Volume 20 Issue 5 February 2014
The Wilson Word A publication of The Wilson School, Founded 1913
Digital Citizenship By Head of School, Thad Falkner he word “innovative” is one we hear frequently these days, and at Wilson, it is one of the foundational elements of our mission. The events of this month, in particular, reinforce Wilson’s commitment to being innovative and fostering this capacity in our students.
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This week, we launched a new parent portal on our website. The MyWilson Parent Portal allows for more dynamic communications within The Wilson School community. Further, it serves as a learning management platform with online capabilities we will be exploring to support our teachers and students in their coursework. Also this week, we kicked off a series of informational opportunities for parents by welcoming renowned speaker Devorah Heitner to address our parents on “Raising Your Digital Natives.” She spoke with faculty in the afternoon and parents in the evening on both the benefits and safeguards of technology use. As we continue to delve deeper into the technology realm, both as a school and as a society, it is our responsibility as caretakers of our youth to be mindful about how we incorporate these new tools into our lives. As John D. Rockefeller so aptly stated, “Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation, every possession, a duty.” Although Rockefeller was before the age of smart phones, tablets and computers, his statement is arguably more relevant today than ever before. Electronic devices can be wonderful tools for learning, practice and even entertainment. However, we must ensure that children (and adults) strike the right balance and that activities such as time with family and friends, imaginative play, peer
Now In Our Second Century of Excellence!
In This Issue! Head of School 1 Admissions 2 Parent Portal 2 Auction Recap 3 Senior Kindergarten 4 Music 6 Third Grade 8
Art 10 Science 12 Sixth Grade 14 “Wall” of Fame 15 Summer Camp 15 Calendar 16
interaction, outdoor recreation and yes, homework, all have a place and priority as set by each family’s values. Our ‘duty’ is to be intentional about setting boundaries for ourselves and for our children. This topic calls for ongoing discussion, and I hope you will join us on February 26th or March 5th for our 3rd-6th Grade Parent Information Meetings on “Digital Citizenship,” where we will explain more about Wilson’s curriculum and talk about ways to help successfully guide your child in their device usage. It is an exciting time to be at The Wilson School. Through these tools and educational opportunities, we are creating new experiences for our children and families that will better prepare them for tomorrow’s world. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be a partner with our Wilson families and the community at-large in navigating this new territory together! Read the full article, with photos, on wilsonschool.com.
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Admissions News
by expecting too much of them by withholding positive comments, or freely imposing harsh ones. Mr. Sprunger provided tips on how to help children develop a healthy sense of competency that allows them to become resilient, take on challenges, experience excellence, and grow into competent and caring human beings.
Re-enrollment Contracts Due on February 28!
By Director of Admissions Laura Hartung
Re-enrollment contracts for returning students are due by February 28. Re-enrollment contracts not returned by this date may result in a student being placed on the school’s wait list. After February 28, decisions regarding new applicants will be made. Enrollment contracts for new, incoming students will be mailed on March 14, and will be due on April 4. This second phase of enrollment represents a critical opportunity to reach out to new families. Following April 4, applications will continue to be accepted for grades in which there are openings.
A Good Turnout for Wilson’s Speaker Series he Speaker Series drew a good crowd for a topic important to many: “The Self Esteem Crisis: How Today’s Children are Getting Too Much and Too Little.” Edmund Sprunger, MSW, the Director of the Child Development Program at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute as well as a psychotherapist in the Institute’s Schiele Clinic, addressed this topic to parents, educators, preschool directors and childcare providers. A good take away from Mr. Sprunger’s speech is to not dole out praise for shoddy work and pretend something has been achieved when it hasn’t. Further, we should not disable children
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MyWilson Parent Portal is Live! W
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e are pleased to share that the MyWilson Parent Portal is live at my.wilsonschool.com and accessible from the wilsonschool.com homepage.
Re-enrollment contracts due February 28!
