中秋节快乐Zhōng qiū jié kuài lè – Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

It’s that time of year again! Both Lower and Upper School Mandarin students celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival — a joyful occasion that usually falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, during the time of the fullest and brightest moon. Students made mooncakes out of clay, and Upper School students also tasted mochi!

This year, students used clay instead of real dough to press into the mooncake molds. They could choose from two shapes — square or round — and everyone was excited to see their own creations emerge from the mold. They loved this cultural class and hands-on activity. Some students even said they were going to bring their clay mooncakes home to trick their siblings and parents into taking a bite!

Upper School students enjoyed tasting the mochi, noting how the outside had a chewy dough-like texture while the inside was filled with ice cream.

Students also enjoyed learning that the festival honors the legendary hero Hou Yi and his wife, who is said to have gone to the moon, leaving him heartbroken. To express his love and longing, Hou Yi prepared a feast with mooncakes for dessert. The round shape of the mooncake symbolizes reunion, making this holiday similar to Thanksgiving — a time for families to gather, share delicious food, and appreciate the full moon together. In some areas, people fly lanterns to wish happiness and good health for their loved ones, further enhancing the spirit of togetherness during this cherished celebration.

The Mid-Autumn Festival culture class is always a favorite because students learn about the traditions in such a fun and engaging way. We are grateful to share this culture with the Unquowa community and to celebrate alongside our students!

The Mystery of the Cube!

In 5th and 6th grade classes, we’ve been tackling an “unplugged” tech challenge: solving the Rubik’s Cube. It’s an activity that, at first glance, seems like a puzzle only for geniuses, but it’s really a fantastic lesson in computer science. We learn that what appears to be a magical, random jumble is actually a system governed by algorithms – just like the programs that make our phones and computers work. By memorizing and executing a series of specific, repeatable directions, my students discover that they can manipulate the cube to reach a desired outcome. This teaches them a fundamental principle: with the right set of instructions, even the most complex problems can be broken down and solved logically, demystifying the power of both technology and their own problem-solving skills.

5th Grade Bioblitz!

A Bioblitz is when scientists, volunteers, students or ordinary citizens participate in an ecosystem species tally. The goal is to find and record as many different species (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) as possible in a defined area. It is an essential way that people can participate in collecting data to help scientists understand our ever changing world. Earth is BIG! Exploring is FUN and super useful in understanding ecological changes and health of an environment. A bioblitz can also foster a sense of community and stewardship for the participants.  

The 5th graders went to the Connecticut Audubon society on Thursday, September 18, to participate in their own bioblitz. We ventured into the forest of the 250 acre sanctuary  equipped with clipboards, data sheets,  field guides and enthusiasm.

It was an incredible experience to see the students digging for insects, turning over logs looking for salamanders and identifying small plants and trees. We found some notable new species like the white lipped land snail! In addition we found an abundance of worms, two species of salamanders, one species of newt, an assassin bug, mushrooms, small ground cover plants like wintergreen and partridgeberry! Lots and lots more.  

The hands-on bioblitz will help the students truly begin to understand ecological diversity as we move into our unit about the Earth’s biomes.  

Fantastic job Grade 5!!

Nature Happens!

While we are going about our busy lives, nature is doing its thing right in front of us.

Here at Unquowa, some eye spy detectives spotted some super cool things happening right under our noses.  

Super sleuths detected an interesting insect on the playground bars.  After consulting an app called Seek (that helps to identify many different types of species) we positively identified the Red-legged grasshopper!  Its scientific name is Melanoplus femurrubrum.  A femur is the bone of the upper thigh or hind limb and rubrum mean RED!!  This insect is aptly named.

Next a keen eyed student saw the exoskeleton of a Cicada on the Blue Spruce tree outside of the corral.  It was incredibly camouflaged and not easy to distinguish from the similarly colored bark.  Well done detective.

Lastly our incredible kitchen gurus took notice of an insect outside the Dining Room entrance that looks a lot like a green leaf.  Turns out it is a Katydid just hanging out (maybe they were looking for a nice easy meal inside the kitchen) on the wall.  

Thanks to all who used their observation skills.  Please keep it up and let me know of anything that you find interesting.  Go Nature, go Gators (hope we don’t stumble onto a gator- for real)

A Heartfelt Thank You from Our Animal-Loving 5th Graders!

Our compassionate 5th Graders would like to extend a big thank you to the entire Unquowa Community for your incredible generosity in supporting Fairfield Animal Control and Shelter. On a rainy day a few weeks ago, we delivered all the donations and the shelter staff was truly overwhelmed by your kindness.

During our visit, we had the chance to meet some of the sweet dogs currently at the shelter. Though we were all tempted (yes, even Mrs. Noyes and I!) to bring home a new Unquowa mascot, we managed to leave without adopting… this time!

Thanks to your support, we were able to collect an amazing array of supplies, including towels, dog treats, dog food, crates, cat litter, and laundry detergent—essentials that help the shelter care for animals in need.

A special shout-out to our enthusiastic 5th Graders for leading this community service project with such heart and dedication. We’re proud of you!

The Regulars are Coming Out! The Regulars are Coming Out!

Did you know that Paul Revere didn’t actually shout, “The British are coming!” when he warned the Patriots that the British forces were on their way? He said, “The regulars are coming out!” He wanted to discreetly warn the colonists that the British were on their way, but the colonists still considered themselves British, so it would have been confusing to say, “The British are Coming!”  The term regular meant that they were professional, paid officers and not a volunteer force.

Grade 5 is spending the final trimester studying the American Revolution by immersing ourselves in the facts and history of the time and exploring some of the common activities and pastimes. We studied this era in social studies, but we also read a historical fiction book in literature to understand the thoughts and emotions of regular folks in CT at this time. The students made simple toys, wrote with a quill pen and ink, churned butter and made traditional corn muffins with maple syrup. They  wrote poems, raps, created political cartoons and performed in plays. We even learned to sew on an antique sewing machine and made a Yogibo cover using a scrap quilt technique common at that time.  Of course, we also read primary sources, watched videos, parodies of popular songs and worked in groups to fully comprehend some of the important battles and events.

Our culminating activity was a trip to the Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield. The only inland battle during the Revolutionary War in CT took place in Ridgefield and The Keeler Tavern has concrete proof – a cannonball is still wedged in the outer wall of the building. The students enjoyed the trip and came away with a vast knowledge of the significance and complexity of this important era in history.