Respect and Responsibility Highlights

Students Share Their Talents

On Wednesday, members of the middle school chorus and orchestra gave a performance at the Southeaster Senior Center for Independent Living in Englewood.  From the smiles on their faces, the clapping of hands, and the generous applause, it was clear that our students brought holiday cheer to many people!  It is a pleasure to see our students give of their talents to others!

Two selections below:

Holiday Traditions Shared In Kindergarten

Bringing people together by sharing traditions and customs is one of the many ways EMS instills a respect and understanding of people in children.  We loved having our families share their special holiday traditions with us in school.  Happy Holidays to all!

Weaving in Kindergarten

The children in Kindergarten have been engaged in all sorts of weaving projects and their excitement and enthusiasm for this art form has been wonderful to observe. The children have made belts, necklaces, headbands and other accessories that they proudly wear and gift to their friends. 


The planning and sharing of ideas in design are all a part of the process, and the inspiration they have gained watching each another create designs from simple materials is what collaborative learning is all about.   


Weaving is also a great math activity for all children; particularly for our youngest students. Patterns and designs are practiced and successfully executed as the artist works on moving the materials over and under one another to create beautiful artwork. Concentration, fine motor control, planning and sharing of strategies and skills are all a part of being able to weave.  The satisfaction of producing something real is priceless. The children enjoy every step of the process and are very proud of their end products.

  

School Store News: VV Ties are in!

Vineyard Vines School ties have arrived just in time for the holiday concert.  Youth ties are $40 and adult ties are $45.  Supplies are limited.  If you are interested in purchasing a tie, please contact any one of the following school store chairs:  
Courtney Miglietta (courtneymyers@aol.com)
Fran Rowbottom (franmrow@me.com)
Anne Ryoo (anne.ryoo@gmail.com).

Two Unusual Signs of the Season

Miniature snowmen on the stairs to Little School

The skeleton outside the door to Mrs. Milne's science room.

Middle School Respect and Responsibility Rally

The four C's of Consideration, Cooperation, Courtesy and Compassion are core values of The Elisabeth Morrow School. On Friday, December 9,  middle school students held a rally to promote "Respect and Responsibility."  Eighth grade students Carter Hirschhorn and Joseph DeRose were emcees and student leaders from every grade led the school in cheers, songs and activities. One of the activities was the creation of a puzzle that once assembled spelled "Respect and Responsibility," the theme of this rally.  Each puzzle piece was signed by a middle school student. As well, teachers and students wore the school colors of green and white as a demonstration of unity and school spirit .

~Mrs. DiGirolamo & Mrs. DiPaolo, Photos: Mrs. Fiocchi

What do we want? Teamwork!

How do 35 children of different ages and ideas work together to create a spectacular end product?  The answer is simple, teamwork.  Our 4 Year Olds enjoyed spending an afternoon with their sixth grade buddies where math, science, writing, collaboration and joy all took place in a well planned activity.   Above you will notice holiday cards being carefully created while others measured, poured and followed the directions of the assembly line waiting their turn to add ingredients to make what will surely be a very special holiday treat.  Having opportunities to work together and share is one of the hallmarks here at EMS.

Miss Evans' Reading Group Learns about Seeing Eye Dogs

"In keeping with the spirit of compassion, reading group read the book Buddy, The First See and Eye Dog by Eva Moore.  The students learned that people who cannot see can work and earn a living, and can live wonderful. complete, and happy lives, just as sighted people do.  They learned the importance of service dogs and the role they play in helping people who cannot see.  
     The students were so touched by the story, they wrote a letter to The Seeing Eye, Inc. (located in Morristown, N.J.) telling them how much they learned, and asking them to send more information about their guide dogs, and if was possible to have a visit from one of their guide dogs.  The Seeing Eye Inc. wrote back, and the students were ecstatic!" 
     ~Miss Evans

Woodworking in Kindergarten

Woodworking in Kindergarten has many advantages for any growing child. There is all sorts of learning going on as the children work with wood and tools. Using tools is real work and children are motivated to use them properly. They quickly develop the self- control and responsible habits necessary to participate in this high- interest activity. In addition to the obvious lessons of responsibility, respecting materials and safety there are other advantages to wood working for young children. At this age children are developing a sense of personal and environmental space. Woodworking helps ground their bodies as they create big motions while sanding and sawing and strengthens large muscles in their trunks and arms which are all related to HANDWRITING. Posture, pencil grip and even eye-hand coordination are practiced as they move their arms and hammer nails into wood. Learning to successfully use real tools builds self esteem and develops an appreciation for the process of how things are created; joyful learning is what Kindergarten is all about!

Kindergarten Blasts into Space Research

Kindergarten students have been having a blast learning about outer space!  They read fiction and nonfiction  book including a story about the first walk on the moon.  They were so excited to learn that Buzz Aldrin visited our school in 2005.  It was fun to step in the space boot prints in our courtyard that he left for us to remember him by.  Next, the children each chose the moon, a star or a planet to research and replicate.  Building their own space ship in our dramatic play area with hollow blocks was such an exciting and memorable experience for the class.  They added details such as computers, gauges, food and fuel before officially counting down for outer space!  10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 BLAST OFF Kindergarten on your adventures in space.

THANKSGIVING WRITINGS

At intervals during the middle school Thanksgiving Program, students read pieces created for the occasion.  So often it is the songs and instrumentals that stand out in these kinds of programs.  It is easy to forget some of the wonderful creations, made with words, not notes, that our students share.

