DAWSON STUDENT LIFE

International Dot Day

International Dot Day, celebrated annually in September, is a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration. Our Early Childhood students participated in activities that recognized the importance of these characteristics and learned about having a growth mindset from the book The Dot . This celebration also included a community meeting where students listened to the story and sang the song. The thematic unit consisted of playbased centers, writing lessons, and art projects to celebrate how a mistake can lead to a fantastic learning experience. Plus, the entire Early Childhood family dressed in polka dots to show unity on this beautiful day.

New Family Connections

Fostering connections is important when we welcome new families to our community, especially at the start of a new school year. The sense of comfort and belonging we seek to create for all is significant to our school climate and culture. Our Admissions team is instrumental in planning several events that help new Bears join Dawson, which includes a summer treasure hunt to explore important areas of campus, an ice cream social to learn about different school programs, and a new family morning social for the adults to meet leadership and engage in getting-to-know-you activities.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH

Our entire community joined us for a special Backto-School Bash in September. This fun evening allowed families to travel through classrooms from Early Childhood through eighth grade to see learning in action through the eyes of our students. We also opened up our Dining Hall for food and fun, bringing back a campus tradition: Spaghetti Dinner!

Darryl McDaniels, known on the stage as DMC as lead singer of the hip hop group Run DMC, visited Dawson in September for a surprise K-8 assembly! He shared an inspirational story with our students about what it means to Level Up by setting goals and working hard, and he performed part of his hit song, “It’s Tricky”. He also visited a few classrooms to share his book, Darryl’s Dream , a children’s picture book about creativity, confidence, and finding your voice.

SURPRISE VISIT BY RUN DMC!

KINDERGARTEN MEET-UP

This event for our kindergarten families was an incredible opportunity to build grade-level community on campus outside of school hours. On a special Saturday morning, parents mingled while students played on the playground, got their faces painted, and did spin art with Middle School student volunteers. Afterward, families were invited to catch our Middle School volleyball and flag football games during one of our Athletics’ Super Saturday events!

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 each year and honors the heritage and contributions of members of the Hispanic community in the United States. Several countries in Latin America also celebrate their independence day during these dates. Our teachers used conversations with Hispanic school community members, music, books, and digital resources within the classroom to teach students in age-appropriate ways. Some examples include our Early Childhood students learning the familiar song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Spanish and singing it together in celebration, and our faculty and staff members celebrating their Latinx and Hispanic culture with a special video series over Dawson’s social media channels.

DAWSON PARENTS EXPERIENCE THE K-4 DESIGN LAB

Dawson’s K-4 Design Lab is an innovative and collaborative space where our students enjoy imaginative educational experiences that enhance the partnership between design and technology. During a special Parent University in October, our Dawson parents became the students! With Director of Academic Innovation & Design Rich Lehrer and a small team of Middle School Design Ambassadors, a group of parents learned more about our digital design and fabrication endeavors and created introductory designs using lab equipment such as 3D Printers and Laser Cutters.

Middle School Traveling Field Trips

The experiential learning opportunities provided to students during the fifth through eighth-grade traveling field trips each school year build community and culture among peers and teachers, allow students to take healthy risks with trusted adults, and create awareness for environmental stewardship during meaningful experiences in the natural world. During the first semester, our fifth graders traveled to Yosemite National Park and our sixth graders embarked upon a Grand Circle Adventure to Bryce Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon, and Zion National Park.

DUNGEONS & DAWSON CRITICAL LITERACIES GALLERY WALK

Using the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game as their framework, our seventhgrade critical literacies students learned the art of crafting a compelling and dramatic backstory for tragic characters in their creative writing. Students worked on this project throughout the entire first semester, first independently building a new character that had a defined personality type, unique physical traits, and specific equipment to assist them with their life’s journey. After a period of reflection, students collaborated on their character development before presenting their writing to other students and faculty during a special in-class gallery walk.

Celebrating Diwali

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is observed by more than a billion people. It is India’s most important festival of the year and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. The festival gets its name from the row of clay lamps people light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. The Ocean Room in Early Childhood celebrated Diwali by learning more about the festival’s traditions through books, activities, and a special visit from one of their classroom families.

Metric Olympics

To cap off their metric measurement unit, our third-grade science students invented games for their “Metric Olympics” event. An excellent example of Project-Based Learning, the games are selfguided and apply students’ newly learned metric measurement skills. They invent games using “props” that include cups, corks, straws, plates, and more. Students inquire, collaborate, and investigate possibilities to engage in designing posters and score papers. After teams complete each station in a day of fun games, they are required to provide feedback during the reflection process so students know how their game designs can be improved, a key component of PBL.

Annual Gingerbread Event

Dawson’s amazing Parent Association is committed to building a strong community that fosters a supportive learning environment and embraces the Mission and strategic goals of the School. Their time, talent, and energy are displayed in countless ways through their many volunteer and fundraising initiatives, including and especially our annual Gingerbread Event. Each December, our community joins together to adorn gingerbread houses amidst a winter candy land-decorated Dining Hall abuzz with music, laughter, and excitement. This year, we included a special donation station in support of Dawson’s school-wide service-learning project led by Class of 2020 alum Grace Wike, our NJHS students, and the nonprofit organization Foster Kinship. The DPA’s ongoing efforts are a thriving part of the Dawson experience and a wonderful way to engage, connect, and build our remarkable School community!

GRANDPARENTS & GRANDFRIENDS DAY

Grandparents & Grandfriends Day is a community-wide celebration honoring the people who have a special place in the lives of our students. In addition to classroom visits, Dawson held a Farmers’ Market in the Richard & Malena Ruffin Organic Garden with items harvested and packaged by all of our students. Grandparents and grandfriends further enjoyed performing and visual arts showcases in the Dining Hall, as well as visits to the K-4 Design Lab and the Dawson Library to purchase a book dedication for their grandchild. Grandparents & Grandfriends Day is one of our most enjoyable and memorable Dawson traditions, and we are truly grateful for the care and kindness our community’s loved ones continue to show our school year after year, all in support of our culture of belonging.

Ruby Bridges Walk To School Day

The Ruby Bridges Foundation shares how six-year-old Ruby Bridges stepped into the history books in 1960 when she integrated William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, becoming a national icon for the civil rights movement. Today, her story continues to inspire the next generation of leaders to end racism together one step at a time. November 14 is now recognized annually as national Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, a day of dialogue to commemorate her historic steps, and for students to continue the conversation and take part in their own forms of activism to bring an end to racism and all forms of bullying. The Dawson community wore purple in solidarity, and if possible, walked to school this day. Teachers shared resources and had conversations within the classroom to help students make personal connections to this important day in history.