Falcon's Nest

Fruits of Labor

2012-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-02T08:44:00.001-08:00

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!

Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers

2011-11-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I showed the Nesters some videos made by PBS NOVA called "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers". These 6-7 minute videos are geared towards kids and highlight individuals who work in the science or engineering fields. One of the great thing about these videos is that they show how a passionate interest, often found early in life, can lead to a satisfying career. They also feature people who have multiple interests such as an architectural engineer who also rock climbs, or a rapping botanist. The kids really enjoyed seeing these videos which make science and engineering look fun and cool. Check out the PBS website if you want to watch them at home.
Here is a short clip from one of the videos.

Projects

2011-10-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here are just some of the exciting things kids are studying in Falcon's Nest:

Chemistry

Owls

Electricity
Greek Gods
Pointillism
Comics
Renewable energy sources...

As always, we have a very interesting group of kids with lots to share. I'll keep you updated.

2011-10-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

We are off to a great start! I am so excited about working with your kids and helping them discover new passions and interests. The Nesters are full of great ideas for individual projects and they should be narrowing in on a topic to study. The kids will be working on both individual projects and group activities during Falcon's Nest. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or information that may help me have more insight into what makes your child tick!

I shared this short video from The Parent Show on PBS with some of the kids. A few of the Nesters decided that I should not show this to their parents because "they would love it and make us do stuff." So here you go!

PBS also has a terrific series called The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers in which they do very short interviews with adults who are working in those fields. The videos are fun, short and really inspiring. I will be sharing some of these interviews with the kids throughout the school year. I will post some of them here so you can follow along.

We're Back!

2011-10-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

The 2011-2012 Falcon's Nest is about to begin at last! I hope the start of the school year has been good to you and your family. I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of the enthusiastic Nesters later this week. We will begin the year going over the Falcon's Nest program guidelines. We will talk about why a student is selected for FN and what is expected of a Nester. Soon our sessions will be filled with researching, making and presenting work that reflects the passions of each Nester. So much fun and hard work to come! I will keep you posted.

The Worst Part

2011-06-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Today I say goodbye to the sixth grade Nesters. This group has been terrific. They are a diverse group of kids. Each possessing skills and talents unique to them. We have engineers, artists, scientists, dancers, scholars and athletes among us. They have all contributed their unique world view to make the time in FN so interesting. This final day they requested we spend sometime debating philosophical questions. These Nesters are curious and thoughtful. I know they will go on to make our world a better place. I was recently at a graduation at which Alan Alda was the commencement speaker. One of the many inspiration things he said was that it is not enough to just have a dream, you need to work at making your dream come true. These sixth graders have big dreams and they have the ability and drive to make them come true. I can't wait to see what they do!

I will see the rest of the Nesters next year. I hope to find them relaxed, refreshed and ready for a challenge. Have a great summer!

The Home Stretch

2011-05-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

I hope you had a chance during the Arts Night last week to stop in and see some of the projects the Nesters have been working on. It always amazing at the diversity of interests and passions the Nesters possess. This time of year is always exciting with student work coming to fruition. Although I have to admit it is bittersweet to know we are in the home stretch. Our sixth graders are moving on to new adventures! But we still have a few weeks to cram in as much research, creativity and fun as we possibly can!

Spring has Sprung

2011-04-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

At last spring is here and the Falcon's Nest students continue to produce new ideas and creations. We have had recent presentations on Benjamin Franklin and the History of the Soccer Ball. Some of the kids have been exploring online tools that may help them organize and present future projects. They have discovered Remember the Milk an organizational tool, Prezi for interactive presentations and Timetoast to create time lines. We also have been looking at some of the amazing tools Google makes available for creating websites, research and sharing information. It is so much fun to explore technology with the Nesters because they are so adept at navigating the web and so open to trying new things.

Theo Jansen Creation

2011-02-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

Inventions and Presentations

2011-02-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

This past week the Nesters watched a short video about artist/engineer Theo Jansen who makes kinetic sculptures of creatures out of lemonade bottles and plastic tubing. Mr. Jansen's work bridges art, science, and engineering. We then spent some time designing inventions of our own. Some kids made functional objects designed to send messages and ease laundry chores while others created beautiful sculptures to please the eye. The Nesters regularly combine areas of study in creating their projects. We have had some presentations this past week that combined sculpting and academics. One student studied the history and architecture of the Tower of Pisa and another Nester presented a full scale model of a person made out of recycled materials. It is always so much fun to see the kids translate their academic studies into a creative product. And the creativity is bubbling over at the moment in the Nest. Zach is writing and performing a song based upon a sports figure he has been studying, another student is choreographing a dance, Laura is making a video highlighting the many talents of the HES student body, and Stephanie is designed and building a model of a house. The Nest is an exciting place to be!

