Hello, Middle School Families,

I can’t believe we are already in the last week of this semester! Wishing you all a wonderful, relaxing, and joyful winter break!

Last week, we examined exploration from Europe. The class learned about and discussed several Portuguese and Spanish explorers and their sea travels. After hearing about these explorers, we also discussed how the motivations of Portuguese explorers differed from prior explorers we learned about (Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Zheng He). Zheng He, for example, traveled with messages of peace and religious tolerance and learned and traded with others.  When the Portuguese stopped at African ports of trade beginning in the 1440s, they sought not only gold and spices but also slaves, thus leading to the gradual development of the African slave trade. 

In Fine Arts, the students painted Polynesian wayfinding double-hulled canoes. Wayfinding allowed travel on the open ocean across the vast distances in the Pacific Ocean between islands, Asia, and South America long before European explorers even thought about venturing into the sea. What is known today about wayfinding was passed down through legend and oral tradition; however, a revival of the art and science of wayfinding is underway among the Pacific islands, led by Nainoa Thompson, the first modern-day Polynesian to learn and use wayfinding for long-distance, open-ocean voyaging.

The class began practicing the fan dance last week for the Lunar Festival in February. We are so thrilled to have Debbie Banz helping us again with choreography and learning the dance this year! Many thanks to her!

Last week was rainy at the beginning, but finally on Wednesday, the class was able to head into the parking lot and use the new (to us!) basketball goal! This was the result of a business proposal students wrote to the Administration during the Business Math block seeking more options for recess play. In addition to the goal being approved, spray painting four-square lines and building a Ga-Ga ball court on campus have also been approved. Some of these approvals will be easy to implement (such as the goal already being set up), while others will require working with our facilities manager and the church to put in place. This process of proposals and approvals has been a wonderful real-life implementation of our Business Math block skills! 

Finally, I met with each student individually as an end-of-semester check-in last week. In these one-on-ones, we reviewed their work so far this year, reflected on accomplishments, and discussed opportunities and where to focus next semester. 

Looking towards next semester, our block when we return from winter break will be Perspective Drawing, which will help lay the foundation for our study of the Renaissance as well as math concepts like ratios later in the semester. This block will be led by Ki Gaby - she is excited to share her expertise in this area of study! I will still be holding the form of the class each day, as well as teaching the XMLs, ELA, and math track classes.  

Announcements and Reminders for Sixth/Seventh Grade:

• 12/19: Pajama Day and Silly Sock Exchange: The class is welcome to come to school in pajamas! Please send a wrapped pair of silly socks for a gift exchange game. Children are also invited to bring a stuffed animal. We will play our explorer board games!  

• 12/20: Grades Assembly - 11:15 a.m. (All families are welcome to attend.) 

• 12/20: Last Day of Fall Semester (Half Day dismissal) 

• 12/23 - 01/06: Winter Break (No School)

• 01/07: Spring semester begins

• The break is a great time to check your child’s boots and other gear and ensure they fit your child properly; young children grow quickly! Please be sure to send them back to school with all the needed Garden School layers and gear.

Thank you for the honor of teaching your children,

Ki Lesley