ECOLECLAIRE FONTAINE MAY.II 2018
features: IN THE GARDEN
OCEANS ALIVE 2018/ Volume2 / Issue 6
CO N T EN T S Ecole Claire Fontaine
p2 Contents
p14 Our Work
p3 Calendar
p16 Let's Move!
p4 Bir thdays
p18 Philosopher s
p5 Honeysuckle
p20 Creative Camp
p6 Pep'In!
p22 WAVE Winner s
p8 In the Garden
p26 Summer Camp!
p10 Ocean's Day
p28 Ads with ECF
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CA L EN D A R May 2018 2nd edition
Fr i, 1 June Gr union Run, Venice Breakwater 11:15pm Thu, 7 June Bir thday Celebr ations, children only Fr i, 8 June World Oceans Day Fr i, 15 June Abbot Kinney Gr aduation 4:30- 7pm Sun, 17 June Father 's Day Thu, 21 June Camper Campus Gr aduation 10:30- 1pm Fr i, 29 June Last Day of School 3 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
BI RT H D AYS
Joyeux anniversaire
Harley Elvis
Kai Lavender Maxwell Pearl
Remy Serena Zenara
Children and teacher s will celebr ate June bir thdays on the 7th by shar ing songs & school made treats. 4 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
JUNE BIRTH FLOWER The Honeysuckle
One
may know of the
Rose as the June month flower, and cer tainly beautiful, it less accessible to children due to the thor ns.
bir th while is far our poky
Many mor nings find our children joining the birds in sampling dew from the center of the Honeysuckle. The Far mer 's Almanac tells us that this flower is a "strong symbol for the everlasting bonds of love."
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sensor y activity with recycled paper, white play- dough, pumpkin seeds, round green Young children (ages 16 months - 2 years) and their caregivers leaves and str ips of dr y come together for afternoons on the Camper Campus. rhubarb. By touching and manipulating This month Pep?Ins The fir st taste of those mater ials, the were introduced to children created Ecole Claire Fontaine insects. They models of insects in often comes to our discovered a white bug their quasi- natur al students through the cr awling inside a big, environments. Pep?In Progr am. red flower. "The Caregiver s and their Mar ina explained, "It youngster s were char ges join our fascinated!" says ECF was a joyful exper ience teacher s and Camper teacher Mar ina Ramey. for parents and their kids for ar t, children to be a par t of The session camar ader ie, dancing, our planet, 'Chez nous, connected to May? s food, French, guitar, au Camper Campus.' Bug Fair at the Natur al playing and singing. Absolutely engaging for Histor y Museum. our Pep?Ins!" It is a beautiful way to Later, the children spend an after noon. See more here. spent Ar t Class in a
PLANTING SEEDS IN PEP'IN
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Singing along with the guitar to the songs of ECF
Developing fine-motor skills for special creations
Sensory Activities: tactile manipulation with clay and seeds 7 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
IN THE GARDEN We live among caterpillars, butterflies, bright flowers and green, green plants of spice and wonder.
center s of leaves are "Where are the munched on. Some of caterpillars? I am the leaves are rolled up finding the caterpillars!" with the sticky silk of a We see holes in the cater pillar 's home delicious leaves. Tiny inside. holes, big holes, The fer ns love to have medium holes, small water on their fronds. holes. How many holes The children clean the can one cater pillar sandy dust from leaves make? Some can chew to keep the plants through an entire green. Young garden. (And can even gardener s lear n that whistle, according to leaves der ive their Scientific American). pigment from
for photosynthesis. The children like to eat from the garden: lettuce, spicy mustard greens, chives that taste like thin, green onions, str awber r ies that are sweet - wait until they are red! They eat mint and Thyme ? "I love this spice," ? and loads of Rosemar y, nibbling on the green, soft needles.
We notice that We deduce that there chlorophyll and should tomato leaves smell are cater pillar s be clear so that they like the fr uit to come. because the edges and may use the sunlight 8 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
Gather ing around a lar ge ter r acotta pot, the young gardener s note that the over flowing oregano is absolutely delicious. They eat it alone, but it can also be used to spice up tomato sauce or to create an interesting tea.
moment near honeysuckle that has fallen. Taking a taste he says, "I?m sucking the dew, just like with the nasturtiums at school."
"I want more lettuce!" of the Mustard Greens and Chard they nibble while languidly strolling with the wagon of pots and soil.
To keep away at least some of the pests we tur n to companion planting, adding basil to the garden to help repel aphids, aspar agus beetles, mites, flies, mosquitoes and tomato hor nwor ms.