Snow

2011-01-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been trying to even the most avid snow lover. In between snow days the Nesters have continued to work on their projects. We have had a few more projects shared and once again the range of topics is amazing. In the past few weeks Nesters have completed projects on The 39 Clues book series, chem trails, and mummies! I hope this will be a full week of school with plenty of opportunity for the Nesters to make progress on their terrific projects and do some creative group activities. We will see if the weather cooperates! Also, keep an eye out for FN progress reports that will be coming in the kids report cards.

2011

2011-01-06T08:36:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year. We are welcoming a few new students to the Nest this month. I love to see our group expand and absorb new people and ideas. The Nesters are remarkably open and supporative of each other. We will continue to do group activities on Wednesdays and individual projects the other schedule periods. The Falcon's Nest kicked off the new year by watching a terrific video of eleven year old Birke Baehr presenting his research on our food system. This video is part of the TED speakers series http://www.ted.com/. If you get a chance to check it out I think you will be impressed with Birke and the many other speakers. I wanted the Nesters to see the video and discuss Birke's remarkable presentation skills. He demonstrated a mastery of both his subject matter and presentation. As I told the Nesters I have great confidence in each of their abilities to research, organize and present their work just as effectively as Birke did. The possibilites for 2011 are endless!

2010-12-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

2010-12-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

2010-12-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

At Any Given Moment in the Nest

2010-11-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last week we had visitors from another school district who came to observe Nest. Often we have folks from other schools come to see what we do here in the Nest because they are interested in starting a program in their own school. They were impressed with the kids and surprised to see how varied the Nesters projects are. Each student is working on a project they are passionate about therefore the diversity of the Nester's work can be quite remarkable.

Right now if you were to visit you would see students...

Building a human form out of recycled materials
Making slide shows about pets, Venice, The 39 Steps book series, and Free Energy
Sculpting models of pandas, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Studying Benjamin Franklin, and Egyptian pyramids
Making a game of measuring and comparing the weights of common classroom items
Starting a fundraiser for animal protection organizations.
Making posters about big cats, and Shaquille Oneal

Illustrating the Edgar Allen Poe story "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Learning American Sign Language and making a video of themselves using ASL

Hard at Work

2010-11-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Paul building model of a Hindu temple.

Presentations

2010-11-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

We spent some time this week talking about presentations skills. We all know it can be difficult to get up in front of your peers and share your work and ideas. In FN the kids are all working on projects that they are passionate about and it is important that they learn how to effectively communicate their knowledge and enthusiasm. Often a dynamic student presentation inspires other Nesters to want to learn more about the subject at hand. Some of the presentation techniques we discussed were maintaining eye contact with the audience, using voice modulation, the importance of visual clues and how to effectively use interactive questions to engage your audience. After going over the many aspects of a successful presentation one brave student stepped up and showed his work. He did a great job of sharing and explaining his topic with passion and enthusiasm. We are fortunate enough here at HES to have terrific technology so this presentation was particularly impressive using one of our SMART boards. This was the first of many presentations we will be having in the Nest in the months to come. It is wonderful to witness the culmination of all that hard work. And once again, at the end of the day I left impressed with this group of kids. They were without exception a thoughtful and enthusiastic audience. The students provided positive feedback as well as tips on how to enhance the presentation. They are a truly supportive community of learners who appreciate each others idiosyncratic interests. If only our world were filled with adults who behaved as compassionately and intelligently as the Nesters.

A good leader is...

