Dear Lab Families,
Thank you for a great school year. I hope that everyone has a safe, relaxing and happy summer. Below is the letter I wrote to all of our students in our yearbook. I think that it captures the spirit of the year.
Spring 2011
Dear Lab Students
Thank you for a wonderful year. Middle School is a dynamic time – one in which you grow and change so much. It is amazing to reflect on how much happens over the course of a single school year, let alone how much you can experience over the span of three years. From the time that you enter as 6th grader to the time that you step-up to 9th grade you are deciding who you wish to become. You are exploring interests, ideas and passions. You are building relationships with your peers and faculty. You are faced with significant success and challenges. You are beginning to understand what the values of Academic Rigor, Diversity & Pluralism, Collaboration and Compassion truly mean and finding ways to put them into action. You are becoming a Labbie.
8th graders, it is with a heavy heart that I begin to say goodbye. Each of you has brought something to our Lab School family – you have made it a richer place to learn and grow. I still remember welcoming you on your first day of 6th grade. The three years seem to have gone so quickly. Thank you for committing to the work of our school. You helped to build out athletics, afterschool and clubs. You pushed yourselves academically and have grown into remarkable young women and men. You will be missed tremendously.
7th graders – you are the loudest and silliest of all the classes. You are also the most surprising. I was humbled by the way you came together after the passing of your classmate. Your love, maturity and care came through when our school family needed it the most. Next year you will be the leaders of our school – I know that you will once again rise to the challenge.
6th graders, this year was filled with newness for each of you. New school, new teachers, new friends, new expectations, new commute… You embraced each one of these as on opportunity to learn and grow. You have a spirit of curiosity and add so much to our school.
Thank you to Mrs. Smith and the yearbook staff. I am excited to say that the middle school yearbook has become a tradition at Lab. This book captures the best that our school is and highlights the central values of our community.
I am often asked why I love leading a middle school so much. I cannot think of any other place with such infinite possibilities. Thank you for nourishing the dreamer in all of us. You make me realize all that is possible.
Best wishes for a safe and wonderful summer.
Love
Meg
Megan Adams, Principal NYC Lab Middle School
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
April
Dear Lab School Families,
April has arrived! As I was standing outside this morning greeting students a parent wished me luck today. I thought to myself why would this mom be wishing me luck and then I realized that it was dreaded April Fool's Day. Next to Halloween and the last day of school, April Fool's Day has the most potential for silliness and mayhem in a middle school. So far the best I've seen was 1st period when 8th graders decided to return to their 7th grade homeroom. It certainly did make me do a double-take.
The 8th graders are coming to completion on their mural project. For the past month Ms. Rinna's art classes have been working with an organization called Groundswell to produce a mural on the 4th floor of our building. The mural's design was a collaborative effort - incorporating ideas from students in two homerooms. The theme of the mural is Diversity and depicts many elements of our school community and culture...including a six foot long alligator and portrait of Jabu. It has brought so much to the space and will leave a lasting mark on our school.
The 7th graders are in the midst of a food unit in Spanish class. They have each been assigned to write a Spanish recipe that will be compiled into a Spanish Cookbook. This book will be published and sold at the Taste event in June. A food unit wouldn't be complete without a food day too. The students will be cooking their recipes and sharing the food with their classmates and teachers.
The Gay Straight Alliance is getting ready for their assembly next Tuesday. The GSA was a new group to come to Lab MS last year. With the help of Mr. Mosher and Ms. Whelan it has grown to become one of the most active student groups at Lab. Tuesday will be the first ever assembly put on by the GSA. I am excited to be starting a new tradition at Lab School.
Spring sports are also in full swing. Our spring season includes Track and Field, Softball, Baseball and Cheerleading. It is certain to be a great season for all our gator athletes.
The Auction is tonight. This year's theme is April in Paris. This is a wonderful event that Lab MS and HS put on annually. It allows the Parents' Associations to raise money for the two schools and is also a nice moment to come together as a community. I hope to see many of you there.
I will close with three calendar reminders. 3rd Quarter ends Friday, April 8th. Report cards will be BACKPACKED home this quarter (due to Spring Break) on Friday, April 15th. Spring Break is April 18th - April 26th. Students will return to school on Wednesday, April 27th. Finally, the state ELA and Math exams are fast approaching. The ELA exam with be May 3rd and 4th and the Mathe exam will be May 11th and May 12th. There will be more information to follow regarding testing.
Warmest,
Meg
April has arrived! As I was standing outside this morning greeting students a parent wished me luck today. I thought to myself why would this mom be wishing me luck and then I realized that it was dreaded April Fool's Day. Next to Halloween and the last day of school, April Fool's Day has the most potential for silliness and mayhem in a middle school. So far the best I've seen was 1st period when 8th graders decided to return to their 7th grade homeroom. It certainly did make me do a double-take.