In the mor ning a child who has lear ned to be a lifelong gardener stops for a
Through our continual study of nature, the children look to what is in
season around us. The violet- hued Jacar anda Tree is blooming! ECF's multi- faceted teacher, Mar ina, brought in a tree for the children to smell and touch. It is the "Blue Jacar anda" that is ubiquitous here, providing much needed shade. They bloom twice a year, once in spr ing (relieving some May Grey & June Gloom), and again in autumn. The Jacar anda Tree was nominated as the most unusual in 1933. 9 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
WORLD OCEANS DAY Coming soon: The Grunion Run June 1st, 11:15pm and Beach Cleanup June 16th 10am - noon.
Ecole
Claire Fontaine students are the stewards of our seas, living next to the world's lar gest they find awaiting them a lifetime of discover ies.
Bones from the sea
In honor of our seas on "World Ocean's Day" Ecole Claire students wrote Love Letters to the Sea. We continue to tr y to end the use of plastic - no thank you to str aws. Catch the Gr union Run on LA beaches, Fr iday, June 1st, beginning at 11:15pm. Meet ECF Oceanogr aphy teacher, Tim Rudnick at the Venice Breakwater. On Saturday mor ning, June 16th, gather at the Venice Beach Pier at Washington to join Heal the Bay's "Nothin' But Sand Beach Cleanup." 10 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
Drawing fish
So many sea creatures about which to learn
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What Do You Love About the Ocean? Love Letters written in Oceanography Class
I love dolphins. I love all sor ts of animals like cr abs. You can swim in it. You can play in it. You can swim in it with your dad. I can swim with my mom. You can sur f in waves. You can collect shells. I love to make sand castles. I love the under water fish. I love to walk in the sand. I love the way my feet feel. I love the ocean because it is fun and beautiful. I love the fish. I love the seaweed. I love it because it has beautiful sharks. I love the dolphins because they splash. I love seals because they are so cute.
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Love Letters to the Sea from the children for World Ocean's Day
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Our Work
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4 WEBSITE.COM/MAGAZINE
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LET'S MOVE! Children imitate the poses of nature ? a cat, dog, lion, mountain, scor pion, snake, swan, or tree. By taking on their qualities, the youngest yogis are able to enter the life of another, developing compassion and empathy. Yoga is as impor tant for children as for adults to exercise and relieve the stress of daily life. As they connect with their 16 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
Yoga & Dance allow time to energize & relax
own bodies, and the natur al world around them, children are able to relax. They lear n to sense their own bodies as self- esteem grows.
Thur sday mor nings at the Abbot Kinney Campus with ECF pr incipal teacher s. Read more about teaching yoga to children in the Yoga Journal.
ECF?s yoga teacher s listen to the wisdom of the children while engaging in the pr actice that invites their hear ts to bask in the sunlight.
With ECF teacher Elodie Gitilis, the children pr actice their body- stretching dance moves. "It's good for them to know what their bodies can do."
Yoga class meets at the Camper Campus with studio teacher Chr istiane Miletic on Wednesdays, and on
Moving to hip- hop and pop music, their sense of rhythm deepens. Dance gives r ange to emotions.
The beauty of it all
Swaying to the music
Parachute jump formation 17 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
THE PHILOSOPHERS
What does it mean to graduate, to complete a task, to move on... exciting, and mixes In Philosophy with awareness of Class, as in Chess, change for the older students problem children. solve, dream of new I will go to a new outcomes and bur n school. Sad, happy. br ightly with their spir it of cur iosity. Adventure! The question is posed, "What does it mean for you to graduate?" The children are enthusiastically dancing and singing with their fr iends in pur suit of a beautiful gr aduation The prospect of movement is per for mance.
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I'm going to the Big Campus! I'm getting a new backpack. I will eat my lunch and play. I will friends.
miss
There are everywhere.
my
friends
Strategizing develops concentration and memory
Working in teams, students celebrate wins
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KIDS CREATIVE CAMP Venice Art Crawl comes alive with Ecole Claire Fontaine students
Being out
and about in Venice is par t of life as an Ecole Claire Fontaine student.
Oceanar ium displayed objects of the sea and music teacher Sandr a Sandia led dr umming.
By taking the children beyond the gates of the school, their voices are heard, smiles seen, and their presence as an integr al par t of the lar ger community begins to be acknowledged on a deeper level.
Ar tists drew a giant Mandala on the sidewalk out front while the younger crowd filled in the spaces with vibr ant chalk. A car nival- type tossing game was played for the pr ize of a book or a card.
For the Ar t Cr awl in May, students joined the action at the Venice Public Libr ar y. ECF studio teacher Tim from The Venice 20 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
For hand painting children banded together to create a group master piece. Dur ing the after noon stor y time students reclined among the stacks.
