Reflections
Volume 7 Fall 2021
A Student Journal of the Arts
Rose M. Third Grade
This issue is dedicated to Mary Jo Wilmes, Visual Arts Teacher and Alumni Parent, who retired from full-time teaching at the end of the 2021 school year. Mary Jo’s obvious love for her craft and for her students’ work made her time at The College School constructive, meaningful, and profoundly impactful. As is the case with so many TCS faculty, Mary Jo has supported the school in more ways than we can count. Her classroom work has been an enormous part of her career, but her efforts have consistently extended beyond that world. For that, we are forever grateful.
Arts Journal Project Coordinator Leah Zueger Development & Communications Associate Cover Artwork: Maggie Q., Second Grade
Rose M. Third Grade
Nicole B. Eighth Grade Field Ecology
Ella M. Eighth Grade Charcoal
Eva L. Eighth Grade Charcoal
Conner M. Eighth Grade Field Ecology
Kiran H. Eighth Grade Field Ecology
My Lizard Brain Isaac H., Third Grade October 8, 2020
I
t is after noon here at LaBarque Creek. The weather is warm with a cool breeze. But what I’m going to talk about is the part of your brain that is like a lizard. Simple things that make you happy. Like, it makes me happy when my teachers are funny. It makes me happy when I see my waiting tent. It makes me happy when I am jumping and lunging for fish in the creek. It makes me happy when I make cairns.
Scarlet B. Seventh Grade Watercolor
My Journal Entry Noah S., Third Grade
T
oday is October 14, 2020, and it is a bit cloudy. I can hear the crickets chirping in the crisp green grass under the deep blue sky. It is getting chilly so I know winter is coming. I can’t see the moon. At least I was out to see the twinkling stars In the beautiful night.
Katie M. Kindergarten Oil Pastel
Aiden L. Kindergarten Acrylic Paint
Sawyer D. Kindergarten Acrylic Paint
Hailey W. Kindergarten Gouache
Katie M. Kindergarten Gouache
Nora H. Kindergarten Collage
Alexander H. Kindergarten Collage
Santi P. Second Grade Missouri Wildflowers
Bea T. Second Grade Missouri Wildflowers
Maggie Q. Second Grade Missouri Wildflowers
Cami C. Second Grade Missouri Wildflowers
Emerson A. Second Grade Missouri Wildflowers
Kaleo W. Second Grade Missouri Wildflowers
The Values of Urban Experiences at The College School By Julia B., Eighth Grade Students at The College School have been able to undergo Urban experiences since Third Grade. Students encounter a variety of urban environments and experiences that help them with personal development and help build realworld skills. As children grow up in a fast-paced world full of evolving communities and cities, realworld experiences are starting to become vital in child development. The College School is doing a service to children by not only giving them a typical classroom experience but also experiences in nature and urban environments. Students and teachers alike value The College School’s urban trips for many reasons. Nicole, an Eighth Grade student at The College School, says that The College School has allowed her to build her social skills and conquer her fear of making conversation with people in the real world. She was able to get her first independent restaurant and grocery store experiences on TCS trips, and as children begin to gain more freedom as they mature, those social skills are crucial for thriving in the real world. “I really like urban trips at TCS,” Nicole said. “I like how they have incorporated learning and fun, which I really like. Although we haven’t done too many, we still started to do them in Third Grade and on, and I have always enjoyed them.” Eva, also an Eighth Grade student at The College School, recalled an experience she had on a TCS urban-style trip. She was with a friend at a restaurant. Her friend has a fear of social interaction with cashiers, etc., so Eva offered to order for her friend. Eva discovered she had forgotten her money and had to run back to the school bus to get her wallet. She hurried out to the bus, and when she came back her friend not only ordered food for herself but also for Eva. Eva raved about that experience and how proud she was that the person overcame their fear by being put into that scenario. Sarah Gravemann, who is a Middle School teacher at The College School, has had years of experience with taking her students into Urban environments. “I think that students live in a real
world, and so only educating in the four walls of a classroom feels very much like it’s in a vacuum. By providing those urban experiences, students have the opportunity to interact with the world as it exists. Through the Now What curriculum (a class that Eighth Grade takes in their third trimester) for example, students learn a lot about the real-world experience and get a broader idea of humanity as a whole, and I think that’s a really important component in education.” Nowadays the importance of education in the real world is so important; even though children are growing up in a digital age, the dangers of not knowing how to act in real-world settings is still very prominent. There could be many things to be said about the grievance of children growing up in a sort of mental bubble, where they only perceive the world through their window, not knowing that their experiences are very different from others around them. Sarah has witnessed her students have an aha moment, when she has taken them to a daycare that serves people living in poverty. A man that works there has been able to talk to TCS students for multiple years about why he chose to open the daycare center. He spoke to the students about scenarios when families have to choose between going to work or taking care of their usually young children. Because parents need to pay the bills to take care of their families, that usually means that the parents have to leave their children to go to their jobs. Sarah says the importance of her students hearing that story is that it helps broaden their view of the world. Students in that scenario are able to step back and think beyond what they know the world to be. “We can get good at math and writing, but we also have to be good citizens of the world,” Sarah says. The College School’s urban trips are thought to be an important part of every TCS students’ career. Because students start going on urban trips from the young age of seven to eight years old, students get a large array of real life experiences that many staff and students alike believe will help students throughout their lives.
