Spring 2022 Newsletter

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Thirty Years Exploring the Hundred Languages of Children

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Students have todamage find their own an- As a local parent, I was first aware of The Colhad sustained from swers.the Ourmost students to to behit curious,lege School as the site of a creative, respectful recentneed storm • Play is an important part of learning and early NOLA. and Fortunately, Hurricane imaginative, inquisitive.

In my firstEarly Childhood program. Nineteen years ago, development.

Ida, a category 4 storm, which few months here, I’ve seen that approachthat Reggio-inspired program offered me a teaching position that launched my TCS profeshit the city in late August, in action. Our teachers are guides, facilisional journey. I will forever be grateful for how Beginning in the late 1980s, an international damage on herthis property, tators,didn’t and partners path. Much that experience opened my eyes to the incred- buzz developed around the Reggio Emilia Aphas changedContinued in the past onfifty-five page 4 years,ible intelligence and potential of our youngest proach. The Hundred Languages of Children exbut the reason this school was foundedlearners. hibit, chronicling the work of children and adults remains very much the same. n For thirty years, educators at The College in the Reggio Emilia preschools, toured the world School have been inspired by an approach to and offered professional development programs early childhood education that was developed for educators. The exhibit was hosted by Webster and nurtured following World War II in the small University in the fall of 1991, spurring even more Embracing Mistakes_____ 2 Italian city of Reggio Emilia. The three primary interest and excitement about this approach At Home at The College beliefs of this approach are: along with the desire to visit Reggio Emilia. After seeing the exhibition, Jan Phillips, former TCS f School_________________ 3 • A positive image of the child as someone with teacher and Director, came away wanting “to see w New Hires______________ 4 strong potential for development and with if preschool kids really did the artwork on dis? rights who learns through the hundred lan- play.” In December 1991, Newsweek published 6 Thirty Years Exploring___ guages belonging to all human beings.

Continued on page 6

of The Reggio Approach

Inside This Issue

When the Present Meets the Past

Embracing Mistakes as part of The College School Journey

By Darel Shelton, Middle School Teacher

By Carl Pelofsky, Head of School

The College School is well-grounded in the philosophy and ethos of experiential learning. Sometimes we even take adventures back into our pedagogical roots to reaffirm the values we hold dear as well as explore ways we can continue to innovate and refine our craft. TCS eighth graders and their teachers had one such opportunity during our Field Ecology trip last October. In between science-based site studies, we ventured down to the tiny village of Rabun Gap, Georgia, to visit a place that has had a significant impact on TCS’ approach to learning over the years, the Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center.

Foxfire began in 1966 when a young English teacher sought ways to engage his rural high school students who did not always see how learning to read, write, and speak well might be helpful or meaningful to them. Working collaboratively, he and his students started a magazine to capture and highlight the rich folk history of Southern Appalachia.

Students learned how to take oral histories, conduct interviews, actively listen, take notes, and draft written pieces that detailed the fast-disappearing folkways related to them by elders. Folktales, traditional mountain cooking, pioneer woodworking, games, and various crafts were captured forever in the pages of Foxfire Magazine, first published in 1972.

TCS-Foxfire History Foxfire’s influence quickly spread as progressive educators around the country in the early 1970s sought ways to actively engage learners in doing authentic, meaningful tasks that exposed them to real-world issues and skills. In St. Louis, pioneering outdoor educator Hank Schafermeyer began using Foxfire’s Continued on page 3

Page 2 | Spring 2022

At The College School, students learn that making mistakes is a critical part of their educational journey.

In the early 20th century, Leopold Lojka had an incredibly important job. The chauffeur of a powerful European political leader, Mr. Lojka had responsibilities greater than most of us will ever know. On June 28, 1914, Mr. Lojka made a wrong turn while driving his car — something we’ve all certainly done. The problem was, the turn took him down a side street, surprised the politician’s security team, and led the vehicle right to where an assassin waited.

Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed that day, and that moment led to World War I. As mistakes go, that was a pretty big one.

Fortunately for the rest of us, world peace doesn’t hang in the balance when we make our mistakes. And making mistakes is a crucial part of our educational journey.