2010-11-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

I asked the Nesters how to define a good leader. This is what they said...
Respectful
Responsible
Trustworthy
Helpful
Can change things for the better
Nice
Knowledgeable
Strong
Confident
Courteous
Competent
Friendly
Determined
Independent
Instills a little amount of fear
Has there own ideas
Charismatic
Courageous
Positive
Mrs. Chapin

Group Activities

2010-11-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays in the Nest are spent working on group activities. Last week Jen Chapin was a guest speaker as we showed the kids the "Fish" video. The FISH! Philosophy video tells the inspiring story of the Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market and the workplace environment they have created. The positive message in the FISH! video is that it is up to you to choose your attitude and make the most of your day. Jen uses this video and philosophy here at HES to inspire the entire staff to make this school a terrific place to work and learn. So we decided to share the FISH! Philosophy video with the fifth and sixth grade FN students. The kids loved it! We talked about how to translate things they learned about in the video into each of our lives. Already some of the kids are interested in doing a community service project so that they can make a positive difference in the lives of others. I will be sure to update you on the good works that come from these terrific kids. Check out www.charthouse.com for more information on the FISH! Philosophy. And feel free to ask Jen about how the philosophy is implemented here at HES.

Spaces

2010-10-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Working in the art room has already begun to influence the Nesters. More and more students are making creative displays to demonstrate their area of study. Already this year we have a number of kids working on 2D and 3D projects utilizing the materials that are readily available. It will be exciting to see these pieces start to take form. This past Wednesday we worked on some group activities geared towards creativity and team building. For one activity I split the kids into pairs and gave them paper, tape and straws. With these meager supplies they were asked to work together to build a bridge spanning two tables. This bridge needed to be both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing. When the bridge planning and building time was done the kids were asked to select a spokesperson who would represent the team and explain their work. The Nesters did a fabulous job! The bridges were terrific, but what really impressed me was their teamwork. Not only did the kids work well in their small group, but when they came back together with the larger group they soared. They were happy for each other, complimentary to one another and truly enjoyed each others successes! Well done Nesters!

The Beginning

2010-10-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

Falcon's Nest is in full swing! Many students have already selected project topics and are beginning their research. As always we have a wide array of interests and styles represented in the Nest. A sculptor has begun making a prototype for her recycled materials person, a scientist is designing a game using measurements and weights, and a linguist is beginning to study common phrases in multiple languages!
We are also continuing to do group activities geared towards critical and creative thinking skills and team building. In order to help nourish the Nesters creative sides we will be talking a lot about unique talents, perspectives and skills. You may have heard that the first few days of FN were spent getting oriented and doing a lot paperwork. One of the questionnaires that the students filled out was an Interest-A-Lyzer. The Interest-A-Lyzer is a tool developed at the University of Connecticut that is used to help identify an individual student's academic and creative interests. As I read through the responses I was thrilled to see all the passions and talents the FN students possess. I can't wait to see how the Nesters flourish this year.

Start up

2010-09-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

I hope all the students are getting back into the swing of the school year. It has been a great beginning here at HES and we are looking forward to Falcon's Nest starting up. Letters will begin going home next week. Falcon's Nest student enrollment is ongoing and will continue through out the school year. For those of you whose students are returning you will notice a few changes. The biggest change is our room move. We are now located primarily in the art room. This will provide great access to a wide array of materials and inspiration. We also have six new laptops in the Nest for student research!
It would be great if you could help your student to start thinking about topics that they want to learn more about. A good place to start is to think about what they enjoy doing in their spare time. Does he play piano? Maybe he would want to write music, do a research project on Mozart or build an instrument. Does she love to ride her bike? Maybe she would want to organize a community bike ride fundraiser, study kinetics, or design an new kind of bicycle altogether. The more creative, out of the box thinking you can help inspire in your kids-the more fantastic projects they will create. I can't wait to see what lights them up!

Welcome Back

2010-08-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed this hot summer. I know I am excited to be back. The Nest is has moved to the art room! Being in the art room will allow us to stretch our creative sides. I expect many of the Nesters will be inspired by the wide variety of materials now available. The Nest will be up and running in the next few weeks. I will be talking with classroom teachers about schedules and participants as soon as school starts up. Eligible FN students will receive an information packet to bring home and go over with their parents. Once again "Lunch Club" will be available to any students (grades 3-6) who are interested in working on project during their recess and lunch time. Stop in to see me if you have questions. I will be at HES Tuesday through Friday afternoons. I can't wait to see what wonderful creations and explorations will happen this year in the Nest.

Wrapping Up

2010-06-03T09:04:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe we are in the last few weeks of school. I am so proud of our hard working Nesters. They have completed scores of projects--interviews, books, experiments, sculptures, designs, models, and videos on topics as diverse as ancient cultures, redwood trees, acne, synesthesia and bullying. The Nesters have built safe environment in which creativity and intellectual curiosity is the norm. They aren't afraid to question each other, to add constructive critique and suggestions. It is such a pleasure to be with them as they discover new interests, talents and passions. It will be hard to say goodbye to the Nesters who are moving on but I know they each have infinite possibilities lying ahead of them. I wish you all wonderful adventures.

