On April 16, Mount Madonna School (MMS) students and faculty had completed four weeks of remote learning and teaching, one milestone among many. What follows is a “snapshot” along our “remote learning time line.”
In between participating in Zoom science class with her classmates and teacher Nicole Silva, eighth grader Ona Musoll-Buendia dedicated some time to practicing sewing skills and learning to make fabric masks. Outside of classroom online meetings and homework, other students created art using an array of media, planted gardens, became science sleuths and charted significant milestones in their own lives.
“In fourth grade, students are engaged in ‘backyard science’ projects,” shared teacher Nick Cabassa. “This week students spent time outdoors discovering the living things in their own backyards, and then documenting their finds in a Google photo slideshow. Fourth graders are also working on planetary slideshows. Each student was assigned a planet or moon to learn about. Next, each student is creating a slideshow presentation to share with me and their classmates during one of our upcoming Zoom sessions. Meanwhile we are continuing to use the online Khan Academy as a resource and completing math lessons using Khan and screen sharing.”
In the second grade students created time lines and shared them with their classmates.
“We started our time line work by learning about number lines in math and placing numbers sequentially,” shared teacher Prema Gammons. “Students then created a timeline based on the events in the life of Cesar Chavez during our cultural awareness unit. Students used this as a foundation to create a time line of events in their own lives. It’s great to see what milestones leave an impact on the children – from the memory of a broken limb to the birth of siblings.”
“My daughter put a lot of time and thought into this project,” shared parent Tiffany Powers. “We had such a wonderful morning one day just going through old pictures and videos and reliving some wonderful memories. Thank you, Prema, for this wonderful project!”
Movement, meanwhile, was also in order on a recent day, and first grader Luiza Ocampo-Soboviak was ready for dancing with MMS teacher Charleigh France (of Freedom Blvd Dance Co) and to get back to ballet with her friends!
###
Contact: Leigh Ann Clifton, director of marketing & communications,
Nestled among the redwoods on 375 acres, Mount Madonna School (MMS) is a community of learners dedicated to creative, intellectual, and ethical growth. MMS supports its students in becoming caring, self-aware, discerning and articulate individuals; and believe a fulfilling life includes personal accomplishments, meaningful relationships and service to society. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville. Founded in 1979.