When I was in school there was a lot of “right” and “wrong” in the curricula. As a fourth grader, I remember vividly earning, and subsequently eating with great delight, a giant popcorn bunny (complete with candy eyes) for not missing a spelling word for the entire school year (although I had to make a case for my choice of the British spelling of theatre). Those who could remember spelling words, vocabulary, dates,

and facts, were richly rewarded. Those who couldn’t — well, it didn’t go well for them.

The evolution of teaching and learning, though, has made school a very different place. In a dramatic change from my youth, educators welcome mistakes. We encourage collaborative work, create an environment that nurtures exploration, questioning, and various ways of thinking and problem-solving. Popcorn bunnies are shared.

Recently, I sat in one of our classrooms where a light geography trivia game broke out. The question: what letter in the alphabet isn’t used in any state name?

The answers were varied and plentiful.

The teachers managed the situation well; instead of saying “no!” when an incorrect answer was shouted, there was an acknowledgment of the effort. “Good guess! But Texas and New Mexico both have an “x” in them.” This approach encouraged more guesses and contributed to a level of comfort with getting the answer wrong. No one seemed reluctant to give it a shot.

At our school, though, facts, dates, and memorization take a backseat to creativity, innovative thinking, and reflection. For that reason “mistakes” look distinctly different: they come more as a result of the student’s self-assessment rather than an answer from an old Teacher’s Edition of a textbook. A mistake becomes informative and leads to a clear conclusion: “I’ll try something different next time.”

It all begins with our youngest students.

Our Reggio-inspired program allows students to explore their interests, take chances, and yes, make mistakes. We fundamentally believe that even our three-year-olds are capable problem solvers, and we give them the freedom to contribute to the construction of their own unique individual educational experiences. In the Atelier, for example, the process of creating works of art is emphasized far beyond the product. This approach sets the stage for years to come.

While our students are at TCS, they are supported, encouraged, and inspired to grow and develop. But we know that part of our job is to prepare our students for what’s next, and we know from the stories we hear that they are extraordinarily wellequipped for success after they leave us. As confident, curious risk-takers, our students aren’t intimidated by challenges — no matter what form they take.

At our school, though, facts, dates, and memorization take a backseat to creativity, innovative thinking, and reflection.

When the Present Meets the Past Continued from page 2

magazines as manuals for teaching “living history.” He developed a Foxfire-inspired curricular unit around the fictional town of “Lick Skillet,” Missouri — a service-learning model where high school students would learn a pioneer skill, such as rope making, candle dipping, or leathercraft and then teach it to an elementary school student.

Hank was also instrumental in training various organizations in this methodology, including educators at TCS, the St. Louis Public Schools, and later, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Dana Brown Overnight Center.

Early on, TCS’ own Jan Phillips and other TCS faculty were influenced by both Foxfire and Hank’s work, and TCS has long had “living history” as a component of its program.

Students make maple syrup using traditional methods, make cordage, construct teepees, weave, and do beadwork in a variety of classes. In the early 90s, Jan brought in Foxfire staff for a training experience, continuing a long tradition TCS has of connecting with renowned experts in the broader Experiential Education community as part of our commitment to lifelong learning. Like Foxfire’s program today, TCS uses 21st-century methods, like podcasting during Seventh Grade Urban Theme, to capture the stories of people in our community.

TCS and Foxfire Today This fall, TCS students experienced Foxfire’s open-air living history museum! They wandered through a village of 30+ reclaimed Appalachian buildings that the center has collected over time, usually by disassembling and reassembling them on-site, often built with student labor, and financed by the proceeds from their magazine. We saw a blacksmith’s shop, a church, and a weaver’s shop. Students met and asked questions of a local weaver who explained the traditional craft from the raw material coming off the plant (or animal) to the finished product.

Also illuminating was how the center was innovatively using digital technology to enhance and update how it captures the knowledge of the past. Students used the Foxfire app to connect the place to people. At one site, students could listen to oral histories about traditional home life as they roamed through a traditional Appalachian homestead. In the old church, they could hear the echo of hymns as they sat on benches, imagining the community that once used it. They immediately recognized tools in the woodshed that they had used themselves at TCS, including draw knives, rope makers, saws, and other tools.

Foxfire has increasingly addressed the complexities and human tragedy associated with the history of white settlement in the area. Students saw the “Zuraw wagon,” the last remaining actual wagon involved in the Cherokee removal in the 1830s, which led to a rich discussion, led by Carol Fitzsimmons, Fifth Grade Teacher, on how to look at history from multiple points of view and not shy away from controversy and complexity in our understanding of the past.

