Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon!

Our teachers and staff members are so grateful for the outpouring of love and appreciation from our students and families this past week! From coffee carts, breakfast and lunch buffets, afternoon treats, and gift boxes we would like to thank everyone for their time, effort, and thoughtfulness...we are so appreciative of our TCS community!

Classroom Peek Week of 5/6-5/10

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

In this issue:

  • Blue Room spent the week learning about the different modes of transportation, and talked about how monorails use magnets in order to move by using a magnet stick and magnet cars to explore the scientific concepts of force and motion. Students also created their own paper monorails and a monorail station where we picked up toy "people". They also used a pulley system to play with a pretend hot air balloon by carrying toy passengers up and down.

  • Yellow Room visited the Art Studio to contribute work to a mural for their upcoming Week of the Young Child celebrations.

  • Kindergarten enjoyed a rainy day inside playing classic board games and journal writing in their pajamas!

  • 1st Grade took their Grass Heads from Open House to the TCS salon for a haircut and style.

  • 3rd Grade spent time outside mixing food coloring, water, and corn starch to make oobleck after reading the Dr. Seuss classic, Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

  • 6th Grade History students invited TCS classes and faculty to visit their Egyptian Wax Museum installation to show what they have been learning in this semester's unit on Ancient Egypt. Each student dressed as the Ancient Egyptian figure of their choice and delighted museum goers with by coming alive to share historical figures about their character. Students also used play doh, chalk, paint, and styrofoam to make their own pyramids.

Classroom Peek Week of 4/22-4/26

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

In this issue:

  • Yellow Room students enjoyed a story time picnic reading of Dinosaur Bob, written by William Joyce and read by their Friend of the Week's, Jaxson Littlejohn's special guest, Uncle Dino.

  • 3rd Graders spent time practice testing for the upcoming ERB tests and students shared their Landmark Projects with the class.

  • 4th-8th Graders spent time off campus this week to participate in Field Day at the Berkeley Hall Track and Field event. 

  • MS English students traveled off campus to meet Veera Hiranandani, the author of The Night Diary.

  • MS Science students traveled off campus to CSUN for a field trip.to visit the labs of Professor Crystal Rogers. Her research topics relate to our recent molecular biology labs, in which our eighth graders manipulated DNA to make Mutant Bacteria.




Classroom Peek Week of 4/8-4/12

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

In this issue:

  • Yellow Room has been hard at work on a class newsletter project, The Yellow Room Times, complete with special news, updates, and curated articles on a plethora of topics such as fashion, food, and the weather.

  • Kindergarten took their Math lesson outside on their playground and used chalk to practice subtraction concepts.

  • 1st Grade is deep into their Science lesson on Plants, and students spent time outside gathering types of soil to study their differences and to see how they react to different sounds. 

  • 2nd Grade learned about sides, corners, line of symmetry, and congruent parts during a Math lesson about plane shapes. Students used the dry erase desks to practice drawing the different shapes they encountered.

  • 6th Grade Science students are hard at work on their North American climate maps, moving through workstations to help each other complete each zone of the map.

  • Middle School students enjoyed a Field Trip to see classic art and culture at the Getty Villa in Malibu.


5th Grade Visits Pali Camp!

This week our 5th grade students embarked on an outdoor bonding experience at Pali Camp in Lake Arrowhead for 3 days and 2 nights. They participated in an outdoor education program along with classes in a Science lab and team building activities. The experience promoted independence and leadership skills. Click here for a fun photo gallery from the week!

Classroom Peek Week of 3/18-3/22

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

In this issue:

  • Preschool students celebrated Flash the Tortoise's return from hibernation with a fun outdoor party complete with tortoise-themed cookies and hibiscus flowers.

  • Kindergarten continued studying math facts and addition, in preparation for learning subtraction after Spring Break.

  •  2nd Grade students read a biography about Helen Keller then created timelines including summaries their favorite parts of each chapter complete with pictures during an English lesson.

  • 5th Grade went to Pali Camp.
     

  • 6th Grade used oranges, salt, and gauze wraps to replicate the mummification process during a History lesson. 

  • 7th Grade Science designed an experiment to see whether fine-grained powder burns faster than coarse-grained powder to illustrate that the size of cells is related to the needs of cellular respiration and the effect of particle size on chemical reactions.

Classroom Peek Week of 3/11-3/15

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

In this issue:

  • Red Roomers created butterflies using the dot art technique and pipe cleaners in honor of the warm and sunny Spring weather. At the Math center, the children focused on counting and patterns using the unifix cubes. 

  • Green Room transformed into Superheros this week, using recyclable materials, paint, and other decorations to create their own shields, cuffs, and superhero cars. They ended a super fun filled week by dressing up in their favorite superhero costumes for a superhero party!