The 8th graders are coming to completion on their mural project. For the past month Ms. Rinna's art classes have been working with an organization called Groundswell to produce a mural on the 4th floor of our building. The mural's design was a collaborative effort - incorporating ideas from students in two homerooms. The theme of the mural is Diversity and depicts many elements of our school community and culture...including a six foot long alligator and portrait of Jabu. It has brought so much to the space and will leave a lasting mark on our school.
The 7th graders are in the midst of a food unit in Spanish class. They have each been assigned to write a Spanish recipe that will be compiled into a Spanish Cookbook. This book will be published and sold at the Taste event in June. A food unit wouldn't be complete without a food day too. The students will be cooking their recipes and sharing the food with their classmates and teachers.
The Gay Straight Alliance is getting ready for their assembly next Tuesday. The GSA was a new group to come to Lab MS last year. With the help of Mr. Mosher and Ms. Whelan it has grown to become one of the most active student groups at Lab. Tuesday will be the first ever assembly put on by the GSA. I am excited to be starting a new tradition at Lab School.
Spring sports are also in full swing. Our spring season includes Track and Field, Softball, Baseball and Cheerleading. It is certain to be a great season for all our gator athletes.
The Auction is tonight. This year's theme is April in Paris. This is a wonderful event that Lab MS and HS put on annually. It allows the Parents' Associations to raise money for the two schools and is also a nice moment to come together as a community. I hope to see many of you there.
I will close with three calendar reminders. 3rd Quarter ends Friday, April 8th. Report cards will be BACKPACKED home this quarter (due to Spring Break) on Friday, April 15th. Spring Break is April 18th - April 26th. Students will return to school on Wednesday, April 27th. Finally, the state ELA and Math exams are fast approaching. The ELA exam with be May 3rd and 4th and the Mathe exam will be May 11th and May 12th. There will be more information to follow regarding testing.
Warmest,
Meg
Friday, March 11, 2011
S'mores and Stroop Test
Dear Lab School Families
Yesterday was the annual Black Alliance assembly. It was a beautiful show with signing, dancing tributes and social action. The Black Alliance is a student group that is open to all Lab Middle School students. One of the things that the club has been active in this year is a social action project involving getting rid of the n-word in popular culture. Earlier this year the group had a speaker come in to explain the origins of the n-word and its long term impact on race in society. The group did a teach-in yesterday around their learning and then passed around a petition for students to sign asking rap stars and singers to take it out of their lyrics. This petition is an example of authentic action related to student learning and student passion. I am so proud of my Black Alliance student leaders. Thank you to Ms. McCormick and Ms. Marilyn - the faculty advisors to the club.
In 7th grade science students are studying body systems. Ms. Bhatt's classes have just started the nervous system. When I was in class on Tuesday we all took the Stroop test. It is a cognitive test to test color and word recognition. I have included a link from NOVA so you all can try it as well http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure/stroopintro.html. It is not as easy as you think - I promise :) This activity helped students start exploring and asking questions about how their brain works. It was a wonderful introduction to the unit.
Earlier this week I found myself surrounded by 200 6th graders and about 400 cupcakes in the cafeteria. Monday was the culminating event in the Cupcake Wars mathematical cooking challenge. The student have been working on a math project for the past two weeks. Over the weekend groups were each asked to bake cupcakes - the final product of the project. During math class students presented their projects and children sampled cupcakes to pick a class winner. The top cupcake in each homeroom was then tasted by me and the other judges. Now I love cupcakes but after the second one I was on a sugar high...and after the fourth one I was starting to feel a little sick. By the sixth one we were all only able to take a little nibble. In the end 606's cupcake - the S'mores cupcake won. The remaining few hundred cupcakes were eaten by our hungry sixth graders and hungry faculty. Thank you for all the families who lent their kitchens for this math project.
Spring is almost here. Remember that it is daylight savings time this weekend and we spring forward on Sunday. Set your clocks accordingly so we all get to school on time Monday morning.
Warmly,
Meg
Yesterday was the annual Black Alliance assembly. It was a beautiful show with signing, dancing tributes and social action. The Black Alliance is a student group that is open to all Lab Middle School students. One of the things that the club has been active in this year is a social action project involving getting rid of the n-word in popular culture. Earlier this year the group had a speaker come in to explain the origins of the n-word and its long term impact on race in society. The group did a teach-in yesterday around their learning and then passed around a petition for students to sign asking rap stars and singers to take it out of their lyrics. This petition is an example of authentic action related to student learning and student passion. I am so proud of my Black Alliance student leaders. Thank you to Ms. McCormick and Ms. Marilyn - the faculty advisors to the club.
In 7th grade science students are studying body systems. Ms. Bhatt's classes have just started the nervous system. When I was in class on Tuesday we all took the Stroop test. It is a cognitive test to test color and word recognition. I have included a link from NOVA so you all can try it as well http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure/stroopintro.html. It is not as easy as you think - I promise :) This activity helped students start exploring and asking questions about how their brain works. It was a wonderful introduction to the unit.
Earlier this week I found myself surrounded by 200 6th graders and about 400 cupcakes in the cafeteria. Monday was the culminating event in the Cupcake Wars mathematical cooking challenge. The student have been working on a math project for the past two weeks. Over the weekend groups were each asked to bake cupcakes - the final product of the project. During math class students presented their projects and children sampled cupcakes to pick a class winner. The top cupcake in each homeroom was then tasted by me and the other judges. Now I love cupcakes but after the second one I was on a sugar high...and after the fourth one I was starting to feel a little sick. By the sixth one we were all only able to take a little nibble. In the end 606's cupcake - the S'mores cupcake won. The remaining few hundred cupcakes were eaten by our hungry sixth graders and hungry faculty. Thank you for all the families who lent their kitchens for this math project.
Spring is almost here. Remember that it is daylight savings time this weekend and we spring forward on Sunday. Set your clocks accordingly so we all get to school on time Monday morning.
Warmly,
Meg
Friday, March 4, 2011
Rejoice
Dear Lab School Families,
I tried to write this blog many times over the course of this week. It is hard to capture all that has been felt and experienced by our school family. Death is a hard, if not an impossible thing to understand - especially the death of a child. It was hard to say goodbye to our dear friend Jabu. Through all of this sadness I have been so moved by the work of our children and our faculty.
Monday began on a somber note. Students gathered in homerooms to be told of Jabu's passing. Teachers then led students in reflection and remembrance. Students wrote, talked and created art in honor of their classmate. Throughout the day a makeshift memorial tribute was formed for Jabu outside of the seventh grade classrooms - a bulletin board filled with notes, cards and pictures, a collection of flowers filled a large bucket and a remembrance paper chain was made.
During 7th period the entire 7th grade made a banner in memory of Jabu. A sheet of butcher paper was rolled all the way down the 7th grade hallway. Students gathered to share messages of love and comfort with Jabu's family. Students wrote notes, painted hearts, shared memories and stories. The banner was given to Jabu's family at Monday night's memorial service.
The day ended in celebration and appreciation. Students were all asked to write about someone that they appreciated. The students were then invited to share their appreciations in a 7th grade-wide assembly in the Cafeteria. Students shared all sorts of appreciations. Some humorous - "thank you for sharing your grapes with me everyday at lunch". Some more serious - "thank you for always cheering me up when I am feeling low". And some directed towards Jabu. Having students reflect in this way was an important way to the end the day.
Jabu will be remembered as a dancer, an actor, an author, a comedian, a friend to all...a kind and generous young man. I learned on Monday that the name Jabulani is Zulu for rejoice. I could not think of a more fitting name for this young man. He always brought such joy and happiness to our Lab School family.
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with Jabu's friends and family as we all mourn his loss.
I find that times of sadness and struggle are also moments where I become most thankful. The week started in sadness and ended with significant blessing. The most amazing part about being an educator is that children are remarkable - they constantly amaze and inspire a belief in what is possible. My first students (from when I was a teacher both here and in the Delta) are seniors. Today I learned of the first college offer. This may seem commonplace - of little significance. But for the one who taught them so much, who held their struggle as her own and who believed in what is possible it means the world. I am reminded that I am a teacher and I am blessed to be one.
Warmest,
Meg
I tried to write this blog many times over the course of this week. It is hard to capture all that has been felt and experienced by our school family. Death is a hard, if not an impossible thing to understand - especially the death of a child. It was hard to say goodbye to our dear friend Jabu. Through all of this sadness I have been so moved by the work of our children and our faculty.
Monday began on a somber note. Students gathered in homerooms to be told of Jabu's passing. Teachers then led students in reflection and remembrance. Students wrote, talked and created art in honor of their classmate. Throughout the day a makeshift memorial tribute was formed for Jabu outside of the seventh grade classrooms - a bulletin board filled with notes, cards and pictures, a collection of flowers filled a large bucket and a remembrance paper chain was made.
During 7th period the entire 7th grade made a banner in memory of Jabu. A sheet of butcher paper was rolled all the way down the 7th grade hallway. Students gathered to share messages of love and comfort with Jabu's family. Students wrote notes, painted hearts, shared memories and stories. The banner was given to Jabu's family at Monday night's memorial service.
The day ended in celebration and appreciation. Students were all asked to write about someone that they appreciated. The students were then invited to share their appreciations in a 7th grade-wide assembly in the Cafeteria. Students shared all sorts of appreciations. Some humorous - "thank you for sharing your grapes with me everyday at lunch". Some more serious - "thank you for always cheering me up when I am feeling low". And some directed towards Jabu. Having students reflect in this way was an important way to the end the day.
Jabu will be remembered as a dancer, an actor, an author, a comedian, a friend to all...a kind and generous young man. I learned on Monday that the name Jabulani is Zulu for rejoice. I could not think of a more fitting name for this young man. He always brought such joy and happiness to our Lab School family.
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with Jabu's friends and family as we all mourn his loss.
I find that times of sadness and struggle are also moments where I become most thankful. The week started in sadness and ended with significant blessing. The most amazing part about being an educator is that children are remarkable - they constantly amaze and inspire a belief in what is possible. My first students (from when I was a teacher both here and in the Delta) are seniors. Today I learned of the first college offer. This may seem commonplace - of little significance. But for the one who taught them so much, who held their struggle as her own and who believed in what is possible it means the world. I am reminded that I am a teacher and I am blessed to be one.
Warmest,
Meg
Friday, February 11, 2011
Year of the Rabbit
Dear Lab School Families,
Last night we held the Lunar New Year celebration. It was an amazing event - put on by Lab MS and Lab HS parents' associations. Thank you to Cecilia Leong for all of her work in taking this event on! This was the first ever joint Lunar New Year banquet and it was so amazing to see our community gather. We filled the entire banquet hall at Grand Harmony. There were performances from middle and high school students, community members and a traditional Lion Dance. There was also lots and lots of food for all of us to share. I sincerely hope that we have started a tradition and we will be able to celebrate together for many years to come.
I just returned for Mr. Mosher's 7th grade visual arts class. With the new semester comes a new set of arts classes for our 6th and 7th grade students. 706 was working on identity collages. They were in the process of reconstructing their work based on a significant element depicted in the initial work. There was a nice workshop atmosphere in the classroom. Students were giving feedback to their peers - holding a place of expertise, just like their teacher.
Yesterday I went to 803's and 804's publishing party. Ms. Riina (art teacher) ans Ms. Woodbury (humanities) developed a interdisciplinary book-making project. The students based their personal books off of the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Each student did a series of their own emulations based on the book. The work was deeply personal and I was impressed.
Thank you to all of those who joined us this past weekend to help with admissions day. We had a record number of applicants come and test at our school. Our faculty has been busily grading the assessments all week. After this is finished we will review and rank all of our applications.
We will be mailing (via USPS) 2nd quarter report cards today. Today we will also be mailing home the Specialized High School letters (to 8th grade families). Please note, we will not be giving any SHS results over the phone - I do not even have that information. The envelopes come prepackaged and sealed. We simply put postage on them and put them in the mail. If you have not received a letter (and you DID take the SHS test) by Thursday, February 17th please let me know.
One additional reminder, Parent-Teacher conferences are next Wednesday and Thursday. Evening conferences are on Wednesday, February 16th 5:00-7:30 and afternoon conferences are Thursday, February 17th 12:00-2:30. I look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Warmest,
Meg
Last night we held the Lunar New Year celebration. It was an amazing event - put on by Lab MS and Lab HS parents' associations. Thank you to Cecilia Leong for all of her work in taking this event on! This was the first ever joint Lunar New Year banquet and it was so amazing to see our community gather. We filled the entire banquet hall at Grand Harmony. There were performances from middle and high school students, community members and a traditional Lion Dance. There was also lots and lots of food for all of us to share. I sincerely hope that we have started a tradition and we will be able to celebrate together for many years to come.
I just returned for Mr. Mosher's 7th grade visual arts class. With the new semester comes a new set of arts classes for our 6th and 7th grade students. 706 was working on identity collages. They were in the process of reconstructing their work based on a significant element depicted in the initial work. There was a nice workshop atmosphere in the classroom. Students were giving feedback to their peers - holding a place of expertise, just like their teacher.
Yesterday I went to 803's and 804's publishing party. Ms. Riina (art teacher) ans Ms. Woodbury (humanities) developed a interdisciplinary book-making project. The students based their personal books off of the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Each student did a series of their own emulations based on the book. The work was deeply personal and I was impressed.
Thank you to all of those who joined us this past weekend to help with admissions day. We had a record number of applicants come and test at our school. Our faculty has been busily grading the assessments all week. After this is finished we will review and rank all of our applications.
