One of the many unique aspects of the Sparhawk School PreK-7th Grade experience is Portfolio creation process. Portfolios are a grand culmination of completed, accumulated and curated work prepared by the students with teacher guidance. Work can include anything from photos, 3-d artifacts, PBL presentations, reflections written by the student, samples of student writing and artwork. Students gain an Understanding of what they are capable of doing over the long term at school, and some of their favorite types of activities and subject areas.

This experience happens twice a year. The process that has led up to this event has been extensive and is rooted in a skill set that we think is extremely valuable: that of self reflection.  Beginning in the earliest years, we ask the children, "What do you think?" 

We ask students what they like, what is challenging for them and what has improved. By developing one's sense of self as a learner, one gains more and more independence in the learning process. The portfolio then becomes a vehicle where the student can showcase all that has occurred at school from learning to read and write as an early elementary student to an in-depth reflection of their NaNoWriMo novel as a middle schooler.  Students experiment, investigate and observe in the field of science and design and build STEAM challenges showing their applied learning of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

This non-exhaustive list is juxtaposed by the richness of learning a foreign language, growing through art and music and the importance of cross grade community time, many field trips and of course the joyful learning that comes from outdoor education! Thus, the portfolio is a window into our students' entire learning experience, a manifestation of skills and a visual record of their journey of their time at Sparhawk.

For our youngest children in Woodsview, teachers turn to the Reggio Emilia inspired approach of documenting the learning process as it unfolds.  This may mean pictures of the learning process as it is being experienced through many stages or asking children "in the moment" questions about what they are thinking when they are engaged in a work or activity. 

At this often pre-writing stage, we rely heavily on the power of the image whether is a photograph or children's drawings.  Images of children engaged at school as well as children's drawings are a powerful language and by displaying them and culminating them in a portfolio, we are giving children the message that their work, their words and their ideas are important.

As students share their hard work with parents, caregivers and friends, the teacher has a less-centralized role of facilitator, helping to translate the student work to the parent, but otherwise the portfolios are strictly kid territory, perfect in their idiosyncratic imperfections.

The sense of ownership and pride that students take in their final archival product is clear.  You can feel their pride and joy throughout the creative process, and that feeling is palpable - electric, even- during the portfolio conferences when they showcase their work with family and friends.  Students graduate each grade with a beautiful and tangible artifact of their hard work that they will reflect back on for years to come.

World Language 

In Mandarin Chinese, middle schoolers are currently learning about Chinese Names - not just the language but also the culture meaning behind it. In the photo, you can see an example of students' Chinese Name Art. Students used their own Chinese names and transformed them into a piece of art, based on the character meaning they learned.

Through this exercise, the students develop a deeper understanding and grow to appreciate the language. In Chinese, middle schoolers learn through many modalities, instead of lecture, they watch videos, play games (i.e. Pictionary), and use applications like Quizlet and Kahoots. This makes learning a language easier and fun. 

French Teacher, Anne McCoy, is a pro at making second language learning both exciting and enriching.  Anne weaves cultural contact and heritage into every fiber of her class- but does it in a fun, hands-on and kid-centered way.  For instance, if the students are learning about the Tour de France, rather than simply reading about it, the students actually create a mock track and execute their own bike race on miniature push bikes.  

Some of the most recent curriculum includes celebrating King's Day by making cupcakes (Nora became our queen when she found the charm in her cupcake), learning the art of crêpe making and  learning about the invention of parkour in France.  In addition students researched a region of France, located it on a map and went on fact finding expeditions exploring products & dishes from that region.

NaNoWriMo Book Cover Creation

Last week, our Middle Schoolers showed their mid-year portfolios (see above) to their parents in the comfort of our Student Center. There was plenty of room for each family group to spread out and review and reflect on the work of the past semester. One major piece in each studio portfolio was their NaNoWriMo novel complete with photoshopped book cover.  

Sparhawk students cranked out first drafts of novels and designed and produced their own book covers complete with artwork, author's biography, book summary, and peer praise. Our mid-year portfolio conferences allowed our Middle Schoolers to practice their presentation skills and show off their amazing work.

To see students describing their book cover, click here.

The Art of Printmaking

To gear up for the annual Steamroller Printmaking event, middle school students are learning about various forms of printmaking including Gelli and linoleum prints.  Students are focusing on composition, line, texture and process.  Some forms of printmaking such as linoleum and wood cuts can be printed many times, whereas a Gelli print is a form of mono print, and can only be printed once with visual integrity.

The middle schoolers can't wait to dig into their steamroller assignment, where their project will be inked and printed under the weight of a several ton steamroller on May 19th!