Students in the upper school Environmental Club met with members of Casey Trees on Wednesday to learn how to plant trees. Senior Lucie Warga, juniors Audrey Ashdown, Thalia Flores, sophomores Ellery Grimm, Joseph Claire and Kim Montpelier, and freshmen Nazareth Fisher and Oliver Krisetya met with representatives from the nonprofit devoted to restoring the tree canopy of the nation’s capital.
On Monday the fifth grade will take its annual trip to Calleva. The Poolesville, Maryland adventure camp features various ropes and activities courses designed for trust and team-building activities. This event kicks of the year for fifth graders, helping the class bond outside of the school and providing interactive activities that will build on the cooperative learning we use in our classrooms.
Children’s book author Emma Otheguy read to fifth graders Friday from her book Marti’s Song For Freedom. The bilingual story was published in 2017 and describes the experiences of a Cuban freedom fighter. Her debut middle grade novel, which is about two Latin American cousins, will be published in 2019. A former Spanish teacher and current History PhD student, Otheguy took a class in Children’s Literature at Swarthmore College with acclaimed children’s author Donna Jo Napoli. Our fifth graders asked her insightful questions about the history of Cuba, and made connections to their reading in history and English classes. She is also a former seventh grade student of Ms. Breitman’s!
Thursday was a day of wearing sports gear for students to help ramp up their excitement and spirit for Friday afternoon’s pep rally and homecoming game. In our annual spirit week, cut shorter due to the SATs and College Fair, students will also wear their class colors on Friday. The week will culminate with a homecoming game Friday and the Homecoming Dance Friday night from 8-11 pm.