Our witness to Foxfire’s continued commitment to preserving the past using modern technology and methodologies to explain a complex but rich history was both affirming and instructive to TCS faculty. For the students, having the opportunity to connect places to actual voices from the past was a unique and enriching way to gain a deeper understanding of the human elements of this region, in addition to the natural history that TCS has been exploring for years. It was a truly fantastic day!

At Home at The College School

By Stephanie Dents, Board of Trustees Chair, Current & Alumni Parent

The Dents Family Originally published in The St. Louis American, October 7-13, 2021 For close to 20 years now, my family has been involved with The College School — an independent/private, experiential Pre-K-8 school in Webster Groves. When our oldest son, who is now 22, was approaching kindergarten age, we had planned to send him to public school. My husband, Jemal, and I are both products of the public school system. Jemal was raised in Texas, and I was raised in Webster Groves. We had settled in Webster fully intending to take advantage of the strong public school system. At the kindergarten open house, someone told us about The College School, and we decided to take the tour. I remember visiting for the first time and thinking about how different it was. When we visited it was clear that experiences, collaboration, and reflection were cornerstones of the learning model. The children were not at desks all day and they took trips to visit a local river to learn about the environment and apply science and math.

They were involved in hands-on projects and discussed how they applied to real life. We heard stories and saw pictures of trips all over the metropolitan area and camping trips to other parts of the country. We thought to ourselves, “I wished I could have attended a school like this when I was a kid.” As our son marveled at the magical loft in the Kindergarten room, his excitement and how the teachers interacted with him made it clear that The College School Continued on page 5

Spring 2022 | Page 3

New Hires

Trip Clark Maintenance Supervisor Trip joined the TCS Community in 2022 and has almost 20 years of experience in maintenance and HVAC.

Andre Jones Assistant Maintenance Supervisor Andre joined the Maintenance staff in October 2021 and has more than 14 years of maintenance and custodial experience.

Abhi Sai Executive Chef, FLIK Independent School Dining Abhi joined FLIK, TCS’s dining service, in January. He has worked at several local restaurants. After completing school, he had the opportunity to work in Chicago at GreenRiver, a Michelin Star Restaurant. After returning to St. Louis, he started his career with FLIK at Washington University supporting the Knight Banquets Centre.

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Feeding Those In Need

Continued from page 1

but thousands of others were not nearly as lucky.

Although metropolitan New Orleans was largely spared from the most devastating impacts of Ida, many surrounding, lower-lying areas sustained massive damage. Thousands of homes were decimated, and innumerable others severely damaged. Water, gas, and electrical lines were destroyed in many areas, and it would be weeks before many communities saw a return to these essential services. The storm damaged many bridges, severing the only land passage to some communities.

Debris was rampant, with fallen trees obstructing roadways and hindering restoration efforts. Beyond the physical impact, the food supply came to a standstill, creating additional challenges for rescue workers and residents returning home.

This was the scene in New Orleans when I arrived, one all-too-well remembered by residents who lived through Hurricane Katrina. Living out of my aunt’s house, I began to work with an organization that, by the After his time working with time I arrived, had already been on the ground working for more than WCK, Elliott embarked on a week. World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity founded by celebrity creating his own line of hot chef José Andrés, rapidly mobilizes teams to respond to disasters with warm meals when they’re needed most. The organization arrived just sauces. days after the hurricane, bringing with them two trucks outfitted with mass-production kitchens. Setting up operations in a local culinary school, the WCK team began hiring local chefs, many of whom couldn’t return to their restaurants for weeks after the hurricane.

In the days immediately following Ida, the team produced upwards of 30,000 meals a day for the New Orleans community. Everyone on the WCK team worked nearly 20 hours a day producing, delivering, and preparing each meal from scratch. Seeing the passion of everyone on the team, fueled by Monster Energy and donuts, was incredibly inspiring during such a dark period. I was lucky enough to lend a helping hand, starting as a volunteer and eventually being hired by WCK to work with their team during their time in New Orleans. By the end of their work in NOLA, WCK had served 500,000+ meals to a community slowly picking up the pieces.