Parents now have secure access to: • school and classroom resources, announcements and news • school calendar • media galleries • internal messaging • assignments calendar (for 5th and 6th grades) • gradebooks (for 5th and 6th grades) All school and classroom communications will channel through the MyWilson site. At your earliest convenience, we ask that parents log in, get familiar with the site and customize your account and notifications settings. Please note that all usernames and passwords have changed.
click my.wilsonschool.com
Après Ski Final Forecast: More Fun Ahead!
he Wilson community enjoyed a fantastic evening at Palladium St. Louis on January 25th for the 31st Annual Thistle Auction. The Après Ski atmosphere was perfect for fun of all sorts, including socializing, sipping and spending. Not only was a good time had by all, Après Ski raised more than $90,500 to benefit another century of excellence at Wilson! THANK YOU to everyone who helped make it a huge success. This kind of event is only possible with the support of our generous donors and advertisers, committed committee chairs and volunteers, as well as all of you who attended. Make sure to check out Town & Style’s coverage of Wilson’s premier social and fundraising event.
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But WAIT, there’s more! The fun isn’t over: There are a select number of Sign-Up Parties, both for adults and children, that have openings. Whether or not you attended the Auction, you can sign up by using the form linked here. There is a wide variety available, including:
Exclusive Access: Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum
Enjoy exclusive access to one of our City’s most magnificent showpieces! Your guide will be the incomparable Carol Ferring Shepley, award-winning author of Tales from Bellefontaine Cemetery. A wine and cheese reception will be held following the tour in the beautiful Hotchkiss Chapel. Date: Sunday, April 13, 2014. $50/person
80’s Party
Join us for this adults-only event in The Wilson School gym and rock on to your favorite 80’s music with the St. Louis band “Plastic.” Dress in your favorite 80’s style to show off your 80’s flair. Date: Friday, April 4, 2014 at 7:00 pm. $40/ticket
Tee it Up! Golf Party
Enjoy a terrific afternoon of golf, games and drinks at Norwood Hills Golf Club. Twelve lucky people will play the beautiful and challenging West Course. Guests will participate in scoring games, long drive and closest to the pin contents. Refreshments will be provided during the round as well as cocktails on the veranda at the conclusion. Whether your handicap is single digits or your clubs are buried in the attic, there is a place for you at this fun-filled event. Date: May 14, 2014. $125/ticket
A Day to Experience Florist Row
Come and see first-hand where flowers are delivered from all over the world to St. Louis and enjoy a floral demonstration class by Baisch and Skinner. Your day will include a tour of the facilities, an hour long flower arranging class and an opportunity to purchase flowers and shop the Baisch and Skinner Wholesale Marketplace for beautiful and unique home accessories during the day of your tour. Date: Friday, April 4, 2014, at 12:30 pm. $40/ticket
Children’s Class Parties
Each class has a fun and unique activity planned. Make sure your child doesn’t miss out! 3
Star Gazing
The night wasn’t just filled with rockets; students had to design a Moon Base using two simple materials: marshmallows and toothpicks, and geometry. Using the idea of putting together the marshmallow toothpick to form a triangle, and putting the triangles together to form a more complex 3-d shape, the students learned that they could build a strong structure. Senior kindergarten students and their siblings let their creative juices flow, building space helmets out of paper grocery bags. Students added antenna and microphones so they could receive and send communications. They added protected face screens to keep in the oxygen and keep out the cold of space. They also added a lot of color to their helmets because, as you know, an astronaut wants to look good.
By Senior Kindergarten Teachers, Michael Hinkebein and Mary Jaeger enior Kindergarten just finished their study of the solar system and space travel. The focus of the science unit was the objects in our Solar System: planets, comets, asteroids and moons. The unit challenged students to think about a return visit to the Moon. The unit culminated in a Star Gazing party that was held on Friday, February 7th. Even though it was overcast and the participants were unable to look at the Moon and Jupiter through the telescopes, this didn’t cast a shadow over the rest of the evening.
