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

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

Wonder and Awe

“All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.” ~Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

The awakening of wonder and awe in students is a preeminent part of Classical Education.  A true Classical Education begins in wonder and awe and ideally ends in wisdom. Since the School of Grammar is the beginning of formal Classical Education, it only makes sense that teachers are trying to awaken wonder and awe in their students.  As parents you did this when your children were younger and hopefully continue to build upon the wonderment and awe they bring home from school each day.  In an effort to share some of those wondering and awe-inspiring moments, we have made a bulletin board outside the School of Grammar office.  It is the “Wonder and Awe” board.  Students and teachers are adding their moments of wonder and awe to the board.  Take a look at a few of the things that have come up just recently.  They may inspire some wonder and awe in you, as well.

The first grade took a field trip to the Old Log Theater in Excelsior to see a play.  They watched Cinderella.  First graders are learning to compare and contrast different versions of fairy tales in their reading classes.  Watching the play gave them another version to analyze and helped them learn how to be a good audience at a special event.  Thank you to the parents who sent their children in formal dress (as required for field trips).  As you know dressing differently for an occasion can heighten the sense of importance for that occasion.

Speaking of uniforms and dress code…please make sure your child comes to school in a uniform that is clean and neat in appearance.  Items with rips, holes, and tears should be relegated to play clothes or mended before students wear them to school again.  If you have having any financial difficulties with uniforms, please let me or your child’s teacher know.  We sometimes have ways to help families purchase some new pieces if the old ones are outgrown or just worn out and finances are an issue. Also, watch the Eagle Eye for the next PTO sponsored used uniform sale. 

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Rocks

"The rock I'd seen in my life looked dull because in all ignorance I'd never thought to knock it open.  Rock collecting was opening mountains.  It was like poking about in a grimy alley and finding an old, old coin.  Nothing was as it seemed.  The earth was like a shut eye.  Pry open the thin lid and find a crystalline intelligence inside, a rayed and sidereal beauty. Crystals grew inside rock like arithmetical flowers.  They lengthened and spread, adding plane to plane in awed and perfect obedience to an absolute geometry that even the stones-maybe only the stones-understood." ~Annie Dillard

Rocks…why study rocks? There are so many reasons!  History of the earth and discovery of true beauty are a couple that pop into my mind.  Fourth grade students have been studying rocks and minerals in science for many different reasons.  Mrs. Madigan noted in her newsletter that, “Geologists should have keen eyes and be good at selecting the correct tools to use in their work.  Geologists are discoverers and should always look for patterns and make educated guesses using the knowledge they have.”  The things discovered from a simple rock can be quite amazing.  The fourth graders made some amazing discoveries when they tried to identify rocks and minerals in class last week.  I wonder if they will look at simple rocks in the same way ever again!

Please consider joining our parent coffee book study of The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey.  If you plan to join please let me know, so we can reserve a spot for you.  The next parent coffee will be on Tuesday, January 5^th at 8:00.  I hope to hear from you and see you there!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  It turns problems into gifts, failure into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.

It can turn an existence into a real life, and disconnected situations into important and beneficial lessons.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow.

~Melodie Beattie

We talk a lot about being thankful to students for what we have, but as adults rarely take stock ourselves.   In this crazy world today take a moment to experience real gratitude.  We always want more and more, but so often do not realize how fortunate we are to have what we do.  Think about your life comparatively, not just at this time of year, but anytime you believe that you “need” more of something.  You might just find you have everything you need already!

Here are a few things our students are thankful for this year…

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break!

Mrs. Baier

Not Yet

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.  ~ Chinese Proverb

I recently watched a short TED video in which Carol Dweck was speaking. (If you are interested you can watch the video here: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve#t-18800)

 If you don’t know Carol Dweck, she is the researcher who coined the “growth mindset.”  In this video she started by speaking about a school where when students did not pass a course, the grade they received was “not yet.”  In schools we grade our students on their work, but what do those grades truly mean to students.  The words “not yet,” truly resonated with me.  If we want students to strive and keep trying, we need to encourage them.  We need to praise wisely.  Praising and rewarding the process and the effort they have put forth not the end product.  No, they may not have mastered the concept this particular time, but that doesn’t mean mastery is not yet to come.  Using simple words like not yet help children see acquiring knowledge is a process and not an event.  It also helps them know that just because they didn’t get it the first time doesn’t mean it won’t happen.  Try using those words in your home and see if they make a difference!

Last week our students participated in our annual Veterans’ Day programs.  Our 3^rd and 5^th grade students had the opportunity to perform both the National Anthem and America the Beautiful.  Gigi (1^st), Adriana (1^st), Luke (3^rd), and Ellie (5^th) impressed us all with their recitations of The Gettysburg Address.  Thank you to my kindergarten and first grade helpers, who passed out flags to Veterans at the programs.  We were honored to have family members attend our programs and hope the Veterans in attendance felt our heart-felt thanks for their service to our country.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Baier

Patience First

“Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.” ~ Plautus, playwright

We live in a society of such immediacy that we have forgotten how to be patient.  I hear adults (Yes, we are all guilty of this.) talk to children about being patient, but they do not model that patience themselves.  With all of our technology alerting us immediately to communications, it has become a reflex to jump on things right away.  I feel we are losing our ability to pause and take time to reflect before we answer.  We all know our first attempts at things are not always our best.  Personally, I struggle with satisfying the need to take care of a task with my fervent desire to do the best I can in everything I do.  I would encourage you to take some time to think about how you practice patience in your professional and personal lives.  How do you model patience to your children and others in your life?  Are you ruled by the ding of the alert or do you rule it?  Just a few things to contemplate…

Second grade students have been studying life cycles in science.  One of their latest life cycles was the life cycle of the frog.  Miss Hopper’s class worked with their 4^th grade buddies to share the life cycle of the frog and build a frog.  It was a great collaborative project allowing the second graders to share their knowledge with older students, who could add on to that knowledge.  Here are some pictures of their time together and some completed frogs.

Thank you to everyone who came to the Gala on Saturday to support filling the library in our new location next year.  A fun time was had by all and the generosity of parents and staff in donations of money, items, and experiences made for a very successful evening.  I look forward to hearing the final total raised for books when it is released this week!

Don’t forget about our annual Veterans’ Day programs on Wednesday.  School of Grammar programs start at 8:30 with 3^rd-5^th graders attending.  The K-2 program is at 9:00.  I am proud of our dedication to recognizing those individuals who serve our country. 

When I was attending the ERB conference in San Diego, I had the opportunity to tour the Naval Special Warfare Command Center-SWCC (where Navy Seals train) and meet the head of SWCC, Commander Jay Hennessey.  After his remarks to us, we thanked him for his service to our country.  He stopped us and said it was his pleasure and no thanks were necessary.  He got up each morning and did something that he loved to do, serve his country.  His remarks stuck with me, but  I still believe in thanking our Veterans every chance we get. To answer such a calling is truly noble!  

Below are a few pictures from my time at SWCC (that I am allowed to share), in case you are interested.  I was also struck by the connections I saw between what we teach students to prepare them to be great citizens of the world and what the Navy Seals expect from their recruits.  We are truly preparing students for anything they choose to do once they graduate from Eagle Ridge Academy!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier