Lower School Notes Archive

Monday, February 27, 2012


Rock Triumph

As an ex-rock climber, builder of stone walls and one whose first name translates to "rock" in Greek, I may be prejudiced, but the following is a story of a rock-related small moment of triumph for a sizeable group of first- and second-grade boys and girls.

The Rock!
Recess is a time for groups of children to play. As a recess supervisor, I have learned that the play falls into several categories. First there is the play that looks traditional, football, soccer and basketball, even box ball. Then there are those who love to swing, to climb and to chase. There are also those who like to hang out, jump rope and work on dance routines. Then there are groups of students who like to dig in the dirt, discover natural treasures and to build small structures, including “fairy houses” from natural materials. Membership in these groups is fluid, and it is always interesting to watch how children develop collaborative skills as they learn to negotiate play.

Last week, I noticed a group of about eight students struggling to move a large, probably 65 lb. rock. It was at one end of Mr. Rocky’s Field, and it was clear that they wanted to get it to the other end, perhaps 200 ft. away. Not wanting to interfere or be asked to solve their problem for them, I simply inquired about why they were moving the rock. The story was that one small group wanted to build a fairy house made of stone, and that it was decided that they needed a big one. The house had already been started and the big one was found at the other end of the field. As the small group began to struggle with the rock, it attracted interest from other “digger/builder” groups and there were offers of help.

At first, they tried to lift it, but it was too awkwardly heavy. Prying at it with a stick got it to move, but could never manage 200 ft. Time was spent trying to roll it, but it seemed to have a mind of its own, and the 200 ft. was up a slight hill. Then someone suggested using one of the plastic boxes used to store playground equipment as a sled, as it had a smooth bottom. Getting the rock into the box took a little effort, but if everyone pushed and pulled, it moved. After much grunting and effort it had been moved across the artificial turf of Mr. Rocky’s field. The next little part was tricky, as it was more uphill, across dirt and over a few roots. There was the suggestion that if the box was moved through the muddy spots it would slide more easily. Sure enough, with muddy hands, feet and clothing, the rock arrived. I wish I had had a camera. Smiles of triumph and a challenging but successful collaborative effort were seen on everyone’s faces.

Somehow, working, even struggling, together, toward a common goal had provided a satisfaction that would have been very hard for even the most skilled teacher to engineer. In the grand scheme of things, moving a rock 200 ft. seems like a minor feat but not for this group of boys and girls. They were engaged in their challenge enough that two boundaries were crossed. Boys and girls were working together and first and second graders pitched in equally.  What they learned was that taking on a difficult task for which the outcome was uncertain, sharing the struggle with others and having the dirt stains to prove it feels very empowering. For me it makes a whole lot of sense, as rocks have always been a motivator for me.


Kindergartners together made a playhouse for Eddie,
which he LOVES!


Second-grader Naz celebrating the hundredth day of school. Classrooms across the school chose many different ways of honoring this milestone.
For Spanish class, fourth graders created elements of a Mexican town. They then gave their classmates a tour of their element in Spanish. Their work is currently displayed outside the fourth-grade classrooms. For more, click on Senora Glass' blog (3-5 Spanish) at the top of the page.
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Click to go to the Parent Survey if you are interested in a

“One Step Ahead Mini S.T.E.P. Parenting Work Shop”. 

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Great Family event. Click for more info
March 2 & 3 at 7:30 pm and March 4 at 2:00 pm 

 Opera Update

Ryan
Hi, I am Ryan, a Public Relation Officer, and I am going to be telling you about the Costume and Make-up Artists. They are: Madison, Alec, Leila, and Mia. The Costume and Make-up people have been designing the costumes for the performers. Each are assigned two performers to design for. They decide on a signature color for each performer based on their characteristics that only they can have. They also have been drawing pictures of the performers on which they create their make-up with markers.
Alec, Madison, Mia and Leila
I asked Mia what she is looking forward to be doing and she said: “I look forward to when we will practice putting the makeup on each other.” I also asked Leila what she thought would be the hardest part. She said, “The hardest part so far was picking the color for my character’s costumes.” Please tune in next week when Emma Lee writes about the Performers. I hope you enjoyed and learned a lot about the Costume and Make-up Artists.
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If you haven't heard... our Boys' and Girls' Varsity Basketball teams are in the State Tournament!  The first round starts Tuesday, with the girls going to Kent Place School for a 4 PM start and our boys are hosting Immaculate Conception HS of Montclair at 7 PM. 
It's the perfect time for everyone (including Lower School families who enjoy basketball) to come out and show our Bulldog pride!  Let's Go Bulldogs!   
Girls Basketball State Tournament
DE (12) vs. Kent Place (5)
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 28th
Place: Kent Place School (Directions are posted in the athletic calendar)
Time: 4:00 PM
Tournament Bracket:

Boys Basketball State TournamentDE (5) vs. Immaculate Conception HS of Montclair (12)
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 28th
Place: DE main gym
Time: 7:00 PM