High School Music

We have entered our final term of the academic year in High School Band. Schooling is very different these days. Before Spring Break, the school was running as usual; with teachers and students interacting face-to-face. However, after Spring Break, we have had to carry out online learning with students, using Google Classroom, Zoom and other online tools that can be used to teach students from afar.

High School Band class usually has a strong emphasis on practical activities. Students would normally collaborate by playing musical instruments and singing together in class to build harmony. As a culminated project we would usually hold a Music Concert at the end of the semester.

Despite, the current situation, students have still been working on their music talents and have been showcasing this by consistently sending videos to demonstrate their progress and training via Google Classroom. In this time, teacher and students are still able to interact actively and that has enabled strong and worthwhile learning to take place in High School Band.

Middle School Science

Grade 6 Earth Science

The 6th Graders have been engaging in an online learning on Land, Air, and Water Resources due to the COVID – 19 pandemic. They have previously studied Rocks and Weathering, Soil formation, Soil conservation, Water Erosion, Mass Movement, and Wave action. The learning has involved several inquiry – based activities including investigating soils and drainage. In this activity, students use various materials and soil components to make a variety  of soils in order to test their permeability. They also collected quantitative data about how fast water drains through various kinds of soil.

Grade 7 Life Science

The 7th graders have recently finished their introductory unit on Genetics. They have been learning about Heredity, Probability and Heredity, Patterns of Inheritance, The Genetic Code, Protein synthesis, and Mutations. The learning has involved several Lab Investigations including how cells make proteins. In this activity, students use yarn, chenille sticks, ribbon, glue, tape, and other craft materials to make DNA, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, and a ribosome.

Life Science 8

After finishing our unit on DNA, Life Science 8 began a new unit on evolution and natural selection.  This week the students have been giving virtual presentations on two animals of their choice: determining a common ancestor, their different habitats and how the physical or behavioral adaptations in each organism helps them survive in those habitats.  We have heard about different primate species, bird species, elephant species, bears, snakes, insects, iguanas, and many more. Students have also been reading excerpts from Your Inner Fish, a book by Neil Shubin about how everything in the human body can be traced back to our ancestors that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.  In doing this we can appreciate the scientific wonders that have made us the people we are today. Social distancing has presented new challenges, but the students are adapting well.