We will be mailing (via USPS) 2nd quarter report cards today. Today we will also be mailing home the Specialized High School letters (to 8th grade families). Please note, we will not be giving any SHS results over the phone - I do not even have that information. The envelopes come prepackaged and sealed. We simply put postage on them and put them in the mail. If you have not received a letter (and you DID take the SHS test) by Thursday, February 17th please let me know.
One additional reminder, Parent-Teacher conferences are next Wednesday and Thursday. Evening conferences are on Wednesday, February 16th 5:00-7:30 and afternoon conferences are Thursday, February 17th 12:00-2:30. I look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Warmest,
Meg
Friday, February 4, 2011
Chair Design
Dear Lab School Families,
It was nice to see so many of you brave the icey-snowy, cold rain to come listen to my State of the School presentation on Wednesday. I am adding one slide to the presentation (a list of relevant websites) and then I will have it posted to our website. All of the information discussed on Wednesday can be found there.
Wednesday was also the Knoll Chair Design reception and viewing. This was the culminating event for the 8th grade design unit. Ms. Riina (the 8th grade art teacher) began this year with a design project. Students were placed in design teams and they were charged with the task of creating a chair design. Through a rather serendipitous connection Knoll partnered in the project. They took three chair designs and built them into real chairs. The three designs each have their own aesthetic, function and appeal. Two are circular in shape. One looks like pac-man - yellow and black with magnetic speakers affixed for listening to music. The other circular one is very colorful with primary colored tubing coming out the sides. It is a complete cylinder - allowing someone to wrap their whole body inside. The last chair is a series of boxes connected in such a way that there are seven different places to sit. The box chair is the biggest of the three - over six feet high and six feet wide. All of the chairs will remain on display at the Knoll showroom for the next few weeks. They will eventually be moved over to our school. Finding a place to put them is certainly going to be a challenge : ) The event was a highlight for me. I was so proud of our students and happy that our Chelsea community takes a role in enriching our work. Thank you Knoll for being in partnership with us.
The Lego Robotics team also received some exciting news this week. The team did so well in the last competition that they have qualified for the city-wide event at the Javits Center. The Lab team took the award for collaboration. I was so proud - but indeed not surprised.
This weekend will be a busy one for our school community. The Middle School Math Team is gearing up to compete in sectionals tomorrow. This is the first competition that the team will be competing in (beyond the school). The have been practicing and working so hard. We all wish them the best of luck. Lab School's admissions test day is also tomorrow. Students, staff and parents will also be here volunteering to help the day run smoothly. We have over 850 students coming to test at our school. Thank you in advance for your support.
The winter seems to be dragging on a bit. Luckily the groundhog has predicted an early spring. I am sure that I am not the only one who is thankful for this! Until then, please make sure your students bring the proper winter weather gear (coats, hats, mittens, boots...etc).
Warmest,
Meg
It was nice to see so many of you brave the icey-snowy, cold rain to come listen to my State of the School presentation on Wednesday. I am adding one slide to the presentation (a list of relevant websites) and then I will have it posted to our website. All of the information discussed on Wednesday can be found there.
Wednesday was also the Knoll Chair Design reception and viewing. This was the culminating event for the 8th grade design unit. Ms. Riina (the 8th grade art teacher) began this year with a design project. Students were placed in design teams and they were charged with the task of creating a chair design. Through a rather serendipitous connection Knoll partnered in the project. They took three chair designs and built them into real chairs. The three designs each have their own aesthetic, function and appeal. Two are circular in shape. One looks like pac-man - yellow and black with magnetic speakers affixed for listening to music. The other circular one is very colorful with primary colored tubing coming out the sides. It is a complete cylinder - allowing someone to wrap their whole body inside. The last chair is a series of boxes connected in such a way that there are seven different places to sit. The box chair is the biggest of the three - over six feet high and six feet wide. All of the chairs will remain on display at the Knoll showroom for the next few weeks. They will eventually be moved over to our school. Finding a place to put them is certainly going to be a challenge : ) The event was a highlight for me. I was so proud of our students and happy that our Chelsea community takes a role in enriching our work. Thank you Knoll for being in partnership with us.
The Lego Robotics team also received some exciting news this week. The team did so well in the last competition that they have qualified for the city-wide event at the Javits Center. The Lab team took the award for collaboration. I was so proud - but indeed not surprised.
This weekend will be a busy one for our school community. The Middle School Math Team is gearing up to compete in sectionals tomorrow. This is the first competition that the team will be competing in (beyond the school). The have been practicing and working so hard. We all wish them the best of luck. Lab School's admissions test day is also tomorrow. Students, staff and parents will also be here volunteering to help the day run smoothly. We have over 850 students coming to test at our school. Thank you in advance for your support.
