Classroom Peek Week of 1/28-2/1

Take a look inside and see what vibrant lessons were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Blue learned about opposites this week! Students enjoyed picking up things with their feet instead of their hands, walking backwards, and learning about various types of opposites such as healthy vs. unhealthy foods. They even had an opposite party and wore their clothes backwards to school!

• Yellow Room learned about emotions this week, and spent time listening to different genres of music then painting a picture of their feelings while listening to songs. Students also got their hands green while making slime during a fun "Friend of the Week" activity led by Caden and his dad, Peter, based on the storybook, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Seuss.

• 1st Grade prepared for the upcoming Chinese New Year by making decorative banners and celebratory masks. During a Math lesson students used colorful M&M candy's and the dry erase desks to create their own color graphs.

• 3rd Grade had to choose characters from their reading of Matilda by Roald Dahl and breakdown their character traits during a Reading lesson.

• 5th Grade used chalk on black paper to replicate the different phases of the moon during a lesson on how the Earth and moon compare in Earth Science.

• 7th Grade

TCS University

TCS Tours JPL!

STEAM learning is an integral part of learning at TCS, and this week our upper Elementary and Middle School students were invited to visit Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA field research and development center in Pasadena. We are grateful for the opportunity to expose our students to learning beyond the classroom. Thank you to our parent drivers and teacher chaperones for accompanying our students! 

Friday 15

Today's Friday gathering was so special and here at TCS we were grateful for the sunshine and great weather after a week of clouds and rain. To make the day even more bright we started the morning with a reading from Pearl (1st Grade) of I Am Peace, reminding our community to be mindful and present. We also shared our excitement about TCS University, heard sports updates, and celebrated student and staff birthdays. Have a safe and restful weekend!

Classroom Peek Week of 1/21-1/25

Take a look inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Yellow Room enjoyed a reading of A Kaleidoscope of Kids in celebration of diversity then used a mirror to study their features and choose the right materials to create paper dolls of themselves to represent everyone's differences.

• Kindergarten paired up with the 6th Grade class to prepare the garden planters for the start of their gardening project. Students will plant flowers and vegetables and monitor the gardening process throughout the rest of the school year.

• 1st Grade used draw erase notepads to practice word recognition by playing rounds of Word Tic Tac Toe in groups during a Writing lesson.

• 2nd Grade used highlighters to study perfect pronouns during a Reading lesson.

• 4th Grade interviewed Holly to get information to prepare a written proposal to increase activities and opportunities on the meadow. They will create a budget and make recommendations about signage, equipment, etc.

• 7th Grade learned about the properties, mechanics, and uses of microscopes during a lab in Science class.

Classroom Peek Week of 1/14-1/18

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Blue Room used cotton balls in a sifter with a water dropper to create their own rain during a fun weather lesson.

• Green Room used different craft materials to make their own bear hibernation simulations based on their reading of a storybook titled, "Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson.

• Yellow Room learned about the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of his birthday, and used blue and green paint droppers on craft paper to make Earth art projects.

• 1st Grade played a game of roll-a-diagraph to practice their knowledge of different phonetic word families. Students also used blue and silver glitter on cellophane paper to create snowflakes for their Winter trees.

• 3rd Grade created unique sentences with a corresponding picture drawing to show proper use of antecedents during a writing lesson.

• 5th Grade did interactive research projects and written reports about the different American Colonial jobs during a History lesson.

• 7th Grade created child-friendly tessellation designs for carpet textiles during a Math project.

Classroom Peek Week of 1/7-1/11

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• 3/4 welcomed Vanessa back in the classroom! She will be co-teaching the 3/4 combo with Gus, and sharing Principal duties with Holly. This week, they studied sound and did two experiments: one that had many variables which produced a variety of results (which they discussed and wrote about), and one with fewer variables, which produced more consistent results. First was outside in the meadow, students had to whisper at the same volume while stepping back from each other until they couldn't hear the message anymore, then they recorded the distance. The second experiment took place inside, using two cups and string to show how sound travels. 

• Preschool's theme of the week was Winter! All classes were immersed in Winter themed play, arts and crafts, and activities. Blue Room made fake snow and had a snowy scavenger hunt during sensory time. Green Room used different colored dyes on craft paper to make wintery snowflakes. Yellow Room used pastel chalks on blue construction paper to create winter scenes based on their reading of William Shakespeare's Winter Song.

• In Art, students learned about Brazilian artist Romero Britto and created their own works using black line animal and flower shapes on white paper and bright colored paints. 

• Kindergarten began practicing writing in their journals without tracing the letters during a language lesson.

• 1st Grade constructed shapes of fish in ascending numbers from 1-10 during a Math lesson on ordinal numbers.

