Monday, January 11th – Day 1
Tuesday, January 12th – Day 2
Wednesday, January 13th – Day 3
Thursday, January 14th – Day 4
Friday, January 15th – Day 5
Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and that 2016 is a happy year. We are excited to have all of our children back on campus. The week has been full of exciting experiences and adventures as we all have participated in Beyond The Books. The laughter and learning has been music to my ears.
As we continue to look for ways to maximize our time with students, we are adding five minutes to the end of our school day beginning on Monday, January 11. Afternoon carpool will begin at 2:55 p.m., rather than 2:50 p.m. While we have to be cognizant of dismissal times for Middle and Upper Schools and the impact we may have on carpool logistics, we feel that delaying our dismissal time by five minutes will not have an adverse effect on traffic. (If we are wrong, we can always revert back to our original dismissal time.) Because every minute is precious to us, I am hoping these five minutes allow us to offer students a moment to reflect upon their day and our teachers to send their students off with a smile. If you need to pick up your child prior to carpool, please park in the Lower School parking lot and come into the office to sign him/her out by 2:50. p.m. If you arrive after this, we are unable to call for your child to come to the office to meet you until the carpool process has finished.
Along these same lines, we encourage every student to arrive by 7:45 a.m. each morning. All teachers officially begin the day promptly at 7:50 a.m. If students are in the classroom by 7:45 a.m., they have a few moments to unpack and prepare for their day in a positive way. Beginning one’s day on a happy note often makes for a happy day.
We are excited about the upcoming months. The learning continues to be exciting and the children continue to inspire us!
Beyond the Books is a program that allows students to experience learning outside the regular curriculum. Teachers teach what they love, and students are encouraged to choose courses that both interest and challenge them. A goal of the program is to allow students to learn new things about themselves as learners as well as learn things that can’t come from books. We have loved all that has happened this week. We encourage you to talk with your children to hear all about their learning adventures.
Click below to see the highlights of our week!
Dear Parents,
After a long holiday break and Winterim last week, it feels like it has been a while since I've been in Tyler Hall! I was happy to see all of the kids this morning! I was fortunate to travel with 16 middle school students to Islamorada, Florida, and while fishing was fun, getting to know the students in a different setting is the best part of Winterim. On the Islamorada trip, I laughed along with the kids as we battled rough seas and whooped with joy when we reeled in big fish. It's the kind of experience I feel lucky to have, and like all of our teachers who spent Winterim with your kids, we come away with a different understanding of everyone. We have our Winterim Photo Assembly this coming Wednesday morning, which is a fun way to celebrate each experience our kids have had. You'll see a full story on all of the Winterim trips in the coming weeks after students complete a reflection on their Winterim.
Recently, I had a parent recommend a book, Julie Lythcott- Haims' How to Raise an Adult. Lythcott-Haims is a former Freshman Dean at Stanford University, and she shares her impression of how well we are preparing our kids for the college landscape. Perhaps most interesting is her perspective as a parent raising two kids in the academically competitive culture of Palo Alto. It's an thought-provoking read, one that created questions I have about my own parenting and certainly what we do as educators with our children. I do know our world seems to carry with it much more stress than we may have had as children, and my resolution for this year is to focus on the strengths and beauty of my own children and those children under my care at Porter-Gaud. I will share that after reading a checklist of basic "life" skills kids should have by certain ages, I had my eight-year-old son learn how to use the washing machine! I'm sure the thrill of that will wear off soon, and he'll wish I never read that book. Regardless, I wanted to pass along the recommendation.
I also heard a talk about two ways to approach life - there's the "whatever" approach, and the "whatever it takes" approach. "Whatever it takes" may seem to fly in the face in enjoying the strengths of students and pulling back on some of the stresses our students face, but really, the contentment of putting forth a solid effort is valuable. I sat the bench on many teams before experiencing success in athletics, and I wasn't always the smartest person in any given class. I did always know that I worked hard, as I continue to do to this day. In reading report card comments, I care a great deal when I read about a student gaining confidence through hard work. The "whatever it takes" approach will pay off, and I think it's essential we reinforce this with our students.
