THE DEANS' DEN

Greetings from Mr. A on the Wesley Campus!

Two thirds of the school year have come to a rather soggy end, but despite the elemental challenges, vibrant life continues here at Wesley. As you’ll note in the band level notes to follow, there’s a tremendous variety of learning experiences at play, and it continues to be a privilege to observe and occasionally dive into them. As the Newsletter drafting period takes place in February, it is of course appropriate for us to pay particular attention to the threads connecting our grade levels involving Black History. While Black History month is now a well-established institution in the U.S., it is always important to continue to affirm the importance of connecting with it in a meaningful way. As we all know, we learn from the past, and as we’ve acknowledged only more recently, that past has primarily reflected only one view for a very long time.

At Wesley, while we do study the structures inherent in systemic racism, and as we learn how to live anti-racist lives, during Black History Month our primary focus is on achievement. Contributions by Black Americans throughout history are of course myriad, and it’s a joy to celebrate the innovations, patriotism, art, activism, music, medical advances, poetry, etc., which all owe their creation to Black figures in our society. Our society is not binary, and at Wesley we study contributions from all cultures throughout the year, so it’s not a matter of one culture being elevated to the detriment of others. Celebrating Black History Month, Women’s History Month, AAPI Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Arab American Month, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, etc., doesn’t reflect a competition to see which cultures are represented. Rather, these celebratory experiences simply offer us an opportunity to be intentional in better respecting the diversity of world influences.

With that context in mind, please enjoy the snapshots of daily Wesley life provided here! When one needs a boost in mood, one could do far worse than heading to Kinderland, so let’s go there first…

Band 1 (K - 2nd Grade)

Kindergarten had a blast in Winter. We were so excited to welcome visitors to the classrooms to celebrate the end of our 'Show And Tell' unit in Writing Workshop! Our bookstore celebration showcased some of our favorite books. Visitors relaxed at the cafe, had their books signed at an author signing station, and joined a reading area to share stories with friends. Miss Allegra, Miss Allen, and Mrs. I's class performed remarkably at the Wesley Open House in December. The kiddos shared the importance of affirmations and we learned how they build a positive mindset and attitude. We worked hard for our 100th Day of School community presentation, and loved sharing our knowledge and laughs with everyone during trivia!

This trimester in 1st grade has been filled with energy and excitement as the crew spreads their love of animals, their love of books, and their love of learning in all they do. Our 1st grade researchers - soon to be animal experts - are so excited to use their MARP binders, books, technology and articles to gather their animal facts! 1st graders also hosted a Community all about having Wesley Lion PRIDE (People Respecting Individuality, Diversity, & Equity) in their books and in our 'Little Free Library.'

2nd graders wrote fast and furiously as they created poems while looking at objects with a poet's eye. They saw with both their hearts and minds to write about the world in new ways. In Social Studies, we tapped into the meaning and significance of Black History Month and soaked in the important contributions of Black individuals from past to present. From boycotts and activists to great artists, inventors, and patriots, last month we celebrated these incredible people and their accomplishments. And what time is it? 2nd graders learned how to tell time and why it is important! They also used different strategies to add and compare 3-4 digit numbers using place value, and base-10 blocks to show their thinking.

Band 2 (3rd & 4th Grades)

The 3rd graders have been engaged in a variety of activities highlighting Black History Month. Students learned about notable Black Americans, reflecting on and discussing their contributions to society. As an extension of their learning, the students worked on a project at home that involved research and presenting their takeaways through a creative medium of their choice. Students shared their findings with eachotherandWesleyfacultyduringtheirgallerywalk.

4th graders started their unit on fractions in math. After they cover the main skills, including equivalence, decomposing, comparison,addition,andsubtraction,theunitwillculminate in a cooking project in which students will have to use their knowledge of fractions to prepare and bring a dish to school! In reading, 4th graders are currently working on a non-fiction unit that focuses on extreme weather. They are learning the features of a non-fiction text (like subheadings, captions, glossary etc..). Later, students will be split into groups in order to research one type of extreme weather and present their findings to the class. In writing, 4th graders are continuing to focus on the fundamentals of paragraph and essay structure, using tools like graphic organizers for planning and execution. In celebration of Black History Month, they incorporated the study of notable Black figures into social studies, reading lessons, and morningletters.

In music, the fun never stops at Wesley! After the amazing holiday concerts, each class is now preparing for Generations Day - which will be a joyous celebration with music and dance. Students are also preparing for special communities that will include music and songs coinciding with their themes. Following winter break, students moved to the Nationalistic period of music, studying composers who were writing music which represented their countries. During February students moved into the Romantic period, studying how composers of this period incorporated "emotion" into their music. To celebrate Black History Month, students celebrated their favorite Black jazz composers.