 SOCIAL THINKING WITH TRICIA (K5)
The focus before the holidays was gratitude. Executive Function skills were was built into the Secret Santa party and gift shopping, which included planning, organizing, and following through. Everyone enjoyed their gifts! A big thank you to the parents for shopping with your kids and helping to make this lesson a success. With the New Year, we are continuing to work on gratitude, adding in empathy and compromise over the next several weeks. We will connect empathy with the Martin Luther King, Jr., recognition and Black History month. This can also be a continuing conversation at home. Students have many questions about Martin Luther King, justice, and injustice. Keep conversations simple and answer only the questions your child asks in order to encourage understanding at their maturity level. Expanding too deep into the topic before they are ready can cause feelings of anxiety and confusion. Keep it simple. – Tricia Keener, Speech & Language Pathologist  ELEMENTARY
Elementary students have been exploring all sorts of different ways of building things. We’ve built cities, bridges, and towers with simple materials: crafts sticks, cups, clips, and wood blocks. Students are learning to play with balance and work against the forces of gravity! MIDDLE SCHOOL Middle School students are looking at various simple machines with Class 1, 2, and 3 Levers. Figuring out how they each help make work easier has been an eye-opening experience. We’ve engineered simple catapults out craft sticks and flung marshmallows all over the middle school hallways. The fulcrum is the point of motion for a lever arm and all objects have a balancing point or what is called the center of mass. It’s been fun balancing blocks and sticks in precarious and unexpected ways! When we come back from break, we will explore more with ramps and pulleys! – Tasha Hudick, K-8 Science HIGH SCHOOL – Science Gets Ready for Showcase in January! Thursday, January 30th, 2025 is the High School Showcase. All high school friends, family and countrymen are invited to see everything our students have done so far this year. It will be an afternoon of letting our students shine and opening our classroom doors to the greater High School Stanbridge community. We all know that teenagers rarely say more than "we did a thing" when asked about their classes, so the Showcase is a great chance for loved ones to actually see that "thing" in person. To those ends, HS Science has been doing activities, labs, and projects to make sure families will get a real show! In Biology, we are creating models mRNA from DNA and then creating models of proteins from those genetic instructions. Chemistry did a project about seeking balance in our lives, which we are now investigating through the lens of atoms seeking balance. Physics is currently working on a project preparing lessons about Newton's Law of Motions for our upper elementary students. And Systems of the Human Body students have been creating amazing wall diagrams about the systems that keep us alive. I hope to see you all on Thursday, January 30th so our students can finally brag about all their hard work in Science! – Jay Huston, High School Science Hello Families! This week in Social Thinking, we are practicing executive function skills which include planning and organizing ourselves, our things, and our time. To work on these skills we are having a gift exchange (Secret Snowman) the week of December 16th. Leading up to this, students are writing down three interests or favorite toys for a wish list. We set a buying limit of $15-20 per gift and we will be exchanging in our SEL groups: Lions, Tigers, or Bears. We talked about where you can buy things – online or going to an actual brick and mortar store. If you have time, we encourage families to take your child to a store and pay in cash. This develops skills of decision making, money management/understanding, planning, and organization since you have to find where items are in the store. We will have a mini party and gift exchange the week before winter break. Happy Shopping, Bulldogs!
