Project L.E.A.D – A Great Success!

Lower School is L.E.A.D.ing the Way – A Literacy Celebration!

Question: What can we do to really celebrate our love of reading this fall?

Answer: Let’s have a division-wide celebration that involves students and teachers creatively sharing for one full day!

Second grade teacher, Jessica Rullo shared a wonderful idea for celebrating our love of reading, and in collaboration with third grade teacher, Roni Blaustein, and others, created a new Lower School tradition called Project L.E.A.D. – Literacy, Exploration and Adventure Day!

From the earliest moments that students enter Dwight-Englewood as preschool students, they are immersed in literature through storytelling, read-alouds, and other interactive work.  As they progress through the Lower School, students learn to think more deeply about the characters in their books, to step into the shoes of these characters, to empathize with them, and to anticipate how the characters will act as well.

Project L.E.A.D provides an opportunity for our entire Lower School community to playfully reinforce these ideals as students physically and dramatically immerse themselves in beloved literary and non-fictional characters.

Goals of Project L.E.A.D:
1. Further foster and encourage a love of reading in our students
2. Provide yet another opportunity for students to engage their creativity
3. Spark new interest in books, characters and authors

On Friday, October 31, 2014, we actually met our GOALS! Please take a look at the pictures below that chronicle our day!  Thank you to all who supported this wonderful event!

Dia de Los Muertos: A Special Collaboration between Spanish and Art 

During the week of October 28, Mrs. Garcia and Misi Collado worked collaboratively on a Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, unit for third, fourth and fifth grade students.  The Day of the Dead is an ancient Aztec celebration during which people remember family and friends that have passed away.  It is a day that is currently celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries from October 31 through November 2.  Through this thematic unit, students explored the value of life within the cultural tradition of Day of the Dead, and also explored the art works of Jose Guadalupe Posada, and by recreating “The Land of the Remembered as portrayed in the animated film “The Book of Life”.

To add to the experience, Misi Collado dressed as “La Calavera Catrina” an image of a female skeleton wearing a hat typical of the an ancient time.  “La Catrina” has become an icon of the Day of the Dead.

Students created memorials for family and friends who have passed away.

EXCITING INFORMATION  – From Mrs. Garcia!
I am pleased to announce the launch of the Dwight-Englewood Lower School Visual Art Website! Please visit the site to enjoy the variety of artwork created by children in kindergarten first, second and fourth grades.  Recent projects will be featured as well as archived artwork from previous years. The website is a place to highlight student work and will be updated frequently.  Please enjoy!