Here is a photo of the contributors.

Click here for their creations.

Third Grade Lenni Lenape Assembly

This afternoon, the third grades presented the Lenni Lenape Assembly, a culmination of their study of these native Americans, also known as the Delaware Indians.  The assembly began with a slide show of their field trip to Waterloo Village as well as photos from their clan naming ceremony that took place in the EMS woods. These people shared territory, but divided it by clans.

The video clip below gives a few, brief highlights of the assembly.  It hardly does justice to the excellent performances that were lively and well-rehearsed.

Thank you, third graders and your teachers, for a great afternoon!

David Lowry

7th & 8th Grade Elective: Basic First Aid and Health Promotion

Just before the Thanksgiving Break, Fire Inspector James Leclercq came to the class to teach important rescue skills.

Fire Inspector Leclercq demonstrates the Heimlich

Maneuver

Infant resuscitation skills practiced under the watchful eyes of the Fire Inspector.

Practicing the Heimlich Maneuver on an infant.

Two students practice mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on mannequins.

Kindergarten All Give Thanks Together

Today all three Kindergarten Classes gathered together in the halls of Chilton House to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast!  In what has become a tradition, the Kindergarten children celebrate this special day together, building a sense of community among the entire grade.

Each  class made one dish to share for the feast and parents generously provided the rest. Each child drew a name from a hat, the name of another Kindergartner who could have been from any of the three classes. That child then interviewed the friend to gather personal information to be used in making placemats for gifts.   Each kindergartner then worked on the computer designing their gifts thus officially opening the holiday season with the experience of creating a beautiful gift for a friend!

LA SEMAINE DU FRANÇAIS

Last week, Morrow House celebrated La Semaine du Français, (National French Week), which is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. 

French students inspired others to learn more about the French language and culture.  French 7 and 8 classes experienced la Cuisine Française, under the direction of Chef Dino Buzzerio, making crêpes with homemade raspberry sauce, honey whipped cream, and French lentil salad.

Through sharing songs and creating posters and signs, French 5 and French 6 students expressed their enthusiasm for the French language and culture.  One of the students entered the classroom saying, “This is the best week ever!”

One of the highlights of the week was participating in a collective game of  Simon Dit (Simon Says) in the theater.  Commands were given in the French language for all to learn or review the parts of the body.  The week wrapped up as the students dressed up à la française, with bérets, scarves, and the colors of the French flag, bleu, blanc and rouge.

Madame DiGi and Madame Platter were proud of how magnifique their students performed, as French was promoted throughout the Morrow House community. The annual Book Fair even sold chocolate croissants! Students learned why French will be a tremendous asset for their future.

Merci!

8th grade French students

Raspberry Sauce in the Making

Crepes Devoured

Poster Deployed

Simon Dit

Lyrics Available Online

For the Little School Holiday Concert (provided by Mrs. Spaeth)

Facebook click here.

New Head of School

The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Aaron C. Cooper as its seventh Head of School, effective July 1, 2012.  Read more here.

Friday Elective Art Class

The 7th and 8th grade Friday art elective class is working on stained glass windows. The students first learned how to design a stained glass window. They then created their own original designs. Using liquid lead (nontoxic) and glass paint on acrylic sheets, the students then began the process of making their stained glass windows. When finished, these pieces can be framed and hung in front of a window so the full effect of the piece can be appreciated.

: Hispanic Heritage Month Project

Earlier this month, the sixth grade Spanish students learned about the famous Spanish novel El Quijote. Through a short reading and guided research, students explored key facts about the author, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The students created posters with fun illustrations and captions to describe the two main characters:  Don Quijote, the legendary knight errant and his attendant, Sancho Panza. Students used their verbal skills to talk about the characters in Spanish.

Docendo discitur: "By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn."

On November 4, while EMS was holding parent-teacher conferences, something else was happening.  Twenty-four Latin teachers from NJ, NY, PA, and CT gathered in the Morrow House Music Room for a workshop entitled, "Latin for 2011." The workshop was cosponsored by The Ascanius Youth Classics Institute, an organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge of Latin, Greek, and the Greco-Roman world. Matthew Webb, Executive Director of Ascanius, presented fresh and innovative ideas for the teaching of Latin to middle-school students and explored new, engaging classroom activities that focused on reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and translation. The workshop participants were eager and enthusiastic, and everyone loved the hands-on, fast-paced approach that Matthew brought to the workshop. The teachers came away with some exciting possibilities for this year's curricula, including learning games, kinesthetic activities, listening and speaking activities, and multimedia and technology-based exercises. 

Thank You!

Adrienne and Hanita

We extend a huge "thank you" to Hanita Walia and Adrienne Anderson for their hard work and talent in co-chairing this year's Book Fair.  We thank the army of volunteers who worked tirelessly and with such good cheer over the past three days. The Book Fair is a tradition of longstanding here, and it is a pleasure to see our students with books in this digital age!

Noted Authors Visit the 2011 Book Fair

Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas visit the 3-yr-olds and Pre-K.

Dr. Day Talked about her latest book at last night's reception.

Author Todd Strasser talks to students in Morrow House

From the Book Fair...

Pre-K through 4th grade were delighted by Tedd Arnold's visit today. Later, the author had a chance to sign some of his books.