• 2/3 used scissors and white craft paper to cut their own snowflake designs based on their reading of Snowflake Bentley, a true story about a Vermont scientist who photographed and studied snowflakes.

• 6th Grade shared some outdoor time with the Kindergarten class and devised a fun relay race game on the Dream Court.

Classroom Peek Week of 12/17-12/21

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• 1st Grade used insects to practice alphabetizing by cutting out the different insect names and pasting them in correct alphabetical order onto a head crown.

• 2nd Grade finished work on their Christmas cards and framed sunflower paintings inspired by their lesson on famed artist Vincent Van Gogh.

• 5th Grade worked in pairs to complete an adjective challenge during an English lesson. Students also wrapped up their service learning project with Operation Gratitude by paying Brigitte a visit to learn how to use the electronic stamp machine so that they could mail all of their holiday letters to veterans.

• 6th Grade wrapped up their lesson on Greek mythology by giving oral presentations on the different Gods and Goddesses they encountered while reading Percy Jackson & The Olympians.

• 7th Grade did more work on their zentangle tiles in Science class.

Classroom Peek Week of 12/10-12/14

Take a peek inside to what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Yellow Room mixed flour, salt, and water to make dough for homemade Christmas ornaments, then baked them in the oven before decorating them with paints and glitter.

• Kindergarten used oversized wooden domino blocks to play a fun matching game during a hands on Math lesson. Students also practiced sentence writing while writing in their journals.

• 1st Grade brushed up on their knowledge of "Sh-" words by playing a game of digraph bingo.

• 2/3 Combo students paired up with their 5th Grade buddies to create Christmas and holiday themed pictures.

• 3/4 Combo students used their bodies to create a trust project during a STEM lesson. Each student positioned themselves in chairs with their heads on another's knees in a square and little by little the chairs were slowly taken away, leaving students no option but to hold each other up. The class succeeded after 5 tries!

• 5th Grade students split into groups to create colonial settlement brochure that had to include pertinent items like the history, economy, geography, religion, and culture/family to catch the eye of settlers during the American Colonial period in Social Studies.

• 7th Grade continued their study on human anatomy by learning about the specifics of the heart in Life Science.

Classroom Peek Week of 12/3-12/7

Take a peek to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week.

In this issue:

• Green and Yellow Rooms got into the holiday spirit by using blue paints and glitter to make dreidel crafts, then cut potatoes to make tasty latkes with sour cream and applesauce during a Hannukah themed lesson. 

• Kindergarten glued colorful paper scraps into the shape of mosaic-styled menorahs during a lesson about Hanukkah.

• 1st Grade wrote their own creative stories about what they'd hang on their antlers if they were reindeer during a Language lesson based on a reading of Imogene's Antlers by David Small.

• 2/3 Combo were busy celebrating Hanukkah this week, using colorful strands of yarn to make menorah projects, eating potato latkes, and playing the dreidel game.

• 2/3 Combo 3rd Graders crafted holiday snowmen showing different multiplication strategies in Math class. During a Language lesson students extracted character information, facts, and exaggerations to create their own tall tale stories.

• 5th Grade traced triangular shapes cut out of paper bowls then used vibrant paints to create large flower paintings in Art class.

• 8th Grade combined sodium, iron, and copper chloride, and cornstarch to compare and observe different substances and solutions during a Science lab.

Student Art Show

Our students took inspiration from nature to create their own beautiful art pieces that were professionally matted and displayed on canvas in the Kate Moriarty Gallery. All proceeds went to TCS and a great local horticulture initiative, Tree People. We thank all of the parents, staff, and community members who came by to support our students!

Classroom Peek Week of 11/26-11/30

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week.

In this issue:

• Green Room traced colorful blocks of different shapes to create their own animals during the beginning stages of Math concepts.

• Yellow Room used recyclable materials to make their own acorns and squirrels during Arts and Crafts. Students also enjoyed a lesson on plants and planting courtesy of Ethan, the Star of the Week, and his grandma.

• Kindergarten used a Christmas theme to identify the short E sound words during a Reading lesson by choosing the correct word ornament then cutting and gluing it to their holiday tree. 

• 1st grade used a Dreidl game to practice Math concepts in celebration of Hanukkah, and used beautiful hues of blue tissue papers and glitter to adorn Dreidl art projects.

• 2/3 Combo enjoyed a special Christmas themed reading in the library courtesy of Aiden Montgomery's dad, Anthony, titled Santa Calls by William Joyce. 2nd Grade enjoyed a book, lesson, and oral quiz on sharks with Ben, their Friend of the Week. 3rd Grade worked on their journals with Holly, writing about the highlights of their Thanksgiving holiday! In Social Studies they learned about Caesar Chavez.

• 5th Grade did a fun writing project based on their reading of a storybook titled, The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds. Each student had to create their own word study box that includes a definition, sentence, synonym, and picture of a word of their choosing.

