California Artist Michael Kershnar Visits with Second Grade
Our second grade students had a surprise virtual visit from California based artist Michael Kershnar. Michael, who is working on a large mural at the home of one of our second grade families, zoomed in to share an in depth look at the how and why behind the mural he is creating. Michael is a…
Kindergarten Nature Sculptures
Our kindergarteners have recently been learning about Andy Goldsworthy, a sculptor, photographer and environmentalist, in their art class. Inspired by Andy’s site-specific sculptures and land art, students collected natural materials from their surrounding outdoor spaces to create their own sculptures at home!
Enjoying the Great Indoors!
We love seeing the creative ways our teachers our bringing the feel of Keys School events to the homes of their students. This week our fourth-grade teachers have redesigned their annual outdoor education trip with students to be at-home friendly. If this inspires you to pitch a tent and enjoy the great indoors, here are…
Coming to You Live!
Coming to you live from Keys School! Our fourth graders are stepping into the roles of news correspondents today, “on the scene” of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. This project connects what our students are learning in their Earth Sciences unit, specifically about plate tectonics, with their ongoing studies of California history. Our fourth graders…
How does it make you feel?
Today the worlds of Music and Art came together for our fourth graders as they dove into the realm of abstract expressionist paintings. In this unit, students learned of a famous Russian artist, Viktor-Edouard Hartmann, who was friends with many musicians, including composer Modest Mussorgsky, during the 1860s. Inspired by Viktor’s great art, Modest created…
Stone Soup
Our first graders recently worked together to cook up two large, delicious pots of stone soup! This activity follows their Social Studies unit on food, during which time students explored how food is a window to one’s identity and ways in which food can bring people together, like in the book “Stone Soup”. Through these…
Be a 4th Grade Mathematician Day!
Recently, our fourth grade families got to experience what it is like to be a fourth grade mathematician at Keys School! Family members joined their fourth grade students as they played concept-teaching games, explored big ideas in mathematics, and even tackled a few challenges in what we call “rotation stations.” This was a chance for…
Dive in and Discover: Student Choice
We know that student choice builds ownership of and investment in learning. Dive in and Discover week provides students with dedicated time to explore a topic that is of interest to them, personally.
Dive in and Discover: Design Thinking
A guest visitor to our “Under Construction” Dive in and Discover group shared with students about how his company constructs real furniture from cardboard. Students learned about the properties of cardboard and utilized Design Thinking to empathize, imagine, create, and iterate in making their own rocket ships and backpacks to take to Mars.
Dive in and Discover: Multiage Learning Groups
Dive in and Discover week gives our Lower School students the opportunity to work in mixed-age learning groups with students and teachers they don’t frequently interact with. In mixed-age groups, the dynamics between older and younger students fosters interdependence through collaboration and independence in older students who become leaders and mentors for the younger students.…