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During the event, parents and students participated in six different science and space activities: “Alka Seltzer Rockets,” “Marshmallow Moon Base Building,” “Paper Bag Space Helmet Design,” “Neither Sink Nor Float - A Cork Challenge,” “Sticky Water: How many drops of water will fit on a penny?” and “Air Compressor Rockets.” One of the favorite activities of the annual event is the Alka Seltzer Rockets. Student and parents donned safety goggles to launch these explosive rockets into the atmosphere, or at least up to the ceiling in the senior kindergarten room. Using film canisters, water and Alka Seltzer as fuel, both students and parents explored the principles of rocketry. Due to the lack of a clear night, the telescope viewing had to be canceled and the air compressor rockets were added to the evening. Students launched rockets made from rolled up tubes of paper and tape, and with a sophisticated launching device and air compressor the rockets flew across the gym. 4
There were two more space-related activities that were designed to challenge the brain: “Sticky Water” and “Neither Sink Nor Float.” In the “Sticky Water” activities, students were to explore the cohesive properties of water by guessing the number of drops that would fit onto a penny and then they tested their guesses by dropping water with an eyedropper. Students and parents alike were amazed that up to 20 drops of water could fit onto a penny before running off the sides. The most challenging activity was to try to make a cork neither sink to the bottom of a container filled with water, nor float on the top of the water. Students added to and took away different kind of weights from corks until they found the right balance. With trial and error, and a lot of wet sleeves, this challenge was completed by many. Though the Moon and Jupiter were not seen that night, later the next week students came back again in the evening and did get to see both the magnificence of an almost full Moon, and saw Jupiter with its beautiful band of gases and four of its moons.
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Music 2nd
Second grade students have learned how to add accents and barlines to rhythm in order to make measures in music. As we continue this unit, students will be reading rhythms, taking rhythmic dictation, improvising rhythms and then constructing the structure for the 2/4 meter using accents and barlines. We are also learning folk dances done in a double circle!
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Third grade is making great progress on their soprano recorders. Soon they will be adding notes E and D to their knowledge base. Students have also been experimenting with playing songs on the xylophones and then changing certain elements of the songs to make new music. The analogy we use in class is to be able to mold and shape the music like clay!
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Fourth grade continues to improve on their recorder skills. In the coming weeks they will have learned all of the notes to make a diatonic scale! We are also getting ready to begin a unit on square dancing!
By Music Teacher, Rebecca Donaldson
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SK, PK & JK
1st
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he New Year is off to a musical start at Wilson. Here is what is happening at each grade level.
The pre-primary grades are learning lots of new songs for the New Year and enjoying many movement games as well. Senior Kindergarten (SK) has begun to use the unpitched percussion instruments for accompaniment to rhymes and songs. Junior Kindergarten (JK) students are beginning to learn longer songs; some of their songs even have verses. Pre-Kindergarten (PK) students continue to learn new songs, and enjoy being able to sing review songs together. It is such a joy to sing songs with these young musicians! First grade has launched into reading music rhythms! They are familiar with one sound on a beat (ta) and two sounds on a beat (ti-ti) and no sound on a beat (rest). Melody is next!
5th
6th
Fifth grade has received their alto recorders and are enjoying the new challenges and responsibilities of yet another instrument! The alto recorder is an ‘F’ instrument, while the soprano recorder is a ‘C’ instrument. Students can play the same fingering on both instruments and produce a different pitch. This has provided an opportunity to learn a bit about transposing. Sixth grade students have completed a unit on modes in which they have experienced the musical modes through playing instruments, listening and finally, composing! Their compositions will be compiled into a CD for sixth graders and their families at the end of the year.
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Thriving Third Grade
By Third Grade Teachers, Carolyn Cady and Mara Goldschmidt t may be cold and bare outside, but it is lively and full of energy in the third grade classroom! Students are busy in all subject areas learning new things, perfecting old skills, and having a wonderful time.
