The 79th Street Gate: A Lower Division Newsletter

Dear Garden Community:

Each morning at school, I find myself with the same start to the day: open gates, take temperatures on fore heads, and if no reading, take temperatures on wrists. We have repeated this every day, and even the youngest students eagerly participate in this repeat!

There is a sense of comfort in repetition. We all learned our ABCs, 123s, and DO RE Mis from continually repeating. Repetition of school schedules gives children a sense of timing and comfort in knowing what to expect, especially when adults return for pick-up.

Older children repeat to commit to memory: times tables, spelling words, famous quotes, and speeches. In writing we repeat words or phrases for emphasis. Repeating can be very effective in branding and advertising.

We celebrate traditions through acts of repeating rituals, songs, and activities. This is most evident during the holiday seasons. This year, more than ever, we seek comfort in repeating family traditions.

Much is worth repeating: please, thank you, washing hands, wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart, taking temperatures, staying safe and healthy, and celebrating. All giving us much comfort and the comfort, in turn, also gives us the impetus to experience new.

So, going into the New Year, experience the “new.”

Looking forward to 2021!
Bill Vogel

In celebration of Native American History month, students in the Lower Division studied the artwork, history and culture of the Ojibwe or Chippewa Peoples. The Ojibwe were spread across North America, particularly areas of the Midwestern United States, the Pacific Northwest, and Southern Canada. The Ojibwe are the fifth largest Native American group in the United States, many still live in Minnesota. They were mostly hunters and fishermen, as the cool climate limited their agriculture. Their traditions, like many Indigenous groups, are primarily passed down by word of mouth and in their art/craftwork, they are passed from elder to apprentice. This was a great opportunity to explain to the children that Native American groups like the Ojibwe are still around today and continue to work in these traditions.

The children in each of the Lower Division grades looked at the elaborate floral beadwork of Ojibwe artist Jessica Gokey. Jessica Gokey lives and works in Minnesota. She learned the process of creating elaborately detailed beadwork from her aunt, an Ojibwe elder. She carries on the tradition of her people, making beaded floral compositions of the plants and flowers that were vital to the survival of the Ojibwe through medicines and sustenance. The fine handiwork of Jessica’s artwork presented a chance for the students to make drawings using delicate careful line making and symmetry.

Students also looked closely at the Ojibwe practice of making monumental Totem Poles. Totem poles were hand-carved out of the best woods and were often used to tell a family story. Read from the bottom up, poles contained totems, or symbolic representations of some of the animals that were most precious to the Ojibwe culture, mythology, and their daily use. Students were encouraged to consider the importance of each of these animals to many Indigenous cultures as well as to tell their own personal story, using symbols from their own life and personal interests.

The fourth grade looked even deeper into Ojibwe culture, watching and listening to the words of an elder Ojibwe as he described the Ojibwe story of creation and shared Ojibwe values such as bravery, honesty and wisdom. He told the story of the world being created on the back of a tortoise at the bottom of the sea.

Children in the first and second grade art class read Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott, a story about a Pueblo boy and his heroic journey to prove himself as the child of the Sun. They considered the Hero’s story of flying like an arrow on the rays of the sun, closely and excitedly as he fought through trials of jaguars and bees. In the end, they created beautiful illustrations of their favorite part of the story, when the Hero bravely fights off a pair of serpents.

Sometimes obstacles present opportunities: restrictions on singing made us shift our focus to learning and reciting Nursery Rhymes in Early Childhood this year. Research shows that children’s introduction to and knowledge of Nursery Rhymes can aid in their future literacy skills. Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten students have expanded their list to fifteen such poems already! These include classics like “Humpty Dumpty” as well as lesser-known gems like “Handy Pandy.” “Old King Cole,” “Ladybird, Ladybird,” “There Was an Old Woman Lived Under a Hill,” and “The Little Bird” are a handful of the many Nursery Rhymes that Kindergarteners and 1st Graders have undertaken. The hand motions help make their recitations that much more enjoyable, and they are learning several ASL signs in the process.

