Year of the Fire Horse!
Posted by Carina Blackwell
Xīn Nián Kuài Lè, Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái – Happy New Year and Wishing You Good Fortune!
Our Grade 4 through 6 Mandarin students kicked off the Chinese New Year celebrations by preparing over 600 vegetable dumplings, which, along with other delicious Chinese dishes created by our Chefs, were enjoyed by the entire school during a special festive lunch. Meanwhile, our younger students had fun practicing their Mandarin skills by crafting Play-Doh dumplings, listening to stories about why red and firecrackers are essential for Chinese New Year Celebration and making colorful Chinese New Year crafts. As part of the celebration, all Mandarin students received traditional Red Envelopes to mark the New Year of the Fire Horse.
A special thank you to Unquowa parent Mrs. Toolan, who visited the 5th and 6th grade Mandarin class to share insights into Chinese New Year traditions. The students had a great time taking turns wearing the festive dragon costume and dancing around the classroom!
Throughout our two-week celebration, Mandarin students across all grade levels showcased their language skills with performance on the school assembly. Their songs were filled with wishes of good luck and health for the New Year. Adding to the joyous spirit of the occasion, everyone came to school dressed in red!
Enhancing our foreign language program, this cultural experience is always a festive and delicious highlight of the year that our Unquowa community looks forward to celebrating.
Ice Faces
Posted by Joey Casey
We love it when a plan comes together! 2nd graders finished making silicone ice cube moulds in Makerspace and had so much fun in the process. The project came about while sitting in 2nd grade science class, where students were learning about states of matter. The topic was water and how it can change back-and-forth from liquid to solid. This discussion sparked the simple question, could we make ice cube moulds? The answer, a resounding yes. Each student created a CAD (computer aided design) file with a drawing of a face and a shape. Each file was 3D printed and then assembled for mould making. Students mixed equal parts to prepare the food-grade silicone and poured the mixture into cups. After the silicone was set and dry, the 3D print was taken out and voila! Ice cube mould. We filled them with water, froze them overnight and then had a chance to see the finished product. Everyone was excited to make ice cubes at home with their moulds! Perhaps they’ll get more use during the heat of the summer and will add some fun to cups for sure.
Fun Friday: Our Vote, Our Game!
Posted by Sarah Pollex
Fun Friday is the BEST part of the week in PE class. Why? Because we get to pick the game by voting. That’s right—we all have a say!
From freeze tag to sink the ship, pinball to bean bag toe touch, students shared their favorite game and the winning choice took over the gym. Once it started, the energy was off the charts! Laughter, cheering, and teamwork were everywhere as we all jumped in and played our hearts out.
Fun Friday isn’t just about games—it’s about making choices, working together, and having a blast while being physically active. We can’t wait to see what game we’ll vote for next week!
Thank you For Your Service
Posted by sheilaventre
On Thursday, 11/13/25, our 2nd grade had the great privilege of welcoming two veterans: William Sadd, former member of the U.S. Coast Guard and father of 2nd grader Josie Sadd, and Josie’s grandfather, Mr. Kordenbrock, who also served as a pilot in the armed forces.
Their visit was informative, interactive, and engaging. Students were excited to learn about two branches of our military and to hear firsthand about the important work performed by the Coast Guard and the armed forces. They especially enjoyed seeing the uniforms, medals, and badges—and even learning how to salute!
The 2nd graders were mesmerized and full of thoughtful questions as they learned what it means to be a veteran and why their service is so important to our country. We are grateful to have a veteran within our 2nd grade community and for the opportunity to learn more about their contributions.
2nd Grade – Together, Wherever We Go
Posted by emilyhallSecond grade was fabulous with this performance! I love teaching students about musicals from the past and present and they love it too. This song from Gypsy really connected with our second graders and they did a great job on stage! Here at Unquowa we are Together, Wherever We Go!
Hands-On Mandarin: Exploring Language with Clay, Chopsticks, and Games
Posted by kellyyeh
In October, we learned how to say “Thank you / You’re welcome” and “I’m sorry / It’s okay” in Lower School Mandarin classes through engaging games and songs. We also practiced counting and were introduced to more Chinese characters through a variety of fun activities. We used materials such as clay, chopsticks and yarn, and played games like hopscotch to make learning more interactive and enjoyable.
Students have a wonderful time in Mandarin class—not just having fun, but also actively learning and using the target language throughout the lessons.
