3 Jan 2023

Week 18

Pic of the Week Upcoming:   Reenrollment packages will be arriving early in the New Year!  We sincerely hope you realize that there is no education like a Progressive School education–richer and more mind expanding self-created curriculum, values at every level, close personal contact, growth of the whole person! We welcome 7th grader Kane Bradley to our school family this week. Theme news updated!:  We are experimenting within our Science Theme in many growing ways: Created new online science courses, made by Progressive School teachers through a grant from Hofstra University and Voya, Met with Hofstra-they want to co-brand our courses and market them in Nassau County first in the Spring of 2023–then possibly nationwide Hofstra is now previewing our course content for distribution Courses are set to go online in March of 2023 Add new Science software subscription GIZMOS for grades 2-8.  Gizmos is also being used for Math instruction! Created new Science Club Reorganizing school science curriculum K-8 to avoid overlap Uploading Science Units to Canvas for future years’ reference Staff Development Day training for creating Science Unit Plans for Canvas Staff Development Day devoted to Science Curriculum The school has acquired the following new science materials:  Dash Coding Robots from Wonder Workshop, MaKey MaKey kits, LittleBits kits, and Merge Cubes Training to expand science to include school’s Neohumanist Philosophy This training begins with introducing SCALE as an important part of every science unit.  We use simulations, models, metaphors to illustrate both cosmic scale and micro-scale.  Scale is about trying to understand size, time, distance, and numbers related to the topic that is being studied.  For example, in studying the rock cycle we need to grasp the speed of geologic time as it relates to the human sense of time passage. The second point for aligning science instruction with Neohumanism is called SYSTEMIC NATURE.  Instead of just learning isolated facts about a particular topic, we should come to understand that there is a system for everything in the universe.  While studying any part or aspect of that universe in science, we should understand that the topic being studied is a part of a larger system, and that that system is in turn in connected to other systems.  Ultimately, we can learn to understand where and how all these systems fit together within the cosmological system The third point for our revised science instruction is PERSPECTIVE.  We are going to cultivate the habit of looking at a topic from the perspective of the topic being studied, not always just from our human perspective.  Any study of the Earth requires us to look at the world from the timeline of Earth’s life.  A study of any animal means to look at the facts from the animal’s point of view.  Embedded in PERSPECTIVE is the right to live.  Beings have existential value to themselves and others.  Studying from only a human perspective, we tend to judge everything ONLY according to its utilitarian value.  Not only is this unfair, it is arrogant, as our minds and knowledge are not broad enough to judge the value, the wholistic interactions, or the necessity of other beings. Week at a glance: Monday: School closed for New Year’s Day Tuesday: Welcome Back!  Final Stem Club Wednesday: Pizza Day Thursday: Friday: Breakfast Band Best Links:  The online interactive calendar has daily updates of everything going on at school. See the latest happenings in ART CLASSES. Recorder Music for students studying recorder at school. Messages:  ABSENCES:  Please let us know immediately why your child is absent, especially if it involves any suspected contagious illness such as FLU, STREP THROAT, COVID, etc. Review:  School was closed last week, though we did receive 2 state grants, and 2 large personal donations!  We hope this will be enough to fund a new artificial turf volleyball court!

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4 Jun 2022

Week 40

Upcoming:   Event season is in full swing.  Keep up with the latest here on the website!  Here’s some extra color on this coming week’s events: YEARBOOKS:  They are beautiful and they go on sale Monday for $20.  Only readers of my newsletter get first notice!  Others will be notified during the week–your reward for reading! THANK YOU!! SHOWS:  Drama shows create lasting memories for all.  Children get rich, unforgettable, exciting experiences that directly relate to pronunciation, creativity, storytelling, comprehension, and vocabulary.  There is no better way to improve reading skills than trying to bring a book to life for a loving audience.  Just so you know, all the students in the school get to see the plays during the day. SIBLING PICTURES: Group portrait photos of brothers and sisters together. GRADUATION TRIP: Graduating 6th graders go to Lake Compounce in Connecticut for the day. SPELLING BEE:  Representatives of each grade compete at their own spelling level in a school wide competition. SCIENCE TEST:  The written portion of the 4th and 8th grade science test is given. LIVING MUSEUM:  Second graders show off their research of historical heroes of humanity. Pics of the Week Week at a glance: Monday: K-3 Quiet Time; 4th and 8th grade Science Testing; YEARBOOKS GO ON SALE $20 Tuesday: 4-8 QT; Sibling Picture Day Wednesday: Pizza Day; 5th/6th grade show at 7pm followed by elementary graduation Thursday: K-3 QT; Spelling Bee Friday: 4-6 QT; 6th grade graduation trip; 2nd grade living museum Best Links: See the Art Club projects! Messages: UPCOMING SHOWS–all at 7pm: 5-6 plus 6th grade graduation       6/8 7-8 music show plus graduation   6/15 Review:  We had a cultural education in the entertaining show about how the Chinese Zodiac was created from 4th grade.

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22 May 2022

Week 38

Upcoming:   Event season is in full swing.  Keep up with the latest here on the website!  Here’s some extra color on this coming week’s events: SHOWS:  Drama shows create lasting memories for all.  Children get rich, unforgettable, exciting experiences that directly relate to pronunciation, creativity, storytelling, comprehension, and vocabulary.  There is no better way to improve reading skills than trying to bring a book to life for a loving audience.  Just so you know, all the students in the school get to see the plays during the day. ENGINEERING FAIR: Graduating 8th graders show off their engineering science projects to all the students. Pics of the Week Week at a glance: Monday: K-3 QT Tuesday: 4-8 QT; K/1 show at 7pm Wednesday: Pizza Day; Engineering Fair Thursday: K-3 QT; 2/3 Show at 7pm Friday: closed for Memorial Day Weekend Best Links: See the Art Club projects! Messages: UPCOMING SHOWS–all at 7pm: K-1               5/24 2-3               5/26 4                   6/1 5-6 plus 6th grade graduation       6/8 7-8 music show plus graduation   6/15 Review:  We had a great week of rehearsals, final preparations, and yearbook completion.  Now the fun begins! The always cultural inclusive second grade celebrated Cinco de Mayo in the pictures.  Did you know that Cinco de Mayo is a yearly celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza?  But, over time it has become purely a celebration of Mexican-American Culture.

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29 Apr 2022

Week 35

Upcoming:   Picture Day is coming on Friday.  We recommend wearing something colorful! May is packed with cool events.  Keep up with everything by reading this newsletter.  Tell others to read it too! Pics of the Week Week at a glance: Monday: K-3 QT Tuesday: 4-8 QT Wednesday: Super Spaghetti Hot Lunch; FINAL ART CLUB MEETING Thursday: K-3 QT Friday: 4-8 QT Picture Day ! Best Links: CLUBS ARE BACK! Messages:  FIELD DAY MOVED TO 5/10 Review:  We enjoyed the beautiful weather and each other’s company for Progressive School Earth Day, which featured a school rendition of We Are the World, plantings, beautifying the property, making stuff from trash, outdoor picnic, collective meditation, and a lesson on personal responsibility for our planet from Mr. Amal.

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