One of my favorite classes at Porter-Gaud is art. I’m able to paint, sculpt and draw in this creative class. One of my favorite experiences was our Paul Cezanne work. This project allowed us a choice to create our own still life Cezanne paintings or to replicate one of his masterpieces. The beginning of the process was challenging and took some time to try and intricately sketch a still life. Still life sketches were hard, since I had never done one. Once we reached the painting stage, we mixed colors on the palate to show depth, color on objects and contrast between the background and the center of the piece. Overall this project was fun and rewarding to produce!
PSAT scores: Sophomores and juniors should have received notification last week that their PSAT scores are available online. Logging in to the student portals has been difficult so if you still have not been able to view your scores, please contact Mrs. Kimberly and she can help you access your scores. We are still trying to figure out what all of this new information from College Board means so we will continue to update you as we learn more about these scores.
The new PSAT process continues to garner national attention - here is a recent Washington Post article.
NEW: Sophomore College Night will be held on February 11th at 7:00 p.m. in Gwynette.
"After attending the annual ACTFL (American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages) conference in November, I have been inspired to provide more interactive opportunities for my students such as comparing and contrasting between students' experiences in their culture vs. cultures we are studying. So, last week we returned on January 6, the Ephihany, so we analyzed our Christmas traditions with Spanish traditions. The students were surprised to learn how Spanish children receive their gifts from the Three Kings rather than from Santa Claus. We discussed Spanish articles about the holiday and watched You Tube videos from Spanish businesses to analyze how they sell the holiday (and we did this all in Spanish, of course). We also talked about the U.S.'s New Year's traditions compared to the Spanish-speaking cultures, including eating 12 grapes at the strike of midnight on New Years Day. All of these exercises and classroom experiences give the students a reason to use the language and make a real connection to the culture in our global community."
More about Gretchen: Favorite word in Spanish language is trabajaba. It means "I was working" and I love the way it sounds. A must-see Spanish film is "La misma luna" because it is about a Mexican immigrant coming to the U.S. to try to earn money and make a better future for herself and her son. Her young son then goes on a journey to cross the border alone in order to reunite with his mother. It makes me tear up every time I see it, probably more now than ever because I have two sons. If I wasn't a Spanish teacher, I think I would like to do something with computers and maybe graphic design. Favorite city in Spain is Sevilla.
Building Computer Apps with Phil Zaubi
What do the students learn by building apps? When building apps (or working on other projects in our Computer Science curriculum), students are learning how to think computationally and how to use CS to solve complex problems. All of the students in our program might not be programmers when they graduate and get jobs, but I believe all will learn how to use CS to help make their jobs more efficient.
Why is technology/computer science a differentiator for PG? First, PG does a wonderful job at harnessing the power of technology and integrating it seamlessly into the curriculum. Our students are equipped across all three divisions with technology to use as a powerful learning tool. These tools are being used daily in their classes to help prepare them for a world in which they have to be comfortable creating, communicating and collaborating with technology. As far as CS, years ago we put a value on CS and coding and have worked tirelessly to develop a top notch CS program which challenges our students in ways other schools are not. We have the ability to begin at an early age and begin teaching them how to code in the Lower School. And by the time they get to the MS and US, its amazing how easily they are grasping advanced CS topics. This allows us to go farther and deeper into CS.
More about Phil: Best app in the marketplace today is ESPN (I'm a sports nerd). If you weren't a Director of Technology, you'd beworking with schools in other countries to help advance their use of educational technology. Apple or Android? Apple. I spent Christmas break in Seabrook.
On January 13, Porter-Gaud won the SCISA Upper School Math Meet. Our two teams won first and eighth place. We also took 3 of the top 10 individual awards. PG Math Team coaches are Tina Fox and Jessica Schenkel.
Below is our first place team: Amy Yu, Kimi Xu, Award Presenter, Michael Psenka, Cross Tolliver, and Mark Anattos (left to right.) Kimi earned 2nd overall. Amy earned 4th overall. Michael earned 10th overall.