The winter seems to be dragging on a bit. Luckily the groundhog has predicted an early spring. I am sure that I am not the only one who is thankful for this! Until then, please make sure your students bring the proper winter weather gear (coats, hats, mittens, boots...etc).
Warmest,
Meg
Friday, January 28, 2011
Happy (Belated) Snow Day
Dear Lab School Families,
I am just winding down from a very spirited pep rally. We had the Gator Pep Squad perform a few numbers, heard from some of our student clubs about upcoming events and had a homeroom hula hoop contest. It was a fun time and it is always nice to see that much school spirit. It reminds me of how happy and proud I am to be a Labbie.
I sat in 701's humanities class today as the students were completing the revision phase of their Crucible monologue project. Students in 7th grade just completed reading Arthur Miller's play The Crucible and are all writing "unheard monologues" from the point of view of one of the characters. As Ms. Morrow explained, revision is not like editing...students were challenged to give honest, reflective feedback on their classmates work. Peer Revision is an important step in the writing process because it allows students to receive feedback on their writing and also challenges them to reflect on others.
801 and 802 are completing a solar energy unit in Earth Science. Lab School has been working in partnership with the Solar One organization. Students were able to learn about solar energy and build solar powered cars as a culminating activity. This partnership is part of a larger unit on energy that Ms. Cortes and Mr. Skinner are teaching.
Next Wednesday, February 2nd (Groundhog Day), I will be presenting the annual State of the School address in the auditorium. We will be starting at 8:15. I will also be posting the power point presentation on the website after the meeting.
Next Saturday, February 5th we will be holding our annual admissions day for prospective (5th grade) Labbies. We will be testing a record number of kids - more than ever before. Over 850 families ranked Lab School as one of their top two choices for a middle school. We are excited by the enthusiastic response and thank everyone for their hard work during the tour season. This high number is no doubt a reflection of that work.
I hope everyone enjoyed the unexpected snow day yesterday...I heard that many congregated in Central Park to celebrate.
The first home game for the girls basketball team is about to start so I must sign-off here.
Warmest,
Meg
I am just winding down from a very spirited pep rally. We had the Gator Pep Squad perform a few numbers, heard from some of our student clubs about upcoming events and had a homeroom hula hoop contest. It was a fun time and it is always nice to see that much school spirit. It reminds me of how happy and proud I am to be a Labbie.
I sat in 701's humanities class today as the students were completing the revision phase of their Crucible monologue project. Students in 7th grade just completed reading Arthur Miller's play The Crucible and are all writing "unheard monologues" from the point of view of one of the characters. As Ms. Morrow explained, revision is not like editing...students were challenged to give honest, reflective feedback on their classmates work. Peer Revision is an important step in the writing process because it allows students to receive feedback on their writing and also challenges them to reflect on others.
801 and 802 are completing a solar energy unit in Earth Science. Lab School has been working in partnership with the Solar One organization. Students were able to learn about solar energy and build solar powered cars as a culminating activity. This partnership is part of a larger unit on energy that Ms. Cortes and Mr. Skinner are teaching.
Next Wednesday, February 2nd (Groundhog Day), I will be presenting the annual State of the School address in the auditorium. We will be starting at 8:15. I will also be posting the power point presentation on the website after the meeting.
Next Saturday, February 5th we will be holding our annual admissions day for prospective (5th grade) Labbies. We will be testing a record number of kids - more than ever before. Over 850 families ranked Lab School as one of their top two choices for a middle school. We are excited by the enthusiastic response and thank everyone for their hard work during the tour season. This high number is no doubt a reflection of that work.
I hope everyone enjoyed the unexpected snow day yesterday...I heard that many congregated in Central Park to celebrate.
The first home game for the girls basketball team is about to start so I must sign-off here.
Warmest,
Meg
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Spotlight on Lab After School
Dear Lab School Families
Our aftershool programs have been getting quite busy. The Lego Robotics team (new this year) will be going to compete on Sunday at the district level competition. Every Friday the Lego team has gathered to design, build and program a set of robots with Ms. Dwyer. This year's theme is biotechnology. The robots are trained to perform different biotechnological tasks that might once day be used by doctors. Among the items there is a robotic syringe (no real needle of course). The team must also present research on their topic to the judges. Interestingly the part that gets the most points in the competition is that of collaboration. A skill that our younger ones are still growing in. In all of my time at Lab I have never walked to a room had no idea what was going on...until I joined the Lego Robotics team last Friday. They have advanced for beyond my personal scientific understandings. Best of luck to the team and Ms. Dwyer. Thank you also to all of the parents who have supported this team's work.
The yearbook staff is also working hard to finish 2009-2010 yearbook and send it to print. The Middle School yearbook was new last year. In its second year the staff has grown and excitement has built. Each homeroom was charged with the task of designing their own class page in an effort to create schoolwide involvement. Ms. Smith is their fearless advisor - working LONG hours to bring the project to completion.
