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.

Book Fair Kicks Off with the Faculty Tea

On Monday afternoon, the annual EMS Book Fair opened its doors with the traditional Faculty Tea.  Hosted by the Parents Association, this wonderful gathering gives faculty members a chance to preview the offerings while enjoying delightful treats.  Thank you, PA!

Enjoying the Treats

Dana Elizabeth Hards at her First Book Fair

Little School Librarian, Sandy Rosoff, Making her Selections

Carolyn Milne and Michele Bower

Teacher of the 3's, Patricia Eickelberg, Enjoying the Afternoon

New Brook Playground

Finished just before last week's snow storm, the new Brook Playground is open for business.  A large branch just missed damaging it by a few inches!  Next photos will have children playing on it.

Trustee Enrichment Day at NJAIS

Independent Schools, such as Elisabeth Morrow, belong to a number of organizations, providing resources and support in all areas, from curriculum to development, from business operations to technology and all points in between.  The primary memberships for us are the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS).

 

This past Sunday, four trustees, Aaron Cooper and I attended the NJAIS Trustee Enrichment Day, held at Princeton Day School.  The keynote speaker was Pat Bassett, the President of NAIS.  His topic:  “Trends:  The Future of Schools and Schools of the Future.”  One of the points in his information-filled presentation underscored the importance of the “5 + 1 C's -- character, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, and now, also, cosmopolitanism (i.e., cross-cultural and global competency) in the preparation of today’s students as they face an ever-changing tomorrow.
 -- David Lowry

STUDENT COUNCIL PLANTS APPLE TREES

On Thursday, November 3, President of the Student Council, Carter, and 5th, 6th, and 7th grade representatives planted two apple trees near the Morrow House playground. Ezra, Dylan, Pantelis and Morrow House Advisory Coordinator, Joann DiGi, helped "plant" Carter's idea of adding more apple trees to the campus to "help nurture and grow strong, just as we need to do with one another."

posted by J. DiGi, photos by C.Fiocchi