Sergei Rachmaninoff was a featured composer in recent 2nd Grade lessons; students considered what it might have felt like to premiere a symphony (his first) and have it poorly received, with only a smattering of applause. Students learned and wrote about how he overcame his resultant crisis in confidence. 3rd grade students had a chance to consult with each other in small groups and conceive of dance moves to accompany an instrumental version of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” from his Ring cycle, a set of four operas. Thus far, they have devised seven clever movements working with different classmates, such as leaping and pumping their fists in the air while rotating back and forth.

Students in 4th grade have been furthering their understanding of the properties of sound and auditory processes. We conducted a couple of simple experiments outside to determine whether sound travels faster through solids, like metals and brick, or through air, and watched a Bill Nye video that offers great explanations and visuals on the subject.

5th Grade students have been exploring 12 bar blues Form; they each had a number to hold up, one to twelve, so they could be immersed in the structure. We listened to many different blues in different tempos before it was revealed that there are a couple of songs that are 12 bar blues with which they are familiar: the 1960s Batman and Spiderman themes.

Students in 6th grade are learning about the complex musical dialogues that take place between Jazz musicians when they improvise. We discussed what needs to happen for individuals to carry on a normal conversation and how this applies to a musical setting (the two are quite similar). Jazz musicians share a common vernacular and follow a melody, set of harmonies, and a structure to a song, the ‘topic’ of conversation. Call and response, the expression of concrete ideas, and heavy participation and listening really fuel the high-level interaction in this music. The understanding that the students have embarked on will allow them to truly appreciate the incredible American art form that is Jazz.

As we move into the New Year, take some time to hear music, to enjoy the sounds around us. Experience the repeats and the new!

Nina (8th grade) and Mrs. James (2nd grade teacher) participated in an ARRL course learning the art of amateur radio and passed their FCC Amateur Radio License Exam last weekend. They were under the guidance of Garden School's science teacher, Mr. Hale, who also runs the Ham Radio Club (NY Hall of Science connection). During the eight-week course, classes focused on electricity, electronics, regulations. Nina and Mrs. James were excited to receive their licenses and cannot wait to get on the air in our radio room! They join over 18 other members of the Garden Family who are licensed. Interested students and parents can contact Mr. Hale to explore Radio Club opportunities. Congratulations to Nina and Mrs. James!

Last Saturday, the Daniel Webster Society, Garden’s interscholastic debate team participated in its first virtual tournament of the season. There were 15 schools, 195 speakers, and 69 teams from 4 states. For the first time Garden School was first place in the over all school category. The Varsity Team (Sophia ’25, Claire ’25, and Juliet ’25) went undefeated, with Juliet taking home a top ten speaker trophy and the team finishing tied for first in the division. In the Novice Division (Robert ’27, Giuliana ’28, and Nikoletta ’28) Robert and Giuliana also received top ten awards in their first-ever tournament. The team is coached by Mr. Kruczek and Mr. D’Anna. Congratulations to all!

When approaching Mathematics with Elementary and Middle School students, it is important to find a way to connect the topics and subjects to ones they can relate to. By doing so, you will not only make the subject more interesting, but you will find that the students are more eager to learn as there is a connection being made! Some great examples of this were exhibited throughout our lessons this week in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Mathematics!

As fourth grade was concluding their studies with Division, they turned their focus to dividing money among groups through critical thinking shopping sprees! Each group was given a set amount of money and a task. The group that was able to divide their money across the categories of expenses won the challenge! Fifth grade took their fractions and put a mix to it, literally! Our small groups were tasked to complete a “Secret Recipe” by adding and subtracting fractions. Throughout this project our fifth-grade students were able to apply what they learned in class to an activity they may see done every day at home or in school during lunch time! Lastly, our sixth-grade students took a break from their Rational Numbers and Integer Review to get themselves out of a maze. Keeping our unit as our focus, our sixth graders were partnered up to solve critical thinking word problems that related to everyday phrases they may hear. These phrases included, but were not limited to, “withdrawal of $28”, “58 meters below sea level”, or “a net gain of 123”. By taking the positive and negative out of the numbers, our students had to apply their understanding of integers and decimals to find their way through the maze.

