S M O
2/28/2020
SMO? What is that? Standard Mode of Operation For the PNA Middle School in February, SMO means being prepared for class, doing homework, participating in sports or other extracurricular activities, recycling chores for the school, taking math tests, playing badminton and volleyball, reading Spanish story books to younger grades, creating stamps to make a tablecloth/napkin set for the auction, painting and creating designs for a wood block wall hanging auction project, planning, writing and adding to the spring musical, emceeing the science party, running a Valentine fundraiser for Spring Trips, collecting 22 backpacks and hundreds other school supplies for inbound refugees to Anchorage, preparing and sharing work with parents at conferences, understanding the science behind cloning and other modern genetics, presenting understanding about the importance of animal pollinators, writing and revising essays, reading dystopian novels that connect science knowledge as well as political governance understanding, speaking Spanish and Swahili, dissecting flowers, exploring Asian regions and discussing global issues, entertaining parents at a Parent Lunch, playing “The Game” with Ms. Molly in Health, participating in an all school dance, learning about trait inheritance (genotypes and phenotypes), and just plain laughing like 12 - 14 year olds. The Standard Mode of Operation around here is exhausting, challenging, satisfying, and can actually be pretty fun.
Project Palooza
2/15/2020
PBL projects, auction projects, science projects, and Valentine’s Day projects kept our middle schoolers exceptionally busy this week. They were bustling with energy, partially because of the surge in daylight, but mostly because their learning has been hands-on and student-driven. It was an awesome week. Our social studies PBL project is centered on our driving question: “What can we (PNA) do to help and empower our Anchorage refugee community?” The students came up with two main ideas and action plans to guide each component. Part 1: Create and send welcome cards to every new refugee arriving to Anchorage in the month of February. In their cards, students shared tips and recommendations for living in Anchorage. Ranging from where to eat, find books, or go on a hike, each student shared what they love about Alaska and warmly welcomed our new community members. Part 2: Facilitate a school supplies drive for incoming school-aged refugees to ensure they have everything they need to get a good education. Our students made posters, advertising our initiative. The 6th grade class visited every classroom to promote this idea to the rest of the student body. Practicing their public speaking and encouraging others to contribute to their goal, our students rocked it. Next week we will sort through all the items we’ve collected and arrange them to be delivered. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far! We’ve also started dedicating time to our auction projects. The 7/8 graders are focusing their project on Costa-Rica inspired art. The 6th graders have been enjoying painting the blocks for their wood mosaic. Countless thanks to the parent volunteers orchestrating these projects. We all cannot wait to see the finished products. As a follow-up to our parent lunch, your children are blossoming! Mating rituals, dances, and selection has begun! Take a peek at your creations. Our young scientists are becoming geneticists and they’re thriving. Per tradition, the 7/8 graders dedicated much of their free time this week to promoting kindness and love, just in time for Valentine’s Day. They used their organizational and business skills to run a school store, selling homemade cards and baked goods, as well as singing telegrams and hugs. Their delivery yesterday brought lots of laughter and moments to remember. Our classrooms were messy, our hands were dirty, and our hearts were full-- the sign of a successful week. Project based learning is a core component to PNA, this week was the epitome of that. In Charge of Our Own Destiny
2/7/2020
Empowering students means... empowering them! We can’t just give them lip service. They want to be able to have some control over their lives and to be able to make changes that improve their world. This is not the same as giving students what they want all the time. In Middle School at PNA, students have a voice; and they are expected to use it as long as they are being respectful and staying within the guidelines they created at the beginning of the year. Students must also provide evidence in support of what they want and request changes in a reasonable, timely, and organized way. This week alone, Middle Schoolers voiced ideas on creating an ideal middle school, and have been given green light to “embellish” the framework of the musical they will be performing in April. While these topics are ongoing and expect real change based on student input, the 7/8 class has been working to change the dress attire for field trips. On Thursday, they presented their research on this subject to the Head of School and PNA Board of Trustees President arguing to change this special dress attire to a simpler uniform for field trips - something similar to everyday dress code. While a simpler dress attire for field trips is what they all wanted to start off, they were split into two groups to write and deliver arguments for both sides of this coin. In this process, they did extensive research into dress code policies nationwide and interviewed teachers while also conducting a survey with students, teachers, and parents here at PNA. By arguing to keep dress attire the way it is (clearly against what they want)each side clearly understood the perspective of both sides. (They also were very challenged to find information on unique dress attire for field trips outside of the everyday dress code.) After they debated these arguments in front of the 6th grade, these Middle Schoolers set out to write one argument. They selected the top arguments for each side and divided themselves up to write one focused letter they could deliver to those who could actually enable the change. This letter had to include, and then refute, the counter arguments as well as provide strong evidence in support of their arguments. When these courageous, empowered Middle Schoolers presented their findings this week (the culmination of a month of work), they were received openly, but challenged to produce more evidence in support of the change by the PNA Community. Encouraged, but pressed to find out more, these students did not feel rejected; instead they were energized to do the work needed. They were not just handed what they wanted. They know they need to do more work and are excited to do it! This is empowerment. Showing students that what they say matters, and that change can happen, but it will take work, and compromise, and thinking, and communicating, and evidence, and analysis, and so many other skills. This is PNA: in charge of its own destiny. Other Happenings...Responsive Classroom
2/1/2020
PNA uses the Responsive Classroom approach. As we strive to teach our students to become exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity; we support them in more than just their academics. Here are some examples of shared practices used K-8:
These practices are extremely important to our middle school students. 11-14 year olds, developmentally, are often in a whirlwind. They are experiencing more obvious physical, sensory, and motor development changes. However, it’s their cognitive and emotional/social developmental changes that are more complex and impactful throughout our day-to-day learning. Responsive Classroom practices ensure we are helping guide our students through a challenging and overwhelming time in their lives. Students are beginning to sort out their own feelings about the world around them—sometimes unsure what they think or where they fit in. This emotional confusion can lead to friendships being tested and boundaries being pushed. In our school bubble, we do our best to talk through our problems and interact with each other respectfully, just as we do in the real world. Our students have already showed immense growth since the beginning of the year, as students and as people. Every lesson they learn and experience they overcome, helps them become better people. We also use educational practices specifically geared toward Middle School:
Enjoy some of the photos we’ve taken during Advisory and Morning Meetings throughout the year: To learn more about Responsive Classroom, visit:
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/about/principles-practices/ |
Sarah Mariner
Ms. Mariner earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, and was awarded a teaching certificate through the University of Alaska, Southeast. Her varied background includes being an environmental education field instructor in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. She also served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Archives
April 2021
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