ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT

Upper School Assembly

On Wednesday, November 19th, Upper School students, staff, and parents gathered in the Music Room to share exciting projects that have been inspiring the hard work of Upper School students and faculty this year. 

Fifth Graders Raise Money for PlayPumps International
To complement their study of sustainable development as it relates to water, food, energy, geography and plastic, the 5th grade researched a number of organizations that attempt to creatively and more evenly distribute necessary resources to people in need. The students then decided to raise money and work on behalf of PlayPumps International, an organization that builds merry-go-rounds for children in need of play equipment in Africa; as the merry-go-rounds are rotated, they also pump clean water for the community.  Fifth graders met with a representative of PlayPumps International, and raised $280 for the organization at a bake sale last month. As they continue their study of sustainable development, they continue to think of how they can get involved and make a difference, locally and globally.

The 6th Grade Constitution Study
The Graders presented a detailed PowerPoint presentation about their trip to Philadelphia, which included a visit to the Constitution Center, Independence Hall, and Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church. They also led the Upper School in a rousing rendition of “The Preamble,” accompanied by Jay on the banjo.

Electives
Class representatives of the Fifth Floor introduced presentations about electives classes participated in during the fall trimester. Electives are an opportunity for students to choose some of their classes during the week, beginning in 6th grade.  The elective program enables students to try something new or to expand on something that they enjoy doing; they can choose to work as an individual or with a team; students can take classes that vary from arts to activism to team sports. Below is a sampling of classes students participated in during the fall trimester.

Robotics
Students began to prepare for the FIRST Lego League robotics competition. They are building and programming a robot to complete several tasks and creating a PowerPoint presentation about climate change, this year’s theme.

Anime and Manga Cartooning
Manga and Anime are Japanese styles of print cartoons and comics. Students learned techniques for drawing characters and created their own stories.

Art: Multimedia Projects
Art students experimented with sketching and printmaking, culminating in designing their own bags.

Public Art
The Public Art elective class walked around Central Park with cameras and notebooks, examining the public art installations, including murals, statues, and graffiti. They explored the history of different installations and the meaning behind the pieces. Students completed the project by finding and photographing public art in their own neighborhoods.

Writers Workshop
Sixth, 7th, and 8th grade students experimented with fiction and non-fiction writing, guided by an MFA student from Columbia University.  The elective culminated with the publication of a collection of poetry that students shared at the US Assembly.

Computer Graphics
The computer graphics class learned to work in Photoshop to create different designs and manipulate digital images.

Soccer
Soccer was the fall’s team sports offering. Students practiced twice a week and played games against other schools in our league, including Child School, Bank Street, and Rodeph Sholom. The team had a successful season, winning three games.

Hip Hop dance
Students learned contemporary dance moves and learned a combination together from an alumna who is now a professional dancer with the Urban Bush Women.

Activism
Last year, the students of the Fifth Floor, voted to work with Camp Sunshine, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, in Casco, Maine.  This year, students will take action on a local issue.  Students in the fall semester’s activism class researched relevant topics of politics, gentrification, day laborers, and animal care. They then wrote proposals for their issues and presented them to students of the Fifth Floor. The students are currently in the midst of a vote between the finalists – poverty and global warming. The winning proposal will become the focus of the energies of the Fifth Floor students for the rest of the year.

Chess
Students met with Clint once a week to work on chess strategies and tactics.