing: soap! Under extra adult supervision, our students used butter knives to carve away the negative space to create the shapes of polar bears, whale tails, and more!

Writing Workshop 
This week, our young writers were hard at work completing their Compliment Books in time for Valentine’s Day next week. Compliment Books are a special Cooper School tradition in which each student writes a compliment to every other student. The compliment pages are collated and bound so that each student ends up with a book of compliments written especially for them. On Valentine’s Day students receive their books and get to read them and feel great about being valued in our school community. In the writing process, they discovered that spending time writing compliments to others made them feel good too!

Social-Emotional Learning 
For the past couple of weeks, we have been discussing positivity and optimism at TCS. Students have been encouraged to think about their personal highs and lows and share strategies for dealing with frustration, anger, and sadness. Our own First Graders shared some excellent strategies for dealing with difficult feelings:
“I like to read books and rest.”
“I like to cry it out and then I feel better.”
“Getting a compliment makes me feel better.”
“I hug my mom.”
“Hugs and a cup of water make me feel better when I’m frustrated.”

Important Dates
•   Tuesday, February 14 – Valentine’s Day Concert, Circular Church, 1:00-2:00pm
•   Monday and Tuesday, February 20-21 – February Break, No School 
•   Monday, February 27 – TCS Sibling Day
•   Monday and Tuesday, March 6-7 – Student-Led Conferences, 11:30am-3:30pm