Only eight weeks to go!

2010-04-27T09:20:00.001-07:00

Spring break is over and we are in the home stretch of the school year. The students are brimming with activity. Third grader Maggie is writing a play about MCAS that she wants to show second graders to ease any anxiety they may have about the test. Julia has also written and directed a play. Julia's play is about bullying and is starring a number of students. They have been practicing during lunch club, and are hoping to share it during a whole school meeting. Also being shared during the whole school meeting will be Zach's interview with Jane Yolen. Zach approached Jane Yolen and she graciously agreed to come in and be interviewed about her life and work. Another interview happening in the nest is Paul's. Paul has been exchanging emails with an archaeologist who is on a dig in Brazil. Liam is busy designing his glider which he hopes will get him closer to his dream of flying. Moira and Taylor are building the Great Wall China out of sugarcubes. Also about to be constructed is a model of the World Trade Center by Ryan. And Shannen is doing a fundraiser for Dakin Animal Shelter. Whew. Those are only a few of the projects happening right now in the Nest. This is going to be a busy few months!!

Open House Quotes

2010-04-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Falcon's Nest Open House was a terrific night. Julia our guest reporter interviewed some of the visitors. Here is what they had to say. "I think it is wonderful! It is fun and you do fun projects." said John a nesters dad. "Fascinating, I wish everyone could do it." Said a HES student. Zach thinks it is "awesome". A Mom said "it is good, my daughter really wants more challenge." Sophia "likes the projects especially the polar bear one." Julia asked me what I thought about the program as well, I said "I love Falcon's Nest because I get to help kids learn about things that really interest them." Thanks Julia.

Spring Projects

2010-03-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! We have been very busy. In the past week we have had presentations on Extinct Penguins, International Holidays, and Ancient Rome to name few. The kids are pushing to complete their projects before next weeks Open House.

Here is Zach C. to tell you about his False Advertising project.
"Hey guys! I recently finished up my Falcon's Nest project about False Advertisements. I learned many different things. One interesting thing I would like to happen is that I would like other Nesters to try this topic and hopefully find some information that I didn't find. Thanks for reading!"Zach's next project is an interview with Jane Yolen. Stay tuned.

Moira continues to wrestle with her Redwood tree. It continues to "grow" in the classroom. I will keep you updated.

Julia's restaurant has been designed and presented. The Nesters all agreed that restaurants need to work on improving their kids menus. Apparently portions size and selections on most kid's menus leave much to be desired! Julia is now writing a play that she will cast and direct. We look forward to being a part of her theatrical debut.

Zach L. is completing his Field Guide to Mythological Creatures. Zach says"My project is a collection of mythological creatures from four different mythologies. They are: Norse, Egyptian, Greek, and Mesopotamian."

Paul is beginning an interview with an archaeologist in Brazil. Here are a few things he is going to be asking:
"What are some of your favorite digs?"
"How do you fund your work?"
"What kinds of digs do you do?"
"What is a day on a dig like?"
"What is your definition of an archaeologist?"

See you next week at the Falcon's Nest Open House.

Open House

2010-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

Spring is coming! And with spring comes the Falcon's Nest open house. The open house will be the evening of March 31st. HES will also be having the annual potluck and art exhibition that evening. I hope you can come and see all of the interesting work the kids have been doing in the Nest. Expect to see books, sculptures, slide shows, poster boards and more about topics as diverse as mythical creatures to Redwood trees.

Contests

2010-02-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Some of the Nesters are working on submitting entries to a couple of contests. One contest is
to create a Google doodle. The theme of the doodle is "If I could do anything, I would...". The other contest is part of the Massachusetts State Treasurers Office's Savings Makes Sense program. This contest is to write an essay about "why saving money for higher education is important to you." If you child has chosen to do one or both of these contests you will need to sign a release form that they will be bringing home. I will mail the returned form and contest entries in for the students, or they can send them from home. Many of the Nesters really enjoy contests and competitions. They are all such talented kids I wouldn't be surprised if we have a winner right here in the Nest.

Enjoy the February break. I look forward to hearing the tales of adventures the Nesters have gone on during the week.

