Monday, October 31, 2016

Greetings from Bristol ELP!

 We are full speed ahead with our first session of workshops.  The Tai-Chi movements are becoming fluid, the Intro to Japanese students are counting, naming colors, and playing games all in Japanese! The set designs are getting bigger and more elaborate and the ballerinas are plieing!

We are having so much fun watching the growth that is happening here at ELP. Not only are the students engaged with their workshops they are engaging with each other, forging friendships with people they don't see during their regular school day. It is such a pleasure to witness all the hard work these students are putting forth in their workshops and with each other! Thank you parents for helping this all happen!



A budding Caligrapher learning to use past techniques. Creating letters with a Quill and ink.




Introduction to Japanese students practicing their characters


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Tai Chi student learning the 'Push Dance'


 

Ballet, learning the positions.





Thursday, October 27, 2016

Beeman Week 4!

This third week at Beeman has been a great one for both Spanish and Scrabble / Chess club! Students have been working hard on refining and practicing the skills they are learning. It is so great to see so many smiling faces walk in twice a week, the engagement from students has been truly amazing!

Spanish spent time practicing more conversation and working on their collaborative children’s book. Students are working hard to create an adventure story about Azuca and , I am so excited to see the final project and get a copy for my classroom!

Chess and Scrabble club students are now getting into some complex strategies as they have become more familiar with the games. Students play off against one another and try to notice strengths or strategies in their opponents that they can grow from. The teamwork I am seeing has been truly impressive.





Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Art and Nature Workshop at Lincoln's ELP


Students participating in the Art and Nature workshop at LCS have been enjoying studying their beautiful surroundings through the eyes of an artist.  We started the workshop with a watercolor study of the gorgeous fall leaves, where students created several resists using crayon and watercolor to create colorful leaves.





We took advantage of the warm, sunny weather that we were fortunate to have so late into the fall by making sun art.  Students gathered leaves, sticks, ferns, and rocks to use in their pieces.  They arranged them onto the paper and then let the sun do it's work.  After 5 min, the students rinsed their pieces in water and were left with the silhouettes of their creations.  Students were amazed and delighted to witness the magic of solar paper!




We have just started studying the work of Andy Goldsworthy, the environmental artist.  He is famous for creating art out of natural materials, including some very inspirational stone work.  After looking at some of his work and talking about cairns, students went to the river bank to create their own cairns.  Students worked in groups of two and three to form their creations.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Monkton Session 1 News

We are off to a small but mighty start at Monkton!

Once again, we welcomed Grace Freeman for a movement, music, and poetry workshop where kids are learning songs, making instruments, and even doing a little science... or is it magic?! Grace is always such a lively addition to our program and we are glad to have her here once again.

MCS first- and second-grade teacher Caitlin Gadhue has been leading a group of future writers through an author study of Eric Carle. The students have been reading Carle's books and studying the craft of picture book writing and illustration. They are such experts that they are now writing their own books!

Megan Mitchell, MCS's math interventionist, is managing a bustling Scholar's Club in the Library. Students are using it as a quiet time to get assignments done with adult help or on their own. Parents are loving the removal of nightly homework debates and kids are learning the value of time management. We are also glad to have partnered with the school's on-site Mary Johnson childcare program to give MASP kiddos a crack at Scholar's Club as well. Many of them are taking advantage of the quiet time to get work done before heading outside to play.

With just a couple weeks left, we are piecing together an awesome second session, to begin November 15th and end on December 22nd. Right now, we have two crafty offerings, Japanese, and a couple more surprises so stay tuned!

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Painting in the Forest, Homemade Pillows, and Violins Galore - Robinson ELP Session 1

ANESUuuuuuuuuu!  Thanks for checking out the amazing blog of the Expanded Learning Program.  I hope you or your child is enrolled in one or many of our workshops in the five lovely towns of Addison Northeast.  For those of you who don't know what ELP is, I'll give you a little background.

We are an after school program that believes that the more cool things kids are able to try the more they get involved in the world around them.  We do this by bringing in local members of the community to teach hour long workshops based around their skills, professions, or hobbies.  This session we have workshops ranging from homesteading to beginner violin to an outdoor painting class.  Our workshops run in six weeks sessions and each session we try to mix things up and offer new topics.

Here are a few pics to give you a sense of what we're all about:


A couple of dudes lounging on freshly stitched pillows.  Thanks to Becky Adams for her excellent pillow instruction in her homesteading workshop!

 Da Boys keeping it fresh in Jodi McLeod's Mixed Media Art workshop.  Looks like a collage in progress...


The future of symphony honing their touch with Susan Mahony.


The ever energetic painting class takes to the forest with Andrea Tremols.

I hope this gives you a taste of how we do things (clearly we have no fun).  Stay tuned for more from the Expanded Learning Program at Robinson Elementary.  Over and out.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Beeman ELP: Session 1


Greetings From Beeman!

 Beeman is so excited to be hosting it's own ELP program again this year! We have been so lucky to have two amazing teachers leading some really great workshops. 

Andrew Flood is a 4-6 teacher at Beeman and he is leading a scrabble and chess club. Students are working to learn both games and improve their strategic thinking, students in grades 4-6 are participating in this workshop. One of my favorite parts about the time I have spent  in this session is listening to the conversations students have had about sportsmanship. The support they have shown each other has been truly heartwarming to see. 

 Emily Erwin is leading a Spanish club, it has been so wonderful to see students singing, speaking, and listening to this beautiful language. Emily brings many great elements to her teaching, she leads dances, songs, and games that are engaging and playful. One of the greatest things about this session has been the overflow into our regular school day. Students are sharing with their peers all of the great language they are learning and students are practicing what they do with Emily at recess in their school day, so cool!


Beeman ELP: Session 1


Greetings From Beeman!

 Beeman is so excited to be hosting it's own ELP program again this year! We have been so lucky to have two amazing teachers leading some really great workshops. 

Andrew Flood is a 4-6 teacher at Beeman and he is leading a scrabble and chess club. Students are working to learn both games and improve their strategic thinking, students in grades 4-6 are participating in this workshop. One of my favorite parts about the time I have spent  in this session is listening to the conversations students have had about sportsmanship. The support they have shown each other has been truly heartwarming to see. 

 Emily Erwin is leading a Spanish club, it has been so wonderful to see students singing, speaking, and listening to this beautiful language. Emily brings many great elements to her teaching, she leads dances, songs, and games that are engaging and playful. One of the greatest things about this session has been the overflow into our regular school day. Students are sharing with their peers all of the great language they are learning and students are practicing what they do with Emily at recess in their school day, so cool!