Below is our eight-place placed team overall: Waleed Hardy, Chris Doll, Alex Millman, Annemarie Thompson, and Jacob Skaggs (left to right)
Event Rewind: Elizabethan Dinner
Students in the Chamber Singers and string ensemble hosted the Elizabethan Dinner on Friday, January 8 at Amici's Italian restaurant in North Charleston. For the full story and pictures from the event, visit PG newsfeed.
On January 4th, the Porter-Gaud Diversity office, in collaboration with the principals and deans, hosted an interactive professional development workshop that highlighted diversity and inclusion. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. DaNine J. Fleming of MUSC, Tam Psenka, and the Nevaeh Group. Post-workshop feedback was very positive from faculty and staff.
Is your child curious about community service? Here's the lineup of upcoming opportunitites:
Encourage your child to listen to announcements, check the service website, and email service leaders in charge to arrange rides or let them know they will be coming.
Save the date for our annual rose fundraiser the first week of February and our next Blood Drive on February 5th!
To complete your Eligibility and Physical Participation forms please see directions below.
Please set the domain schooldoc.com as a ‘safe sender,’ to avoid accidental delivery to junk and spam folders. The site is best supported by Firefox and google chrome browsers. If you have any further questions, contact our Athletic Trainer, Laura Richins at lrichins@portergaud.edu.
Monday, January 18th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No School
Tuesday, January 19th – Day 6
Wednesday, January 20th – Day 7
Thursday, January 21st – Day 1
Friday, January 22nd – Day 2
In Chapel this week, we had a special guest help us introduce the virtue of respect. Dr. Rebecca Lehman, mother of Anna (5th grade) and Zach (1st grade), talked with our students about the work she does with children who have mental and physical disabilities. Dr. Lehman is a pediatric neurologist, and she shared an important message with us about respecting people with differences. She also reminded us that we must respect places and things. Thank you Dr. Lehman for talking with us about the important virtue of respect.
Second & third graders presented the play, "Good Manners" as the culmination of their Beyond the Books class. Wow! What a terrific performance they put on with only 3 days of practice. Thank you Mr. Monsell and Mrs. King for directing our children in a play that ties in so well with our virtue program.
First graders enjoyed using Osmo, an interactive technology program, to practice their geometry skills
Fourth graders began division this week with hands on investigations.
Did you know that Porter-Gaud composts our cafeteria waste? For the past few years, the School has used the company Food Waste Disposal to divert our leftovers from the landfill. We are able to compost anything that used to be a plant or animal - including milk and its carton, napkins, and meat scraps! 5th graders are able to earn service credit by assisting diners as they separate their compost from their trash.
Susan Messersmith introduced third graders to the trumpet in an Instrument Encounter.
Porter-Gaud captured 1st place in the SCISA Regional Spelling Bee team competition held this week at Lowcountry Preparatory School in Pawley’s Island, SC.
Each school was allowed to send 2 representatives from grades 3 through 8. Of the 16 competitors in each grade level, 2 winners were named. Each student earned 1 point for competing, and bonus points were awarded to each school for students who placed in the top 4 in each grade level. Please see below for our very impressive third grade winner.
Porter-Gaud conducted grade level spelling bee competitions in November. The winning Porter-Gaud team consisted of:
3rd Grade: Rivers Clair & Mac Flynn
4th Grade: Thomas Beck & Josie Person
5th Grade: Ransome Hudson & Daniel Nirenblatt
6th Grade: Drew Dupps & Sophie Levenson
7th Grade: Gavin Milligan & Ashley Yoon
8th Grade: Spencer Roskill & Courtenay White
Third grader, Mac Flynn, won first place in the third grade division. He will represent our school in the State Bee in February. We are so proud of him!
Mrs. Clair's class discussed the work of the late Martin Luther King, Jr during community time on Friday. They began by discussing the quote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The students then considered which causes Martin Luther King, Jr would be involved with today and whose rights he would fight for. The activity concluded with the students sorting statements into the categories of "just" and "unjust". We discovered the lines between these two concepts sometimes become blurred. The statement, "People with money buy expensive things" seems fair - until you consider that the expensive thing might be medication. Fairness is a favorite topic among kids, so everyone enjoyed the focus of this activity.