WCK was not the only organization that deployed in the aftermath of Ida. The Cajun Navy made it possible for WCK to access communities whose bridges had collapsed, taking speed boats full of food across the bayou. Operation BBQ Relief, Mercy Chefs, and others also mobilized with a relentless passion to ensure everyone in the community had a hot meal. Countless others assisted with removing debris, draining water from houses, covering damaged roofs with tarps, and clearing blocked roadways. Seeing so many from New Orleans and around the U.S. act with such genuine care was incredibly inspiring and humanizing.

Fast forward several weeks, I had never driven a commercial truck before the 600 mile trip to Del Rio, Texas, and I quickly learned that my Prius handles very differently than a 7-ton kitchen-on-wheels. Luckily, the trip to Texas was without incident, and 13 hours later we arrived at the dusty border town suddenly home to 15,000 Haitian migrants.

When the WCK team asked me to join their team in Texas, I instantly agreed.

Food prepared by WCK staff Driven by a combination of political instability, natural disasters, pov- for distribution in New Orleans erty, and violence, thousands of migrants were making the yearslong trek through Central and South America towards the US. Many of those seeking asylum crossed in the same area near Del Rio and were now being detained under a bridge by U.S. Customs & Border Protection. When I arrived at the encampment, the conditions were squalid. Many were living in makeshift shacks fashioned from sticks found on the ground, without access to fresh food, water, or sanitary conditions. Thousands of migrants were crowded under the bridge, piled on top of each other in a manner more reminiscent of cattle than human beings.

WCK went to work preparing thousands of hot meals a day, full of nutritious, fresh ingredients that were a far cry from the provided Army MRE rations. Burned into my memory are the grateful, tired faces of thousands of young children, infants, mothers, and families receiving hot food for the first time in days. In such a devastating situation, I was grateful for the ability to recognize their humanity in a small way. I hope that WCK was able to show them that despite their legal status, their dignity as humans remains unchanged.

Each time a disaster occurs and people are in need, WCK responds immediately despite innumerable challenges. At the time of writing, WCK is at the Ukraine-Poland border serving thousands of daily meals to refugees. They responded to the earthquake in Tonga and continue to provide meals for the food-insecure here in the US. WCK is an organization worthy of your support if you are able and worthy of admiration from all of us. Working with WCK reminded me that in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, the power of communities is the ability to support each other, our neighbors both known and unknown.

Art Therapy Meets Art Education

By Jordan Struckman, Visual Arts Specialist

Making art has always been my favorite pastime, from creating crayon portraits of princesses in Kindergarten to taking a clay wheel class as an adult. Since childhood, I have felt that art is a meaningful communication tool and that the act of making art can positively impact my mood and community. With a background in studio art and art therapy, I have been deeply inspired by engaging in and leading art experiences in schools, hospitals, museums, and summer camps. I’ve also been witness to powerful connections that happen when a group might otherwise struggle to find harmony.

This journey has led me to become an art therapist who teaches art at The College School. Some of you may wonder, what is art therapy and how does it come into play during art class?

Art therapy is meeting individually or in a group with a masters-level professional and using art supplies like pencils, paint, clay, and collage to heal, share, and grow through life experiences. The American Art Therapy Association states: “Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience, and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.”

I have discovered a lot of overlap between the goals of art therapy and The College School. TCS values every voice, taking risks in a safe environment, reflecting on experiences, and building an inclusive and diverse community with social-emotional character.

For me, bringing art therapy practices to a classroom setting relieves pressure from the end product and places emphasis on com-

munity building, the learning environment, and the creative process.

My classroom routine is designed to achieve two main goals: learning and promoting overall wellness. We start each day with circle time and a “question of the day.”

This time is also used to forecast events, ask initial questions, and introduce new artists and projects. We often study artists that faced mental or physical exceptionalities, such as Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Chuck Close, and discover ways that art helped them cope and share their life experiences. Then we dive into studio time, where we practice new techniques and use inspiration from various artists, cultural traditions, periods, and styles to create individualized pieces. We discuss compassionate critiquing skills that can be used to provide classmates with feedback. When interpersonal conflicts and upset feelings inevitably arise, we utilize art and words to work through them and build upon our social-emotional toolkit. We end with three “shout-outs” for classmates who have shown kindness, supreme effort, or notable positive actions during class. While there

can never be a guaranteed “safe place,” my intention is that kids can count on a warm and positive experience in art class.

When TCS students graduate, I want them to see art as a lifelong practice. All too often I hear adults say “I am not good at art, my art teacher heavily criticized my work, I have not made art since I was a kid.”

