Home Stretch

Believe it or not, we are in the home stretch here in the Nest.  The kids are seeing the results of all their hard work and getting ready to share and celebrate with each other.  In these last weeks we are extremely busy, finishing projects, doing presentations and reflecting on what we have learned.  In addition, between now and the end of the year the Nesters will all have participated in MCAS, MAP testing, field trips, concerts, field day, assemblies and more!  They have done a terrific job of juggling their everyday workload with the extra efforts FN requires.  I hope you are all as proud of them as I am.

Thanks

Thank you to all the families who came to our Falcon's Nest Open House.  It was a great opportunity to have the Nesters work showcased.  Many of the visitors commented on the wide variety of projects and topics that the kids are working on.  It was also great to see some Falcon's Nest alum visiting.  The Nesters are an impressive group of students and their potential is limitless.

Open House

We will be displaying Falcon's Nest student work on Tuesday, March 27 from 6-7pm.  This is an opportunity to see what the Nesters are working on and to celebrate their enthusiasm for learning. The school arts night and spaghetti supper will be happening that same evening. I hope to see you there!

Nest News

The Nest is piloting the use of Google Docs for the school.  HES is looking to move the students towards using this tool to create and store their work.  By using Google Docs kids can work from home, collaborate with each other, interact with teachers and have a password protected secure location for their work.  The Nesters have all been given instruction on how to log on and passwords to use.  So far I'd say it seems to be a great tool that will add some terrific new ways to enhance student learning. 

Student projects have been rolling in too.  We saw a cool demonstration on science experiments that inspired other Nesters to try some at home.  Sorry if you had elephant toothpaste oozing on your kitchen counter! We also learned about popular comics, information on some of our most beloved comic artists, and tips on how to draw some ourselves.

During our past few group days we have done an internet research skill treasure hunt, we have built bridges and towers out of simple materials, we played vocabulary expanding games and practiced our debate skills.  It is so great to see how the kids each shine in different ways. Some Nesters clearly have strong language skills and love wordplay and writing, while others enjoy the challenge of building and using their hands. They are all always ready for a new challenge, a new idea, and a new partner to work with. I think of them whenever I need a reminder of how great it is to be creative, open minded and up for whatever challenge is ahead.

Fruits of Labor

Many of the Nesters are in the final stages of finishing their projects.  For many, research is completed and slide shows, videos, poster boards, websites, and models are getting some final touches.  Shannen presented a terrific video that displayed some of the many talents the students at HES possess. Casey shared helpful tips on how to remember multiplication facts. Both Nesters are planning on sharing their work with other classes. It is great to see how proud the students are when they finish a project and can talk about what they have discovered. 
We haven't had a Wednesday session in awhile.  We are all anxious for next week when we can work as group on some new challenges. The Nesters love working together and they make a great team!  One of the best parts of Falcon's Nest is seeing kids from different classes and grades bond over common interests and challenges.

2012

As 2011 comes to a close, I'm once again thinking about how fortunate I am to be working with the Nesters.  I learn new things every day.  Students share science experiments, art projects, history reports and so much more and I get to discover right along with them! Some of the Nesters are getting close to finishing their first projects, while others may be working on one project all year long. One of my goals is for Nesters to be able to self assess their work and determine for themselves what they need to research and share in order to complete a project.  This concept can be tricky for many Nesters.  These kids are great at assessing what a teacher wants and giving back the correct information, but having to figure out what questions to ask for themselves can be tricky.  Our conversations often go like this...
Nester: "What should I do next?"
Me: "Hmmm, what do you think?"
Nester: "What do you want me to do next?"
Me: "Well, what kind of information do you still need?"
Nester:  "I need to find out..."
This kind of conversation can sometimes go back and forth for a while but inevitably the Nester will come up with a great idea and next step. It is so much fun to watch.
Thank you for allowing me to investigate, discover, create and toil with your kids.   I look forward to the new adventures with the Nesters in 2012! Happy Holidays!

Lunch Club

Falcon's Nest Lunch Club is a great time for any student in grades 3-6 to come to the FN room and work on a project.  It is always a nice mix of kids who come and share ideas and interests. Each week a few new students try out Lunch Club and often become regulars. Sometimes Falcon's Nest students come to Lunch Club to work on their projects or to start another project. It seems that some Nesters are just not satisfied with only one project at a time! Every Friday we have game day during Lunch Club.  Kids can choose to play one of a variety of board games (Blockus, Jenga, Chess, Battleship, etc.)  Friday is a very popular day!  So if you know a student who is curious about Falcon's Nest, or who has an idea for a project that they are eager to work on, send them to Lunch Club!