There are many reasons to love your public libr ar y, and hosting a stop along the Ar t Cr awl is a great one. The Abbot Kinney Memor ial Br anch, sitting in a tr iangle of tr affic, is an inter section of our cultur al diver sity. Cur iosity, knowledge and liter acy are nur tured for all who enter this eclectic, shared space. The Summer Reading Challenge begins June 4th. 501 Venice Boulevard Open Monday through Saturday.
Chalk and colors on a sidewalk Mandala Group work with hand paint
Story time at Venice Public Library 21 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
THE WAVE AWARDS Ecole
Claire Fontaine's school director, JoĂŤlle Dumas, chair s the Venice Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, created in 2010. Her speech from the WAVE Awards is excer pted below. "The mission of the Committee is to open the door of education beyond the school gates by elevating the 22 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
status of students and educator s alike. The process of lear ning becomes dynamic in the eyes of the community. "The VCCEC has taken the position of an architect of br idges between educational institutions; to connect and interconnect with one another and with a var iety of businesses
in our community. "The VCCEC promotes thr iving and invigor ating lear ning environments for our children to integr ate into our community. "Among our favor ite annual events, we celebr ate the 2018 WAVE Awards where we give teacher s the recognition they deser ve.
On May 10th Ecole Claire Fontaine honored its 2018 WAVE Awards winner, Pierrette Shamee.
"Voted for by their peer s for their Adaptive Lear ning and Global Thinking, this year ?s winner s inspire students and colleagues alike. "Each year the WAVE awards promote innovative themes that address global educational challenges, aiming to acceler ate community lear ning. "I commend you all for being anchor s in this community built on the contagious spir it of reciprocity, symbolizing hope for our collective future. "Through
this
diligent work the par tner ship of the community is enhanced around the presence of children. Seen, heard and respected, they become the catalyst in fulfilling Abbot Kinney?s vision of Venice as a mecca of ar t, culture and education. "Foster ing under standing, inspir ing with pur pose and meaning, and providing skills and behavior s, creates a more equal, healthy, inclusive and positive future. "We are the innovator s in equality
and quality education. "I encour age us all to take our Venice educational initiative to the next level as we spend the evening championing those who guide our students toward greatness, and for tify the role of children in our community, extending their voices as par t of the lar ger conver sation as adaptive lear ner s and global thinker s. Thank you." In attendance were Los Angeles School Distr ict Board Member, Nick Melvoin and LA City Council Member, Mike Bonin. 23 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
excer pted below.
OUR
"Pier rette speaks and wr ites four languages Ar abic, English, French, and the world's oldest, Ar amaic.
WAVE WINNER
"With ECF for seven year s, Pier rette is aware of her affect on the children ever y moment of the day. Always smiling, whether singing, reading aloud, staging puppet shows, cr afting with paints, scissor s, glue, dr ied flower s or plants, Pier rette allows the children to pr actice their skills while finding their creativity.
PIERRETTE SHAMEE
The
winner from Ecole Claire Fontaine for the 2018 WAVE Awards was announced at May 10th's Oscar- like awards ceremony. Introduced by her colleague, Solange Kamgaing, ECF's winner exemplifies an WAVE awardee as an inspir ation to both students and colleagues alike. Pier rette Shamee is a teacher at Ecole Claire Fontaine's Camper Campus, teaching Ar abic to the older students at Abbot Kinney. Her introduction is 24 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
"Her empathy for the emotional life of the children is palpable and lovely. She br ings a remarkably creative and inter national spir it to the garden of the Red carpet photos courtesy of school. Venice Paparrazzi
"Br avo Pier rette, you are an Adaptive Lear ner and a Global Thinker."
Go Ecole Claire Fontaine!
Awards signed by Congressional Representative Ted Lieu
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Swinging in the Rain!
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A D V ERT I SE W IT H O U R CO M M U N I T Y
Olivia Fougeirol "On Set" book
of photogr aphy - presented at Keystone Ar t Space, June 9 6- 10pm
VENICE FLYING CAROUSEL & FANTASTIC BIKE MACHINES BIKE POW ERED Venice Themed
DONATE, PARTICIPATE
Or ganic Produce Boxes
Adopt a Carousel
Weekly Deliver y 28 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
Creative Music School with ECF Teacher s Freder ic Michot & Maïwenn Ekoué
Piano, Guitar, Dr ums Ukulele & Recorder
Dance Sundays with Debbie Allen & Fr iends
HEAL THE BAY Vogue Style on June 10th 5- 7pm
BEACH CLEANUP June 16th 10- 12 Venice Pier 29 ECOLE CLAIRE FONTAINE
Howverymuch wehavelearned. ©EcoleClaireFontaine2018