– Tricia Keener, Speech & Language Pathologist  Art Quarter 1 The High School Art students have been extremely busy working on 3-dimensional sculptures as well as multiple sketchbook drawings. They spent a lot of time creating an architectural 3-D letter using the first initial of their name. They measured and built the letter out of tagboard, paper cups, and packing tape. Once the letters were built they embellished the surface of them with paint, text, and found objects. Students chose elements that reflected their interests and individual personalities. After that, they began a large-scale sculpture built from scrap cardboard. Each student chose whether their sculpture would be representational or abstract. All students had to ensure that their sculpture met the size requirements of 26 inches high by 16 inches wide. Students are currently working on an addition to this sculpture assignment and they are looking awesome! Middle School Art students worked on a variety of drawings and paintings this past 1st quarter. Using their imaginations, students designed exaggerated sandwiches filled with whacky ingredients. They colored their sandwich drawings with colored pencils. Classes were introduced to the artwork of Keith Herring and his bright, dynamic art style. Inspired by Herring’s figures in motion, students created their own 3-dimensional figures using aluminum foil. Their figures were engaged in activities such as throwing a football, doing a push up, jumping, dancing, running, and other forms of movement. They also created Herring-inspired 2-dimensional work. They drew stylized, simplistic figures of people and animals in motion and painted them using bright acrylics. Students also created a seasonal painting which featured a volumetric pumpkin to which they later added vines, leaves and jack-o-lantern features. They practiced mixing paints to create light and dark shadows in their work. Elementary students have been getting used to the routines and expectations in the art classroom. They have been having fun engaging in the art making process and doing a lot of drawing, painting, and collage artwork. They used paper, markers, and watercolor paints to create name designs and silly paper monsters. Upper elementary students worked on drawing and painting beautifully colored ears of corn and highly detailed haunted houses. Classes also made tiny 3-dimensional pumpkins out of colored pipe cleaners! All of the students’ amazing artwork will be on display in Hayden Hall. Photos will also be taken and shared on social media. –Camille Geraci Visual Art, 2024  Student Government is excited to announce an important update with regard to the monthly Pizza Sale. As has been alluded to in a few of the Bulletins this school year, Student Government has been researching other options with which to get our pizza from for the Pizza Sale. Student Government felt that it was an appropriate time to find another restaurant that was reasonably priced but also offering quality pizza which the students could enjoy.
Several members of Student Government researched different pizza places, looking at their prices, checking to make sure we had a gluten free option, and seeing the reviews of various pizza establishments. We narrowed it down to two new options which we then decided to taste-test to see if we felt the quality of the pizza was up to snuff for our student body. We taste tested Costco pizza and also Little Caesars pizza. We had our vote in this week's Student Gov meeting and have decided to switch to Costco pizza! We will continue to offer cheese and pepperoni pizza. What has changed is that we won't be selling gluten-free pizza anymore, but rather selling a chicken Caesar salad, which will be our gluten-free option. The Costco chicken Caesar salad comes with croutons, but they come in a separate pouch, so those who are gluten free simply don't have to have the croutons. [Caesar dressing is also not gluten free, but also comes on the side. We have ordered ranch dressing pouches for gluten-free students ordering salad.] Student Government is excited to make this switch to Costco pizza, starting with the next Pizza Sale–Friday, November 8th. The Pizza Form, included in this Bulletin, has been updated to reflect the slight changes in what we will be selling for the Pizza Sale. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this switch, please don't hesitate to reach out. The members of Student Government are super excited to make this switch, which has been months in the making, and we look forward to seeing students' reactions to the new pizza! –Kenny Katz, Student Government Faculty Advisor Tenth and Eleventh Grade students had a memorable time on the Mother Lode trip last week! For some of our students, it was their first time staying overnight on a Stanbridge experiential trip. Students stepped out of their comfort zones to have new experiences, which helped boost their confidence and helped them realize that they are capable of doing many things. Following are a few highlights from the trip:
 We are approaching to the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. In Spanish, we are learning about this celebration as part of our cultural approach to Hispanic traditions and the importance of the community to the United States in general. We have much more to learn but we had a great beginning of the year in Spanish and we are always getting better.