• 6th Grade wrapped up their study of ancient Mesopotamia in History by taking a closer look at Mesopotamian inventions such as the wheel, sail, and writing. 

• 7th Grade began their study of the human heart in Science class by watching a short video on the way a heart beats.

TCS Thanksgiving Feast 2018!

Our entire TCS community came together for our annual potluck feast in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We are grateful to all of you!

Classroom Peek Week of 11/12-11/16

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Green Room practiced their cutting skills while making cut-outs of their hands to craft Thanksgiving turkey crowns.

• Yellow Room practiced kindness and gratitude by making crafty thank you cards for the first responders who risked their lives to save others during the recent California wildfires.

• Kindergarten studied the "tricky teens" in Math this week, using colorful clay and activities to help them identify "-teen" numbers.

• 1st Grade wrote notes of kindness on rectangular scraps of paper that they linked together into a giant kindness chain in honor of Kindness and Compassion Week.

• 5th Grade used wooden spoons and materials to make their cultural ancestor dolls based on their heritage as an art component to a bigger presentation in History class.

• 6th Grade used clay and pointed skewer sticks to transcribe symbols and letters from the language of Ancient Mesopotamia in History class.

• 7th Grade students brought in their own ingredients and calculated data to create energy bars that adhered to a specific content formula and budget in Science class.

• 8th Grade students created Zentangle tiles in Science class by following a process to create an individual nonrepresentational art piece without knowing knowing the end point, but by dividing the tile into several segments, and then following simple, meditative steps to fill the spaces.

• Upper school students enjoyed a special presentation of a new graphic novel, Deadlift, about a superhero born without legs written by Coach Jeremy’s brother!

TCS Celebrates Kindness and Compassion!

Classroom Peek Week of 11/5-11/9

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Green Room used folded paper plates, felt, and paper scraps to make their own taco art and trees based on their reading of Dragons Love Tacosand Dragons Love Tacos 2. Students then set up their own taco cart during dramatic play and took turns preparing and serving tacos to each other.

• Yellow Room had fun with a camp theme during share day and enjoyed a story by pretend firelight in makeshift mini-forts. Students also got to enjoy camp treats, such as s'mores and little rolled up sandwiches that resembled sleeping bags.

• Kindergarten had a special guest reader in the library (Holly!), continued their lesson on shapes by testing their knowledge during a shape scavenger hunt. They also learned about owls and made their own owl interpretative art projects.

• 1st Grade finished their Science lessons on rocks by reading the classic storybook, Stone Soup, then students brought in different ingredients to prepare their own stone soup in class. They also learned about the Scientific Method and used pennies in vinegar solution to make their own hypotheses about their penny's outcome.

• 2nd Grade started their Reach Leadership Program by introducing their class mascot, the giraffe. Based on a reading about the giraffe's leadership qualities, students made their own drawings and chose 4 of the 8 qualities to include on its long neck along with 1 quality of their own.

• 3/4 Combo learned about the skeletal system in Science and used tracings of their hands in crayon brushed with olive oil to create a luminous x-ray effect once placed against the window.

• 5th Grade crafted Art projects of their heads with ideas falling from them and a written component inspired by their reading of What Do You Do With An Idea?

• 6th Grade is working with Rocks and Minerals, designing their own lab to identify unknown minerals, calcite and quartz, with written Title, Purpose, and Procedure sections. They also created a Data Table at the end of the document, then printed out each lab to run tests using the procedures they created.

• 7th Grade began their exploration of Medieval West African societies by learning the geography of Africa, the make up of village life, and the importance and hardships of trade. Students ended the week by using their knowledge to become African gold merchants and salt traders to get the best deal in a trade simulation.

• 8th grade studied inequalities and how this concept can help plan for a fundraising event and determining how to reach a goal in Math class.

Classroom Peek Week of 10/29-11/2

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Green Room got into the Halloween spirit by studying the sensory characteristics of a pumpkin before carving it.

• Kindergarten was all about shapes this week, as they took turns in their different groups using shape cut outs, colors, and bingo games to test their knowledge.

• 1st Grade enjoyed some time outside with a game of Spelling Hopscotch to help students identify their latest spelling words.

• 2nd Grade decorated treat bags and used paint and other materials to decorate pumpkins in anticipation of Halloween.

• 4th Grade began creating art components to an ongoing creative writing assignment. Each student has been testing their knowledge of nouns and adjectives to create a real estate ad to sell their own haunted house.

• 5th Grade made their own skull art pieces adorned with colorful paper and designs during a Social Studies lesson about Dia de los Muertos.

• MS Art completed the Dias de la Muertos banner this week and hung it up on the wall beside Rita’s office. This was a collaboration between the art class, who created their skeleton paintings, and the elementary students who adorned the banner with marigold paintings. 

