Phoenix Press
WeBring News From FCS Lower School
The Light of the Lab
By Nora-SimoneThorne,PhoebeDavidson and Avery Lewis
It'snew,it'sbold,it's? the Light Lab,our new makerspace! It isaplace for kidsto build,learn and experience the world of creativity.It opened in October 2016 and all classes,gradesN-5,can accessit.Here are some projectsthe classesare doing.
KBisstudying the rainforest and each kid isstudying their own individual animal.They made arainforest mural with their animalson it.5Ahelped their KBbook buddiesmake asound pad in acoding app. The sound pad goesbehind each animal hanging on the mural.When somebody touchesthe animal,it playsarecording of the child talking about the animal!
Fifth grade ismaking ahydroponic tower and are growing plantswithout soil. They are using three chemicals,(NPK): Nitrogen, Phosphorus,and Potassium.The word hydroponic isaLatin word that meansworking water.The water from the bottom basin,comes up through apump that'sconnected to apipe which showersout water onto all the plants.
The Light Lab building hasfour studiosand you can do different thingsin each. There isadesign studio, fabrication studio,mediaand computing studio,and natural science studio. There isaalso agreenhouse. In the design studio you can design,create,invent and prototype projects.
We interviewed the light lab director,Brie Daley. ?I think the spacesare beautiful and spacious. I like how bright the roomsare.I also think the buildersdid agood job by keeping certain architectural features,?said Mrs. Daley. ?The fabrication studio ismy favorite because I feel so at home with all the tools. I like that I can grab almost anything I need in that room.?
We asked why she chose to work in the light lab.?I wasinterested in the job because it givesme the chance to work with all the gradesin the lower school,and to teach projectsthat incorporate different subjects and allowschildren to use fun tools," she replied.
If she could do one experiment in the light lab,it would be adesign thinking project. "I would love to help studentsdesign an invention that would make the world better,?she said.
ThisLight Lab isan amazing place for kidsto expresstheir true inner makers. It isjust one of the amazing spaceshere at Friends' Central Lower School.
Making aSwish and aSplash
By Jey Brown and An Huynh
Saturday Morning Basketball,an FCSprogram that runsfrom January to February, 9:00 am-12:00 pm,isachance for inexperienced and experienced athletesfrom 3rd - 5th grade to strengthen their skillsin the game of basketball. It isrun by Coach Latifah,Mr.Tozer,and the one,the only,Mr. Ovalle. The program hasbeen going on for over 40 yearsand isfilled with fun and excitement.It'sagreat chance to learn and to get some cardio while having fun. Coach Latifah isthe fitness/conditioning coach.She keepsyou moving while motivating you at the same time.Coach Tozer isthe skillscoach. He'll train you on your personal skillswhile keeping you encouraged.
Saturday Afternoon Swimming isdirected by Mrs.Tedesco and Nolan McGrann for inexperienced and experienced swimmers. It runs from 12:30-3:00 January to February,for kidsin 3rd - 5th grade. The program hasbeen going on for 17 years. It isaway to practice and learn how to swim and to work on different strokesand technique.Saturday Afternoon Swimming isareally fun way to swim with your friendsand to make new friends.
An Inside Look at 4B
By Benedict Tessler and Michael Crutchlow
Doesyour classhave agovernment?4Bdoes! Our classhasaclassPresident, aVice President,aclassRepresentative,and aTreasurer.
On November 8th,2016,which wasthe day of the country?selection,Ms. Tedesco announced the resultsof our classelection: Benedict isPresident,Michael is Vice President,Parker isTreasurer and Sarah isClassRep.
Here are some of the thingsour leadershave done: They brought in donutsto make everyone happy. They brought in paper and pencilsto make sure there were enough supplies. Our treasurer,who handlesour $5.00 budget that our teacher Ms. Tedesco gave us,bought usanew case of markers.
So there you have it. That?show 4Bworks. But we still have ateacher!
Photo Credit: Jey Brown
Fresh Food at the Lower School
By Savina Copas and Sevren Fahr
?I think thislunch program isbetter than other school?sbecause it providesfresh,organic foodsthat are grown here,?saysChef WadiyaGooden,our new FCSLower School Food Leader.Thisyear we have anew lunch program run by Chef Wadiyaand Assistant Chef Maggie Bertonazzi. Much of the food ishome grown from our lower school garden.
Chef Wadiyahasloved cooking since she wasyoung. She made her first full Thanksgiving dinner when she was13 yearsold.When she was14 she took her first job making waffle conesin an ice cream parlor.Asher love of cooking grew,she took on many professional jobs.Most recently,she trained chefsat the Vetri Foundation for Kids,teaching them how to cook healthy,deliciousfoodsfor schools. Now she is here cooking for uswith Maggie,an extraordinary baker who used to be acaterer and souschef.
We surveyed some of the kidswho get school lunch. Three of their favorite new lunchesare the grilled cheese sandwich and soup,the hamburger sliders,and the rosemary chicken.
?I love everything about the kitchen from the heat to the smells,?saysChef Wadiya. ?I hope everyone here enjoyseating the food I make asmuch asI enjoy making it.?
Bonus - a special recipestraight from thekitchen!
PUMPKIN BREAD
YIELD: 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS
1cups raw sugar
1/2 cup oil, safflower, sunflower, or melted unrefined coconut oil
3 large cage free, organic eggs
16-ounce solid pack pumpkin
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon each; ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, & ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup add-ins; walnuts, pecans, or pepitas
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9x5x3 inch loaf panswith parchment paper. Combine sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggsand pumpkin.Sift flour,spices,baking soda,baking powder,and salt into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 batches. Add in nuts,if desired. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comesout clean,about 1 hour. Transfer to racksand cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife,cut around edge of loaves. Turn loavesout onto racksand cool completely.
AFriend From the Past
By Sevren Fahr and JacquesPierre
On January 20th,John Woolman,aQuaker preacher and abolitionist from the 1700's,came back from the dead to tell FCS studentshislife story.He visited each classand started by sharing a story about when he wasalittle boy and he threw arock at agroup of birds.When he walked over,he discovered that he had taken a bird?slife.That moment really shaped him and who he wasto become.?Throughout my life,I never forgot that memory,?said Mr. Woolman (akaCraig Sellers!).
John wasan energetic kid who grew up on afarm in NJwith hisQuaker parentswho had immigrated to New Jersey from England. He worked every day and had avery hard life. When he wasabout 18 yearsold, he decided to leave the farm,become a tailor,and work asan abolitionist.Throughout hislife he tried to live simply.Hisroom wassimple with acandle and abed. He dressed simply and never wore brightly colored clothesor even clotheswith buttons.He used the money he made asatailor to travel and talk with slave ownersto try and convince them to free their slaves. John alwaysmade sure that nothing he used wasmade by slaves. He made sure the food he ate didn?t come from afarm where there were slaves,and that the clotheshe wore didn't have dyesin them that were made by slaves.
He later traveled to England and got very sick and died of smallpox.He wasburied in York,UK.
After telling hisstory,the 5th gradersasked very intelligent questions.It wasvery informative and interesting.
Photo Credit:Jey Brown