At Any Given Moment in the Nest

Last week we had visitors from another school district who came to observe Nest. Often we have folks from other schools come to see what we do here in the Nest because they are interested in starting a program in their own school. They were impressed with the kids and surprised to see how varied the Nesters projects are. Each student is working on a project they are passionate about therefore the diversity of the Nester's work can be quite remarkable.

Right now if you were to visit you would see students...

Building a human form out of recycled materials
Making slide shows about pets, Venice, The 39 Steps book series, and Free Energy
Sculpting models of pandas, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Studying Benjamin Franklin, and Egyptian pyramids
Making a game of measuring and comparing the weights of common classroom items
Starting a fundraiser for animal protection organizations.
Making posters about big cats, and Shaquille Oneal

Illustrating the Edgar Allen Poe story "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Learning American Sign Language and making a video of themselves using ASL

Hard at Work

Here is Paul building model of a Hindu temple.

Presentations

We spent some time this week talking about presentations skills. We all know it can be difficult to get up in front of your peers and share your work and ideas. In FN the kids are all working on projects that they are passionate about and it is important that they learn how to effectively communicate their knowledge and enthusiasm. Often a dynamic student presentation inspires other Nesters to want to learn more about the subject at hand. Some of the presentation techniques we discussed were maintaining eye contact with the audience, using voice modulation, the importance of visual clues and how to effectively use interactive questions to engage your audience. After going over the many aspects of a successful presentation one brave student stepped up and showed his work. He did a great job of sharing and explaining his topic with passion and enthusiasm. We are fortunate enough here at HES to have terrific technology so this presentation was particularly impressive using one of our SMART boards. This was the first of many presentations we will be having in the Nest in the months to come. It is wonderful to witness the culmination of all that hard work. And once again, at the end of the day I left impressed with this group of kids. They were without exception a thoughtful and enthusiastic audience. The students provided positive feedback as well as tips on how to enhance the presentation. They are a truly supportive community of learners who appreciate each others idiosyncratic interests. If only our world were filled with adults who behaved as compassionately and intelligently as the Nesters.

A good leader is...

I asked the Nesters how to define a good leader. This is what they said...
Respectful
Responsible
Trustworthy
Helpful
Can change things for the better
Nice
Knowledgeable
Strong
Confident
Courteous
Competent
Friendly
Determined
Independent
Instills a little amount of fear
Has there own ideas
Charismatic
Courageous
Positive
Mrs. Chapin

Group Activities

Wednesdays in the Nest are spent working on group activities. Last week Jen Chapin was a guest speaker as we showed the kids the "Fish" video. The FISH! Philosophy video tells the inspiring story of the Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market and the workplace environment they have created. The positive message in the FISH! video is that it is up to you to choose your attitude and make the most of your day. Jen uses this video and philosophy here at HES to inspire the entire staff to make this school a terrific place to work and learn. So we decided to share the FISH! Philosophy video with the fifth and sixth grade FN students. The kids loved it! We talked about how to translate things they learned about in the video into each of our lives. Already some of the kids are interested in doing a community service project so that they can make a positive difference in the lives of others. I will be sure to update you on the good works that come from these terrific kids. Check out www.charthouse.com for more information on the FISH! Philosophy. And feel free to ask Jen about how the philosophy is implemented here at HES.

Spaces

Working in the art room has already begun to influence the Nesters. More and more students are making creative displays to demonstrate their area of study. Already this year we have a number of kids working on 2D and 3D projects utilizing the materials that are readily available. It will be exciting to see these pieces start to take form. This past Wednesday we worked on some group activities geared towards creativity and team building. For one activity I split the kids into pairs and gave them paper, tape and straws. With these meager supplies they were asked to work together to build a bridge spanning two tables. This bridge needed to be both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing. When the bridge planning and building time was done the kids were asked to select a spokesperson who would represent the team and explain their work. The Nesters did a fabulous job! The bridges were terrific, but what really impressed me was their teamwork. Not only did the kids work well in their small group, but when they came back together with the larger group they soared. They were happy for each other, complimentary to one another and truly enjoyed each others successes! Well done Nesters!

The Beginning

Falcon's Nest is in full swing! Many students have already selected project topics and are beginning their research. As always we have a wide array of interests and styles represented in the Nest. A sculptor has begun making a prototype for her recycled materials person, a scientist is designing a game using measurements and weights, and a linguist is beginning to study common phrases in multiple languages!
We are also continuing to do group activities geared towards critical and creative thinking skills and team building. In order to help nourish the Nesters creative sides we will be talking a lot about unique talents, perspectives and skills. You may have heard that the first few days of FN were spent getting oriented and doing a lot paperwork. One of the questionnaires that the students filled out was an Interest-A-Lyzer. The Interest-A-Lyzer is a tool developed at the University of Connecticut that is used to help identify an individual student's academic and creative interests. As I read through the responses I was thrilled to see all the passions and talents the FN students possess. I can't wait to see how the Nesters flourish this year.

