The structure joins at least one student from each grade, Pre-K through eighth grade and provides opportunities for development critical mentoring, leadership, and cooperation skills. It works successfully to welcome younger and new students to St. Peter School, and provides valuable reassurance to let them know they are members of a cohesive scholastic family. During the first Student Families gathering of the school year, the families made cards and recorded a video for the students in St. Peter School’s sister school, Notre Dame d’Altagrace in Haiti. The cards have been packaged with school and medical supplies that were collected from student donations, and mailed to Notre Dame d’Altagrace.
Screenagers Documentary For your information, St. Peter School faculty and fifth through eighth graders will be watching the documentary “Screenagers” and engaging in a discussion about how tech time impacts kids’ development and what solutions can empower kids to best balance navigation of the digital world and the challenges of parenting in the digital world. A screening and facilitated discussion will also be held for parents on November 4 in the St. Peter Church Parish Hall. More about the documentary can be found at: www.screenagersmovie.com/about/. St. Peter School, 422 Third St.SE. Reach them at 202-544-1618 or learn more at www. stpeterschooldc.org. –Tony Militello.
Friends Community School An Interdisciplinary Approach to Chasing Vermeer Fifth-grade students at Friends Community School have been studying the book Chasing Vermeer through art, geography, history, science and code solving. The book is mystery novel centering on an art theft. Students learned about Delft in the Netherlands and Chicago, where the book is set, as well as Vermeer and other Dutch artists. They studied contemporary mysteries and learned about the camera obscura and its role in creating art. To appreciate the significance of the theft in
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St. Anselm’s Students enjoy House Day.
the story, “students need to understand the importance of the artist’s work, the time period in which he lived, geographical locations and historical events,” said Lisa Woodward, a language arts teacher. “This adds value to the story and broadens the student’s knowledge of the work.” Woodward selected Chasing Vermeer for its “clever use of figurative language and the way the author wove elements of foreshadowing, cliffhangers and red herrings.” Friends Community School, 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD. Log on to www.friendscommunityschool.org for more information. –Eric Rosenthal.
St Anselm’s Abbey School House Day One of the most powerful ways to motivate boys is to enable them to join a group which calls for their allegiance and loyalty. At St. Anselm’s Abbey School, that principle is put into action every year during House Day. There are four houses at the school: Main, Moore, Alban, and Austin. The houses are comprised of students from every grade with every boy drafted into a house. They then compete against each other all year in various intramural activities. At the end of the year, a cup is awarded to the house with the most points. Having started in 2006, this year’s House Day kicked-off with older boys drafting the new boys. The look of anticipation on each face was raw and visible. Every boy who comes to St. Anselm’s remembers which house they belong to and those friendships help them find a base from which they can grow and mature. St. Anselm’s Abbey School located at 4501 South Dakota Avenue. Find out more at www.saintanselms.org.