Good Stewards of the Earth

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" Aristotle

Last week,  Lower School students celebrated Earth Day in many different ways. At Eagle Ridge Academy students show citizenship by taking care of their environment every day, not just on Earth Day.  Teachers use the day to have students reflect on how they have or will care for the earth and their community.  We want our students to become good stewards of the earth and always see the beauty in nature. 

This year grade levels highlighted the day in different ways. For example, kindergarten students went outside and picked up trash that had accumulated around the school. First grade students made some pledges for helping the Earth. Second grade students wrote poems about the beautiful Earth. Here are some pictures of their activities.

First, third, and fifth grade students had their annual music Informances last week. The students showcased all they have learned in music this year and how it connects to the learning they do in other classes. Thanks to Mrs. Nimchuk and all of the students for such wonderful performances!

Have a wonderful week
Mrs. Baier

Making Growth

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.  ~Benjamin Franklin

Next week Lower School students will begin their annual standardized testing.  Standardized testing occurs on various dates in April and May.  Your child’s homeroom teacher will communicate the actual days your child will be testing this year.  In the Lower School students in grades 3-5 take the MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment) and students in grades 1-5 will start taking the ERB (Educational Records Bureau) Assessment this year.  These assessments are designed to show the achievement and growth of students from year to year.  There is nothing you need to do to prepare your child for the test.  You can help make assessment days a success by making sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before and has a healthy breakfast in the morning.

The next Lower School Parent Coffee is on April 28^th at 8:00 am in the Main Office Conference Room.  At that event, I will go over a sample ERB parent report.  If you have a child in grades 1-5 and have never seen an ERB parent report before, you may want to come to see what it is like and have a better understanding of it prior to your child’s coming home later in the year. 

Over spring break, Mr. Anderson had an art drawing challenge.  Over 50 students completed the challenge, and Arjan (3rd gr.) and Jasmine (Kinder) were randomly selected in the prize drawing! Way to go ERA Artists!

March Pillar ticket winners had snack and free time outside with Mrs. Baier this week.  Here are some pictures of some of them enjoying their time outside.  Winners were:  Meghan B., Molly D., Aniket G., Adhiraiyan K., and Navya N.

Next week is the first of the music Informances on Thursday, April 23^rd.  Students in grades 1, 3, and 5 will be sharing what they have learned in music this year.  Times are listed below for each grade level.  They will be in the ERA Gym and all students should come in formal dress (complete with black or brown dress shoes).  This is one of those times when we are teaching children the difference between regular and formal dress for special occasions.  

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Passing of Time

"There is so little time for us all.  I need to be able to say what I want quickly and to as many people as possible.  Time passes so slowly if you are unaware of it and so quickly if you are aware of it."

~Marc Bolan

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful spring break.  We have jumped right back in and started the 4^th quarter of the 2014-15 school year.  I always lament on where has the time gone, but it is so amazing to look at our students and see the growth they have made in so many ways.  Many culminating events are taking place in the next couple of months to show the connections they have made, and the new abilities they have developed through the year. There are music informances, readers’ theaters, a reader café, and the Art Expo coming up (just to name a few).  I hope you are able to attend those events and take part in the celebration of accomplishments!

Second grade Latin students have been using their new-found Latin knowledge to create very specific “monsters.”  They used their vocabulary and some even used Roman numerals to explain their monsters.  They are currently displayed outside the Lower School Latin classroom.  Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

One of the positive aspects of a kindergarten-12^th grade school is the ability to bring students of differing ages together to share their knowledge.  Upper school students have been coming down to the Lower School a couple of days a week during advisory time to read with some of our kindergarten and 1^st grade students.  They have made some wonderful connections and have given the younger students another opportunity to practice their reading skills.  It is a pleasure to watch them interact together in the Forum area on Mondays and Fridays. 

A while back I posted about Mrs. Lewandowski posting some logic puzzles outside her reading room door.  Students have loved trying to solve her puzzles.  They are now working on making puzzles of their own for other to solve.  Here are a few that have some to her.  See if you can solve them!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

It's Your Move...

“Chess helps you to concentrate, improve your logic.  It teaches you to play by the rules and take responsibility for your actions, how to problem solve in an uncertain environment.”

 ~ Garry Kasparov

You may not be aware of the fact that Chess Club is the MOST popular club in the Lower School.  There were over 90 students signed up to participate in Chess Club during 3^rd quarter.  While I don’t know why students are choosing to participate in Chess Club, I do know the benefits they receive by learning to play chess.  Chess is not just a tactical game.  It actually helps develop both sides of the brain and is thought to help students with ADHD.   While the educational benefits of chess are still being researched and documented, this link (http://www.chess.com/blog/PRINCESTER/10-big-brain-benefits-of-playing-chess) shares what are thought to be some of the benefits of playing chess.  Regardless of the proven benefits, we are thrilled that students at Eagle Ridge Academy find such a challenging game to be fun!  Think about signing your child up for Chess Club the next time it is offered.