It saddens me that many believe art-making is only worthwhile if you are skilled enough to impress others and gain fame and fortune for your art. Art is for everyone, and everyone is an artist in their own capacity– for work or play. Regardless of where my students’ journeys lead, I hope that they continue to value art-making as an expressive outlet and a joyful activity to engage in throughout their lives.

I have only just gotten started at TCS and imagine many exciting possibilities for the future of my classroom and teaching career.

Every day is incredibly rewarding and brings new opportunities for connection and expression. I am grateful to take part in these artful experiences and to have joined this wonderful community of learners.

At Home at The College School Continued from page 3 was a place we could call home.

Fast forward almost 20 years, a relocation and return to St. Louis, and a second child, and we are still a part of The College School community. Our youngest is currently in Eighth Grade at TCS and thinking about what high school to attend. Although her path forward may be a different high school than her brother chose, we are confident knowing the education our kids received at The College School has taught them to be curious learners, and it has helped them develop a level of emotional IQ that is so needed today.

For many of us in the African American community, a non-traditional approach to education may feel unorthodox or just plain weird. You may be thinking, “We don’t camp” and “The College School’s approach to educating kids is different than my experiences.” This may be true (it was for us) but come check it out before discounting. Your next question might be, “How many people of color attend The College School?” You might be shocked to learn that The College School has 30% students of color, making it one of the most diverse independent schools in the area.

The College School is proud of its diversity numbers, and they haven’t happened without intentionality. When Jemal served on The Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2011, improving the school’s diversity was in its early stages. Over the years, training, administrative leadership, and community involvement have pushed The College School’s diversity numbers to all-time highs. But our journey is not over. We continue to take steps to make this unique educational opportunity accessible, and we hope that through outreach and education other families of all types of backgrounds will make TCS their home.

Even though this is the last year our kids will be attending school on either of the College School campuses, our commitment as a family continues. I am currently serving my first year as the Chair of the Board of Trustees and will continue through 2023 — an honor that I proudly undertake. As the first African American female chair, I look forward to taking the stage when our daughter, along with the entire Eighth Grade class, gives their graduation speeches — a time-honored tradition at the school.

The confidence my children have gained and the growth our family has experienced with The College School community are unparalleled. We understand that the best way to learn and retain information is by doing. Experience is the best teacher. Experiential learning is what The College School is all about.

Spring 2022 | Page 5

Thirty Years Exploring Continued from page 1 an article declaring Reggio Emilia the best early childhood program in the world.

In the spring of 1992, Jan Phillips along with four educators and a parent from TCS, participated in a study tour of the Reggio Emilia schools led by Brenda Fyfe of Webster University. The group was so impressed with what they saw that Jan returned to St. Louis and wrote a grant proposal to

the Danforth Foundation to provide three years of funding to help TCS implement the approach, conduct action research, and mentor other schools through networking and workshops. Jan noted that “[t]he thing I found particularly interesting was the way the teachers helped children see more deeply and think more in-depth when doing their artwork and writing.”

The grant was funded, and Louise Cadwell was hired as a preschool teacher at TCS. She also served as a consultant to help incorporate the Reggio Approach into early childhood programs at five area schools, including TCS. Louise was an intern in the Reggio Emilia preschools the previous year and had met Jan and the others from TCS when they toured Italy.

During the second year of the grant program, Louise moved into the newly-created atelierista position, and TCS became the demonstration site for educators from other schools. Eight additional schools joined the St. Louis network, and both educators and parents worked hard to get the Reggio-inspired program off the ground. TCS teachers redesigned the early childhood space with the help of parent/architects Gay and Frank Lorberbaum.

St. Louis became a leader in the United States for Reggio-inspired work. Notable educators from Reggio Emilia spent time at TCS and other St. Louis schools involved in the grant. Their presence and guidance, while at times tough, were a great boost to the program. After the grant was completed, The St. Louis Reggio Collaborative was formed with The College School, Clayton Family Center, and The St. Michael School

Page 6 | Spring 2022

of Clayton. In 1997, Reggio Children’s Foundation worked with the Collaborative during a two-day conference “Adapting the Reggio Emilia Approach in U.S. Contexts.”

