Save the Snakes
3/30/2019
This week, we had a quick, but fun, study about the sun and its energy. It's always exciting to learn about the sun at this time of year as we celebrate longer days. After learning a bit about the sun, students brought in items that they use to protect themselves from the sun. We studied all of the items to see how they protect us, which led to the conclusion that each item helps block the sun in some way. Next, students were tasked to invent something that would protect a UV sensitive snake from the sun's rays. They applied what they learned by studying the objects they brought in to create something that would block the sun from their snake. If they successfully blocked the sun, the beads of their snake would remain white. If not, the beads would change colors. A few of the main things students learned during this experiment were perseverance and critical thinking. There was a lot of trial and error as students attempted to bring their invention plans to life. At PNA, we encourage students to seek answers, not to have them. Rather than providing answers, teachers encourage students to explore, investigate, hypothesize and test, and this is no different in kindergarten. This teaches both perseverance and critical thinking (and keeps our students curious, asking questions rather than trying to have all the answers). In my mind, these are some of the most invaluable things we give our students. As we tested the different inventions, students realized that those creating shade did not block enough UV rays to protect the snakes. Students then had to think of a different way to use their invention to save their snake. It was smiles all around as we enjoyed the sunshine and seeing the snakes change color in the sunlight.
Making Time for Things that Matter
3/23/2019
This week, we had a lot of events that took us out of our routine. One of our sweet little ones asked me, "Why did you take us to Moon Mouse when we're not even studying space?!" Aside from the fact that I love that our little ones know we usually have guest speakers and field trips to help us learn more about what we are currently studying, this question provided me with the opportunity to explain to them why sometimes field trips and events do not relate to our current studies. Sometimes we make time for things that simply enrich our lives, things like enjoying the arts in our city and in our school, building our school community even stronger, or celebrating people who have been important and meaningful in our lives. This week, we had many such events, and our little ones soaked them up! Celebrating the ArtsAs I watched our third through eighth graders on stage this week, it reminded me of my own school days. However, at my school, plays and musicals were reserved for the "talented" students. I love that at PNA, all of our students have the opportunity to shine, to showcase their talents or to discover new talents. The teachers at PNA work hard to highlight the strengths of each student, while encouraging growth and risk-taking. Ms. Katie is especially talented in this area, and it shows every time our students take the stage. She expects them all to participate in the musicals, shows, and concerts because she knows they will shine - and so they do. I could not help but notice how much fun most of the students were having as they performed, and I was impressed by how comfortable and at ease most of them were on stage. The students who were not as comfortable mustered up their courage to perform anyways - and did a fantastic job. I think this is a testament to our school community in addition to Katie's music program. At PNA, we strive to create an environment in which students feel safe to be themselves and to try things outside of their comfort zones. Students know they will be supported (by staff, parents, and other students), so they feel comfortable taking risks. A beautiful example of this is when a middle school student jumped in without batting an eyelash after another student forget her lines in a song. I also noticed a few students just say, "Sorry!" to the audience and start their lines over. It is amazing to watch moments like these, moments that showcase what an amazing school community we have at PNA. A Special ACE: Escape RoomCreating this safe environment and school-wide community of learners is so important to us that we decided to dedicate the next few ACE sessions to it. One of the highlights of being an independent school is the ability to adjust our curriculum and student learning when necessary to best meet our students' needs. When we noticed a slight shift in the community, it was easy to adjust and dedicate our elective time to some fun, school-wide activities focusing on soft skills. This week, we focused on respect. Although this is something we all work on daily with our students, it was nice to tackle it with multi-age groups in a fun way. Students participated in an escape room before discussing why respect is important as well as what it looks like and sounds like. Being respectful is such an important skill, and I am thankful that we are able to focus on the whole child and help build the character of each of our students. Celebrating Someone Special: Ms. Tabitha DayAnd finally, we celebrated Ms. Tabitha on Friday. As most of you know, Tabitha will be starting a new job and this was her last week working at PNA. Although she is no longer part of the PNA staff, she will remain part of the PNA community and will visit and attend special events. Tabitha was an important part of a lot of our lives: students, parents, and staff. What better way to say farewell than to celebrate her and show our appreciation for all that she did for us? The students of course enjoyed celebrating Ms. Tabitha because they love her dearly, but I think it was also important for them to do so. I think it is important for them to know that we make time to say thank you and to celebrate people that pour into our lives and support us, as Ms. Tabitha did daily. It was yet another moment that highlighted the amazing community we strive to build at PNA, and the people that help build that community. Thank YOU for being part of that.
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Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
April 2021
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