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We have recently begun new novels for our literature groups. Students chose between four books: “The School Story,” “There’s an Owl in the Shower,” and “A Mouse Called Wolf.” Back by popular demand this semester is “No Flying in the House,” a choice for students who didn’t have a chance to read it in the fall. Third graders are enjoying reading their novels and can’t wait to find out what happens next! As always, in addition to discussing content, students are also learning new vocabulary from their books. The novels also tie in well to our curriculum in other subject areas. “There’s an Owl in the Shower,” for example, is a great book about the environment and conservation – which students are learning about in science. Our third grade scientists sure have been busy! Recently, they have been discussing various ways to help the environment and have been learning about different types of energy. One sunny afternoon, students went outside to conduct a fair test experiment on solar power. They created a hypothesis, determined the dependent and independent variables, and brainstormed what else was needed for their experiment. Students began by questioning whether we could detect the temperature difference in the air by placing one thermometer in the shade and one in the sun. After fifteen minutes, there was a 15-degree difference in 8
temperature – and that’s in Celsius! Third graders sure showed their knowledge and love of science. Students are also thriving in social studies. Third graders can locate and correctly spell all seven continents and five oceans. They can also find and plot places on a map using longitude and latitude lines. After learning the geography of our world, students will study some of the various cultures and traditions around the world. Third graders are excited to learn about the similarities and differences they have with children their age all over the world! In math, third graders are solving more complex multiplication problems. Students recently finished the telling-time unit where they practiced calculating elapsed time, telling time to the exact minute, and saying the same time in different ways. Third graders also have had the opportunity on some mornings to work on algebra using the Hands-On Equations system. Needless to say, this class is full of mathematicians! Our second semester is flying by and we’re looking forward to the many more adventures to come!
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Wilson Artists Create with Visiting Artist, Maria Ojascastro By Art Teachers, Diane Signor and Mary Beth Tipton uring the week of January 27, students learned about and worked with the visiting artist, Maria Ojascastro. This special program was a collaboration with COCA (Center of Creative Arts) and is supported by The Excellence Fund. Each class worked with Maria during their two art classes during the week.
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Maria shared her artwork consisting of collages and puppets. All of her art contains found objects and/or recycled materials. Next, she had students, PK through Sixth Grade, create their own collages using a portion of a self portrait and found objects. Many students brought in their own personal objects from home in order to make their artwork even more individual. Fifth and sixth grades explored the Encaustic technique, which consists of dipping collage objects into melted wax as well as painting with melted colored wax. All students approached the project with great enthusiasm and were equally successful in the process and end product. Maria not only inspired them but also was able to encourage positive outcomes with each student. By the conclusion of her visit, we were all wishing she could work with us longer. As art educators, it is gratifying to be a part of yet another very successful Visiting Artist Program. Again, the goals of providing a strong education for all students have been met. This includes learning about a unique artistic technique, as well as strengthening their creative and problem solving skills, and promoting self-expression. 10
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Chemistry, Rocks, and the Human Body
By Science Teacher, Angie Zinkl
hat is an element? How is the periodic table arranged? What is matter? What are the basic particles that make up an atom? What is the difference between a physical and chemical change? Why does a can of Coke sink while a can of Diet Coke float? These are just a few of the questions our sixth grade chemists have been investigating this semester in science. Some of our highlights thus far have been building a density tower where liquids actually float on top of each other, investigating exothermic and endothermic reactions through the creation of hot packs and ice packs, and singing our new favorite song, “Meet the Elements” by They Might Be Giants.
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How are rocks and minerals formed? How do we use them in everyday life? How are they classified? The fifth grade geologists have been busy exploring these questions in our unit of study on rocks and minerals. Through many handson laboratory investigations, these students have become experts on identifying rocks and minerals, and even modeled the rock cycle through the heating, cooling, and erosion of a crayon. We look forward to using these skills on our spring field trip to Elephant Rocks! What is the structure of the brain? How does our brain work? What does our brain look like? What are neurons? The fourth grade biologists have been busy studying parts of our bodies all year and have recently focused on the brain. Students have been building models of the brain and neurons, acting like a nerve impulse and jumping across a synapse in a good old game of synaptic tag, and seeing how color influences what we read by participating in an online experiment known as the “Stroop effect.” The young scientists also had a great treat when Dr. Thomas, Immanuel’s father, visited us with a real human brain! We were able to touch it and hold it! Pretty cool! All the science classes experimented with sublimation. (That is where a solid goes directly into a gas.) We had fun exploring how to make bubbles out of carbon dioxide gas. It has been a wonderful year in science and we are all looking forward to learning more!