Eleanor G. Acorns Mixed Media
Conner L. Acorns Mixed Media
Ciara S. Acorns Mixed Media
Kate Q. Sixth Grade
English Sonnet Justin J., Sixth Grade
Explore the world for new tough adventures
Climb the highest mountain search for glory Getting stronger with every grand gesture Thinking and sharing old lifetime stories Gaining new friends through daring treks Resting and crafting a future untold Doing your best through every last speck Of life you have left through quests of bold So hold your future tight in whole respect Spreading the truth of love and kind giving Sharing and making a truthful effect On life and the greatest way of living Searching and working a full life in deft Making the most of the time you have left
Climbing Benny B., Sixth Grade
Foot stepping upon the rock
I am calm as I climb Looking up I take stock Steadily climbing I make good time Joyfully I go up so high Placing my feet in the right place As I get to the top I sigh I made it at a good pace.
Sabine A. Fifth Grade
Ella B. Fifth Grade
Cole B. Fifth Grade
5-6-21 First Grade Campout Caleb M., First Grade
T
hings we did today. we were packing up. we were about to go to lubarck to do the first camp we ever did with are firend’s. we did allot of things. we did rock cimbing. we did owl pelits. we did creck play. we did smor’s and a campfire. we did p.e. We did a midnight hike and soon it was late. it was time to sleep
Juniper C. Fifth Grade Olivia B. Fifth Grade
Sarah L. Fifth Grade
Ellie W. Fifth Grade
Worth G. Fifth Grade
0ever night 5-6-21 Theo M., First Grade
W
e whent rock climbing. we had to tie a rop to us then we climbed to the top. we whent to the creak. we cot one fish whith nets. we hiked up mowt baldy then we eat trail mix. we whent on a midnight hike. we found armadillo scals.
Carlos B. Second Grade
8,593 Miles Away From Home By Sarah L., Fifth Grade
I
have always known that my mom’s side of the family immigrated from the Philippines but it wasn’t until I interviewed my lola1, Amy, that I understood how much she sacrificed to immigrate to the United States with her family. My lola grew up in a poor family with three brothers in Manila. Life was tough, so she hoped to one day help her parents financially. Celadonio Domingo, my great grandfather, couldn’t afford to send his kids to college. He enjoyed the Filipino army because they paid for one child’s college education. Out of all the kids, Amy took this huge responsibility and attended Santo Tomas University to study nursing. This made her father very proud. After graduating, my lola married and had three kids. Working as a nurse allowed her to support her parents, brothers, and new family. In the 1980s, the United States needed more healthcare workers and looked to foreign countries for help. Without hesitation, my lola snatched up the opportunity and applied when they started recruiting in the Philippines. There were medical and English exams and interviews she needed to pass in order to practice as a nurse in the US. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, Amy was offered a nursing job in Brooklyn, New York. She felt like she had won the lottery. But she also felt scared about moving to a foreign country and sad about having to leave her family. With a heavy heart, she accepted the job because she could earn much more money in the US. From the beginning, Amy encountered many challenges. She had a hard time communicating because Americans talked too fast for her, and her accent made it hard for them to understand her. It felt like she was on a different planet. Everything was so strange in the US: the weather, food choices, and public transportation. Her new job did not start on a good note because she dealt with discrimination from some coworkers. Feeling alone and isolated, she cried every day during her first few months in America. This pushed her to work harder every day so that she could see her family again. Eventually, she made friends and found support among other Filippino nurses. After two years, she impressed the doctors, and they gave her a permanent job at the hospital. Because of this, my lola was allowed to bring her family to join her. The days of not being able to hug her children were finally over. Her heart finally felt complete when she saw her kids and husband once again. My lola is an inspiration to me because her sacrifices ensured that her children and extended family would have a good life. She paid for all of her nieces’ and nephews’ education which guarantees future generations will be taken care of as well. Her story shows her incredible strength and selflessness. 1
In the Philippines lola means grandma.
Scapes: After learning about the components of landscape drawings, students chose a real or fantasy environment to represent in an accordion-fold book or “scape.” Due to their design, the scapes are able to stand upright as display pieces.
Aubrey S. Fourth Grade
Auden M. Fourth Grade
Maddy P. Fourth Grade
Eddie R. Fourth Grade
Cori L. Fourth Grade
Ben O. Fourth Grade
The TCS Equity & Inclusion Zine The College School’s Equity and Inclusion Student Committee is comprised of Fourth through Eighth Grade students who come together to discuss a number of issues facing TCS and beyond. This year, students discussed identity, allyship, race and discrimination, celebrating difference, creating inclusive groups and spaces, equity and justice, and so much more. The following are a few excerpts from the Committee’s zine which highlights a few of the many topics they discussed. Thank you to the following committee members for their time, energy, and thoughtfulness: Cori L., Fourth Grade Auden M., Fourth Grade Ellie W., Fifth Grade Juniper C., Fifth Grade
Worth G., Fifth Grade Maura H., Fifth Grade Adeline D., Fifth Grade Jasia M., Sixth Grade
Justin J., Sixth Grade Magdalene H., Seventh Grade Emma D., Eighth Grade Eva L., Eighth Grade
Why we celebrate Black History Month
What is Black History Month and its origins
The Three Little Pigs as interpreted and illustrated by the Pinecones Class, loosely based on the original fairy tale
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Abbie T. Seventh Grade
Audrey F. Seventh Grade
Klaus J. Seventh Grade
Jansen D. Seventh Grade
Landscape Scarlet B. Watercolor
Preschool-Eighth Grade 7825 Big Bend Blvd. Webster Groves, MO 63119 thecollegeschool.org