At Miquon, we guide children to become creative and compassionate people who change the world.
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What happens when 5th and 6th grade P.E. and Science classes combine for a fun and practical group project?
Building fire pits!
From carrying rocks and gravel to effectively arranging the rocks in sturdy formations, this project challenged the children across many different areas: functional fitness, teamwork, communication, collaboration, cooperation, leadership, and problem-solving.
The two newly formed fire pits will be used to learn about and practice safe fire-building techniques as part of their Science class curriculum.
We hope our students enjoyed their hard-earned treat!
#phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #foreveramiquonkid #miquonschool #learningoutdoors #progressiveschool #progressiveeducation #learningoutside #independentschools
Here are a few of the questions and observations K / 1 classes recently asked about the sugaring process (the process of boiling the maple tree sap and transforming it into syrup):
- Did it evaporate so it’s not watery?
- It smells like maple syrup. How does the tree make it?
- Why does it have those white bubbles?
- I see the temperature is very hot
- It’s turning a different color - caramelish brown
Truly, the children have spent the last few weeks deep in a learning process of observation, direct experience, inquiry, and research.
After the maple trees were tapped a few weeks ago, the children checked the buckets regularly and poured the available sap into jugs to begin the sugaring process.
Over time the children found that some days the trees produced more sap than others (they learned that the flow of sap is connected to changes in temperature!).
After two weeks of sugaring, it was time to take out the taps. The classes ended up with three totally different batches to observe and taste: a pale, yellowish, clear batch, a dark, maple sugar batch, and a smooth, medium brown batch!
#progressiveeducation #learningoutsidetheclassroom #learningoutside #learningoutdoors #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #miquonschool #mapletreetapping #foreveramiquonkid #independentschools #progressiveschool
Recently students celebrated the 100th day of school!
The 3rd / 4th grade classes set up and ran the annual 100th day obstacle course - ten stations with ten fun repetitions (to equal 100). They helped guide each class through the course, taking care to assist and cheer on everyone from our oldest to youngest students.
Kindergarten / 1st grade children also had a morning filled with discussions: “what would you want 100 of?” “how are 100 grains of sand different than 100 skyscrapers?” “can we come up with 100 movements (grouped in 10s?)” Many squats soon followed. :)
Among other projects, students also made necklaces out of 100 cheerios, made ships and castles with exactly 100 pieces, and collaborated with a partner to make a 100-link paper chain.
The 2nd graders even learned to count to 100 (cien) in spanish!
Hard work, thoughtfulness, determination, and joy: all in the life of a Miquon kid.
#progressiveeducation #learningoutsidetheclassroom #miquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #progressiveschool #independentschools
It was a big day at Miquon yesterday!
The K/1 classes tapped two maple trees on campus to begin collecting sap. They helped drill the holes, position the buckets, and everyone got a little taste.
"The sap from this tree tastes like water," one child observed. "The other tree is sweeter."
Stay tuned! The children will keep an eye on the buckets as the sap collects, and then begins the process of transforming sap to syrup.
#progressiveeducation #learningoutsidetheclassroom #learningoutside #LearningOutdoors #mapletreetapping #miquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #independentschools #proudtobemiquon #progressiveschool #phillyindependentschools
Each year at Miquon, older kids are paired with younger kids as `buddies.` The pairings spend time together reading, playing, and getting to know each other. Here you`ll see notes that 3rd / 4th grade kids left for Kindergarten / 1st grade kids on the classroom window.
"You are very kind and inspiring," says one of the notes. "I appreciate you being my buddy!"
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We believe: every person is a thinker, creator, and contributor.
This belief is reflected so beautifully through the Miquon art room`s Community Weaving Loom.
All children from first through sixth grade are invited to add to a community weaving project, and each participant is given a voice at every stage of the design and creation stages. Everyone works together to come up with ideas, agree on a theme, and then create a sketch for the weavers to use as their map.
This makes for some wonderful moments—it’s a tangle of hands working together, with children sharing ideas and helping new weavers learn what to do. The finished weavings are masterpieces! See what they`ve been working on this year.
#progressiveeducation #progressiveschool #miquonart #miquonschool #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #independentschool #phillyfamilies #foreveramiquonkid #montcoparents
Recently in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students read books about his life and legacy and voted as a class about which book to recommend to the rest of the school as part of a special assembly.
Here in the 2nd grade they read two books: Boycott Blues, which narrates the bus boycott in Montgomery County, and My Brother Martin, a book that describes Dr. King`s childhood from his sister`s perspective.
Both books sparked meaningful conversation and when the class voted, they had a perfectly even tie! Some children preferred My Brother Martin because it told stories about Dr. King`s childhood and what led him to become an activist, and others preferred Boycott Blues because it focused on the greater movement of which Dr. King was part.
The children decided to recommend both books to the rest of the school.
#progressiveschool #miquonschool #phillyindependentschools #proudtobemiquon #foreveramiquonkid #martinlutherkingjr #montcopa #childrensbooks #progressiveeducation #phillyindependentschools #MLKDay
