STEM Fair 2026!

This spring, science and makerspace classes in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades have been discussing renewable energy, specifically passive solar, wind power and hydro power. Classes spent time reviewing the benefits of replacing non-renewable energy with renewable and many of the ways the renewable energy could be used. Students chose to work in groups or individually to create a model showing their understanding of the concept.

Ideas ranged from hydro powered amusement parks, kitchen appliances, turbine designs, flower passive solar houses, fancy hotels, and so much more. Students showed an ability to further integrate the concepts into many facets of present-day life. 

Fourth grade worked with passive solar energy. They learnt that passive solar is not your typical solar energy, as it has to do with various indirect energy uses – how a structure is built, material choices, an understanding of thermal mass, and orientation to the sun. Structures can use the sun, or absence of sun, to heat and cool spaces, depending on seasonal needs. Students engineered fantastic models showing everything from nautical beach homes, flower shaped homes, mushroom shaped homes, and fancy hotels. Models were very thoughtful and had numerous details including furniture and decor.

Fifth grade discussed wind power and its ability to either be transferred as kinetic or electrical energy. Students came up with novel projects including a wind powered car racing ramp, a whale tale inspired turbine, a boat, and an amusement park.

Sixth grade used their understanding of hydro power, many using water wheels, to power ideas both great and small. Models included amusement parks, water parks, a personal ice machine, and pizza makers.  

Students excitedly presented their impressive models and ideas to the entire school in the gym after assembly on Earth Day. All classes reflected on how exciting and important it was to showcase their work and see the work of their peers. We were so excited to have so many families and friends in attendance and hope everyone left with a greater understanding of renewable energies and the inspiring ideas of what could be possible in the future. Well done 4th, 5th and 6th grade engineers!

Our Foreign Language Speakers Accolades!

Each year the Connecticut Council of Language Teachers (CTCOLT) organizes a virtual poetry competition that invites students in grades 7 through 12 from across Connecticut to recite poems via Zoom in the languages they study.

This year, ten students from Unquowa participated, representing Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese, Hebrew, and Hindi among more than 400 language learners from independent and public schools. Students were assigned age appropriate poems, and teachers provided support to clarify meaning. During each recitation, students presented to a virtual audience and were evaluated on fluency, body language, and comprehension.

We are pleased to announce five Unquowa students placed in the top three across three languages: Sophia – 1st Place Gold, Middle School Heritage, Portuguese; Avery – 1st Place Gold, Middle School Heritage, Hebrew; Maxim – 2nd Place Silver, Middle School Level 2, Mandarin; William- 2nd Place Silver, Middle School Heritage, Portuguese; and Salma – 3rd Place Bronze, Middle School Heritage, Spanish. Congratulations to all participants for their dedication and excellent work. We are so proud and impressed of their success!

History is Alive: Ancient Coin Demo

Recently, our 6th grade Humanities students had the unique opportunity to bring history back to life. 

We were excited to welcome Giovanni Ruffini, a professor from Fairfield University, who brought an extraordinary collection of authentic coins from Ancient Greece and Rome into our classroom. This hands-on experience allowed students to engage directly with real artifacts that are thousands of years old.

As students examined the coins, they began to think like historians and archaeologists. They explored questions such as: What images are shown? Who might have used this coin? What does it tell us about power, leadership, or daily life? Through guided discussion, students discovered how artifacts like coins can reveal important insights about ancient civilizations’ economies, political systems, and cultural values. By analyzing these coins, students had a lot of input to the discussion and asked many great questions. They gained a deeper understanding of how history is studied and interpreted, moving beyond memorization to true inquiry and discovery.

We are grateful to Professor Ruffini for sharing his time, coins, and expertise with our students!

Fun Field Experience to G Mart

Our Upper School Mandarin students recently participated in an immersive field experience to a local Asian market designed to extend classroom learning into an authentic, real world setting. Students completed a guided scavenger hunt that required them to locate specific ingredients and products needed to prepare dishes for an upcoming Food Taste event. While navigating the aisles, they practiced conversations in Mandarin by asking native speaking staff for help finding items and confirming product details, reinforcing vocabulary and functional language used in everyday shopping situations. 7th and 8th graders also selected a variety of authentic snacks sourced from across Asia. To encourage maximum language skills every student was tasked with speaking only Mandarin while shopping in the store.

This trip emphasized practical communication, cultural awareness, and confidence building. Students experienced firsthand how language functions in daily life, negotiated meaning in real interactions, and made culturally informed food choices. After they finished shopping and had a fun scavenger hunt, all the students enjoyed a cultural treat of bubble tea (zhēn zhū nǎi chá). We are grateful for the opportunity to offer students this meaningful cultural experience outside of the classroom. Their respectful engagement, curiosity and willingness to use Mandarin in authentic contexts exemplify our school motto- Unafraid Spirit.

Global Gators in Galapagos!

Our 11-day spring break expedition to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a true masterclass in adventure, resilience, and wonder for our 25 students and 4 chaperones. From the historic streets of Quito to the breathtaking volcanic landscapes of the archipelago, our Global Gators embraced every moment, even the “early bird” 4:25 a.m. wake-up calls, with enthusiasm, curiosity, and unmistakable Gator energy.

In the Galápagos, we witnessed nature in its purest form. We hiked through the Santa Cruz Highlands to count giant tortoises in the wild, explored subterranean lava tunnels, stood on the edge of the massive Twin Craters and experienced the wonder of zero latitude and longitude. Whether it was snorkeling alongside sea turtles at Las Tintoreras or sharing a bench with a sunbathing sea lion on San Cristóbal, every moment was a reminder of our responsibility to the planet.

Transitioning to the mainland, we immersed ourselves in the vibrant culture of Otavalo. We stood in the shadow of the Cotopaxi volcano, learned the ancient art of Andean weaving, and listened to the melodies of handmade pan flutes. Even an unexpected “bonus day” in Miami couldn’t dampen our spirits; instead, it became a final chance to bond over Cuban sandwiches and Wynwood’s street art.

Beyond the sights, this trip was about the “Unquowa spirit”—the laughter, the curiosity, and the growth. We returned home with full hearts, a few extra souvenirs, and memories that will truly last a lifetime.

Knitting in Makerspace!

6th graders recently have been working on hand knitting, developing their vocabulary and skills with this versatile textile structure. They are starting to work with a knitting machine and will be designing and knitting some hats. The machine is non-electric and fully mechanical, operated independently by students. How does each student know what size to make? We measure! We knit what’s called a gauge swatch and measure the number of stitches (horizontal) and rows (vertical) in a 10cm sample. After reducing that number to 1cm, we plug in the information to find out how many stitches to cast on and how many rows to knit. There is a lot of applied math in knitting and we take full advantage of everything students have learned over the years in the classroom!