Sara the guest blogger

2010-02-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Sara's talking Zit.

2010-02-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Chapin

2010-02-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Chapin helping Moira with her redwood tree project.

Geography ABC's

2010-02-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Mia and I am a sixth grader in Falcon's Nest. My project was an ABC book for second graders. Each letter was an country of the world. Every page has a map, flag, and a fun fact. I did my project on PowerPoint, so the format would be appropriate. I hope the second graders like it, and I hope you liked my blog!!!!

ABC's and Trees

2010-02-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Mia presented her terrific Geography ABC's book yesterday and will be giving it to the second grade classrooms. We all learned a lot about the countries of the world. Did you know Hungary has no less that 1500 spas? How about the fact that Thailand is nicknamed "The Land of Smiles"? I get to learn new things everyday.
I will post pictures soon about the redwood tree that is growing in the Nest. Moira is building a tree out of papermache and it makes quite a statement. Moira's project highlights the many different learning styles the kids demonstrate while in Falcon's Nest. We have some kids, like Moira, who want to build and use their hands. Other students prefer to write or draw what they have learned. Some Nesters want to share with younger students and teach what they have learned, while others are content to have gained the new knowledge for themselves. The formats the kids use to express themselves are as different as the topics they want to learn about. The Falcon's Nest model is one of self discovery and independent learning. As their guide through this process I get to help the kids build upon their strengths and develop their talents. How lucky am I?

The latest in our "conversations to remember" file is "Why do some songs get stuck in your head? The age old ear worm question. Let us know if you have any insight to this topic.

Keep an eye out for more student blogging in the weeks to come!

Guest Bloggers

2010-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

So as you can see we have had our first guest blogger. Sara was interested in posting something about her project for all to see. I hope other students will want to share their thoughts and enthusiasm in the weeks to come. Also, the kids want to have a Falcon's Nest motto and this is the leading contender; "When life gives you lemons make grape juice then sit back and watch the world wonder how you did it." Thanks Paul!

The Next Big Thing!!!

2010-01-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

Hey it's Sara! I'm a sixth grade Falcon Nester and I'm here to tell you about the latest thing. Falcon's Nest has recently discovered the next Harry Potter, Twilight, and Spongebob! Meet Zit the Talking Pimple. He is a character that was part of my project for acne. We all loved him so much that we want him to go alot farther.Over the next few months you will be seeing alot of Zit. He is a fun and easier way to learn harder (and boring) things. In fact, his slogan is "It's not so complicated!". We will be putting him on some of our projects to make them more comprehendable and to catch people's eye. Let's hear it for team Zit!

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! As always a new year brings new possibilities for us all. I am sure the kids in the Nest will be making the most of the year to come. Their curiosity and eagerness to learn will guide them in many new directions. Many kids came back from the winter break with new interests, new project ideas, and ambitious plans.

After a vacation the students are particularily eager to share their stories and new ideas with the other Nesters. The conversations the kids have both formally and informally in the Nest are always inspiring. One day this week we had fascinating conversations about the space-time continuum, and one student's adamant belief that Egypt was overrated as an ancient culture. There is a great breadth of subjects we chat about in any given day. Often one student will bring up a subject that leads to others asking questions and wanting to learn more. The Nesters are proud of their intellectual curiousity and feel safe bringing up their interests and passions. We talk about books a lot in the Nest too, kids suggest books to each other and discuss what constitutes a "good" book. Just yesterday they were debating the merits of popular book series like Harry Potter and Twilight. Twilight in particular seems to elicit strong emotions on either side of the argument. Sometimes the conversations get so stimulating we have to table them for another time! We have an ongoing list of "conversations to remember". The list itself is both entertaining and impressive. We will be returning to many of the conversations on that list as well as others in the weeks to come!

During this month students will be making their whole school presentation on New Year celebrations from around the world. The presentations are both informative and entertaining. It is great to see the kids combine their research and creativity. I also expect a number of students to be finishing their individual projects in the weeks to come. Parents you are always welcome to visit the Nest to see what the kids are working on, join one of our conversations, or see a student presentation. We would love to have you!

Einstein

2009-12-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" said Albert Einstein. Here are some thoughts on that by the Nesters.