All in all, each grade this week was able to take a step back and apply knowledge and lessons to areas they may need one day. We find this to be an important part of our learning, applying what we learn here to future endeavors!

Running simultaneous in-person and remote programs taxed our systems greatly this fall. The volume created slower than desired connections and sometimes interfered with connecting at all. You may also recall the two Denial of Service Attacks to our internet this year which temporarily disrupted access to our program.

For the last six weeks, we have investigated ways to insulate Garden from similar issues in the future. This included exploring new internet providers, more sophisticated equipment, and strategic approaches to how different groups access WiFi. We are pleased to report we are on the precipice of a new ISP, a massive upgrade of our infrastructure, and a plan for differentiated access.

Next week, we are upgrading a good deal of infrastructure. We will have new sophisticated switches and access points installed to work alongside a top-of-the-line firewall. In addition, when we return from break, Garden will have access to a new dedicated line to the school with speeds twice our current connection.

With a new connection, faster speeds, and more reliable equipment, we will create specific lanes for faculty, student, and guest access. Each lane has intentional plans for dedicated volume and specific parameters. This delineation will help ensure a disruption to one is not a disruption to all and give us the ability to be more dynamic about how bandwidth is used.

A reliable connection is a core quality of life issue for educators and students and especially this year, so prioritizing this work was important to us. Many thanks to our facilities and tech team here for shepherding such a great solution for our community. Though tech is never flawless, we anticipate these upgrades will reduce bumps in the road ahead.

The Nursery students have been enjoying the adventures of the Gingerbread ‘Baby,’ ‘Boy,’ and ‘Man.’ We were all feeling a bit ‘lonely’ like the little Old Woman and Man in the story, so we made a batch of gingerbread playdough! What a learning opportunity as we measured, mixed, and kneaded the dough. We enjoyed using our senses of touch, smell, and sight while we played with the gingery, spicey dough! Luckily our ‘gingerbread’ cookies did not run away!

This is a wonderful time of the year to use our senses in our celebrations of the holidays.

This week, Kindergarten students continued their study of holiday traditions and focused on the holiday Kwanzaa! The students created their own kinaras, a traditional candle holder used to celebrate each of the seven days of Kwanzaa. Each candle that is lit represents an important principle of their African American culture. Students used red, black, and green oil pastels to create their own kinaras and display the colors of the holiday.

We are also working hard to decorate our doors in anticipation of the winter season! The students learned how to make snowflakes using a cutting technique and then decorated them with glitter, sequins, and gems. Quite the daring activity, but it was a blast! We love to make a mess in Kindergarten!

The Garden community has been extremely vigilant about doing everything possible to reduce COVID risk from walking in the door. This included significant self-reporting on risk factors in advance of the brief Thanksgiving weekend. That data enabled us to determine how to most safely approach the days following the holiday. We again, will need to understand the risk that various community members pose as a result of plans during our upcoming December Break. Please answer the questions in this survey as honestly as possible so we may appraise our risk as accurately as possible.

Before you know it, the Class of 2021 will be graduating. One of the most important end-of-year events is the Senior Prom. On Friday, December 18, the Senior Class will be hosting our first Senior Prom fundraiser, a Holiday Bake Sale to accompany the Holiday Pasta Lunch. All desserts will be individually packaged. No Nuts.

Please support the Class of 2021 and order a Dessert and/or Candy Cane Gram for your child, friend, or colleague. Orders must be submitted by 3pm Monday, December 14, 2020. Order here.