Stories from the Playground

It was a joy to see Lower School students back on campus this week. I took some time to visit the playground during break today and got some highlights of the week from some of our articulate and confident scorpion students. Here is what I learned. 

The first news I heard was blurted out simultaneously by the four grade 5 girls that surrounded me and at first I had no idea what they said. When they started talking one at a time, I learned that girls volleyball started and they won against Whittell! These girls were very clear that they not only won, but they won with a team of only 5th and 6th graders against a team of 7th graders. Their pride was palpable. 

Next, I heard that grade 5 had a guest speaker in science. He taught them that geothermal energy is common in Nevada. They learned that in this form of energy, hot water underneath the earth pushes up and makes steam, which spins turbines to make electricity. 

In other big news, many of the Lower School students got new dogs over the holidays. I saw a picture of one particularly cute puppy. The girls were pretty sure that "almost everyone has a new dog now!" 

After the girls ran off to play, I headed over to three boys playing basketball. These students were seriously involved in their game and a bit more reluctant to talk, but eventually I got them to share. They told me that they had done a science experiment in which they had used a lightbulb to make a paper spiral spin from the heat generated. Basketball in PE class was also a highlight for them. 

We are looking forward to welcoming all grades back on campus next week. Thank you to the parents who helped with playground duty, which allowed the Lower School to return with only a few teachers on campus this week.