brook trout reporting out
The Brook Trout classroom has been all over campus to report on “What’s Happening” at MVCS. They’ll be providing monthly updates for each of the classrooms, so keep checking back!
Classroom updates are found below; CLICK HERE for WINTER PROGRAM news!
the saplings
interview with dawn
by Sylvie E.
I spent some time in the Saplings room and got to interview Dawn, the Lead Teacher. She was very welcoming and took time out of her busy day to answer a few of my questions. Below are the questions and how Dawn answered them for me.
Why do you teach Montessori? → It fits with her philosophy! Kids can learn at their own pace, learn about how to be a good person, and it stresses imagination and observation. Dawn said that “Hands on gives kids the opportunity to discover things for themselves instead of just being taught.” She also enjoys the flexible structure of Montessori, and she knows that she would have loved to have learned this way growing up herself.
Why is the classroom set up the way it is? → There are different sections for not only academics but also space for activities and a wide range of seating options for different student needs. It’s a diverse and effective learning environment. All the decorations in the room serve a purpose for education, not just for how cool they look.
What is your favorite thing to teach? → Botany!
How do you feel about your previous classes? → It’s always sad at first to let them go and move on to the next building and grades, but Dawn gets to watch each student grow from first grade to third grade and into wonderful people.
How do you incorporate nature into the class? → Dawn focuses on observation and inquiry, nature journaling, and sit spots along with free time and exploration along with many other nature activities both big and small.
the Eaglets
Observing the Classroom
By Kera P.
The Eaglets classroom is very well organized. Kids are hard at work on their projects and assignments, and the volume level is more controlled than expected. I talked to a few students whose desk I was sharing and they were eager to talk to me. They said their work is pretty easy to manage and that they have their own planners to know how to start their day and what to do. The classroom itself is bright and colorful, and there are labels on everything, and it seems like everything has its spot. If students need to know where something is, they can find it without having to ask for help.
Desks are separated around the room, and they range from individual places to groups of three or four kids. When I was there I noticed that whenever the room got loud, Sophie would ring a chime and that told them to quiet down. The room was full of high energy and it was being poured into work and fun and learning. I got to see students working with Play-Doh to sculpt water pathways and bodies of water. I even got to sit with a handful of students and see them work on math work with simple operations and help answer their questions. The Eaglets are very high energy but they were hardworking and enjoying their days in their classroom.
The Black Bears
Sitting in on a Lesson
By Caroline F.
In December the Black Bears were studying about Ancient Greece and Rome’s histories. Paul was showing them a slideshow in Turtle Cove, projected on the wall, and students were all watching spread around the projector. Paul was telling them all about the life of people back then and their mythology among other things. Like any average person, some students were zoning out to their own little universe while others were fighting for who got to answer the next question first. Paul was trying to keep everyone engaged and listening and the students were great about collaborating amongst themselves, making for a solid class.
When I spoke to the students about what they were learning, one was quick to say that “It’s kind of boring,” but after thinking about it for a minute they added, “but even though it’s really long the stories are interesting to listen to.” Another student echoed that the stories are very entertaining to hear, even if they take a while to tell and sometimes can be a little boring when people are just talking and not doing things.
The Loons
Reading Time
By Corva H.
I joined the Loons for their reading time after recess one day. It seemed like a time for them to calm down and chill post-recess craziness. All of the kids were sitting at their seats and drawing or doodling while listening to the book. They all looked as if they were enjoying the story and I got to listen to Lisa read to them aloud for that time. The book was about Ona Judge, a slave that had run away from George and Martha Washington. As the story was based on a real person and their life, it was interesting and really cool to see that the kids were listening intently and very much interested in it. A student told me that they were also doing felt work with supplies donated by families and learning needle work, and it worked great for brain breaks.
The Loons classroom had a very warm and cozy atmosphere. All of the people in it were working and being kind to each other when working together. Lisa and I sat down and we talked for a little while. She told me about how the Loons were doing a unit that was focused on slavery in the late 1700s, and that the kids were specifically interested in how the laws of slavery worked and how the laws today were so much different (and better) from back then. Lisa said that she was interested in the topic she was teaching and it was great to learn at the same time as the students about the subject. As a former Loon, it was nice to see that the classroom was similar to how I experienced it and the students were getting the same positive experience I did when I was a Loon.
The Brook Trout
Middle School Days
By Sylvie E.
During the months of December and January the Brook Trout began to explore prehistory and ancient history in weekly history lessons. They have been also learning about matter, energy, and gravity through guided notes and diagrams after finishing their first physics unit. Their ELA classes have consisted of reading the book “The Giver” and talking about the chapters and the themes in it that are about dystopias and utopias. They have also been learning about the structure of sentences and how to diagram them into different parts. The Brook Trout will be starting their “Real Life Projects” next. This has students learning how to write checks, budget for groceries, and how to pay loans and other things after they are done with school life.
As a Brook Trout, you get more freedom than in the other grades. You have an opinion on what games are played or what order assignments are given, and the teachers respect the majority decision of the students when they can. And while the amount of work you do is more and a bit harder in some ways, it’s given at a good speed and you don’t feel overwhelmed. The switch to having assignments to do outside of class takes time to get used to, but there’s always time given during the day to get them done so you don’t have to take things home if you do things right. The Brook Trout are the oldest kids at MVCS, so they get more of a voice in what they do and how they do it, but that also comes with