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!

Gators in Training – Fall Soccer Fun! 

Nearly halfway through the season, our K–2 Gators in Training are bringing great enthusiasm and bright spirits to every practice—mastering warm-up drills like running together as a team, developing skills such as dribbling with their head up using the inside of the foot, and putting it all together in their favorite games including “Hungry Hippos” and “Dribble Knockout.” Their joy and progress are clear—we’re excited to see how much more they’ll grow in the weeks ahead! Go Gators!

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)

Now Available for Viewing – Unquowazine Volume 7

Working with the Lower School Art and Literary Club members on Unquowazine Volume 7 has been such a pleasure. They have worked tirelessly on various stages of magazine development. This year, they have included more original content in the form of interviews, comics, and book reviews. Together with their staff, Cassidy and Micah worked very hard on all of the various components. They did a fantastic job of being mindful of each student’s work while honoring its authenticity. As their advisor, I guided them and gave them structure and support. Kudos to all of their hard work and dedication!

Little Learners, Big Teachers

This week, second graders took on a very special role- they became teachers! They paired up with the first graders for a shared reading activity. Each second grader chose a book and read aloud to their younger buddy, modeling fluent reading and expressive storytelling.

But the first graders weren’t just listening- they had an important job, too! As their second grade partners read, the first graders were on the lookout for silent e words. Every time they spotted one, they pointed it out and wrote it down on their whiteboard with excitement and pride.

Second graders showed leadership and responsibility, while the first graders practiced their phonics skills in a fun and meaningful way. We can’t wait to do it again!

Learning Mandarin is So Much Fun!

This past month was filled with exciting activities for our students! We learned animal names in Mandarin and played a fun Chinese character “Spot It” game—which the kids absolutely loved. They also practiced writing Chinese characters through interactive games.

To help remember the animal names, students created adorable animal crafts. This not only reinforced their vocabulary but also supported the development of their fine motor skills.

Our 3rd graders even tried their hand at Chinese calligraphy, and they did an amazing job! It was so impressive to see their concentration and creativity shine.

To wrap it all up, the 3rd graders used a special communication sheet to walk around the classroom and chat with their classmates in Mandarin. It was wonderful to see them confidently using the language in real conversations!