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!

Einstein

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" said Albert Einstein. Here are some thoughts on that by the Nesters.

Themes

Some days there seem to be themes in the Nest. Today I noticed a number of students working on medical and health issues. Some of them are inspired by illnesses of friends and family. As I watch the students learn more about intricate problems such as diabetes and leukemia, I can't help but think about how overwhelming this must be to a kid. As adults we struggle to understand the reasons that some people suffer with sickness and others seem to be fortunate and avoid so much pain. And here are kids 10, 11, 12 years old trying to learn as much as they can about the issues that face their friends and family. Are these kids going to grow to be doctors, scientists, researchers...maybe. But more likely they are going to grow up to be empathetic adults who believe that knowledge is power and that caring people can make a difference in the lives of others.

A Day in the Nest

Gabe is discovering that a lemon can actually conduct electricity!

Today Shannen is working on National Teachers' Day in China for her international calendar.

Did you know that if you dream about legs that you may be regaining confidence and taking back control? If you want to know more about what your dreams mean just ask Zach!

Liam is creating a California Condor as part of his endangered animals project.

Here is Paul hard at work on his 6'x7' map of the Roman Empire.

A Better Place

I asked the Nesters what they would like to do to make the world a better place, here are some of their answers.
"Recycle"
"Help people in need of clothing and food."
"Invent energy saving devices..."
"Teach the world about global warming."
"Stop the war in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"Stop polution."
These are such huge problems that our world is facing. No need to panic, I truly believe that if the students in Falcon's Nest represent the future problem solvers that we will be in good hands.

Thanksgiving

Wow, it is hard to believe how fast November has passed. This month has been filled with lots of days off and half days of school but that hasn't stopped FN from being a busy place. We have had some great project presentations. We are spending a lot of time talking about how to present. The Nesters know how to create a constructive critique. It is a real credit to the students that they feel comfortable and confident enough to ask how they can do better without feeling insecure about themselves.

We have begun working on our all school meeting project. Falcon's Nest will be hosting the all school meeting on January 6. We are spending some time learning about New Years celebrations around the world. Right now it looks like the school will get a chance to find out how China, Iran, Indonesia, Australia and India celebrate the New Year.

Happy Thanksgiving! As we head into this long weekend I can't help but think about how thankful I am that I get to spend my afternoons with such great kids.

Talents We Possess

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”-Henry Van Dyke

The following is a list of self proclaimed talents of Falcon’s Nest students:
Soccer
Basketball
Math
Science
Trumpet
Social Studies
Softball
Making people laugh
Drawing
Reading
Violin
Video Games
Board Games
Swimming
Baseball
Singing
Dancing
Drumming
Obtaining knowledge
Evaluating things
Eating
Writing
Talking to myself
Shopping
Knowledge of ancient history
Blowing up balloons
Snowmobiling
Cooking
Building with Knex
Running
Making things with my hands
Doodling
Sports
Flute
Cello
Hugging
Creativity
Mythology
Physics
Lawn care
Community Service
Algebra
Writing
Four Square
Figure Skating
Making art
Gymnastics
Spelling
Clarinet
Karate