Global Learning

Happy February! Thank you so much for joining us last week at conferences. We really enjoyed our time with you, and we deeply appreciate the spirit of collaboration and partnership!
 
We hope you enjoyed our Hands-On Science Day at the end of January. The students were so proud and excited to share their work with you. As teachers, we were pleased to see the high level of thinking and observation that led children to their conclusions. And there were so many cool scientific gadgets supported by so many precise and thorough data tables...really fantastic! 
 
In history studies, we've been learning about the Golden Age of Islam and medieval Islamic culture. The students are particularly enraptured by art, science, architecture and city life. Ms. Michelle has been focusing on geometric Islamic art, as well. During the middle ages,  incredible amounts of math, astronomy, optics, medicine were discovered and it has been really wonderful to explore this era of history.
 
We are excited to be welcoming Sandy and Tarek, two visitors from the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS, here in Redmond near Whole Foods) this morning in Turquesa. The students are eager to learn more about what Muslims believe and the basic tenets of Islam, as well as answering the students' growing list of questions. 
 
This week, we’re shifting our focus to Imperial China. As part of our studies, we’ll be preparing (and enjoying!) a feast of dumplings to celebrate the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year). History is going to get really delicious! 
 
During small group Geography lessons this week, students have become oceanologists and mapped "hidden terrain" by charting depth levels of a moulded Sculpty terrain in a box hidden underneath a piece of paper. Keep an eye out for photos on Bloomz soon.
 
Next week is Valentine’s Day. We’ll be celebrating on Wednesday. We had an extensive all-class discussion about how to celebrate. The community decided to follow tradition and add a new twist. First, students are invited to bring individual cards for each of their classmates. They do not have to bring cards; they will still receive lots of cards from classmates whether or not they bring them. We have 18 students in Turquesa. The students agree that it is really meaningful when they receive hand-made cards, and that they like it when everyone receives similar size cards. We do not pass out candy or toys. We are also planning to share our caring community spirit beyond the Elementary community by making and passing out hand-made cards to families and staff in the EC and I/T Programs.
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