Themes

2009-12-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

Some days there seem to be themes in the Nest. Today I noticed a number of students working on medical and health issues. Some of them are inspired by illnesses of friends and family. As I watch the students learn more about intricate problems such as diabetes and leukemia, I can't help but think about how overwhelming this must be to a kid. As adults we struggle to understand the reasons that some people suffer with sickness and others seem to be fortunate and avoid so much pain. And here are kids 10, 11, 12 years old trying to learn as much as they can about the issues that face their friends and family. Are these kids going to grow to be doctors, scientists, researchers...maybe. But more likely they are going to grow up to be empathetic adults who believe that knowledge is power and that caring people can make a difference in the lives of others.

A Day in the Nest

2009-12-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

Gabe is discovering that a lemon can actually conduct electricity!

Today Shannen is working on National Teachers' Day in China for her international calendar.

Did you know that if you dream about legs that you may be regaining confidence and taking back control? If you want to know more about what your dreams mean just ask Zach!

Liam is creating a California Condor as part of his endangered animals project.

Here is Paul hard at work on his 6'x7' map of the Roman Empire.

A Better Place

2009-11-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

I asked the Nesters what they would like to do to make the world a better place, here are some of their answers.
"Recycle"
"Help people in need of clothing and food."
"Invent energy saving devices..."
"Teach the world about global warming."
"Stop the war in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"Stop polution."
These are such huge problems that our world is facing. No need to panic, I truly believe that if the students in Falcon's Nest represent the future problem solvers that we will be in good hands.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, it is hard to believe how fast November has passed. This month has been filled with lots of days off and half days of school but that hasn't stopped FN from being a busy place. We have had some great project presentations. We are spending a lot of time talking about how to present. The Nesters know how to create a constructive critique. It is a real credit to the students that they feel comfortable and confident enough to ask how they can do better without feeling insecure about themselves.

We have begun working on our all school meeting project. Falcon's Nest will be hosting the all school meeting on January 6. We are spending some time learning about New Years celebrations around the world. Right now it looks like the school will get a chance to find out how China, Iran, Indonesia, Australia and India celebrate the New Year.

Happy Thanksgiving! As we head into this long weekend I can't help but think about how thankful I am that I get to spend my afternoons with such great kids.

Talents We Possess

2009-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”-Henry Van Dyke

The following is a list of self proclaimed talents of Falcon’s Nest students:
Soccer
Basketball
Math
Science
Trumpet
Social Studies
Softball
Making people laugh
Drawing
Reading
Violin
Video Games
Board Games
Swimming
Baseball
Singing
Dancing
Drumming
Obtaining knowledge
Evaluating things
Eating
Writing
Talking to myself
Shopping
Knowledge of ancient history
Blowing up balloons
Snowmobiling
Cooking
Building with Knex
Running
Making things with my hands
Doodling
Sports
Flute
Cello
Hugging
Creativity
Mythology
Physics
Lawn care
Community Service
Algebra
Writing
Four Square
Figure Skating
Making art
Gymnastics
Spelling
Clarinet
Karate

More Project Updates!

2009-10-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Olivia is working on a multifaceted project inspired by her new interest in the trumpet. She is creating a slide show about Dizzy Gillespie, making a model of a trumpet and she will play us some of her own trumpet music. Peter is also going to be sharing some of his own art work. Peter is creating a display of comic and cartoon styles as well as a history of popular comics. Meanwhile, Gabe is making a potato clock. We are all trying to figure out how a potato is going to conduct electricity! Gabe is going to show us the final project as well as a slide show on how you too can make a potato clock at home. Mikey is taking us through the history of the Springfield Falcons. He is creating a slide show that will report on the ups and downs of this franchise and the famous players have been a part of this local team. Shannen is creating an illustrated calendar to show holidays from around the world. There is an international party on every page. We are looking forward to Shannen's final product so we can have twelve new reasons to celebrate!

Presentations

2009-10-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

We are nearing the time for our first project presentations. Most of the Nesters are still in the midst of their first projects but a few are finishing up. During the past few weeks, we have been talking about successful presentation skills. We are focusing on both effectively communicating information and becoming active audience members. The presentation skills matrix we are using encourages students to ask questions of their audience, use their voice to emphasize ideas, show visual clues, maintain eye contact and stay focused on the topic. There is a lot to remember when presenting a project, but after all the hard work of researching and formatting the information, is it worth the extra effort!

The audience members are also active participants in each presentation. The audience is expected to comment and critique the work. Some questions you might hear are... Why did you choose this subject? What challenges did you face when working on the project? Does this work lead you to another idea for your next project?

