Hey there DTS family! I am inviting everyone to CHALK THE WALKS! I feel so much inspiration from the gorgeous street murals that are being created all around our nation, including right here in Winston-Salem, just a few blocks from school (check out this video from Mr. Lester-Niles' bike commute to school). I love the idea of creating something beautiful to share with our neighbors, and, though likely virtually, with our school community! Do you have some chalk already? Awesome! Put it to some creative use and share the results here or here. Need some chalk? Swing by DTS and grab a bag from the Little Free Library out front (please let me know if we run out). I can't wait to see what you create, DTS Dalmatians! I'll be sharing all creations here on my blog and on the DTS facebook page (with your permission, of course) More inspiration: https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2020/06/11/coloring-the-streets-with-chalk-for-change/ https://chalkthewalks.com/ https://www.curbed.com/2020/4/28/21233411/sidewalk-chalk-art-history https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/photos-residents-use-art-in-call-for-social-justice/
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One of the things I love about summer is getting a chance to read books for fun. I'll be honest, sometimes it takes awhile to set aside things I'm reading for work to pick up a book I have been wanting to read *just for fun,* but when I actually do, that, it's usually summer!
I have been talking to lots of DTS kids about the great books they've been reading and would love to hear from everyone about the books they're enjoying right now. Kinsey has been reading the Phoebe and Her Unicorn graphic novels by Dana Simpson lately and loving those. Jack was recently reading A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (I've been hearing a LOT about this one from many DTS students lately). I talked to several students who just finished reading Matilda by Roald Dahl, which is one of Kinsey's favorite books, too! I, along with several DTS teachers, read Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, which is a powerful book intended for a middle-grades audience. What are you reading right now? Comment and make suggestions for the next books that my kids and I should check out this summer! If you didn't arrive at this post through "Mrs. Taylor's Summer Enrichment Journal," hop over there to find several book lists of recommended summer reading. Yesterday, the DTS Eco-Club had our last meeting of the year! It was wonderful to see your familiar faces (and your adorable pets)!
We discussed ideas for At-Home Summer Eco-Club Challenges, and I'm very excited about that possibility! Here is the list we have so far. Please email me or post a comment below if you have an idea for something we should add... and definitely share your photos and videos when you complete one of the challenges! At-Home Summer Eco-Club Challenges: (Several of these require adult permission and supervision) * Go on a family hike * Make a small "monument" with natural objects along the trail * Camp out in your yard * Create art with natural materials * Identify 3 bird species * Identify 3 mammal species * Identify 3 plant species * Identify 3 reptile or amphibian species * Identify 3 insect or spider species * Find a plant with a medicinal use * Find an edible plant * Build a campfire * Cook over your campfire * Identify a new constellation * Keep a journal of the changing moon phases * Document the highest elevation you visit this summer * Document the lowest elevation you visit this summer * Clean up a natural space by picking up litter * Plant something in your garden or flower bed Happy Earth Day, DTS Eco-Club! I hope you all had an amazing day and got some time outside to celebrate Mother Earth in this beautiful spring weather! I loved getting to see all the kids who were able to make it to our virtual meeting this afternoon, and was SO impressed by your beautiful, creative nature art! For those who weren't able to make it, we discussed Andy Goldsworthy's ephemeral nature art and then ventured out to create our own. Want to try your own Eco-art? Check out Andy Goldsworthy's work in these short videos: Rivers and Tides Autumn Works Then check out the Eco-Club responses in the gallery below: Share your own nature art with me so I can share it here, too! Email me at [email protected] or text Mr. Lester-Niles (his number is in the "chat" for the Eco-Club team meeting.... I didn't feel like he'd appreciate me sharing his phone number on the internet!) This quarter, all Mini Course choices focused on ancient civilizations - the Maya of Central and South America; the First Americans, indigenous groups found across North America; and the very earliest humans - prehistoric groups transitioning from hunter/ gatherer lifestyles to early agriculture. Each group of Mini Course students experienced a special presentation with artifacts from the Wake Forest Museum of Anthropology, and completed their experience with a student-chosen hands-on project intended for the Mini Course Museum of Anthropology, planned for March 31 and April 1. Unfortunately, the school closure threw a wrench in those plans!
I did make a trip in to school to document the students' projects, which you can see in the gallery below, alongside documentation of some of the students' work in the three different Mini Course experiences. Please keep in mind that many of these projects are still works-in-progress, with students continuing to come to my classroom in the mornings before classes started and/ or during their Discovery times after their particular Mini Courses had ended to work on their projects. Take a "journey through time" with your children and ask them about their work and the learning it represents. If your child is interested in learning more about ancient people, here are some great resources: The MOA has Virtual Exhibits: https://moa.wfu.edu/exhibits/virtual/# and an Online Artifact Search: https://moawfu.pastperfectonline.com/. There is a section on my website that houses videos, resources, and activities related to the Sticks, Stones, and Bones Mini Course: https://mrstaylordts.weebly.com/mini-course-online-learning---sticks-stones-and-bones.html I also highly recommend "Lost Treasures of the Maya" on Disney+ - several kids were watching it and really enjoyed it. There are quite a few really cool documentaries on Disney +, actually. Lastly, if your child is interested in joining a 4th Quarter Mini Course and they have not yet done so, they can check out the "trailer" for Mini Course here: https://youtu.be/_387RSbT4vA and then choose a Mini Course to participate in (and share their suggestions for additional Enrichment topics) here: https://forms.gle/YW8dz53CVWXndid39 This is the temporary new home for second grade discussion board posts. Check out the posts started by Mrs. Taylor below and reply with your thoughts each week.
