14 Years of Friday Night Lights: More Than Just a Ski Club
Posted by Lloyd Mitchell
We just wrapped up our 14th season of Friday night lights at Ski Sundown, and it was one for the books! Beyond the carving and the trail runs, this club has always been about the community we build off the lift. One of our favorite traditions came full circle on our final outing: while our 8th graders take pride in leading the bus loading for every trip of the season, they officially pass that responsibility to the 7th graders on the very last night. It’s a symbolic “passing of the torch” that prepares the next group to lead. This season, it was inspiring to watch students move beyond their typical social circles, forging genuine friendships across grade levels. Whether on the chairlift or in the lodge, these connections are what make our club more than just a trip—it’s a family.
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.
Honoring MLK – 5th Grade Acts of Service!
Posted by Sarah Raggio
The fifth graders honored Martin Luther King Jr. by doing an act of service here at Unquowa. Dr King believed in helping others and making the world a kind and fair place. He taught us that everyone can make a difference, no matter their age by showing respect and caring about their community.
Our acts of service put Dr. King’s message of love, equality, and service into action to create a positive change. The students each picked an act of service and completed it.
Grace – I drew a picture for Mrs. Raggio
Harper – I read to the Pre K class
Maddie C.– I helped Miles straighten out his trapper at flex class
Miles – I held the outside door open for all of the upper school students to come in for lunch
Maddie T. – I read a Dr Seuss book to the kindergarten class
Ali – I washed Mrs. Sylvestro’s whiteboard
Nico – I pushed in all of the chairs after literature class
Owen – I held the door open for all of the upper schoolers to come in after snack
Arthur – I carried Micah’s trapper all day so that he could rest his arms for our basketball game later that day
Micah – I made an origami gift for Mrs. Blackwell
Warm Hearts, Warm Socks: Grade 5 Gives Back
Posted by Sarah Raggio
The Grade 5 students took to heart what Reverend Sara from nOURish encouraged them to do at a fall assembly. She said to all of us, “You have privilege—use it.” This particular group of students has a strong history of community service beginning in second grade—after all, this is the original “Change for Change Group”—so giving is just in their nature.
Earlier this fall, Grade 5 and Grade 8 held a cereal drive for our friends at nOURish. Knowing that the holiday season can be stressful for people who are financially struggling, we decided to also hold a sock drive. Our initial goal was 20 pairs of socks total, and we ended up with 120 pairs! It just made sense to add some coziness to the gift, so we included a couple of envelopes of hot chocolate to brighten their moods and add a festive touch. The students made tags , packaged the socks and wrote a positive message on each tag. Their hope is that a warm pair of socks and a cup of hot chocolate will warm the hearts and souls of those in need. Go Gators!
The Culmination of The Pompa Project/Early Native American Groups
Posted by Sarah Raggio
Grade 5 wrapped up their study of Early Native American Groups with two projects and a comprehensive essay. Students completed a Kachina doll here at school and created a model of their own ancient civilization at home, named The Pompa Project after our very own classmate, who inspired the project. Their models were truly unique and beautifully demonstrated their creative talents.
The essay was written in Mrs. DuCharme’s writing class. Students studied several early Native American tribes in social studies class and designed their civilizations based on the location and resources available to them. In writing class, they took notes, completed essay outlines, wrote a first draft, and finally published their final piece—all within a few weeks.
Thank you, Mrs. DuCharme, for all of your support! To celebrate, we invited the 4th graders for a brief visit and a classroom museum tour. Great job, Grade 5!
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!