• MS English worked mechanics by writing descriptive paragraphs using sensory details to describe an item they own. 

Classroom Peek Week of 10/22-10/26

Take a look inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Red Room practiced their counting skills during a skeleton art lesson using strips of paper and glue sticks.

• Blue Room used glue, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes to craft their own spooky creatures in anticipation of Halloween.

• Kindergarten practiced spelling, counting, and sorting during a Halloween-themed word scavenger hunt, and worked on their Halloween journals telling the story of visiting the Pumpkin Patch.

• 1st Grade used flour, water, and cooking oil to mold their own volcanoes during a Science lesson. In Art, students learned about sugar skull Art in anticipation of Dia de los Muertos, then used white and colorful paints to create their own sugar skulls.

• 2nd Grade read Halloween-themed books then constructed book reports to show the beginning, middle, and end parts of the story. For their “Friend of the Week” assignment, Cree’s dad came to teach basketball skills to the students outside on the Dream Court.

• 4th Grade used pairs of dice and the erasable white boards to practice their multiplication skills during a Math lesson.

• 5th Grade broke into groups to create their own golf courses as an art component to a lesson on professional golfers Nancy Lopez and Lee Trevino in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. In the spirit of competition students broke into groups and used painted pumpkins, clay, and other art materials to make mascots that represent the class.

• 6th Grade continued their lesson on Ancient Mesopotamia by creating their own comic sketches and fact trading cards in History class, and in English they presented the culmination of their Fairy Tale projects and dioramas to the 5th Grade and Administration.

• 8th Grade enjoyed recess time, playing games of Magic!

Classroom Peek Week of 10/15-10/19

Take a peek inside to see what vibrant lessons were happening inside TCS classrooms this week!

In this issue:

• Red Room used beans, fuzzy cotton balls, and other items to learn about different textures and how they apply to our senses.

• Blue Room practiced measuring and using glue with different pieces of Halloween-themed scrap paper during a collage experiment.

• Yellow Room had a visit from a scientist & participated in a fun lab using food coloring, hydrogen peroxide, and yeast during Science Week. In Music class students studied composers and were fascinated by a tour of the inside of teacher Courtney's piano.

• Kindergarten had a fun visit from Wylder's dad, Jeff, for their weekly Super Hero Training lesson, and each student got their own personal camping preparedness kits and enjoyed a wilderness walk around campus followed by a cookout of grilled hot dogs on a portable stove.

• 1st Grade used q-tips and skull cut outs to make their own spooky skeleton projects.

• 3/4 Combo wrote ways that they plan to show kindness to others at school and in their communities on strips of paper then connected them together to create a class-sized kindness chain. In Art they painted flower portraits for their Square One Art projects.

• 5th Grade did a Halloween "Mad-Libs"-style grammatical poetry assignment to study their use of adjectives, predicates, and subjects.

• 6th Grade continued their History lesson on civilizations by studying Ancient Mesopotamia.

• 7th Grade studied the digestive system in Life Science and drew life size diagrams of the inside of the torso.

Classroom Peek Week of 10/8-10/12

Take a peek at the vibrant lessons that were happening inside of TCS classrooms this week!

Inside this issue:

• Blue Room practiced sharing and pouring while snacking on fresh orange slices, crackers with jam, and juice during a Farmer's Market activity with the Red and Yellow rooms. 

• Green Room started a lesson on emotions, and in addition to enjoying storybooks about the different types of feelings, students crafted their own paper dolls with corresponding facial emotions to show what emotions they were each feeling at the moment.

• Yellow Room centered lessons around their word of the week "Pumpkin", and students made their own edible pumpkin play dough and took turns learning how to trace the letters in the word.

• Kindergarten enjoyed an outdoor Math lesson using chalk 10-squares and hopscotch to practice counting and numeric patterns.

• 1st Grade also took their lesson outside for an "All About..." fortune teller buddy assignment with the 3/4 Combo class.

• 2/3 Combo studied bat facts and crafted their own bat art projects after reading Stella Luna, a story about a young bat who finally finds her way home to her mother and friends.

• 3/4 Combo used miniature sponges, leaf stamps, and brushes to create colorful Fall-themed paintings of trees.

• 5th Grade integrated Halloween into their lesson on compound words by crafting spooky bats with two Halloween-themed words combined into one compound word.

• Middle School History class smashed chalk with cooking oil to create their own paints, then used sticks and their fingers to recreate cave drawings from the caveman era.

• Middle School Science built their own miniature carts and used yard sticks to measure speed and the effect of release height during a lab.

• Middle School English continued to read Fairy Tales, as well as work on developing their own stories, while the Latin Class worked on conjugating verbs.