Extra Challenge: Share photos of investigations and experiments you've done at home related to these posts, and Mrs. Taylor will upload them in the gallery on this discussion page. You can email her your photos at [email protected]. A NOTE FROM MRS. TAYLOR: Hi families, I've been hearing that many families are having a hard time adjusting to online learning and completing assignments. I'm going to extend the time frames for all assignments in all my courses for this reason. I'm giving everyone until the end of next week for my "Week 1" Activities, then pushing "Week 2" back, as well, etc. It will take a little while to adjust all mentions of dates in all platforms (webpage and Powerschool), so please be patient if there is conflicting information. My goal is to have as many students as possible engaging in meaningful, enriching discussion about our class concepts, and I would rather have good thinking unfold over the course of a few weeks if that's what we need, than rush kids from assignment to assignment. Please reach out if you're having trouble completing assignments. <3 Love, Mrs. Taylor This is the temporary new home for third grade discussion board posts. Check out the posts started by Mrs. Taylor below and reply with your thoughts each week.
Extra Challenge: Share photos of investigations and experiments you've done at home related to these posts, and Mrs. Taylor will upload them in the gallery on this discussion page. You can email her your photos at [email protected]. A NOTE FROM MRS. TAYLOR: Hi families, I've been hearing that many families are having a hard time adjusting to online learning and completing assignments. I'm going to extend the time frames for all assignments in all my courses for this reason. I'm giving everyone until the end of next week for my "Week 1" Activities, then pushing "Week 2" back, as well, etc. It will take a little while to adjust all mentions of dates in all platforms (webpage and Powerschool), so please be patient if there is conflicting information. My goal is to have as many students as possible engaging in meaningful, enriching discussion about our class concepts, and I would rather have good thinking unfold over the course of a few weeks if that's what we need, than rush kids from assignment to assignment. Please reach out if you're having trouble completing assignments. <3 Love, Mrs. Taylor This is the temporary new home for fourth grade discussion board posts. Check out the posts started by Mrs. Taylor below and reply with your thoughts each week.
Extra Challenge: Share photos of investigations and experiments you've done at home related to these posts, and Mrs. Taylor will upload them in the gallery on this discussion page. You can email her your photos at [email protected]. A NOTE FROM MRS. TAYLOR: Hi families, I've been hearing that many families are having a hard time adjusting to online learning and completing assignments. I'm going to extend the time frames for all assignments in all my courses for this reason. I'm giving everyone until the end of next week for my "Week 1" Activities, then pushing "Week 2" back, as well, etc. It will take a little while to adjust all mentions of dates in all platforms (webpage and Powerschool), so please be patient if there is conflicting information. My goal is to have as many students as possible engaging in meaningful, enriching discussion about our class concepts, and I would rather have good thinking unfold over the course of a few weeks if that's what we need, than rush kids from assignment to assignment. Please reach out if you're having trouble completing assignments. <3 Love, Mrs. Taylor This is the temporary new home for fifth grade discussion board posts. Check out the posts started by Mrs. Taylor below and reply with your thoughts each week. Extra Challenge: Share photos of investigations and experiments you've done at home related to these posts, and Mrs. Taylor will upload them in the gallery on this discussion page. You can email her your photos at [email protected]. A NOTE FROM MRS. TAYLOR: Hi families, I've been hearing that many families are having a hard time adjusting to online learning and completing assignments. I'm going to extend the time frames for all assignments in all my courses for this reason. I'm giving everyone until the end of next week for my "Week 1" Activities, then pushing "Week 2" back, as well, etc. It will take a little while to adjust all mentions of dates in all platforms (webpage and Powerschool), so please be patient if there is conflicting information. My goal is to have as many students as possible engaging in meaningful, enriching discussion about our class concepts, and I would rather have good thinking unfold over the course of a few weeks if that's what we need, than rush kids from assignment to assignment. Please reach out if you're having trouble completing assignments. <3 Love, Mrs. Taylor Hi there Mini Coursers! This is the new Discussion Board for Sticks, Stones, and Bones while Powerschool is being problematic. I hope we will move back to that platform very soon!
In the meantime, I will be starting your daily discussion prompts in the comment section below. You can respond to my comments with your thoughts on each question. I'll try to copy in the comments from the Powerschool Discussion Board for this topic, as well. Remember, by Thursday, March 26, you'll need to have completed these assignments, as well: https://forms.gle/bpV2TczMovSnvdwN8 and flipgrid.com/taylorcaveman All the resources you need can be found on the Sticks, Stones, and Bones page here on my website AND on the Mini Course Powerschool page. You can email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. :-) A NOTE FROM MRS. TAYLOR: Hi families, I've been hearing that many families are having a hard time adjusting to online learning and completing assignments. I'm going to extend the time frames for all assignments in all my courses for this reason. I'm giving everyone until the end of next week for my "Week 1" Activities, then pushing "Week 2" back, as well, etc. It will take a little while to adjust all mentions of dates in all platforms (webpage and Powerschool), so please be patient if there is conflicting information. My goal is to have as many students as possible engaging in meaningful, enriching discussion about our class concepts, and I would rather have good thinking unfold over the course of a few weeks if that's what we need, than rush kids from assignment to assignment. Please reach out if you're having trouble completing assignments. <3 Love, Mrs. Taylor |
AuthorI'm Sylvan Taylor, the Schoolwide Enrichment/ Academically Gifted teacher at The Downtown School. I love teaching, coffee, nature, road trips, and zombie films. This blog focuses primarily on my work at DTS, but will occasionally include other education-related topics. Archives
June 2020
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