Start up

I hope all the students are getting back into the swing of the school year. It has been a great beginning here at HES and we are looking forward to Falcon's Nest starting up. Letters will begin going home next week. Falcon's Nest student enrollment is ongoing and will continue through out the school year. For those of you whose students are returning you will notice a few changes. The biggest change is our room move. We are now located primarily in the art room. This will provide great access to a wide array of materials and inspiration. We also have six new laptops in the Nest for student research!
It would be great if you could help your student to start thinking about topics that they want to learn more about. A good place to start is to think about what they enjoy doing in their spare time. Does he play piano? Maybe he would want to write music, do a research project on Mozart or build an instrument. Does she love to ride her bike? Maybe she would want to organize a community bike ride fundraiser, study kinetics, or design an new kind of bicycle altogether. The more creative, out of the box thinking you can help inspire in your kids-the more fantastic projects they will create. I can't wait to see what lights them up!

Welcome Back

I hope everyone enjoyed this hot summer. I know I am excited to be back. The Nest is has moved to the art room! Being in the art room will allow us to stretch our creative sides. I expect many of the Nesters will be inspired by the wide variety of materials now available. The Nest will be up and running in the next few weeks. I will be talking with classroom teachers about schedules and participants as soon as school starts up. Eligible FN students will receive an information packet to bring home and go over with their parents. Once again "Lunch Club" will be available to any students (grades 3-6) who are interested in working on project during their recess and lunch time. Stop in to see me if you have questions. I will be at HES Tuesday through Friday afternoons. I can't wait to see what wonderful creations and explorations will happen this year in the Nest.

Wrapping Up

It is hard to believe we are in the last few weeks of school. I am so proud of our hard working Nesters. They have completed scores of projects--interviews, books, experiments, sculptures, designs, models, and videos on topics as diverse as ancient cultures, redwood trees, acne, synesthesia and bullying. The Nesters have built safe environment in which creativity and intellectual curiosity is the norm. They aren't afraid to question each other, to add constructive critique and suggestions. It is such a pleasure to be with them as they discover new interests, talents and passions. It will be hard to say goodbye to the Nesters who are moving on but I know they each have infinite possibilities lying ahead of them. I wish you all wonderful adventures.

Only eight weeks to go!

Spring break is over and we are in the home stretch of the school year. The students are brimming with activity. Third grader Maggie is writing a play about MCAS that she wants to show second graders to ease any anxiety they may have about the test. Julia has also written and directed a play. Julia's play is about bullying and is starring a number of students. They have been practicing during lunch club, and are hoping to share it during a whole school meeting. Also being shared during the whole school meeting will be Zach's interview with Jane Yolen. Zach approached Jane Yolen and she graciously agreed to come in and be interviewed about her life and work. Another interview happening in the nest is Paul's. Paul has been exchanging emails with an archaeologist who is on a dig in Brazil. Liam is busy designing his glider which he hopes will get him closer to his dream of flying. Moira and Taylor are building the Great Wall China out of sugarcubes. Also about to be constructed is a model of the World Trade Center by Ryan. And Shannen is doing a fundraiser for Dakin Animal Shelter. Whew. Those are only a few of the projects happening right now in the Nest. This is going to be a busy few months!!

Open House Quotes

The Falcon's Nest Open House was a terrific night. Julia our guest reporter interviewed some of the visitors. Here is what they had to say. "I think it is wonderful! It is fun and you do fun projects." said John a nesters dad. "Fascinating, I wish everyone could do it." Said a HES student. Zach thinks it is "awesome". A Mom said "it is good, my daughter really wants more challenge." Sophia "likes the projects especially the polar bear one." Julia asked me what I thought about the program as well, I said "I love Falcon's Nest because I get to help kids learn about things that really interest them." Thanks Julia.

Spring Projects

Spring is here! We have been very busy. In the past week we have had presentations on Extinct Penguins, International Holidays, and Ancient Rome to name few. The kids are pushing to complete their projects before next weeks Open House.

Here is Zach C. to tell you about his False Advertising project.
"Hey guys! I recently finished up my Falcon's Nest project about False Advertisements. I learned many different things. One interesting thing I would like to happen is that I would like other Nesters to try this topic and hopefully find some information that I didn't find. Thanks for reading!"Zach's next project is an interview with Jane Yolen. Stay tuned.

Moira continues to wrestle with her Redwood tree. It continues to "grow" in the classroom. I will keep you updated.

Julia's restaurant has been designed and presented. The Nesters all agreed that restaurants need to work on improving their kids menus. Apparently portions size and selections on most kid's menus leave much to be desired! Julia is now writing a play that she will cast and direct. We look forward to being a part of her theatrical debut.

Zach L. is completing his Field Guide to Mythological Creatures. Zach says"My project is a collection of mythological creatures from four different mythologies. They are: Norse, Egyptian, Greek, and Mesopotamian."

Paul is beginning an interview with an archaeologist in Brazil. Here are a few things he is going to be asking:
"What are some of your favorite digs?"
"How do you fund your work?"
"What kinds of digs do you do?"
"What is a day on a dig like?"
"What is your definition of an archaeologist?"

See you next week at the Falcon's Nest Open House.

