Circling the Hill: The Magic of Collaboration

What do you get when middle schoolers mastering stop-motion animation join forces with prefirst students to tell stories about their beloved classroom pets, two stuffed piglets named Lucy Love and Peaches? A joyful mix of creativity, laughter, and learning for everyone involved.

This cross-divisional collaboration took place during Academy, a two-week immersive program where Middle School students dive into hands-on, meaningful explorations. In Magic Motion, fifth through eighth graders discovered the magic of storytelling through stop-motion animation, sound design, and visual sequencing, much like claymation.

The younger students brainstormed storylines and created visual maps of their ideas, while their older partners brought those stories to life through photography, editing, and sound. Together, the teams transformed classroom creativity into short animated films.

"Our Eagles giggled with joy when they saw the finished videos," says prefirst teacher Tricia Crnilovic. "The project not only reinforced what we learned and practiced all year, but seeing these students—younger and older—build relationships together through thinking, planning, creating, and producing special projects, was everything we hoped for."

Middle School teacher Danbi Walman, who co-led Magic Motion with her colleague, Ann Whitman, adds, "This initiative not only fostered creativity but also strengthened the bond between the younger and older students."