In Lower El, we are learning vocabulary of animals, numbers, colors, days, months, and basic expressions – hello (hola), bye (adiós), how are you (cómo estás), morning, afternoon, night, and more. A common activity we use in class is drawing pictures and then adding Spanish words according to the picture. We then repeat the words and expressions in class to help them with pronunciation. We occasionally watch scenes of movies in Spanish to learn new Spanish words from recognizable characters such as Mickey Mouse. Middle El is learning vocabulary of sports, plants, foods, animals, countries, and cities. The students practice basic expressions including questions and answers about the things they do, like, and want. As part of our cultural approach, we watched a video about the Mexican Independence Celebration. Upper El is learning vocabulary of numbers 1 to 100, as well as animals, places, colors, school items and more. We are also learning basic expressions such as how are you (cómo estás); what's your name (cómo te llamas); where do you live (dónde vive) and how old are you (cuántos años tiene)? Along with asking the question we learn how to respond, too. This group is still interested in sports and foods! In Middle School, we are learning different expressions and sentences that are commonly used. Students practice pronunciation and common sentences in class. We are reviewing numbers and how to write them. We learned about Spanish speaking countries and their culture including traditions and gastronomy. High School Spanish continues to use the Realidades textbook for all levels (1-3). Realidades materials are understandable and activities are easy to complete. We continue to work with working with grammar, specifically with the conjugation of verbs. For Hispanic Heritage Month, students researched different Hispanic personalities and their contributions to this country. We learned about the Independence of Mexico as part of cultural approach. While I am out on medical leave in the coming weeks, Gladys will be taking over my classes. Please see more about what's coming below. – Rubén Núñez Sanchez, K-12 Spanish Teacher We will be learning about Spanish speaking countries and their different cultures to end Hispanic heritage month on a strong note. In the next few weeks we will be learning about Dia de los Muertos, a tradition that is very important to me and Mexican culture. We will be learning all about ofrendas - what goes on them, what the different objects on them mean, why we place food and pictures on it as well. We will even be assembling an ofrenda in our classroom! More information about how your student will be able to contribute will come soon. Redwood City will have their annual Día de los Muertos celebration on Sunday, November 3, from 3:30–8:30 PM in Courthouse Square. Hope to see some students there! – Gladys Arana, K-12 Substitute Spanish Teacher This month in Social Thinking and Speech we are talking about Thinkables and Unthinkabots that get in our brains to do unexpected things or say unexpected things. The Thinkables are like super heroes in our brains that can help us "defeat the unthinkabots." So, if we get stuck on doing things one way (Rock Brain) or focusing on one idea, then we can use our flexible thinking (T-Flex powers) to defeat them so we can learn and play successfully. The students are having fun learning about these ideas, creating their own posters, and even their own Bots and Thinkables that can defeat the bot. One middle elementary student came up with Happy Flower that makes you feel in a 'sunny' mood. If Angry Snow, a storm/rain cloud, freezes up your sunny mood, 'Sunny the Sunflower' strives to defeat it. Other topics we talked about this month are following a group plan and whole body listening (with options to move as needed). – Tricia Keener, Speech Language Pathologist  Student Government has gotten into a rhythm these last few weeks! The new members have quickly learned the ropes from the veteran members about the standard operating procedures for all of our sales. The members are energized, motivated, and working collaboratively to run our sales each week. Speaking of sales, we would like to thank SPA for providing such delicious treats for our first Bake Sale of the school year! We thank you and appreciate you!
This week in Student Government, discussions began about things we could purchase for the school with the funds that we get through our weekly Friday sales. This will be a process, but already, students are thinking deeply about ideas that can improve the experience of students at Stanbridge. One such idea under consideration is installing another microwave in the courtyard, as this year students have seen slightly longer lines to use the microwaves at lunchtime. Student Government is currently researching a variety of pizza places as we consider changing the location of where we get our pizza for our monthly Pizza Sale. Members are taking initiative and looking at the prices of different pizza places, as well as their quality, as we consider switching to a different restaurant. We will keep you updated as we continue to research and weigh our options. Our Student Government wants to hear from our students! This week we put our Suggestion Box back in the front office, where students from any division are welcome to write down ideas and suggestions that they would like Student Government to consider. Your input is taken seriously and is greatly appreciated! –Kenny Katz, Student Government Faculty Advisor  ELEMENTARY
Our Bulldogs in the Elementary division have been working in Lexia, reading aloud short stories as well as chapter books. While making literacy accessible to all learners, students have been discovering and attaining new vocabulary. Lower and Middle Elementary have been practicing pronouncing and writing sight words. They have been enjoying reading rhyming books such as Down by the Bay and Pete the Cat books. They even practiced making up their own rhyming words. Upper Elementary has already delved into descriptive paragraph writing this year. Using the hamburger model, students begin with the introduction and end with the conclusion – represented by the top and bottom buns respectively. They are also using graphic organizers as a tool to help plan their thoughts and set up ordered sentences for descriptions of their STEM project in which they designed, built, and presented a school of their creation. As part of their language learning, we are also working on how to be a good listening audience. – Harriet Mukisa, Middle Elementary Lead MIDDLE SCHOOL Our Middle School Humanities team works closely to plan cross-curricular lessons in Language Arts and Social Studies, enforcing learning as not merely subject-based, but teaching students that subjects often tie together. Students began a different type of study about Indigenous Americans this week . In Language Arts, students