Younger Students Connected With – And Learned From! – Upper School Friends

During a summer of social distancing, some students at MICDS were still able to connect and learn from each other. A group of Upper School students served as peer leaders, offering a series of optional, no-charge enrichment classes for their Lower and Middle School friends. Our youngest learners through our rising 4th and 5th graders were able to socialize and engage in a variety of fun activities. The Upper Schoolers offered courses like Experimenting with Science, Basic Cooking, Step-by-Step Painting, Designing and Creating with 3D Design Software, Creative Writing, Virtual Fitness, Building Skills for Violinists, Cultivating MICDS Spirit Through Crafting, Basic Knitting and Crochet Techniques, Animal Drawing, Exploring Nature in Your Backyard, Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation, Engineering and Robotics, Introduction to Chinese, and Fundamentals of Sports Sciences.

Whether Lower Schoolers had an interest in a hobby, an academic area, or a physical activity, there was something for everyone! The classes were small groups, allowing for deeper connection and engagement. All sessions took place over Zoom and were run by an Upper School peer leader, with an MICDS faculty member in each. Students offered four-week series in both June and July, with each class held once per week from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Since there is clearly interest in Upper School/Lower School peer tutoring, mentoring, or courses, Lower School Counselor and Learning Specialist Ashley O’Toole and Upper School Learning Specialist Sam Cummins are planning how to continue cross-divisional collaborative opportunities as the school year unfolds. Stay tuned for more opportunities!

 

Experimenting with Science with Kareena Kanumury ’23

This course involved conducting small, fun science experiments either outside or inside, and included making elephant toothpaste, snow fluff, a storm maker, and sugar candy. In addition to completing experiments, participants discussed background information, helping them make connections to the principles of science.

 

Introduction to Chinese: Conversation, Writing, and Culture with Emma Scally ’22

This class on basic Chinese included conversation skills, writing, and culture. Students practiced Tai Qi, read Chinese books, and watched Chinese movies. They learned the basics of Chinese characters and pronunciation, the four tones and why they are important, how to write and say their own Chinese name, and basic pinyin radicals.

 

Fundamentals of Sports Sciences: How Our Bodies Function with William Giles ’21

Students explore the fundamentals of sports sciences and how some of our bodies’ basic functions allow them to generate a variety of movements. They looked at examples from their favorite professional sports teams and gained a new perspective on the sports they love.

From Cooking and Board Game Camps with Simrin Phatak ’21 and Happy Phatak ’23 to Pen Pals

Wyatt E. ’30 and Barrett E. ’33 participated in two of the virtual July camps, Cooking Camp by Simrin Phatak ’21 and Make Your Own Board Game Camp by Happy Phatak ’23. After their camps concluded, the brothers wrote notes of appreciation to Simrin and Happy, and they’ve continued to talk about their teachers and implement what they learned. The day before school started, the boys received cards from Simrin and Happy who thanked them for their notes, commented on their shared camp experiences, wrote about some of their interests, and asked questions. Wyatt and Barrett are thrilled to have pen pals and look forward to even playing “The Wyatt and Barrett” game that Happy is creating. What a fun way to connect this school year!