Friday at 4:00
September 18, 2020
From the Desk of Dr. Rodriguez
Our educators are our most valuable asset. Their talent shines through in every aspect of education, from classroom management to discipline to direct instruction to creativity, and now, to remote learning. Once in a while, I get the opportunity to sit with them and chat about what they love to do: TEACH! Here are the highlights of a quick interview between our supremely talented STEM teacher, Ms. Minerva Aguirre, and me. Enjoy!
AR: What do you love most about our STEM curriculum, Project Lead the Way?
MA: What I love most about our PLTW-STEM curriculum is that it brings relevance to our students. Every module is unique, yet it entails solving problems for real life situations that we may all face at any given time. This was never so evident as when my fifth grade students were in the middle of our Infection Detection module prior to the global pandemic. I think they knew more about the spread of disease and the importance of tracking patient zero than the average person simply from what we did in STEM class.
AR: STEM requires students to have a pretty strong visual and spatial sense. How do you help students when thinking in 3D is not one of their strengths?
MA: In STEM, when students struggle with their visual and spatial sense, I try to elaborate on their everyday knowledge, and I often display a physical action that they can identify with in order to grasp a better understanding of the concept.
AR: You are solely responsible for the success of our Learning Garden. Do you think the Learning Garden has helped our students understand the need for food sustainability?
MA: I think the success of the Learning Garden can be attributed to our students' desire to embrace the idea of growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs in an indoor space. This enables them to understand food sustainability and how to be productive in an urban setting. Each classroom took ownership of what they planted, and the excitement of watching their class plant grow was undeniable. For some, the idea of eating vegetables was foreign territory, but they were so eager to sample taste what they had cultivated week by week that they were willing to expand their palate.
AR: If there's one lesson you want each student to take away from their STEM class, what would it be and why?
MA: If there is one lesson that I would want each student to take away from their STEM class, it would be to always stay curious about the world around them and to "think outside of the box!"
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, and you can expect the next edition of Friday at 4:00 in exactly one week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Rodriguez
What exactly do we do in STEM?
Now THESE
A visual representation
North, south, east, west?
Bulldogs put their design
to the test -- and helped the tiger get out of the enclosure!
Coach Alfonso
This bulldog
Yearbook Picture Retakes
This is only for on-campus learners who were absent on September 10, and virtual learners who were not able to come to school on September 10.
Friday, Sep 25, 2020, 09:00 AM
Riviera Day School, 6800 Nervia Street, Coral Gables, FL, USA
ROCKET!!!
Our awesome mascot, Rocket, is now a permanent fixture at the Day School campus. The real Rocket was here to say hello to our students and to see her likeness captured perfectly. We have to say that the real Rocket is a lot cuddlier than her gigantic version, but we're excited to have either of them on campus with us at all times.
Proud father
Even Rocket
Ms. Aranda's P3 class
How Bulldogs Keep in Touch
Email: riviera@rivieraschools.com
Website: rivieraschools.com
Location: 6800 Nervia Street, Coral Gables, FL, USA
Phone: 305-666-1856