Today, trophies were given out from the recent Chess Club tournament.  K-3^rd tournament winners were 1^st place: Neeraj (1^st grade), 2^nd place: Carter (3^rd grade), 3^rd Place: John (3^rd grade).  4^th grader Adhiraiyan  placed 2^nd in the fourth through eighth grade tournament. Thank you to the Chess Club sponsors and helpers:  Mrs. Grabanski and Mr. Sutton and all of their helpers to make this session of Chess Club such a success!

2^nd Graders have been talking about how they value things in their lives.   In honor of St. Patrick’s Day they each picked something they value more than a pot of gold.  Below you can see what some of them chose.

Students in Mrs. Trow’s class have been keeping a secret for quite a long time.  They wanted to have a baby shower for Mrs. Trow and thanks to many wonderful parents and staff they managed to have a surprise book shower for her on Wednesday.  They each contributed a page to a book on parenting advice for Mrs. Trow and brought in books for her to read to her baby.  It was quite an exciting time and 23 second graders kept it a surprise.  Mrs. Trow truly had no idea!  What wonderful team work and how special it was for them to share in this momentous event in Mrs. Trow’s life.

On a completely different note, I would like to enlist your assistance in the Beyblade issue we are experiencing at school.  We are banning all Beyblades from school at this time.  They have become a source of distraction and arguments among students.  Please do not allow your child to bring Beyblades to school.  We want to keep our focus on learning during these nice spring months and do not need anything to take away from this focus.  Thank you for your help!

I hope everyone enjoys the first official weekend of spring!

Mrs. Baier

In pursuit of knowledge...

“All wish to possess knowledge, but few, comparatively speaking, are willing to pay the price.”    ~Juvenal, Roman poet

Thank you to everyone who attended parent/teacher conferences last week.  I have heard how fruitful the conversations were from both teachers and parents.  Guiding children to the possession of knowledge is not an easy task.  While children are naturally curious, the work that they need to put in to gain knowledge and reach goals is not natural for all.  This leads us back to our focus on grit.  There are trade-offs and setbacks in the pursuit of knowledge and as I’ve said before parent/teacher teamwork is key in helping children develop the qualities needed for a successful knowledge quest.  Thank you so much for forming those parent/teacher relationships that support the children at Eagle Ridge Academy.  Those formidable teams make it extremely difficult for any child NOT to succeed!

Mr. Anderson has been decorating the LS Office with art again!  This time we have some amazing kindergarten pictures based on Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night.  Take a moment to look at all the different layers in the picture.  All of the different types of learning in just one picture is amazing to me!

Third graders have been writing couplets.  They had a couplet competition.  The winners were posted on the 3^rd grade Wall of Excellence in the hallway.  Check out the pictures below for a chuckle or two!

On Thursday, March 26^th we will be having our 2^nd Annual Lower School Historical Character Day.  Teachers have communicated the themes for each grade level.  It is an exciting day that brings together the knowledge they have learned in many different subjects.  If you have any specific questions about costumes, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.  

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Celebrate...

“There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.” ~Robert Brault

Thank you to everyone who attended parent/teacher conferences today.  The halls of Eagle Ridge Academy were humming with parents and students throughout the day.  It is wonderful to see the collaboration taking place between home and school to support all of our students!  I hope you will take some time to celebrate successes before jumping into this last leg of the 2014-15 school year. 

 

Speaking of celebrations…last Saturday fourth grade students were invited to attend “A Day in Sherwood Forest” at Eagle Ridge Academy.  This was a celebration to culminate their reading of Robin Hood.  Students participated in archery tournaments, cudgel battles, made their own family banners/shields, and experienced what it was like to be in a merry band of outlaws.  The event served a dual purpose by allowing the 4^th graders to collect donations for their water sustainability service project.  A good time was had by all, as evidenced by the pictures below.  

Congratulations to our Pillar Ticket Winners for the month of February.  They are:

William C.-1^st Grade

Sela H.- 1^st Grade

Samira I.- 5^th Grade

Jaden W.- 4^th Grade

Mariam Z. – 3^rd Grade

These students get to select their favorite Eagle Ridge Academy staff member to have lunch with next week.  Thanks for exhibiting the Pillars!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Have a gritty day!

“The attempt to prevent our kids from struggling for fear it might scar their permanent records is, instead, scarring them for life.” ~Heather Choate Davis

This week’s parent coffee topic was grit.  We had a lovely discussion about what grit is and how we can help children uncover  and develop this quality.  I think my biggest takeaways from our discussion was that grit involves passion and the support of others (not just parents) may be needed to help children with grit.  We watched the short clip here about grit, as well.  It was interesting to hear from children about goals and grit in the video.  They understand more than we think, and as always are capable of much more than we give them credit for being able to do.

Next Friday is Parent/Teacher Conference Day.  Please make sure you have read the Eagle Eye and are signed up for your conference.  Remember out specialist teachers (art, Latin, music, and physical education) are also available for conferences that day. 

Last weekend was the Lower School Variety Show.  I am always impressed by the talent and self-confidence of our young students.  We heard beautiful musical pieces, lovely songs, funny jokes, and saw enchanting dances.  Consider coming next year to help support our Lower School students as they develop their talents and their abilities to perform in front of large groups of people.  You’ll have a wonderful time!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Baier