One reason the Reggio Approach worked so well at TCS was its compatibility with experiential education and the common influence of the educational philosophies of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky. “At their core, our Reggio-inspired spaces are experiential by nature. Hands-on, playbased learning is learning by doing, by having rich and meaningful first-hand experiences with a wide variety of unique learning materials, creative mediums, and social interactions,” notes Sarah Hassing, the TCS atelierista. “An important benefit of this approach is that it helps children learn to learn, to be inquisitive, curious, collaborative, and eager to explore the world around them.

When we view children as protagonists of their own learning, we are acknowledging their competency in intellectually engaging with others and with the larger world.”

Sarah Hassing believes TCS draws its biggest inspiration from the Reggio Approach’s image of the child. “As in Reggio Emilia, Italy, we at TCS hold a strong image of children as competent learners that bring their own experiences, knowledge, and expertise to our classrooms. We believe that our youngest learners are citizens of today whose voices are vital components of our community, here at school, and within the larger ones in Webster Groves and St. Lou-

is, as well. You will see this in our classrooms through how we engage children with respect, trust, and admiration.”

Over the years, TCS educators have continued to seek professional development in the Reggio Approach through on-site visits to Reggio Emilia preschools and schools around the country that have successful Reggio-inspired programs. We have also hosted many visiting educators seeking inspiration for their programs. During the pandemic, we’ve taken advantage of online and digital programs through the Reggio Children organization. In addition, two of our early childhood teachers are working on their master’s degrees through a program with ties to the Reggio Approach.

The early childhood program at TCS is staffed with loving, passionate educators who are committed to carrying on the Reggio tradition and respecting each child. Our goals include ongoing professional learning inside and outside of the classroom and sharing those insights with colleagues, families, and the broader education community, utilizing a variety of tools for documentation of student thinking and experiences, making time for dialogue among colleagues to process and further the work within the program, and rebuilding a local network of Reggio practitioners in the St. Louis area.

The vision, commitment, and hard work that have brought us to this point will continue to support our early childhood program going forward.

Two current TCS teachers are in the University of Colorado - Denver Masters in Innovative Early Childhood Education program that emphasizes the Reggio Approach Sarah Hassing, Atelierista - “I chose to enter the Masters in Innovative Early Childhood Education to continue my learning and growth as an educator who is inspired by the values and practices found within the municipal preschools in Reggio, Emilia, Italy. Like the children I teach, I view myself as a lifelong learner, as well as an advocate for young children. This program has supported my learning in so many ways. Currently, I am engaged in a deep study of the classroom and school environments and how they impact, inform, and support learning. The partnerships and friendships I have forged with instructors and peers have been vital to building a network of Reggio-inspired colleagues who will continue to learn and grow from one another long after this program has ended.”

Uchenna Ogu, Kindergarten Teacher - “I applied to the program because I am constantly seeking innovative, research-based, best practices that I can apply in my work with the Kindergarten children. As a lifelong learner, the opportunity to earn my Masters in Innovative Early Childhood Education with an emphasis on the Reggio Approach was exciting to me. I have a passion for creating joyful, high-quality curricula with and for children. Through my graduate program, I have gained a deeper understanding of how to facilitate learning within the context of relationships among people, environment, community, culture, etc. I want our students to leave Kindergarten knowing that they can have a meaningful impact on our school community and beyond, no matter their age.”

The Butterfly Effect - Fifth Grade’s Study of the Monarch

By Leah Zueger, Development and Communications Associate As you might imagine, there is a certain energy that pulses through the building at the start of every school year. The excitement and enthusiasm of the students are palpable, and if you’re lucky enough to be in Fifth Grade, the fall theme — Monarchs and Insects–takes that energy and flies with it. What began as a project in 1992 became a full-fledged theme in 2006 and remains a TCS favorite to this day. How could it not with all that it entails? Throughout the theme, from the second week of school when students begin sewing butterfly nets through to the Monarch Bake and Craft Sale at the end of the trimester, these eager students transform into citizen scientists who understand not only the life-cycle of the monarch and its migratory journey (which passes right through St. Louis) but the critical importance of it all to the world’s ecosystem.

While the Fifth Grade faculty, Carol Fitzsimmons and Scott McClintock, know that the butterflies are coming, they’re never certain how early they will appear, how many will come, and how long the migration will last. Thanks to the flexibility of our program, the dedication of the students, and myriad locations for tagging opportunities in the region, the unknowns are just another part of the learning experience.