The Middle School Math Team is preparing for their citywide competition that is fast approaching. There were so many mathletes this year that the coaches - Ms. Feurtado and Mr. Evans had to put the team into two rooms. Yesterday was the math competition to determine the final team that will be representing Lab School. The Middle School Math Team represents healthy competition. There is a team spirit and each member has a drive to become better.
The Writers Group seems to keep expanding each week. New this year, the group meets weekly to explore different styles and techniques of creative writing. They are working to publish an anthology in the spring. The group is led by two of our wonderful 6th grade humanities teachers - Ms. Mazarakis and Ms. Zittel. The group was their idea, stemming from the writing that they currently do in their class. I was excited to add this group to our offerings and impressed by how popular it has become.
If there is money to be made, the stock market kids know how to do it. Last year one of our teams made the most "money" in the city. We are hoping for a repeat this year. The stock market school program is a national program. It integrates math skills with a deep understanding of the stock market. If you need any stock tips you should report to room 405 at 3:15. Our Labbies seem to fair better than anyone 401K's.
The Media:Power club is an evolution of last year's animation club. Mr. Mosher meets with his team of artists every week to talk about advertising, media and messaging. They have been charged with the task of creating values messaging for our school community and are working as consultants to different student groups.
Drama is moving into it's next phase of work. The club has spent the fall semester building their own production through playwriting. They will be producing their own show in late spring. Every element of their work is driven by the students. Everything becomes a moment of learning. In many ways this is much harder for their advisors Ms. Sherman and Ms. Smith. Last year they wrote and produced a beautiful show about what they learned in kindergarten. Who knows what they'll come up with next.
Winter sports are also making Lab a busy place after 3pm. We currently have five sports - basketball, golf, table, tennis, pep squad and winter conditioning (running). We will be celebrating these at the pep rally Friday, January 28th.
A reminder, there is no school Monday, January 17th for MLK day.
Warmly,
Meg
Our aftershool programs have been getting quite busy. The Lego Robotics team (new this year) will be going to compete on Sunday at the district level competition. Every Friday the Lego team has gathered to design, build and program a set of robots with Ms. Dwyer. This year's theme is biotechnology. The robots are trained to perform different biotechnological tasks that might once day be used by doctors. Among the items there is a robotic syringe (no real needle of course). The team must also present research on their topic to the judges. Interestingly the part that gets the most points in the competition is that of collaboration. A skill that our younger ones are still growing in. In all of my time at Lab I have never walked to a room had no idea what was going on...until I joined the Lego Robotics team last Friday. They have advanced for beyond my personal scientific understandings. Best of luck to the team and Ms. Dwyer. Thank you also to all of the parents who have supported this team's work.
The yearbook staff is also working hard to finish 2009-2010 yearbook and send it to print. The Middle School yearbook was new last year. In its second year the staff has grown and excitement has built. Each homeroom was charged with the task of designing their own class page in an effort to create schoolwide involvement. Ms. Smith is their fearless advisor - working LONG hours to bring the project to completion.
The Middle School Math Team is preparing for their citywide competition that is fast approaching. There were so many mathletes this year that the coaches - Ms. Feurtado and Mr. Evans had to put the team into two rooms. Yesterday was the math competition to determine the final team that will be representing Lab School. The Middle School Math Team represents healthy competition. There is a team spirit and each member has a drive to become better.
The Writers Group seems to keep expanding each week. New this year, the group meets weekly to explore different styles and techniques of creative writing. They are working to publish an anthology in the spring. The group is led by two of our wonderful 6th grade humanities teachers - Ms. Mazarakis and Ms. Zittel. The group was their idea, stemming from the writing that they currently do in their class. I was excited to add this group to our offerings and impressed by how popular it has become.
If there is money to be made, the stock market kids know how to do it. Last year one of our teams made the most "money" in the city. We are hoping for a repeat this year. The stock market school program is a national program. It integrates math skills with a deep understanding of the stock market. If you need any stock tips you should report to room 405 at 3:15. Our Labbies seem to fair better than anyone 401K's.
The Media:Power club is an evolution of last year's animation club. Mr. Mosher meets with his team of artists every week to talk about advertising, media and messaging. They have been charged with the task of creating values messaging for our school community and are working as consultants to different student groups.
Drama is moving into it's next phase of work. The club has spent the fall semester building their own production through playwriting. They will be producing their own show in late spring. Every element of their work is driven by the students. Everything becomes a moment of learning. In many ways this is much harder for their advisors Ms. Sherman and Ms. Smith. Last year they wrote and produced a beautiful show about what they learned in kindergarten. Who knows what they'll come up with next.
