A Peek Into the Upper Elementary Classroom (Room 105)
Each month, we are going to give parents a peek into one of our amazing classrooms with a slideshow of pictures and short videos. It’s a chance for you to see what’s going on around Brickton.
Brickton Hosts Screening of Race to Nowhere
Brickton will be hosting a screening of the documentary RACE TO NOWHERE: The Dark Side of America's Achievement Culture.
Please join us:
Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.
At The Irish American Heritage Center (parking available)
Erin Room - 3rd Floor
4626 N. Knox
Chicago, IL 60630
A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children's lives, creating unhealthy, disengaged, un-prepared and stressed-out youth.
RACE TO NOWHERE is a call to action to challenge current assumptions on how best to prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens. After seeing the film, your views on education and childhood will be changed forever.
To purchase tickets online go to: www.racetonowhere.com
$10 + processing fees
$15 at the door the night of the event
Hope to see you there!
Brickton’s Bob Kelley Memorial Fund for Technology
Technology is thriving at Brickton!
Brickton Montessori School has recently become a Google Apps for Education school, and we are working with our Middle School students to use the Google Apps (including email, Google Docs, and Sites) to enhance their learning. Online tools that allow students a chance to work on projects together without having to be in the same room are especially helpful in an age where students have many extracurricular activities and responsibilities. We are still experimenting, but we are pleased with the type of interaction now available to students and teachers.
We want our students to have access to digital tools and that means we allow them to explore the internet for new and interesting information. We want them to be safe, however, so we begin the year with a formal lesson on critical thinking when online. Included in this conversation is a discussion of social networking sites – what is appropriate, what the consequences are, that information posted never really goes away. Throughout the year, we make a point to have frequent, less formal discussions with students about their digital “footprint.” We feel that, as educators, we are helping our students think about what they are doing before they do it as opposed to simply cutting them off to protect them. We want our students to be educated digital citizens who are able to problem solve and navigate their changing world. The students are required to develop, finalize, and have approved a Technology Contract before they are allowed to use the computers in the classroom (whether it’s their personal computer or the school computer). We want to make sure that students are well aware of their own responsibility before they jump in.
Here's how you can help....
Three years ago, after the death of her husband, Brickton's Principal, Debbie Kelley, founded The Bob Kelley Memorial Fund for Technology. Bob had a passion for computers and technology before it was "the in thing.” Debbie started this fund in order to honor Bob's passion and to further the technology curriculum at Brickton.
To date, the fund has raised over $8,000, enabling the school to purchase:
An iMac computer for the Middle School room
2 Flip Video cameras - being utilized by the Upper Elementary and
Middle School students learning movie making.
2 Still cameras - Used by students and staff
2 Flip Video Camera Tripods
If you would like to donate to the fund, please stop by the main office.
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword:
Thoughts about peace and violence from the Upper Elementary and Middle School
During Karen Brenner’s Creative Writing classes, the students in Upper Elementary and Middle School were asked to write their thoughts about Edward Lytton’s famous quotation, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” They were also encouraged to write down any ideas they might have to promote peace and civility in the world and in their school. Here are some of their thoughts:
“Writing has a point, and war doesn’t.” Morgan
“What I think we as a class can do is start small with making our classroom peaceful.” Tayler
“What you write can stay forever.” Jac
“What I can do to help our school in particular would be to be as nice and respectful to everyone as I can to create a more peaceful environment.” Mary Clare
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