Students also learn about why monarch populations have markedly decreased in recent years and to be prepared for more challenges with tagging and data collection as a result. With that said, for the first time in several years, 200 monarch butterflies were tagged by TCS students last fall!

As TCS faculty are wont to do, Carol and Scott added an exciting new layer to this year’s study that will serve students well into the future. Since 1992, fifth graders have shared data cards collected on tagged butterflies with Monarch Watch, an education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas. This information

Handmade items for purchase from the Monarch Bake & Craft Sale

A monarch butterfly being tagged by Fifth Grade students from The College School includes tagging location, sex, weather variables, and OE presence (OE, ophryocystis elektroscirrha, is a parasite that infects adult monarchs and can be fatal to larvae). This year, in addition to working with Monarch Watch, students captured the data electronically as part of a longitudinal study to help understand the dynamics of the fall migration with specific regard to the St. Louis region. With this authentic data set, students can now explore variables over an extended period that may be impacting annual migration patterns and population densities. While this is the first year the data has been captured electronically in class, the data cards from the previous five years were entered as well, totaling information on nearly 500 monarchs, resulting in a rich set of data to work with! This real-world data will be used when teaching other analysis and graphing concepts in math and science throughout the year. Students are excited to see how their work joins that of the past to create a vast amount of information that can be analyzed.

Of course, no study of the monarch would be complete without observing metamorphosis, and what a powerful experience that is! Students begin rearing their monarchs from the larval (caterpillar) stage, with many as small as ½” long. In addition to measuring the larva daily, students become experts at recognizing and gathering milkweed and identifying the beginnings of subsequent stages. One of the many joys of this theme is how families are engaged in the process as the larva travel home with their students on weekends. If they’re lucky,

a larva transforming into the “J-form” stage and then forming their chrysalis can happen right before their eyes. As you might imagine, this is an incredible event to witness in real-time.

Once the monarchs are tagged and sent on their journey to Mexico, students spend time researching, writing, and drawing insects of their choice. They also learn the essentials of experimental design and hone their observational skills, most notably regarding similarities and dissimilarities of two different species of roly-polies (pill bugs). Students also investigate an area of interest (ie. animal behavior, environmental conditions, variables that affect speed, etc.) and develop and implement science experiments from start to finish. This includes developing hypotheses, identifying variables, writing procedures, creating data tables/ graphs, running their experiments, analyzing data, writing conclusions, and considering potential next steps. Needless to say, the students’ scientific exploration during this theme is broad and engaging.

Throughout the Monarch and Insect theme, students study the important roles that insects play in the biodiversity of ecosystems. Monarchs, in particular, are critical pollinators, and nearly 75 percent of food crops around the world depend on pollinators. Students recognize the need to restore and protect habitats for monarchs, and each year they hold a Monarch Bake and Craft Sale to raise funds to support such work. This year’s Fifth Grade class brought in more than $800 through the sale of monarch-themed holiday ornaments, adorable larva bracelets, 3D butterflies, mini pillows, earrings, magnets, colorful hair scrunchies, an edible chess set, and numerous other yummy delights, to name just a few available items. The proceeds were split between the Monarch Butterfly Fund and Forest Park’s Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape, a lovely new location in the city that proved to be the perfect location to capture and tag monarchs! The students were thrilled to support two wonderful organizations that are working to increase monarch populations locally and across the United States.

Much like the larvae they rear, the transformation of these students into citizen scientists is quick, steady, and beautiful. We know that students learn best when they are invested in their education and participating directly and engaging in research and discovery is arguably the most impactful way of capturing a child’s curiosity and attention. This approach to learning is what The College School does so well. We are excited to see where these experiences take these students in the years to come.

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Spring trip season is in full swing! We love hearing 4/5 Play Performance about all February of the wonderWednesday and Thursday, 13 and 14ful adventures our students have.

We would also love Third Grade River City Market Day Friday, March 8, 1:30-2:30 PM to hear about yours! Have a Grandparents’ and TCS memory to share? great Special Friends’ Day Want to takePMpart in planning Friday, March 29, 10:30-12:00 our upcoming 60th anniverGala and Auction Saturday, April PM sary13, 6:00-10:00 celebration?

Send an email to Brie Alley at balley@ Middle School Shakespeare Performance thecollegeschool.org today.

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