Student Accomplishments

In 6th Grade science, students were asked to creatively express their understanding of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Lana and Olivia were inspired by how applicable the laws are to everyday life. So relevant, in fact, that maybe even young children could understand them. They decided to join forces to portray Newton’s Laws via an original children’s book created with publishing software.

Beyond needing to understand the content well enough to present it simply, the girls needed to make decisions about font sizing, page layouts, illustrations, and more. The process was not without setbacks, such as

their original cover design being too low resolution to print clearly, and the software allowing just one person to edit at a time.

Lana explained, “We still managed to make it work. I have an older brother who is a former GVS student so he knows how much each student puts into their work. He inspired me to not give up because in the end it will all pay off.” Olivia added: “I am a visual learner so seeing ideas with pictures helps me to understand the concept much better rather than just reading about it.” Teacher Doug Ebert finds that in addition to formal assessments (quizzes and tests), fun applications can further solidify students’ true understanding of concepts taught in class. Once the book was complete, the girls were invited to test it on a real audience: Olivia’s sister’s 2nd Grade class. When asked for final thoughts on this project, the girls each expressed gratitude:

Lana Alvarez & Olivia Lichota, 6th Grade Created a Picture Book about Physics

Ariah Ahuja, 4th Grade Golf

“We just wanted to thank Mr. Ebert for making this possible. We are so grateful that we attend this school and we have the education that we have.” – Lana

“I am also very thankful for the education that Green Vale has provided to me for the past seven years. Mr. Ebert always makes lessons fun, projects fun, and even tests fun.” – Olivia

Like her older sister Ashani (GVS 7th Grade), Ariah Ahuja began playing golf before most children can ride a bike, at age four. By seven, she started competing. Last year, she was one of 12 girls from the Northeast to qualify for and compete at the Regional Drive Chip and Putt Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut. A natural lefty who plays righty, Ariah practices and trains year-round. Approach shots are her speciality.

Says Ariah: “The hardest part of the game is when you miss putts, and the best part of the game is winning."

Oliver Iavarone & Alexander Yarian, 5th Grade Songwriting Duo

Maddi Lam, 4th Grade Created an Educational Website

Oliver Iavarone fell into his passion for music when his parents (not musically inclined themselves) enrolled him in an early-childhood jazz program to help his language development as a toddler. “We didn’t know jazz would become his muse for his journey in life thus far,” says his mother, Michele. From ages 2-6, his soundtrack was Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker. He started studying piano seriously at six, and now takes song sheets on vacation and his music journal to the dinner table. At a songwriting school in Brooklyn (suggested by another GVS parent), he now practices storytelling with sound and studies film score composers as well. Since Oliver joined Green Vale, Ms. Chen and Mr. Mattia “have not only nurtured his spirit, but have taught him to take risks and push boundaries,” says his mother. The loss of Mr. Mattia showed Oliver “how much we can learn from one another if we are fully invested from the heart.”

Likewise, classmate Alexander Yarian has long been passionate about singing, taking piano lessons and working with a voice coach. “He sings all days long,” says Despina Yarian, his mother. In the fall, Alexander approached Oliver to collaborate on a piece together. They spent weeks tossing ideas back and forth for lyrics, melody, and piano accompaniment until their original song “Rise Up” came to fruition. According to Despina Yarian, “They wanted to inspire their peers and classmates to follow their dreams, never give up and rise up because the sky’s the limit.” They proudly performed at school assembly and their recording on @greenvaleschool Instagram has been viewed 2,400 times.

Interdisciplinary learning is an important component of Green Vale’s educational philosophy, and teachers are gratified when students begin to make connections on their own. Last year, during a 3rd Grade science research project, Maddi Lam developed a fervent interest in pandas and their preservation. “I couldn’t have done it without my friend Isabel,” Maddi emphasizes. In technology class, she was exposed to Google Sites, a tool for building original websites.

Over the summer, Maddi and her mother enjoyed following a live camera showing baby pandas at a zoo. She decided to use her website skills to educate other children about pandas. With a combination of techniques gained in school and more advanced options discovered on her own, Maddi went to work. She devised a site map or organizing system for her content, including a navigation bar featuring Body, Babies, Habitat, Range, Diet, Lifetime. She included a slideshow with arrows to click through a sequence of panda development from newborn to adult. She made sure to cite and link to her sources, a favorite being National Geographic. “I chose Arial font because I thought it would be easier for really little kids to read instead of cursive,” explains Maddi. “I hope people will learn not to destroy pandas’ habitats.”

What comes next? “I might do another website about weedy sea dragons.”