A week ago, at the behest of student government, I walked over to the athletic fields of a nearby high school with a group of 4th -8th graders so they could organize a soccer game on a real field during their recess time. Before going, I was asked if I was going to ref the…
This month, we are reflecting on the values of Equality and Equity as a school. Equality and equity, like integrity, are easier for children to grasp in their absence than their presence. Throughout years of school-wide reflection, I’ve heard many stories of inequality — among siblings, among friends, in the classroom and at home. It…
This past Friday, the school went on a field trip to the Museum of Illusions. I had the great pleasure of organizing this trip, which goes hand in hand with this school year’s theme, “Mirror & Lenses,” making this museum a great location to visit and learn about seeing things from different perspectives. The Museum…
As the middle school teaching team, Alyssa and I are often thinking about how to better prepare students for high school. Alyssa and I are both familiar with Chicago Public Schools and some of their expectations for high school students, but I wanted to learn what high school is like at schools that are more…
I am a passionate middle school Humanities teacher, but anyone who knows me also knows that I am a passionate lover of the Beautiful Game – football. No, I don’t mean American football, I mean what locals here call soccer. When I heard seven years ago that the 2022 FIFA World Cup would take place…
This month, we are starting to reflect on Gratitude as a whole school. The image I have attached is of squares from a whole-school gratitude quilt that students are working on. As you can see this group of kids are grateful for a range of things: pollinators; music; a roof over their heads; medicine, even…