What if there were no birds?

Can you believe it? It is October of the 2019-2020 school year! We started the year in the Nest with a discussion about a recent article in the New York Times that talked about the dramatic decrease in the North American bird population. From there, each student did a mini presentation based upon the question "What if there we no birds?".

As the shirt says, "Awesome never rests"

Here are a few of the resulting statements:

If there were no birds...

• Cats would be obese due to lack of exercise.
• Wild buffalo and rhinos would go extinct due to illnesses the bugs that feed off of them carry.
• Birdwatchers would have nothing to do.
• Breakfast restaurants would die out without eggs to offer.

These big ideas were shared via skits, posters, dioramas,
sculptures, and more! It is so fun to see these creative minds at work.

May

May is here and the Nesters are furiously finishing up projects for our upcoming showcase. The sixth graders chose to finish their time in the Nest by doing a group project. This group of kids are extraordinarily close and work together seamlessly. It is always so bittersweet to have to say goodbye to a sixth grade class! I am so sure they will do great things as they move on but I sure will miss them!

College Students in the Nest

Last week we welcomed 20 Springfield College students to Falcon's Nest. The Nesters proudly showed the college students what they have been working on. They all had a chance to ask each other questions and make connections. It is always fun to share what happens in the Nest!

A Glimpse

Here is a sneak peek into a few of the projects being presented in the Nest. 

Grace designed an escape room. Below you see some sixth graders doing there best to decode the clues that will let them solve the puzzles and escape!

Here are a few photos of the Madi and Ella filming a new cooking show. In the first video they will be demonstrating how to make easy, delicious afterschool snacks. Watch out food network!

Fall in the Nest

It so great to be in the Nest this time of year. It feels like a true incubator of ideas. What are we up to you wonder? Well… here are just a few examples of the many wonderful projects being worked on in the Nest right now—some scientific minds are learning about plasma and how caffeine impacts our bodies; others are curiously investigating life in Ancient Egypt and how George Washington became our first president; across the room Nesters are grappling with modern day conundrums like the island of trash growing in the Pacific, and hunting regulations in Massachusetts. That is just a little glimpse into the variety of interests and ideas that the Nesters are passionate about. Soon many of them will begin putting form to their research and developing models, slide shows, surveys and games that share this knowledge with the larger school community.  For some, the maker aspect of the project is their favorite part, while others enjoy the pure research. One of the highlights for me is always when the Nesters begin sharing their knowledge with the larger group. It is remarkable, both with the depth of understanding they are able to demonstrate, as well as the enthusiasm the all bring to each other’s work. I am always reminded how luck I am to spend my days with such terrific kids!

Congratulations!

This time of year is always so bittersweet. Saying goodbye to another group of sixth graders who have blossomed here at HES is so hard to do. This group will hold a special place in my heart, they have proven to be a particularly creative, spunky group of Nesters who support one another and consistently demonstrate a love of learning. As I told them this past week, they will come upon hard times with school, friends, life in general but I am so confident that they each have the fortitude to persist and go on to do amazing things. I can't wait to see what they do next!

                                     

Open House Success

Last week we had a wonderful Open House! Families, teachers and friends all came to help celebrate the hard work happening in the Nest. It was smiles all around!

Field Trip

Wow what a great time we had this week going to the UMass Fine Arts Center! Thanks to a Hatfield Cultural Council grant we had the opportunity to see a performance of Air Play. http://www.airplayshow.com/about/ The program combined elements of theater, physics, art, music and circus. We were all in awe!

Beautiful Monsters

It has been awhile since I updated you on all the amazing work the Nesters have been doing! We have projects exploring a wide array of topics from the depths of the seas, to life in the middle ages, to how people perceive color. And comic books are being made along side of slide shows, sculptures and petitions. The Nesters continue to demonstrate that they are scientists, historians, artists and activists. Along with these wonderful projects we have been challenging each other with debates, puzzles, and engineering endeavors.

 We have also been working together to problem solve issues facing the world today, create beautiful monsters, and learn origami.

On Our Way!

We are off and running here in the Nest. A group of sixth graders is busy planning to open a bakery. They have been developing business plans, researching supply and space costs, designing a menu and working on advertisements. Meanwhile across the room we have a duo comparing the profitability and popularity of Nike and Reebok.  In fifth grade, one student is learning about origami and preparing to teach us all how to make a paper crane. While another investigates the complex world of Egyptian mythology. These a just a few examples of the creative work being done in the Nest. The kids are so excited and enthusiastic to learn and share. My head sometime spins with all the great ideas and conversations going on here in the Nest.

A Decade of Project Based Learning!

Welcome to the 10th year of Falcon's Nest! We are so fortunate that Hatfield Public Schools has been supporting gifted and talented programming for a decade! The Nesters' work will continue to exemplify the best of what project based learning can be! Please check in during the months to come to hear about the wonderful academic and artistic projects the students are exploring in the Nest.

