Students "Deep Dive" into Big Things!

While students typically have one class with their specialist per week, Deep Dive allows the students to work with specialists for five consecutive days, providing them the time for more in-depth exploration, collaboration, and creativity.

"We give the students uninterrupted time to see a project through to the end without feeling rushed," said Director of Education Tonya Elstein.

In fifth grade, Art Specialist Alli Flores taught how ceramics can be created using several hand-building techniques. Snake-like coils can be used to make pottery by attaching and stacking them one on top of another.

"A stack of pancakes seemed like the perfect subject matter for this coil pot project," said Ms. Flores.

This project required students to focus on attaching their coils properly by scoring the clay and adding slip (clay glue). A round slab was used for the top and bottom of the pot.

Students were encouraged to decorate the lid by creating strawberries, blueberries, butter, and syrup if desired. When complete, the pots were glazed and fired to cone 06 (1,828 degrees).

The fourth-grade students learned about the executive functioning skill of planning in Enhancement Deep Dive, and what better way to learn and practice these skills than by planning and creating their own frighteningly fabulous Halloween party?

They were first given a CLUE about the steps in effective planning:

C - Consider what you need. 
L - List out all the steps and details. 
U - Understand possible issues that might arise when working in groups. 
E - Estimate the time and budget.

Students were placed in groups and tasked with collaborating to work out the details of their party. Each student in the group was assigned specific jobs to flesh out the fine details, including invitations, decorations, activities, and refreshments—all within their planned budget.

"I loved watching our fourth graders work so well together, collaborating, resolving issues, and creating some really fun Halloween parties!" said Enhancement Teacher Teresa Gore.

Third graders studied how plants grow in their unit on agriculture. Their Deep Dive project is called Innovations in Agriculture.

Students identified problems that farmers or local gardeners might face each day. Some of these problems include climate, the environment they live in, the amount of sunlight, the amount of water, weather patterns, and pests.

"It is crucial for elementary school students to understand the challenges faced by gardeners and farmers because these issues directly impact our environment, food systems, and communities," said Computer Science and Technology Specialist Cristina Knodel. "This knowledge fosters a sense of responsibility and awareness about sustainable practices and the importance of local agriculture."

Recognizing how environmental factors influence plant growth can inspire future generations to innovate and advocate for solutions, promoting a more resilient and sustainable food system that benefits everyone.

The second graders spent the week learning music for their grade-level show that will take place later this year. Music Specialist Jessica Barker has also been working on vocal exercises to help develop their singing talents.

"I'm enjoying this dedicated time to teach vocal technique and build successful habits before we begin our production week in October," said Ms. Barker.

Our first-grade Sharks met some of the most lovable characters in children’s literature. Besides enjoying multiple read-aloud books each day, students played games inspired by the characters, read "all by myself" in the Wong Family Treehouse, wrote friendly letters or postcards to the characters, and even created character sketch artwork of these 13 adorable characters.

"Our readers were thrilled to check books out of the library each day of this special cycle," said Literacy and Library Specialist Jen Currie. "Well done, first grade!"

We are looking forward to our next Deep Dive, scheduled for November.