Open House

Spring is coming! And with spring comes the Falcon's Nest open house. The open house will be the evening of March 31st. HES will also be having the annual potluck and art exhibition that evening. I hope you can come and see all of the interesting work the kids have been doing in the Nest. Expect to see books, sculptures, slide shows, poster boards and more about topics as diverse as mythical creatures to Redwood trees.

Contests

Some of the Nesters are working on submitting entries to a couple of contests. One contest is
to create a Google doodle. The theme of the doodle is "If I could do anything, I would...". The other contest is part of the Massachusetts State Treasurers Office's Savings Makes Sense program. This contest is to write an essay about "why saving money for higher education is important to you." If you child has chosen to do one or both of these contests you will need to sign a release form that they will be bringing home. I will mail the returned form and contest entries in for the students, or they can send them from home. Many of the Nesters really enjoy contests and competitions. They are all such talented kids I wouldn't be surprised if we have a winner right here in the Nest.

Enjoy the February break. I look forward to hearing the tales of adventures the Nesters have gone on during the week.

Sara the guest blogger

Sara's talking Zit.

Mrs. Chapin

Mrs. Chapin helping Moira with her redwood tree project.

Geography ABC's

Hi, my name is Mia and I am a sixth grader in Falcon's Nest. My project was an ABC book for second graders. Each letter was an country of the world. Every page has a map, flag, and a fun fact. I did my project on PowerPoint, so the format would be appropriate. I hope the second graders like it, and I hope you liked my blog!!!!

ABC's and Trees

Mia presented her terrific Geography ABC's book yesterday and will be giving it to the second grade classrooms. We all learned a lot about the countries of the world. Did you know Hungary has no less that 1500 spas? How about the fact that Thailand is nicknamed "The Land of Smiles"? I get to learn new things everyday.
I will post pictures soon about the redwood tree that is growing in the Nest. Moira is building a tree out of papermache and it makes quite a statement. Moira's project highlights the many different learning styles the kids demonstrate while in Falcon's Nest. We have some kids, like Moira, who want to build and use their hands. Other students prefer to write or draw what they have learned. Some Nesters want to share with younger students and teach what they have learned, while others are content to have gained the new knowledge for themselves. The formats the kids use to express themselves are as different as the topics they want to learn about. The Falcon's Nest model is one of self discovery and independent learning. As their guide through this process I get to help the kids build upon their strengths and develop their talents. How lucky am I?

The latest in our "conversations to remember" file is "Why do some songs get stuck in your head? The age old ear worm question. Let us know if you have any insight to this topic.

Keep an eye out for more student blogging in the weeks to come!

Guest Bloggers

So as you can see we have had our first guest blogger. Sara was interested in posting something about her project for all to see. I hope other students will want to share their thoughts and enthusiasm in the weeks to come. Also, the kids want to have a Falcon's Nest motto and this is the leading contender; "When life gives you lemons make grape juice then sit back and watch the world wonder how you did it." Thanks Paul!

The Next Big Thing!!!

Hey it's Sara! I'm a sixth grade Falcon Nester and I'm here to tell you about the latest thing. Falcon's Nest has recently discovered the next Harry Potter, Twilight, and Spongebob! Meet Zit the Talking Pimple. He is a character that was part of my project for acne. We all loved him so much that we want him to go alot farther.Over the next few months you will be seeing alot of Zit. He is a fun and easier way to learn harder (and boring) things. In fact, his slogan is "It's not so complicated!". We will be putting him on some of our projects to make them more comprehendable and to catch people's eye. Let's hear it for team Zit!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone! As always a new year brings new possibilities for us all. I am sure the kids in the Nest will be making the most of the year to come. Their curiosity and eagerness to learn will guide them in many new directions. Many kids came back from the winter break with new interests, new project ideas, and ambitious plans.

After a vacation the students are particularily eager to share their stories and new ideas with the other Nesters. The conversations the kids have both formally and informally in the Nest are always inspiring. One day this week we had fascinating conversations about the space-time continuum, and one student's adamant belief that Egypt was overrated as an ancient culture. There is a great breadth of subjects we chat about in any given day. Often one student will bring up a subject that leads to others asking questions and wanting to learn more. The Nesters are proud of their intellectual curiousity and feel safe bringing up their interests and passions. We talk about books a lot in the Nest too, kids suggest books to each other and discuss what constitutes a "good" book. Just yesterday they were debating the merits of popular book series like Harry Potter and Twilight. Twilight in particular seems to elicit strong emotions on either side of the argument. Sometimes the conversations get so stimulating we have to table them for another time! We have an ongoing list of "conversations to remember". The list itself is both entertaining and impressive. We will be returning to many of the conversations on that list as well as others in the weeks to come!

During this month students will be making their whole school presentation on New Year celebrations from around the world. The presentations are both informative and entertaining. It is great to see the kids combine their research and creativity. I also expect a number of students to be finishing their individual projects in the weeks to come. Parents you are always welcome to visit the Nest to see what the kids are working on, join one of our conversations, or see a student presentation. We would love to have you!