And keep and eye out for the Quest Enrichment Hour! This is a pilot program designed to provide more enrichment opportunities to all of our students. Ms. Shapiro and I are teaming up to bring fun critical and creative thinking activities to all of our 4th, 5th and 6th graders.

 Here's to a great school year!

Last few days in the Nest

These past few weeks have been a flurry of activity! Frantic sculpting, painting and typing are happening everywhere as we finish up the 2016-1017 year in Falcon's Nest. It is always bittersweet to say goodbye to the sixth graders. As always they have much to be proud of, they have proven themselves to be scholars, artists, scientists, historians and so much more. I am so fortunate to have been able to spend so much time with these terrific kids! They have taught me and each other about animals, sports, anatomy, technology and an endless number of other topics. But more importantly they epitomize joyful learning. I hope they carry that enthusiasm and curiosity with them throughout their lives.

Happy Summer!

News from the Nest

As always we've been busy in the Nest. Some of the project topics that the kids are working on include; Aikido, The Orchestra, International Holidays, Deadliest Diseases, and Paranormal Activity. The range of interests the Nesters explore is vast. The Nesters have also recently logged into Thrively.com and filled out an individualized strength assessment. This is a free online tool designed to help students find their strengths and develop passions through an individualized learning platform. Almost all of the Nesters who completed the strength assessment tool thought that is was quite accurate. Check it out for yourself! I also wanted to take a moment to share some of the things the Nesters said they wanted to do to make the world a better place. Jack said he wanted "an endless food supply" so no one would go hungry. Ella wants "to make sure everyone has a home and clean water."  Devin wants to "stop global warming." And Cori says she'd like "to clean all the trash out of the ocean." The Nesters are more than just scholars, they are our future!

Mark your calendars! We will be having our annual Open House on Thursday, March 30, at 6pm. I hope you can join us and see all of the great work the Nesters have been doing this year.

Inventions

We have been busy here in the Nest! We are beginning to share individual projects. We have already heard about soccer player Alex Morgan and the amazing history of Italy! Many more terrific projects will be shared in the weeks to come. As always, the Nesters are working hard and inspiring each other to research, question, learn, interpret and create!  We have also been doing some fun group activities. Here are a few pictures of inventions designed by the Nesters to make the world a better place.

 

I think we can all agree we are in good hands!

Welcome to 2016-2017 Falcon's Nest

I love autumn! I love the colors the leave turn, the chill in the morning air and most of all the start of Falcon's Nest! Welcome to a new year in the Nest! This year marks my tenth year as the Falcon's Nest Facilitator and I am lucky to have worked with so many wonderful students over the past decade. It is truly an honor to spend my day with such creative and thoughtful people. This year's Nesters are as eager to get started as I am. We will begin the year with lots of group activities and brainstorming ideas for their independent projects. It is always amazing to witness the wide variety of interests and passions the students possess. While I don't yet know exactly what the Nesters will want to research and explore, I do know I will be inspired and impressed by each and every one of them!

Falcon's Nest Open House!

We had a terrific Open House last week. The Nesters shared their incredible work with the HES community. Here are a few pictures from that special night!

Falcon's Nest Open House 4-28-16 @ 6-7pm

Come join us to celebrate the terrific work the Nesters have done this year! Our annual Open House will be Thursday, 4/28 from 6-7pm. We are eager to share our projects with you!

Leadership

Here are some of our Nesters with their favorite leadership quotes!

Sharing and Builidng

The Nest has been buzzing with activity! Many of the kids have begun sharing their terrific projects with the group. We have seen presentations on everything from Sleep and Nocturnal Animals to Coins to Action Movies. It is so fun to watch them present their work. They are eager to share their new found expertise and answer questions from the other Nesters. The questions and comments from the other kids are both supportive and inquisitive. Everyday they demonstrate respect for learning and for each other! It is such a privilege to spend time here in the Nest with these kids.

Below are a few of our fifth grade Nesters working on an engineering challenge.The Nesters are always up for something new! One of their favorite group activities is building challenges. During this session they worked in small groups to see who could build the tallest free standing structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti. Good planning, teamwork and building skills were all on display!

Hungry for Knowledge

This new group of Nesters are hungry for knowledge. They have jumped into starting their independent projects more quickly than ever! I am fortunate to have a lot of familiar faces back in the Nest along with some new ones. This time of year is so full of  potential and enthusiasm it is always a pleasure to witness.

Here are just a few of the project topics the Nesters are working on it:

How Action Movies are Made

Odd Inventions

Alex Morgan-Soccer Superstar

Sleep and Nocturnal Animals

Atoms

Famous Athletes from Massachusetts

Hottest Places on Earth

Coins and Currency from Around the World

& so many more!!

Clearly this is going to be a great year in the Nest!