Weekly Update: January 24
This week was full of activity, and our new blog format allows us to share photos more easily. It includes content we are prepared to share, but certainly not even close to everything interesting that happened! Next week, for example, we will showcase the 7th grade HerStory presentations; it’ll be something to look forward to. And, before you dig into the learning, remember that the upcoming required family meeting is Wednesday Feb 5th at 5:30, via Zoom. It will include a presentation on summer camps, and you can prepare by exploring the link below and browsing.
Community
The news these days compels us to ensure our community is informed should someone be struggling with citizenship status and need to Know their Rights or plan Family Preparedness. We have Know Your Rights materials available in the front office and The Immigrants Assistance Center can provide additional support. We know that learning happens best when students feel safe, and we are committed to supporting all families living in our community, and all students attending our schools. We hope you feel encouraged by the learning moments illustrated below. Notice the hard to see arrows and click through the brief photo galleries:
5th grade Lit circles
5th graders are practicing reading and discussing a text together. Reading a book in a small lit-circle allows students to practice being self-directed learners as well as using the Community Core tools Value Identity, Let Go of the Familiar, Communicate Clearly, and Take Space Make Space.
Art Court
In Creative Suite classes, 6th graders were challenged to craft and present a persuasive, evidence-based argument in OSS Superior Art Court. Their purpose was to engage and persuade the judge and jury that a particular professional does -or does not- practice like artists.
Suffrage Play
8th graders are engaged in an in-depth study of the women’s suffrage movement, including reading selections from Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Fight for the Ballot Box. They analyzed the movement through an intersectional lens, centering the experiences of Black women. As a culmination of their studies, students are working with Judith Kalaora, a theatre educator and owner of History at Play, which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council to showcase what they have learned. The performance is set to showcase next Thursday, January 31st, 4:30-6pm. We hope you will be in the audience!
Science + Creative Suite Grade 6 visits the New Bedford Art Museum
In science, 6th grade is learning about Earth’s changing climate, and one of the places changing the most is the Arctic. At the Art Museum, students explored sculptures, video footage, and photographs of icebergs floating in the ocean around Greenland and Canada. It is not every day that one looks at huge pieces of freshwater ice. Icebergs form when they break off of glaciers. We were inspired to study our own “icebergs” in a science experiment!
Veterinarian Margot Penney
Margot has been joining 7th grade science for Wednesdays in January for our Cells & Body Systems unit. Margot has been bringing slides of blood samples, bacteria swabs, and more for us to investigate under the microscopes. This week we had a special guest - Margot’s dog Marzipan! Students got to give Marzipan a physical exam by checking her teeth, looking in her ears, and listening to her heart.
Calendar
This link to the calendar on our OSS website is a valuable reference tool. Listed below are events you definitely want to keep in mind:
Jan 25th OSS Admissions Presentation 10am
Jan 25th NB National Park event, 1-3pm
Jan 27th PD for staff; No School
Jan 30 Whaling Museum trip for 6th grade 8:45am-2:30pm
Jan 30 Suffrage Play by 8th grade, 4:30-6pm
Have a lovely long weekend. See you Tuesday!
Ms. Herman and the OSS Team