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Experiencing History in 6th Grade By Sixth Grade Teachers, Charla Gray and Joe Thomas
Memphis to assist with the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. Memphis is also home to the National Civil Rights Museum, which is currently undergoing renovations. Students will have an opportunity to view the open portions of the museum before heading back to St. Louis. It is truly a life-changing trip for students and adults alike! After our civil rights unit and trip are complete, the sixth grade class will move on to their studies of ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. In May, the class will take a trip to Chicago, IL to visit the collections at the Field Museum and the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago from these remarkable civilizations. We are looking forward to a fast paced and exciting conclusion to the sixth grade year!
t’s hard to believe how quickly the year is flying by in sixth grade! Students are working hard academically, as well as experiencing some of the special activities unique to the sixth grade year. In November, the students performed the annual fifth and sixth grade musical, “Soup for the King.” The performance was a smashing success, and a great opportunity for the kids to show off their skills. “I like that the musical gives you the opportunity to show a different side of yourself than you usually do at school,” said Adam, who starred as the King.
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The sixth grade class has also begun its unit on the American Civil Rights movement. Currently students are researching and reporting on important people and events. Each student is becoming an expert on one particular civil rights topic, and then sharing it with the class. Much of the work of unit is in preparation for the upcoming sixth grade civil rights trip. The class will travel to Little Rock, AR to visit Little Rock Central High School, which was the site of the forced school desegregation in 1957. Students will have a chance to retrace the steps of Elizabeth Eckford and the other nine students into the school about which they have been learning. After that, the class will travel to Birmingham, AL where in 1963 children from all over the city marched for their civil rights, and were met with violent resistance. In Birmingham, students will visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which is one of the finest civil rights museums and teaching institutions in the United States. While in Birmingham, we will also have a chance to visit the 16th Street Baptist Church (bombed by the KKK in 1963) and Kelly Ingram Park (the site of many civil rights protests and clashes with police). Finally, the class will round out the trip with a stop in Memphis, TN to visit the Lorraine Motel, where in 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. King was in
On Saturday February 15th, twelve Wilson School students participated in a prestigious event marking the 250th anniversary of St. Louis’ founding. Hosted by stl250, a group commemorating this historical milestone by holding a series of events throughout 2014, the re-enactment recounted and celebrated the early history of the region.
“You’re not going to get another 250th anniversary of St. Louis. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.” -- 6th grade student 14
Wall of Fame s seen here in some of our most popular Facebook photos, Wilson students enjoyed celebrating this month with Chinese New Year and Valentines’ Day festivities. If you haven’t already, visit our Facebook page to get a daily glimpse of life at Wilson and share with your friends and family.
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The “Lions” Meet “Angry Birds” By Summer Camp Coordinator Michael Hinkebein
In this session, children in the “Yellow Lions” group will explore kinetic and potential energy, friction and gravity through the Angry Birds applications. They will then take this knowledge from the digital world to the physical world and build slingshots and catapults to knock down a variety of different structures. This is a not-to-be-missed session for the “Angry Birds” enthusiast! Apply now for the Yellow Lions, July 7th and 14th (weeks 5 & 6). Questions? Contact mhinkebein@wilsonschool.com. See our brochure on www.wilsonschool.com.
ummer is just a few months away. For those of you who have children entering kindergarten or first grade, sign them up for two weeks of fun with the “Angy Birds - Making the Connection Between the Digital World and Physical World.”
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Calendar of Events
The Wilson Word
Feb. 26
Assembly - BBC
Feb. 28
Re-enrollment contracts due
Mar. 11
Board Meeting
Mar. 12
Assembly - BBC
Mar. 14
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Mar. 15 - 30
Spring Break
Mar. 31
School Resumes
April 9
Used Book Drop
April 9
Assembly - BBC
April 9
4th, 5th, 6th Book Club
April 12
Board Retreat
April 14-18
Used Book Sale
April 16
PA Meeting
April 22-28
ERB Week (Grades 3-6)
April 25
Wilson Night at Busch Stadium
April 30
Miss Wilson’s Birthday
April 30
Wilson/Forsyth Spring Band Concert
Check the Wilson School website for more dates and details:
www.wilsonschool.com 16