What if there were no birds?

Can you believe it? It is October of the 2019-2020 school year! We started the year in the Nest with a discussion about a recent article in the New York Times that talked about the dramatic decrease in the North American bird population. From there, each student did a mini presentation based upon the question "What if there we no birds?".

As the shirt says, "Awesome never rests"

Here are a few of the resulting statements:

If there were no birds...

• Cats would be obese due to lack of exercise.
• Wild buffalo and rhinos would go extinct due to illnesses the bugs that feed off of them carry.
• Birdwatchers would have nothing to do.
• Breakfast restaurants would die out without eggs to offer.

These big ideas were shared via skits, posters, dioramas,
sculptures, and more! It is so fun to see these creative minds at work.

May

May is here and the Nesters are furiously finishing up projects for our upcoming showcase. The sixth graders chose to finish their time in the Nest by doing a group project. This group of kids are extraordinarily close and work together seamlessly. It is always so bittersweet to have to say goodbye to a sixth grade class! I am so sure they will do great things as they move on but I sure will miss them!

College Students in the Nest

Last week we welcomed 20 Springfield College students to Falcon's Nest. The Nesters proudly showed the college students what they have been working on. They all had a chance to ask each other questions and make connections. It is always fun to share what happens in the Nest!

A Glimpse

Here is a sneak peek into a few of the projects being presented in the Nest. 

Grace designed an escape room. Below you see some sixth graders doing there best to decode the clues that will let them solve the puzzles and escape!

Here are a few photos of the Madi and Ella filming a new cooking show. In the first video they will be demonstrating how to make easy, delicious afterschool snacks. Watch out food network!

Fall in the Nest

It so great to be in the Nest this time of year. It feels like a true incubator of ideas. What are we up to you wonder? Well… here are just a few examples of the many wonderful projects being worked on in the Nest right now—some scientific minds are learning about plasma and how caffeine impacts our bodies; others are curiously investigating life in Ancient Egypt and how George Washington became our first president; across the room Nesters are grappling with modern day conundrums like the island of trash growing in the Pacific, and hunting regulations in Massachusetts. That is just a little glimpse into the variety of interests and ideas that the Nesters are passionate about. Soon many of them will begin putting form to their research and developing models, slide shows, surveys and games that share this knowledge with the larger school community.  For some, the maker aspect of the project is their favorite part, while others enjoy the pure research. One of the highlights for me is always when the Nesters begin sharing their knowledge with the larger group. It is remarkable, both with the depth of understanding they are able to demonstrate, as well as the enthusiasm the all bring to each other’s work. I am always reminded how luck I am to spend my days with such terrific kids!

Congratulations!

This time of year is always so bittersweet. Saying goodbye to another group of sixth graders who have blossomed here at HES is so hard to do. This group will hold a special place in my heart, they have proven to be a particularly creative, spunky group of Nesters who support one another and consistently demonstrate a love of learning. As I told them this past week, they will come upon hard times with school, friends, life in general but I am so confident that they each have the fortitude to persist and go on to do amazing things. I can't wait to see what they do next!

                                     

Open House Success

Last week we had a wonderful Open House! Families, teachers and friends all came to help celebrate the hard work happening in the Nest. It was smiles all around!