ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT

Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day

Upper School
On the afternoon of Thursday, April 16th, Grandparents and Special Friends of Upper School students were given a peek into the life and work of Manhattan Country School. Fifth grade book groups creatively presented plot summaries and analyses of their readings through PowerPoint and dramatic skits. Then, the students and their guests engaged in a discussion of favorite books – with students hearing, sometimes for the first time, the joys of such writers as Jack London. Sixth graders shared their work and then challenged family members to The States Game on the classroom SmartBoard. Up on the Fifth Floor, History Teacher Rachel Sussman’s cousin Jeremiah told stories about early 20th Century America and of his own family’s relationship with music. He then played some of his favorite selections on the guitar ranging from traditional Blues to Klezmer to his own creations. Across the hall, students shared their identity poems from Spanish class and meaningful Autobiography chapters.

Then, all retreated to the Music Room for an opportunity to learn about exciting activities and curricula not on view on typical Thursday afternoons. 5th and 6th grade students sang MCS favorites “De Colores” and “Power and Glory.” Rex Wei, 8th grader, demonstrated the breadth and diversity of the MCS community, playing classical piano for the audience. Students in the new Cheerleading elective demonstrated their school spirit and Upper School Director Carol O’Donnell introduced a video produced by Fifth Floor students envisioning a peaceful, green world in 2018. The program closed with a presentation about the MCS Farm and the exciting prospect of solar power.

Lower School
Friday morning was the Lower School’s opportunity to share their work with family and friends. Classrooms were buzzing with energy as students showed their Grandparents and Special Friends their work and their classrooms. The 4-5s worked with clay, read stories, and ate delicious fruit and yogurt parfaits. 5-6s and their visitors received special Passports that were “stamped” at each of the classroom’s activities – designing animals with school-made play dough, playing the math game Compare!, drawing spring scenes, and interviewing one another. Some of the students even took the walking sticks out of their containers for observation. Jay captured the attention of the 6-7s and their visitors during story time in the Library, while the other half of the class wrote poetry. Visitors in the 9-10s' classroom shared stories from their families' voyages to the United States -- amazing real-world stories to complement the students' Immigration Study.

Grandparents and Special Friends of Lower School students were also treated to a program in the Music Room. The 7-8s kicked off the festivities singing “This Land is Your Land” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in two-part harmony, accompanied by Librarian Jay Fung on the Banjo. William Wei of the 9-10s wowed the audience playing a piece on the piano that he’s been practicing at the Manhattan School of Music. John McDaniel came down from the Farm to share beautiful pictures of students in Roxbury taking care of animals, picking blueberries and ramps, and enjoying nature. 6-7s Teacher Laura Swindler ended the day with a video of the MCS Post Office, highlighting yet another way that families are a part of children's experiences at MCS.