Students in Mrs. Sallee's class earned a Pom Pom celebration! They had a dress down day and shared their favorite toy.
Second graders wrote their New Years resolutions and goals in writers workshop this week. Happy New Year!
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, January 25th – Day 3
Tuesday, January 26th – Day 4
Wednesday, January 27th – Day 5
Thursday, January 28th – Day 6
Friday, January 29th – Day 7
Third grade students prepare presentations about the food chain using non-fiction books as resources.
Ninth grader, Parks Cochrane, dropped by to visit Mrs. Stanec’s first grade science class. They thought he was amazing!
Ecosystems and Dioramas
Fourth Graders have been working on ecosystem dioramas this week. They are building dioramas similar to Charles Willson Peale's natural history boxes. Charles Willson Peale was a portrait painter and naturalist in the 1700s. This cross-curricular activity is part of our Why America is Free curriculum.
Mr. Adams’s class filled their marble jar by exhibiting virtuous behaviors and earned a marble party. For their party, they chose to eat cupcakes and wear PJs to school on this rainy Friday. Good choice!
Mrs. Olbrych and Mrs. Rice returned from a trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras this past week. They travelled to visit the LAMB Institute and the elementary school associated with the Institute. Mrs. Olbrych was speaking at LAMB’s annual leadership conference. Mrs. Rice joined Mrs. Olbrych with the encouragement of Mr. Egleston and Mrs. Ellison to explore the possibility of forming a collaborative relationship with the school (Grades 1-7). Their visit was very exciting and encouraging, and we look forward to developing a relationship between our students. Stay tuned!
The third graders learned about the colonists' struggle with unfair taxation on Wednesday. They were taxed on everything from getting a drink of water to sharpening pencils. By recess time we heard the beginnings of a revolt. What a great way to learn about taxation without representation and the road to revolution!
Second graders met their 4th grade buddy for second semester. The students are excited to work together!
Students in 4th grade researched a famous colonial American for their Why America Is Free project. As part of their study, students created portraits of these famous Americans. Their work is now proudly displayed in the fourth grade hall.
Lower School girls had a terrific time learning leadership skills during Community Time.
Parents, You are Doing it Wrong! - Thoughts from Leondard Sax, MD
http://www.portergaud.edu/groups.cfm?groupID=1294
Charlie Messersmith, from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, shared his expertise and knowledge of the clarinet with our fourth graders. Students learned that his clarinet is made out of granadillo wood - the hardest wood on earth from South America. He also shared that the woodwinds are the "heart" of the symphony of which the clarinet is a part. Students enjoyed listening to the beautiful music.
(The PG parent connection)
Our Life 101 programing continues this week with our mini-courses, speaker series and seminars. The 8th graders will participate in creating personal mission statements, Briggs-Meyer personality testing, and leadership. The 7th graders will rotate through the mini-courses including: Ethics, Nutrition, Mindfulness, and Creativity. The 6th graders will participate in our speaker series covering topics such as; mindfulness, honor (presented by our Upper School Honor Council), Digital Citizenship, Drug and Alcohol prevention, and Learning to Follow One's Passion.
As we look forward to Spring, we’d like to announce our Class Trips for 2016. On May 4-7, all middle school students will be off campus on their annual class trips with their classmates. The 6th grade will travel to Colonial Williamsburg. The 7th grade will head to Washington, DC, to tour national museums and participate in debates. The 8th grade will embark upon an incredible leadership program with Outward Bound in Boone, North Carolina. Please mark your calendar for these trips. Further information will be sent home in the coming weeks with specific details about each trip. Our class trips are a fundamental part of our students' overall experience in the middle school, and we are very excited about the itineraries for this year’s trips.
