ISW Science is Thinking Forward!
In addition to moving into a beautiful new facility, ISW's teaching team spent the summer working on our science curriculum. Our Science Committee (which included ISW parent Dr. Page M. Jones, ISW grandparent Kay Hallett, ISW teachers Meghan Watterworth and Victoria Mercer, and Blandy program presenter Robin Coutts) reviewed science curriculum from across the country. We adopted the National Science Standards as our own, and looked at many, many options.
We wanted a program that fit ISW's vision for education, a program that:
- Uses guided inquiry, a middle road between entirely child-driven and entirely content-driven approaches.
- Emphasizes writing skills and quantitative reasoning
- Encourages students to pursue their individual interests (through, for example, science fair projects)
- Uses the outdoors as our classroom as often as possible
- Emphasizes the use of the correct language of science from the earliest classes
- Prepares students for advanced study in high school and careers in science
We are thrilled with our choice: STC, Science Technology Concepts, a K12 program developed by the Smithsonian and the National Science Foundation. This program uses inquiry-based learning , and it promotes higher order thinking skills. It exceeds all the national standards, and it is based in years of brain research and field testing. Best of all, the experiments are fun--an important compenent for a successful program! To read more about the program, click here:
http://www.nsrconline.org/curriculum_resources/index.html
We are equally pleased with our science teaching team! Meghan Watterworth will teach Lower Elementary Science. Victoria Mercer will teach Upper Elementary Science. And we have recently hired Rebecca Lloyd, a William and Mary graduate with years of hands-on science teaching experience both in the traditional classroom and in area gems like Blandy and Oak Hart Farms.
ISW Welcomes Rebecca Gibson
ISW is pleased to announce big advances in our Spanish program! Rebecca Neale Gibson will offer Spanish conversation instruction in our elementary and middle school program beginning in September. An engaging, experienced teacher with a big smile, Rebecca is sure to charm our students and make the process of acquiring a second language a pure pleasure. Rebecca is writing curriculum specifically tailored for ISW students. In addition to hiring Rebecca, and in keeping with our philosophy that each student ought to be able to progress at his/her own pace, ISW has also purchased the Rosetta Stone program in Spanish. Students will have their own accounts on school computers and the ability to practice and improve their Spanish skills daily!
ISW Opens Middle School Program
ISW is proud to announce that we are inagurating our Middle School program, beginning with 6th grade in 2011-12.
Our new Middle School is faithful to ISW's vision--a progressive school with an emphasis on global, experiential education. ISW inspires our Middle School students to pursue their academic passions and to develop their social skills (a key task for the adolescent!) in a loving and challenging environment.
ISW 6th graders will study:
- Humanities
- Math 6 or Pre-Algebra
- Spanish
- Science
- Choral Music
- Art
- Destination Imagination
- Robotics Club
Our Middle Schoolers are also "out the door" into the larger world at least once a week. Brain research shows that hands-on learning reinforces and deepens understanding of subject matter studied in the classroom. In keeping with our commitment to experiential education, we spend many hours in the natural world, and we require our students to have laptops in the classroom daily.
We are also thrilled to welcome Diane Sheehey to our Middle School teaching team. She will be teaching Humanities, a course that integrates English, Social Studies and Art. Diane is a highly experienced teacher who has worked with students of all ages. She holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts and a JD from Hastings.
Enrollment is limited--thanks to ISW's emphasis on small class sizes and one-on-one attention. Please call us today at 540-877-5552 to tell us about your 6th grader.