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The magnificent and colorful works of shark art lining the hallways of Grade 3 (a project led by art teacher Kara Angeloni-Williams) gives only a brief, but artistic, glimpse into all that transpired in a two-month unit of study on sharks.
This collaboration involving homeroom teachers and specialists in the areas of science, library, language, and technology showcases the power of transliteracy unfolding in our classrooms at Nashoba Brooks School.
Science teacher Kelly Western began the unit by giving students the ability to track sharks that were individually assigned to them with an attached beacon. Our budding marine biologists used an online resource called Ocearch on their Chromebooks to chart their movements to learn more about their surfacing patterns, how far out into the ocean they travel, as well as potential migratory patterns. Students learned that sharks are a keystone species: if they are stressed or are dying, it is a signal that our oceans are not healthy.
This integrated unit extended into the library through literature. Students read two books about sharks: The Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic Shark and Sea Creatures from the Sky. The students compared and contrasted how sharks were portrayed, especially timely when considering the swirl of attention around these creatures due to increased sightings and recent encounters with humans on Cape Cod.
Students also watched part of a documentary series on sharks by Madison Stewart called Shark Girl. They learned about a girl on a mission to protect our sharks, a battle that began when she “put her studies on hold, grabbed a camera, and set out to save these incredible, misunderstood creatures.”
Using Skype technology, students also had the opportunity to interview Madison Stewart, asking questions they had prepared in advance with the help of their teachers. Director of Educational Technology and Innovation Hank Bryant taught our Grade 3 researchers how to use Google slides to present their findings about their specific type of shark. With Spanish teacher Amy Riddle, students found their shark names in Spanish with PebbleGo Spanish, and some students found developed a slide in Spanish about their shark, translating their learning into another language.
For the culmination of this unit of study, students will embark on the next leg of their journey: a trip to the New England Aquarium to see these wonderful creatures up close and personal, bringing with them all they learned through multiple platforms.
What a bee-autiful sight! The Nashoba Brooks beehives have been buzzing all summer and have produced their first batch of honey! With the help of Mel, our apiarist partner, Grade 1 students were able to extract a few jars of honey from one of our hives. Students will further explore this wonder of nature during science class this year as they learn more about the natural world and our local environment.
Grade 3 students participated in a favorite Nashoba Brooks tradition: a Sharing of Understanding. This event hosted family members to listen and learn about what their students have been working on at School, including a recorder recital and in-depth explanations of multiple indigenous peoples.
It was a packed weekend on the Nashoba Brooks campus for Fall Weekend!
Thank you to all the parent volunteers, student ambassadors, faculty members, and all other roles who contributed to making this weekend so memorable for our School.
After weeks of hard work, Grade 3 students had the opportunity to present their Community Hero projects to their families and their interview subjects!
The Nashoba Brooks School campus was bursting with excitement Friday, November 4, through Sunday, November 6, as we celebrated our annual Fall Weekend.
After almost a year of research, school visits, interviews, self-reflection, and essay writing, the Grade 8 class is enjoying a variety of excellent high schools to choose from.
Alongside the book fair and poetry month, April has been a wonderful time for literature at Nashoba Brooks School. Sharon Draper and Jen Campbell, two celebrated authors, left their mark on the community over the past few weeks.
More than 75 parents responded to this year’s annual School survey and numbers were well balanced across all grade levels. The results of the survey are impressive and the feedback the parents offer to the School is glowing.
As Black History Month comes to a close, students and faculty alike celebrate diversity, acknowledging that a school is not only classrooms, gymnasiums, and fields, but also the people within these walls. Each year and at every grade level our students contemplate the presence and importance of different backgrounds, experiences and beliefs. And this month provides community members with an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be Black in America.
Rachel Adams graduated from Nashoba Brooks School in 2001. She went on to study at Lawrence Academy followed by Maine College of Art and Design. Now living in Portland as a successful artist, textile designer, entrepreneur, wife and mother of two, Rachel shares her journey from student to full time artist.
Situated on a beautiful 30-acre campus in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Nashoba Brooks School enrolls all genders in Preschool through Grade 3, and students identifying as girls in Grades 4 through 8. Nashoba Brooks is an independent school designed to build community, character, and confidence in its students.