As we wrap up Winterim for 2016, students had an opportunity to reflect and write about their Winterim experience in Advisory. This feedback is vital to the continued improvement of our program. In addition, we want to give parents an opportunity to provide the same type of feedback. Please click on the link below and tell us what your thoughts are and how your child’s experience was for this year's program. Additionally ,there will be space to make suggestions that you believe might improve Winterim in the future. Thank you in advance for your feedback. We take this information seriously as we strive to provide valuable learning experiences for all students. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/portergaudwinterim
For a recap of the 2016 Winterim experince for our students, please enjoy this slideshow filled with pictures from across the Lowcountry and across the country. As you scroll, you may click on the pictures to enlarge the images.
The Porter-Gaud Middle School Math Team competed in the SCISA Math Meet on Wednesday, January 20th at the Sumter County Civic Center in Sumter, S.C. Thirty-six teams of five students each took part in the event. Our 8th grade team earned 2nd place honors and our 7th grade team finished in 4th place among the 36 competing teams from across the Palmetto State.
Eighth Grader Thomas Allen was the high point scorer for Team 1 and Channing Joye was high point scorer for Team 2. Thomas placed 2nd individually, Channing placed 7th individually, and Christian Weichsel placed 8th individually among the 180 competitors. Congratulations to the students on a wonderful performance. Go Cyclones!
Team #1 - Thomas Allen, Finn Gottlieb, Brendan Kelleher, Christian Weichsel & Louis Werber
Team #2 - Wilkes Cramer, Owen Curtis, Luke Flynn, Channing Joye & Burke Thompson
Alternate - Conolly Burgess
This semester the 7th and 8th grade students will have bi-weekly seminars on Health and Wellness as an extension of Life 101. These lessons will take place during the 90-minute block study hall on Wednesdays or Thursdays. The first seminar is based on Carol Dweck’s work on Mindset and how the brain learns. This session discusses overcoming failures and setbacks and viewing them as opportunities to grow and to learn. We also measure each students capacity for GRIT, a term used to describe characteristics such as fortitude, perseverance, determination, tenacity and other such important life skills. The goal in this series is to give our students a sense of how to overcome obstacles and push through challenges using the knowledge that the brain learns most when it’s challenged and that intellect is not “fixed”.
Porter-Gaud captured 1st place in the SCISA Regional Spelling Bee team competition held earlier this month at Lowcountry Preparatory School in Pawley’s Island, SC. Each school was allowed to send 2 representatives from grades 3 through 8. Of the 16 competitors in each grade level, 2 winners were named. Each student earned 1 point for competing, and bonus points were awarded to each school for students who placed in the top 4 in each grade level.
Porter-Gaud conducted grade level spelling bee competitions back in November. The winning Porter-Gaud team consisted of:
6th Grade: Drew Dupps & Sophie Levenson
7th Grade: Gavin Milligan & Ashley Yoon
8th Grade: Spencer Roskill & Courtenay White
At the end of the day, Porter-Gaud had named 6 Regional Winners! This gave the P-G team a total of 48 points and overall 1st place in the regional competition. Congratulation to our Middle School Spellers!
Porter-Gaud Middle School Regional Winners:
Sophie Levenson (6th Grade)
Gavin Milligan (7th Grade)
Ashley Yoon (7th Grade)
Spencer Roskill (8th Grade)
Courtenay White (8th Grade)
Regional winners advance to the SCISA State Spelling Bee to be held on February 10th at Williamsburg Academy located in Kingstree, SC.
The Performing Arts department proudly presents our MS Musical: Annie, Jr.
"Will is new to Porter-Gaud, so I wanted to show him around, introduce him to some new friends, because I know what it's like to be new at a school. I was new in second grade and it was scary - you don't know who to trust or who your friends will be, but it all works out. It's nice to have a wingman when you first start. I told Will about Porter-Gaud and that we believe in being responsible and following the rules. I showed him "The Cage" (where we play basketball), what you can do during community, and what time we play. Will surfs and plays basketball like me. He has a hover board like me too. I like helping people and making people feel welcome and helping them fit in. You can feel nervous and shy when you start at a new school. I really think he's going to like it here."
