Can We Eat All of Them?! YES!

The Upper School Mandarin students had a yummy week of Food Tasting as part of the cultural learning. The food was all made by Li laoshi the night before and laid out for the students in separate containers. When the students “ordered” their food, they had to use the target language from the beginning through the end. When they made comments on the food, they were also required to use the target language. It is beneficial to students with their listening and speaking skills. When they asked if they could finish all the food, you know the answer!

Exploring a “THINK” on Rates and Average Speed!

Constructing Homes For Others!

6th grade tech class ventured down to the Makerspace to tackle a two week project working with a different kind of tech! Students were tasked with constructing a birdhouse using power tools, screws, wood putty and paint. It was clear that this was a fun project by the amount of paint that made it onto our clothes instead of our birdhouses. But in the end, the projects were a great success and the neighborhood birds got some new homes as well!

January Greatest Hits in 6th Grade Science!

We started off the new year with our first lab called “Personal Pangea” – Student groups created their own model of the super continent Pangea, using plaster of paris and water.  Millions of years ago the earth was once a large land mass known as Pangea. Unfortunately the molds were not substantial enough to withstand the tectonic plate upheaval.  Technically this experiment was NOT a bust.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again or move on to an alternative solution. We switched gears and used another method to illustrate plate tectonics and their movement.  In this lab we used graham crackers and frosting to represent the Earth’s mantle and plates.  It was fun and educational, not to mention SWEET!

Lastly we explored the world of rocks and minerals.  In geology, Igneous is bliss.  Sedimentary my dear Watstone!!  I DIGgress…… Sometimes, all that glitters might be gold, or goldstone, as photographed through the lens of the microscope and one student even showcased their knowledge of geology to the entire class!!!  Well done.

Time Flies…It Is Almost Over…

Every year at Unquowa, students, faculty and staff enjoy the start of Chinese New Year by wearing red on the first day of this celebration. On that day, the entire school is treated to a CNY lunch complete with dumplings handmade by our Mandarin students. This year the 7th & 8th graders worked hard to help decorate the Dining Room making the dining experience even more festive for everyone. Each Upper School Mandarin student received a Hong Bao (red envelope) in class, bringing them Luck and Fortune in the year of the Rabbit and parents were treated to wonderful performances during assembly, where students proudly showcased their skills singing in Mandarin. I am very grateful to bring this culture to the Unquowa Community and to celebrate it with the families. As the CNY comes towards the end, Upper School students are looking forward to going to a Food Tasting as part of their ongoing cultural experience. 

Stop Motion Videos are Live!

Sixth graders have finished their stop motion animation videos and they are now available to view online! Click this link to watch all of their amazing creations!