  • Yellow room celebrated this week's dawning of the butterflies by using colorful paint to decorate their own butterfly projects to be displayed on their craft tree in their classroom.

  • 1st Grade integrated Math and Acience by completing symmetrical flowers. Each student picked a picture of a half flower and matched the other side. In Tech class students divided into teams of two to create a Lego Candy Dispenser. First they had to build a basket for the candy, integrate a trap door to release the candy, and finally a dispenser door to collect the candy. students were engaged in bringing their candy machines to life!
     

  • 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Graders ventured off campus to take in History and nature during a visit to The Autry Museum.

Friday 15!

Friday's are always special here at TCS, and today was pretty special because the Charlie and Henry Wehrenberg took over as the Head of School for the day! The boys switched teachers schedules around, made students happy by extending recess, we all celebrated student and staff birthdays, and ending the morning with our dance party ritual once again led by our Kinder friends, Dylan and Suli. Wishing you all a restful and safe weekend!




Friday 15!

Friday's are always special here at TCS, and today we came together to preview class baskets to be auctioned off at next week's Gala, we celebrated birthdays, and capped off the morning with a dance party led by our Kinder friends, Suli and Dylan. Wishing you all a safe and restful weekend!

Classroom Week of 3/4-3/8

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

In this issue:

  • Green Room was immersed in a lesson about color this week, and spent time mixing colors to see what new color combinations they could create. Students also celebrated the lively carnival tradition of Mardi Gras by decorating carnival masks with colorful beads and feathers.

  • Kindergarten students worked in groups to create Lego boats that could float on water for 10 seconds in Tech class. 

  • Kindergarten and 1st Grade students embarked on an exciting field trip to see a live play of Roald Dahl's classic book, James and the Giant Peach performed by the Nine O'Clock Players at the Association League of Los Angeles Theater for Children in Hollywood.

  • 1st Grade students explored solid figures and plain shapes during a Math lesson.

  • 4th Grade students were hard at work using craft materials to build small scale structures of the San Fernando Mission during a History lesson.

  • 6th Grade Math students blended culture with numerical concepts in Math class by sharing a family recipe and scaling it up and down based on different Mathematical proportions. 

  • MS Science classes used distribution tubes and electrophoresis boxes to study DNA samples during an AP Biology lab. 

  • Students spent some time outside during their Enrichment classes on Friday afternoon tending to the soil and planting new seeds in the garden planters during Gardening and using iPads with DIY body mounts to play a human Minecraft game in Tech.


Classroom Peek Week of 2/25-3/1

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

In this issue:

  • Red Room made fun crowns and used paint and recyclable paper towel rolls to craft fun red and white striped decorations in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday! They also enjoyed a week of sensory play, using the great weather to their advantage to explore the different textures around campus.

  • Blue Room turned their classroom into a construction zone during a lesson on buildings and construction this week, and took a campus field trip to observe contractors as they added cement to the outside of our Art room. Students collected some cement to take back to their classroom, and used it to build their own patio extension onto their dollhouse.

  • Kindergarten celebrated the 100 days of school by decorating t-shirts with 100 fun craft items. They also used cereal to craft colorful, edible necklaces.

  • 2nd Grade students celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday by choosing their favorite storybook by the author and writing book reports.

  • 4th Grade celebrated Dr. Seuss in Art class by recreating the classic truffula tree scenes from his classic storybook, The Lorax, using pastel crayons and watercolors.

  • 5th Grade practiced their use of proverbs and adages by choosing a popular saying, writing it in the correct proverbial  form then drawing pictures to support their statements during an English Lesson. Students also did reports about the meaning behind their names based on an article they read about actress, Uzo Aduba, and her struggles with accepting her unique name.





Read Across America: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

In honor of beloved author Dr. Seuss’ birthday, our TCS community came together to celebrate with readings, activities, and cake! Thank you to all of our faculty, staff, and parents who volunteered to read Dr. Seuss’ classic storybooks to our students.

Night of 1000 Stars

The TCS Book Fair not only provides our students with access to their favorite books and reading materials, but our annual Night of 1000 Stars is truly the highlight of the week! Our school community came together to have dinner and enjoy storybook readings by our faculty members, including this year’s special guest faculty reader, Mark Bell!

Classroom Peek Week of 2/18-2/22

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

In this issue:

  • All grades got to experience learning outside of the traditional classroom during a neighborhood-wide power outage. It was great to see teachers and students alike being creative with their outdoor studies: Kindergarten students crafted their own fashion designs out of craft paper and held a fashion show for Holly; 1st Grade played character building games; 2/3 Combo studied paragraph structures on a visual T-Chart during a Writing lesson on the Dream Court; and Middle School students continued their History lesson on Queen Hatshepsut and Ancient Egypt. 

