About Me

Head of Lower School at La Jolla Country Day School (mbaier@ljcds.org)

Friday, January 22, 2016

Eagle Eye Jr.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” ~ Walt Disney

Late last fall several fifth grade girls came to talk to me about the possibility of creating a school newsletter.  I told them it was a good idea, but there were a few things they needed to do in order to a make it happen. They came back to me a month later to interview me for the first issue of their newsletter.  By January, they had fulfilled every stipulation I had set forth and had the first edition of their newsletter ready to distribute to Lower School students.  Cynthia Z., Lahari H., and Larissa H. in fifth grade truly embodied the Pillars, as they set forth to make their plan a reality.   They persevered and now the Eagle Eye Jr. has arrived.  It is available on the website now for all to see here. It is at the bottom of our homepage with the regular Eagle Eye.  I am proud of these girls and their hard work to make their dream a reality!




The Eagle Ridge Academy Lower School has started the hiring process for new teachers the 2016-16 expansion school year.  If you know someone who is the embodiment of an Eagle Ridge Academy teacher, please send them here to start the process of joining our very special community.  We often find the best individuals through word of mouth and community member connections.  There will be several rounds of hiring, so we can make sure we hire the individuals with the best fit for our school community. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Friday, January 8, 2016

Art for the soul

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Winter sometimes looms dark and dreary in Minnesota.  Mr. Anderson brought some art to the Lower School office as winter finally sets in for the season.  This artwork has certainly washed away some of the winter dust that can collect each day.  After studying artwork from the Ming Dynasty, fourth grade students created their own cherry blossom artwork.  I am always amazed at how they create the branches by using ink and straws.  It is one of my favorite projects to view and I love the connection to the study of Ancient China in fourth grade history and reading.  You can view the beautiful projects in the pictures below, but I think seeing them in person brings you to another level of appreciation!






Students in grades 1-5 will be taking the Educational Record Bureau (ERB) Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) assessments starting next week through the end of January. Your child’s teacher will communicate specific dates for testing. The ERB-CTP assessment is only one measure used to ensure that students continue to make academic progress throughout their enrollment at Eagle Ridge. Parents will receive results at spring conferences. If a student is absent during testing due to vacation, they will not make up the missed tests.  The best way to prepare your child for testing is to ensure they receive a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Thank you for your support in making this a relaxed, yet successful endeavor for your child.

Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Baier