Rabbi Nevins Continues Grade-Level Tour This Week at Lower School

Following Rosh HaShanah my tour of the Lower School shifted to the 2nd and 3rd grades, where I began learning about the growth mindset. One second grade class taught by Mrs. Kelly McAllister featured a book called Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain. We learned the names and functions of the major structures of the brain, and agreed that the most delightful name is amygdala, though hippocampus does sound a bit like hippopotamus! The second graders learned that the brain is a dynamic organ—just as physical exertion strengthens our muscles, so does mental exertion sculpt our brain, causing neurons to form new connections, and helping us learn new skills. The students took some time to reflect on what skills they have already mastered, and which ones they hope to learn (I was relieved to hear that none of them have yet mastered driving). After all that time spent thinking, it was time to get up and move about. Morah Danielle Greene got us jumping to the milkshake, and I found myself refreshed to see what more I could learn in the new year.
 
I also popped into a fifth-grade science class where Mrs. Feldman had already taught her students about simple machines. Now they were challenged to identify complex machines such as a scissors or a vise and figure out which simple components combined to make them work. For example, a pair of scissors combines the concentrated force of a wedge with the strength of a lever to slice through solid forms. I also visited our new music teacher, Mr. Rick Grey, who is looking forward to receiving the musical instruments that he ordered for our 3rd-5th graders this year. Pretty soon we’ll be hearing musical notes of all pitches and timbers coming from that room—so much learning is happening at GOA Lower School!
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