  • Preschool students spent their week using fluorescent paints, sparkly night sky accents, and other materials to transform their classrooms into colorful night scenes in preparation for their Night School event.

  • 4th Grade enlisted the help of iPads to enjoy viewing centers about many historical African-American figures during a Black History Month lesson. Students also did work on their zentangle projects.

  • 5th graders created Paper Minecraft board games and grid maps with different types of obstacles for their specialized avatars to navigate in Tech Class.  A portal at the end of the maps allowed players to transport to the game boards of fellow students!

  • 6th Grade served as the audience for the 8th Grade History class's Black History Month presentations. Students prepared thoughtful interactive reports on their historical African-American figure of choice and presented their research orally with the use of mixed-media components.

  • Students were hard at work during their Elective classes, be it getting their hands dirty in the garden planters or using colored construction paper to make mindful art.


Friday 15!

We love Fridays here at TCS, and today we came together to celebrate birthdays, hear announcements about next week’s Book Fair, share sports updates, and the 3/4 Combo class shared the results of their latest class project. Students who spend recess and lunch time on the meadow have been inquiring about new additions that should be added to provide more options for play and exercise. Once split into groups students had to research different activities, games, structures, etc that could fit the space and proposed budget, then students presented their findings to Holly. Based on the students great research and teamwork we will be adding new ping-pong tables and a foozeball table for students to enjoy. Now that the options have been chosen students now have to continue the project to establish guidelines and more specific plans, but this project-based learning is what our school is all about and we are so very proud of our teachers and students for such great and thoughtful work. Have a safe and restful weekend!

Classroom Peek Week of 2/11-2/15

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

In this issue:

  • Blue Room enjoyed a visit with the Yellow Room, gifting students with decorative heart crafts in exchange for a dance lesson.

  • Yellow Room enjoyed a fun filled week of activities and lessons courtesy of their "Friend of the Week", Layla Williams.

  • Kindergarten began learning about the names and order of planets during a Science lesson on Outer Space.

  • 1st Grade spent time with their 3/4 Grade buddies to make and exchange heartfelt notes in honor of Valentine's Day.

  • 2nd Grade was treated to an hour of fun interactive games through Improve LOL in honor of their "Friend of the Week" Charlie Pakosta.

  • 3/4 Combo split into groups to brainstorm and research new items for our school meadow with price comparisons of multiple types of playground equipment for a project based lesson that students then presented to Holly.

  • 5th Grade used colorful paint and inspirational quotes and affirmations to decorate special Valentine's Day gifts for their parents.

  • 6th Grade began work on research projects on legendary African-American figures in History class in preparation for their oral presentations next week.
     


Parent Ed Workshop Welcomes Magic Reading!

Our Preschool and Kindergarten families enjoyed a fun and exciting parent workshop on Story Time and engaging children in a positive and meaningful way during shared reading time from Cindy Pena Sperger, founder of Magic Reading. What a wonderful opportunity to learn new strategies! 

Friday 15!


We love Friday's here at TCS, and today we heard an announcement about tonight's 8th grade Valentine's dance to raise money for their class trip and as always, we celebrated student birthdays. Have a safe and restful weekend!

Classroom Peek Week of 2/4-2/8

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

In this issue:

  • Red Room dipped their hands in paint to create a friendship banner to hang in the classroom in honor of Valentine’s Day.

  • Green Room decorated pink bags with hearts and pipe cleaner arms to create a love chain of friends holding hands.

  • Yellow Room enjoyed a slice of Venetian life courtesy of their “Friend of the Week”, Zoe and her mom, Manuela. Students enjoyed Italian stories and used beads and colorful feathers to decorate Venetian Carnival masks.

  • 1st Grade ended their lesson on maps by stepping out of the classroom to enjoy a scavenger hunt around campus based on their newfound directional knowledge.

  • 2/3 used paper bags and fun prizes to play an adjective guessing game during a Reading lesson. Students had to read the adjectives printed on the bag, then guess the prize inside to win. 

  • 3/4 studied haikus this week and crafted their own love-themed haikus on decorative hearts. Students also decorated lanterns in honor of the Chinese New Year.

  • 5th Grade used construction paper and their vivid imaginations to craft visual alliterations during an English lesson. In honor of the Chinese New Year students made red envelopes based on their reading of Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chin.

  • 7th Grade flexed their knowledge of integers and exponents during a game of jeopardy in Math class.

  • Art classes have been learning about African-American artists during Black History Month, and this week students collaborated on a giant mixed media collage using fabrics, colorful tissue paper, yarn, and other materials based on pieces by contemporary mixed media artist Della Wells.