Update: February 9, 2021

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Random Acts of Awesomeness



Many thanks to the members of the Random Acts of Awesomeness Committee, who shared their appreciation for teachers and staff on Friday afternoon by distributing pints of gelato. Thank you!

Outdoor Classroom at GMS

Thanks to federal coronavirus relief funds, a shaded outdoor classroom structure has been (almost) built on the back of the GMS playground area. The idea for an outdoor shaded classroom has been many years in the making and is exciting to finally have this option available in advance of the spring and fall months ahead.

Science in Action



5th graders at GMS 4-5 explored the question "How fast does the earth spin?" by turning themselves into the earth and making observations about sunrise and sunset. This hands-on science activity helps students to get a visual and kinesthetic perspective on one of the mysteries of our world.

 
February is Black History Month, a time to better understand the history of our nation's struggles with race & celebrate the contributions of black people towards our collective progress as a nation & desire to live up to the ideals written in the Declaration of Independence "that all men are created equal..." At the various grade levels, teachers will be working with students on activities related to Black History. Below are some examples:

    • Grades PK-3: The school library focuses on Black History Month as the theme for the library classes. In addition, our teachers handle this individually. The January 22 Diverse Bookfinder workshop has provided school staff with more resources and ideas for how to have productive conversations with young students through diverse read alouds.
           
    • Grades 4-5: Teachers choose from videos and books to use in the classroom such as:
      • Ruby Bridges for Kids
      • Rosa Parks for Kids
      • Thurgood Marshall for Kids
      • Jackie Robinson for Kids
      • The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Kid President
      • Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - by Doreen Rappaport
      • If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks - by Faith Ringgold
      • Black Pioneers of Science and Invention (Percy Julian) - by Louis Haber
      • Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman - by Louise Borden
      • Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom - by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson
      • The Little Plant Doctor: A Story About George Washington Carver - by Jean Marzollo
      • The Tuskegee Airmen Story - by Lynn Holman and Thomas Reilly
      • A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall - by David A. Adler
      • Words Set Me Free: A Story of Young Frederick Douglass - by Lesa Cline-Ransome
      • Walking the Road to Freedom (Sojourner Truth) - by Jeri Ferris
    • Grades 6-8:   The Civil Rights Team at GMS 6-8 is working on posting a "quilt" with MLK quotes and some other famous black historians. The kids made "quilt squares" out of paper, and one of the school counselors, Mrs. O-P, is busy "sewing" them together. They may do a quote for the month for the classrooms as well. ELA teachers are reading the first chapter of books and recording it. These will be included in the weekly Admin Notes intended to broaden the books kids are likely to read independently. This month we will be choosing a variety of books and will be intentional about selecting books by and about famous black people from history.
    • Grades 9-12: Students will view a different slideshow for each day of advisory this month, prepared by two of our students in conjunction with the Civil Rights Team. Here is an example of a slide show created by students Ciel Antoine & Izzy Petty: GHS Advisory-Black History.