The SIG Sun
A news update about our bright students at SIG Stuart!
A Note from the Director
Where did the time go? We only have one week left in your child’s program! I am very happy with the way our theme days went this week. Seeing the young faces dressed up as famous people or students with socks in their hair brought a smile to my face. The children are embracing the SIG Cup concept. Though a winner will be announced Friday, it certainly was not about the points, but about the fun of participating.
On Friday August 1st, we will have our closing ceremony. The ceremony will begin promptly at 4:30 p.m. and last approximately one hour. Our theater classes will be performing their show at 3:30 p.m. We are extending an invitation to parents of theater children to come enjoy the show! Our art classes will be displaying their creations in the cafeteria. You may come a bit early to see what all the children have been up to the past three weeks. If your child has artwork please take it with you after the closing ceremony. Unfortunately, anything left at Stuart will be disposed of by the end of the day.
I will repeat this again at the closing ceremony, but I want to say now how privileged I am to be the director of what I believe is the best SIG program in the nation. I have a wonderful dedicated staff, and all of you have bright and amazing children.
I look forward to seeing everyone Friday!
Best regards,
Kevin Amey
Director - SIG Stuart Country Day School
SIG Spirit Week!!
Famous Person Day!
Beach Day!
Crazy Hair Day!
If you are in Miss Tracy's Simple Machines class, please don't forget to bring in your materials for your final complex machines on Monday. We can't wait to see the final products!
This Week's Special Presentations!
Mr. Friedman, the creator of the digital dome, was able to come to Stuart to share the latest news about space and astronomy with our students ages 9 and older. His visit provided students the opportunity to reflect on some misconceptions about space and participate in an interactive presentation.
Do you know what a sabermatrician does? Mr. Holtzman, a Senior Research Data Analyst, visited our Algebraic Expressions class to discuss various careers that use math. Our students learned about how sports teams and travel companies use data analysis to make decisions. Mr. Holtzman's visit is being extended into a research project where students will gather information about how math is used in different careers and give a one-minute presentation to the class.
We would like to thank both gentleman again for their generosity, time and knowledge! Our SIG students are very appreciative!
Mr. Kuser is looking for cardboard!! If you have any old shoeboxes or tissue boxes, please send them in with your student so we can turn trash into treasure! Thank you!
Blurbs from our Instructors!
- In Stephanie's Storm Chaser class this week, our Junior Storm Chasers analyzed temperature data from 1950-2013 to look at possible evidence of climate change! They also tested their skills in severe weather safety in our Disaster Master Game.
- In Fun with Newtonian Physics, our students tested how far film canister rockets would fly while applying their knowledge of Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Check back next week for the results of our Egg Drop Competition!
- This week in Eureka! Inventive Minds at Work, students learned about inventions that happened by "accident", researched famous inventors and inventions, and used the SCAMPER technique to creatively make improvements to existing products. Students started their invention projects where they are designing and describing their own inventions! They will present their projects to the class next week. They have came up with some really neat ideas and I am excited to learn more about them!
- In the Curious Chemist this week, we learned about density and buoyancy. Students had lot of fun doing many hands-on experiments, such as creating density towers, making an egg "float" in salt water, and designing foil boats to see whose could hold the most marbles! We also learned about acids and bases, using pH strips to test the pH of different substances. Students are starting to design their own experiments and will be using the scientific method to test their experiments next week!
- Science of a Superhuman students learned about DNA, genetic mutations and evolution. Students had a lot of fun creating the next generation of X-men with combination of traits from the original X-men to complete a challenge given by Magneto! Students started to create their own superheroes based on some of the scientific principles that they learned about, and will be presenting their original superheroes next week! I can't wait to hear all about them!
- Here's what's new in Christina's Get Theatrical! class: We are well underway into work on our individual projects, with topics ranging from Shakespeare to mime technique. This week we did research on our topics in the computer lab, watching other student-generated videos relating to our interests. To share our progress, we have been celebrating each other's work as we learn about positive feedback. Everyone is excited to be sharing the stage with our other half next week on a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream, and have been working as an ensemble to establish atmosphere and setting for the performance.
- Emily's code class has been practicing the Morse Code with tapping, singing and sending messages to "aliens". They also have been practicing a special
Book Code. Ask them to challenge you at home! - The detective class has been planning their mystery stories while learning about different kinds of evidence. Ask them to show you their fingerprint art!
- The theater classes have been busy putting together a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Students should bring in their ideas for costumes no later than Tuesday. A performance for families will take place on Friday, August 1st promptly at 3:30 in the Stuart Little Theater.
- Emily's Invention class gave fantastic presentations about accidental inventions such as Slinkys, Popsicle sticks, matches, potato chips and Play Doh. They have come up with amazing variations on flip flops and glasses, and now are exploring creative names for inventions.
- Students in the Web Design class have been very active and excited about their creations. During the first week we worked on individual objectives, class objectives and started the process of research. Each participant has been able to construct a web page of their interest using Weebly. We review the sites and continue adding and editing content daily. Please visit http://www.aduqueart.weebly.com. Our classes have been collaborating, searching, transferring information and discovering new technologies used in the field of new media technologies. Our students are creating presentations about the history of the internet, computers, future inventions and will incorporate their knowledge in their web designs. The last session was about animation and each student developed their own storyline and will be able to use the program for their individual projects. It has been an excellent course!
- We began with an introduction to the artists Andy Goldsworthy and how he creates work with Natural materials. During the first week students created blind contour drawings of horses, we use observation to understand space and created expressive drawings using charcoal and pencil. Students developed structures in bamboo to design sculptures with string, we explored still life drawings, designed animals on transparent paper and traced images to create complex compositions. Through the process of work students learned about concepts such as texture, balance, composition, color, shape, elements and principles of design. During the second week we reviewed objectives, clarified concepts and continue the process of work. Students drew self portraits with pencil with different line techniques and use concepts learned in the previous classes. We began to use watercolor to create paintings influenced by the at artwork of Frida Kahlo, Fernando Botero, Diego Velazquez, Karel Appel and others. The exploration of the individual artwork and themes continue. As our group develops collaboration practices, critiques and grow in the appreciation of aesthetic ideas and concepts. This class has been amazing!
- The Students in our Simple Machines class worked hard this week to design and build Rube-Goldberg Machines. They combined their knowledge of all 6 different simple machines to create these awesome complex machines and analyzed the changes between potential and kinetic energy within them. Great Work!
- Students in our Spying class researched real-life spies in history and spy gadgets used by CIA agents throughout the cold war. They used the facts they discovered to help design their own spy gadgets which they presented to the class today. Everyone created highly realistic gadgets that I'm sure any spy would be proud to use in the field.
- The students have been very enthusiastic about challenging topics in Miss Crystina's Anticipating Algebra class. They have worked on writing expressions and solving multi-step equations - a topic taught to high school Algebra students! We are all so excited for what's coming up next week- graphing lines, researching careers that use algebra, and presenting projects!