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Students thrive in a community shaped by timeless traditions and timely transformation.
The Peck School in Morristown Re-imagines Key Learning Spaces
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pin around at any point on The Peck School campus and you witness the process of transformation. Students are transforming intellectually, creatively, and emotionally, and they are transforming the world around them. To keep pace with this transformation, The Peck School campus is undergoing a metamorphosis. Exciting new spaces, made possible by the generosity of Peck families, are enabling students to take ideas further than ever before. The re-imagined Deetjen Kindergarten building, which includes a brand new KG and First Grade Idea & Design Lab (K.I.D. Lab), an all-school Idea & Design Lab, a Robotics Lab adjacent to art studios, and the 7th and 8th grade Commons are new catalytic spaces for conversations and collaborations that will foster in Peck students a lifetime joy of discovery. In the new Kindergarten, students are surrounded by an architectural metaphor for nature and nurture. They can retreat to a cozy nook to read, or engage in dramatic play on the Big Room’s elevated stage. An indoor garden and large windows maintain a connection to the outdoors long after recess ends. “We are thrilled by the possibilities of the new outdoor classroom. I’m imagining math scavenger hunts, science investigations, outdoor birthday parties, messy play, and much more,” says Maribel Mohr, one of three full-time KG faculty. Fast-forward to fifth grade and students are
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New Jersey Family
• October 2017
participating in a yearlong project focusing on an essential question, “What would it take to build a civilization?” The class will answer that question using Mars as their destination. In the new Idea & Design Lab, they will use laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines, glue guns, soldering irons, and circuit boards to prototype wearable technology containing conductive threads, and prototype living spaces and tools for survival. In the Robotics Lab they will design and program vehicles to conduct experiments on a mock-up of the Mars surface, which will be made using 3D modeling software and 3D printing. By 8th grade, Peck students are intentionally blurring lines between disciplines, incorporating high-tech, low-tech, and notech elements into their Capstone Projects. “At the heart of everything is thinking and questioning. We want to be asking ‘Why, what if, and what about,’ and that can be applied from Kindergarten through eighth grade and across all subjects,” says Bruce Schwartz, Director of the Idea & Design Lab. Beyond academics, students experience interpersonal transformation in the magnificent new Commons. According to Daisy Savage, Upper School Head, “Using this dedicated space in our Caspersen-Tomlinson building for quiet study and conversation will become a graduated privilege, earned by older students who are beginning to lead the school.” A tech free zone, the Commons will also be used for morning meetings, advisory
time, and academic support. The space will become an important hub and will be surrounded by the offices of the Upper School Head, School Psychologist, and Secondary School Counselor. The Peck School has a legacy of timeless traditions, such as firm handshakes, tidy blazers, and genuine school pride. The school program also cultivates timely transformations as students learn to swim the data streams of an information age, growing into intrepid problem solvers, young leaders, and considerate citizens. The campus plan took a big leap forward this summer creating spaces that allow for students’ character to take root, while their minds take flight. Chris Weaver, Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development explains, “We’ve seen innovation across the curriculum from K to 8 — upping engagement and problem solving skills, employing new and better pedagogies, making transformative use of technology. The exciting work in the classroom will push the building in new directions; the building spaces will open our students to new opportunities and new ways of coming together as a community of learners. It’s an exciting time at Peck!”
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