Winter sports are also making Lab a busy place after 3pm. We currently have five sports - basketball, golf, table, tennis, pep squad and winter conditioning (running). We will be celebrating these at the pep rally Friday, January 28th.
A reminder, there is no school Monday, January 17th for MLK day.
Warmly,
Meg
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Happy New Year
Dear Lab School Families,
Welcome Back! I hope that everyone had a wonderful winter break and a happy time with loved ones. I traveled to Omaha to spend some time with my own family - I missed the epic snowstorm completely. It was nice to have time to relax but after a couple of days I started to really miss our kids.
It was a busy last couple of weeks to 2010.
In 6th grade humanities students completed their Mesopotamia research projects and conducted presentations to teach their fellow classmates. In one class I learned all about the evolution of the wheel and other inventions that came from this civilization. It was wonderful to see the students take on an expert role and become the teachers.
In 801 and 802 students are completing their Native American unit. Right before the break students finished reading Sherman Alexie's book Diary of a Part-Time Indian. They studied present day issues in the context of historical events. I was lucky enough to be a guest speaker for the classes -sharing my own experiences of traveling to Indian Reservations in South Dakota and my visit to the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Students are now working on a social action project related to these issues. We hope to share some of the students' work in an upcoming Gator Gab issue.
In 7th grade humanities students are reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible. They are using the play to understand the Salem witch trials and what was occurring in American history during this time. The play is challenging for our students - it is a good struggle and students are really taking to the story. I have found over the years that students connect well with the characters. Many of the themes explored in the text are issues that our students also grapple with.
The chair designs are almost complete. Thanks to a collaborative partnership between Ms. Riina's 8th grade artists and Knoll Design firm. The firm took three chair models and built them to life-size chairs. There will be reception and showing in early February. There will be much more information to come about this collaboration. Thank you to our 8th grade father Jeff Jaffe for helping to set this up.
The winter sports season is in full swing. Our sports offerings include - Table Tennis, Basketball, Winter Running Conditioning, Golf and Pep Squad. Our basketball teams have already played some incredible games and we are looking forward to seeing even more from our gators. Students and families are encouraged to come to the basketball games.
Also a gentle reminder - it is winter. Everyday I am seeing many students not coming to school with proper cold weather gear (hats, gloves, coats, etc). Please remind your children to dress appropriately for the weather. If you need help purchasing these items for your child please let Ms. Marilyn or I know. We are able to secure these items.
Wishing everyone a year filled with goodness and joy.
Warmly, Meg
Welcome Back! I hope that everyone had a wonderful winter break and a happy time with loved ones. I traveled to Omaha to spend some time with my own family - I missed the epic snowstorm completely. It was nice to have time to relax but after a couple of days I started to really miss our kids.
It was a busy last couple of weeks to 2010.
In 6th grade humanities students completed their Mesopotamia research projects and conducted presentations to teach their fellow classmates. In one class I learned all about the evolution of the wheel and other inventions that came from this civilization. It was wonderful to see the students take on an expert role and become the teachers.
In 801 and 802 students are completing their Native American unit. Right before the break students finished reading Sherman Alexie's book Diary of a Part-Time Indian. They studied present day issues in the context of historical events. I was lucky enough to be a guest speaker for the classes -sharing my own experiences of traveling to Indian Reservations in South Dakota and my visit to the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Students are now working on a social action project related to these issues. We hope to share some of the students' work in an upcoming Gator Gab issue.
In 7th grade humanities students are reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible. They are using the play to understand the Salem witch trials and what was occurring in American history during this time. The play is challenging for our students - it is a good struggle and students are really taking to the story. I have found over the years that students connect well with the characters. Many of the themes explored in the text are issues that our students also grapple with.
The chair designs are almost complete. Thanks to a collaborative partnership between Ms. Riina's 8th grade artists and Knoll Design firm. The firm took three chair models and built them to life-size chairs. There will be reception and showing in early February. There will be much more information to come about this collaboration. Thank you to our 8th grade father Jeff Jaffe for helping to set this up.
The winter sports season is in full swing. Our sports offerings include - Table Tennis, Basketball, Winter Running Conditioning, Golf and Pep Squad. Our basketball teams have already played some incredible games and we are looking forward to seeing even more from our gators. Students and families are encouraged to come to the basketball games.
Also a gentle reminder - it is winter. Everyday I am seeing many students not coming to school with proper cold weather gear (hats, gloves, coats, etc). Please remind your children to dress appropriately for the weather. If you need help purchasing these items for your child please let Ms. Marilyn or I know. We are able to secure these items.
Wishing everyone a year filled with goodness and joy.
Warmly, Meg
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