Students often suggest ways in which the presentation could be enhanced with more facts, aesthetic changes or a more focused topic. The Falcon Nest community atmosphere allows for these conversations to occur without hurt feelings or personal attacks. Our one big rule in FN is that we respect each other at all times! I am always amazed at the thoughtfulness, tact and support the kids show one another. They create an environment where learning is fun, safe and engaging.

Book List

2009-10-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

Some of the Nesters favorite books!

Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Don’t Die My Love by Lurlene McDaniel
Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
He by Mike Lupica
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Warrior by Erin Hunter
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Silverwing Series by Kenneth Oppel
Seventh Tower by Garth Nix
Deltor A Quest by Emily Rodda
Magyk by Angie Sage and Mark Zug
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Spiderwick Chronicles by H. Black & T. DiTerrlizzi
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Tredon Lee Stewert
Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

New Nesters Soon!

2009-10-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Good News! More Nesters will be joining us soon. Letters of invitation went out to eligible students today. They should be starting in the next week or so. It will be great to welcome some more kids with exciting ideas and projects.
As for the current students...they are busy! Some times the Nest feels more like a hive. We have such a wide range of interests and styles it is great to see the work emerge. Fifth grader Paul is creating a slide show entitled "Barbarians Throughout the Roman Empire". His project began as a broad look at barbarians from around the world. This quickly got complicated when he began to delve into the cultural relativity of the word "barbarian". It seems that the term "barbarian" is in the eye of the beholder. Mia is creating a book for a younger grade to help them get a jump start on geography. Her illustrated alphabet book tells facts about twenty six countries. The letter C is for Cambodia. Did you know Cambodia only has two seasons-rainy and dry? Mia says this project is a lot of fun because she loves geography and teaching younger kids. Julia loves working with hands-on projects she is not afraid to get messy! Her investigation right now is to look at chemical reactions and stain removal. The vinegar trial was a particularly smelly day! We are all looking forward to her findings.

Project Updates

2009-10-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sienna and Moira are working together on a slide show about the country of Djibouti. When they present their slide show they are going to bring in banana fritters which are a popular treat in Djibouti. A fact that Moira finds particularily surprising is that the average lifespan of a person in Djibouti is only 43! Sienna said she was really interested in finding out that the country only gets five inches of rain each year!
Also working on a research project about a particular country is Taylor. Taylor is studying Paraguay. She wanted to learn more about a country in South America that she didn't know much about. She is particularily interested in finding out more about the national foods of Paraguay. Taylor already discovered that the people of Paraguay enjoy many of the same sports as we do-like soccer, basketball and tennis. When she is done with her research Taylor will be sharing what she learned with a slideshow and poster. We are all looking forward to finding out more about Paraguay!
Zach who is in sixth grade is making an electric generator out of magnets and wire. He has discovered it is a lot harder than he imagined! Zach has been working hard on making models and revisions of his plan. He even took apart an old computer hard drive to get to a super strong magnet inside. He hopes that with some tweaking of materials and designs he will be lighting up the Falcon's Nest in no time.
Sara is experimenting with acne products. Did you know that chocolate and greasy food do not make you develop acne? When Sara is done with her research she is going to compare some popular acne treatments and report on her findings. We can't wait to find out what she discovers.
More updates will be coming soon...

Great Start

2009-09-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Falcon's Nest is off to a great start this year. The veteran Nester's are back and already delving into topics that they want to study. We have a number of geographers creating presentations on Paraguay, Djibouti and one person creating ABC book of countries for HES's first grade classes. Our scientists are also emerging with some hands-on experiments about electromagnetic energy as well as studying chemical reactions in the stain removal process. A number of other projects are also taking shape ranging from successful treatment for acne to barbarians from around the world. This promises to be an exciting year in the nest with some lively discussions. The Falcon's Nest is aiming at helping students find their passions. This is a great video of students in New York at PS 22 who are obviously discovering a passion.

Falcon's Nest Goals

2009-09-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

Falcon’s Nest Goals

§ To help HES meet the academic needs of all children.

§ To maximize the amount of hands-on learning time for all children.

§ To foster multiple learning styles.

§ To encourage critical and creative thinking skills.

§ To facilitate leadership skills and share information with the school community.

§ To give students access to a multi-aged peer group that provides a positive learning environment in which intellectual curiosity is the norm.