began reading Rabbit Chase, a graphic novel about an Indigenous middle schooler who gets lost on a school field trip and must work with mythological creatures from their tribe to get back to their family. Students have enjoyed the graphic novel, and are asking amazing questions about history, historical sources, and Indigenous cultures. In Social Studies, they have been working with interactive maps, looking at how the United States was divided geographically before European settlers arrived. Students are learning why is it important for Indigenous people to tell their stories, myths, and traditions from their own perspectives. – Emma Woods, Humanities: Language Arts HIGH SCHOOL High Schoolers are launching into English by studying neurotypes (types of brains) this week. Students identified their strengths and areas of growth, what tools work best to support them in the classroom, and how a neurodiverse community benefits everyone. Students worked on taking notes with the content, engaging in class discussions, and even built their own "brains." This work lays the foundation for students to better access English, express themselves, and empower them to advocate for their needs. – Emma Woods, Kantodeia Schnabel, & Drew Vinson, English  HIGH SCHOOL
This year Stanbridge High School has started off wonderfully! The students have quickly accepted and welcomed our new High School teachers: Avery, Coach Daniel, Drew, Greg, and Kantodeia. Daniel Geller is now in high school full-time, too. This new crew of educators have brought wonderful insights, skills, and energy from their previous jobs (and Divisions) and helped our program reach the next level. One of the largest changes this Fall is that we have revamped our CARES program! While the program still highlights the importance of lifelong-learning in Community, Academics, Respect, Empathy, and Safety, students are no longer carrying around CARES sheets. Emphasizing 1:1 reflective conversations with their teachers at the end of every class, students now review their behaviors. This adjustment helps them become more introspective and strengthens their student-teacher relationships. I feel so lucky to work at a school with such thoughtful students and dedicated staff. If this is any indication of the year to come, students and staff are both going to thrive this year! – Jay Huston, Head of School MIDDLE SCHOOL Middle School is off to a fantastic start for the new school year. There are many new faces, both students and teachers who have joined our program. We are so excited to have Drew take on Social Studies, Avery join us for math, Gregory for Tech, and Daniel and Gage for athletics! We have spent the last week in our advisory groupings getting to know each other and getting settled into our new routines. Our new advisory groups Blanc, Vinson, Everest and Denali are named after the highest peaks of different continents and students have been gathering both in their individual advisories and in Twin Peaks Advisory, where we combine two groups to play games and expand our social circle. Academic groupings are named for different sharks: Hammerhead, Lemon, Tiger and Nurse. Sharks are often misunderstood animals but have amazing qualities and abilities – just like our students. Our shark groups give Middle Schoolers yet another opportunity to stretch their social and emotional growth while learning together. – Tasha Hudick, Middle School Division Lead ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Our 2024-2025 Stanbridge Academy Elementary school year has begun! New additions and changes to classrooms have shaped up our clean and calm learning environments. The first few weeks focus on learning new routines, schedules, students and staff. Class expectations have been set. Team building activities have been enjoyed. SEL classes and speech services have begun. Student workload and responsibilities increase slowly each day. Differentiated reading groups will be decided after observational and formal assessments occur to determine appropriate placements. Finally, the sign up calendar for parent volunteering opportunities has been sent. Be sure to check it out along with the SPA Volunteer Survey, too. Students have come in excited about starting school and we're off to a great start for school success! – Michele Sumpton, Elementary Division Lead  This past Tuesday, our Student Government (StuGov) gathered and convened our first session of the 2024-2025 school year! Our officers and representatives met for the first time as new members were introduced and welcomed into this year's StuGov. All of our officers and representatives came into our first meeting highly motivated and energized, ready to serve! During this first meeting, our team discussed norms and nominated peers whom they thought would be willing to serve as deputies for this school year. Deputies assist Student Government with Friday sales or other activities. Also discussed was the protocol surrounding how the first Snack Shack would be conducted. Thank you to the members who volunteered and facilitated today's Snack Shack. (See pictures below.) Please welcome this year's team as the elected student voice of Stanbridge:
Lunchtime Sales Next Friday, September 6, is our first Pizza Sale of the school year. If you would like your child to have a delicious pizza lunch from Pizza My Heart provided by Student Government, please complete the Pizza Form by this coming Wednesday. The form has information about drinks, salad, and types of pizza that will be sold during the sale. If your child is going to buy pizza during next week's Pizza Sale, parents must fill out the form no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4. During Friday's lunchtime sale, please have your child bring $5's and $1's to pay for their lunch. We are unable to adequately provide change if everyone brings a $20 bill. Your cooperation with this is much appreciated. If you have any questions about the upcoming Pizza Sale, please don't hesitate to reach out. We hope everyone has a wonderful three day weekend! – Kenny Katz, Student Government Faculty Advisor |
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