The Power of the Close-Up: Finding Beauty in the Tiny

In the rush of a school day, it’s easy to walk right past the "little things"—literally. Today, my gifted 3rd graders traded their fast-paced schedules for a slower lens.

Using my camera, these gifted thinkers took a moment to "stop and smell the roses." By using the zoom feature to focus on tiny, often-overlooked wildflowers, they discovered entire worlds hidden in plain sight. Most of these flowers were no bigger than a pencil eraser!

What we learned:

• Perspective: Small things have massive beauty when you take the time to look.
• Patience: The best shots (and best ideas) come to those who wait for the focus to clear.
• Mindfulness: Sometimes, the most "advanced" thing you can do is simply stop and notice.

It was a beautiful reminder that while these students are capable of big things, there is immense value in the smallest details. 💗 Now that our eyes have been opened to this micro-beauty...we cannot wait to head back outside and see what we can notice!

STEM Spotlight: The Great Egg Drop Challenge!

Our gifted 3rd graders recently took on a high-stakes engineering feat: the Egg Drop Challenge. Tasked with protecting a raw egg from a "perilous" fall using only a limited set of materials, these young engineers proved that constraints are often the best fuel for creativity and innovation.

The Mission

With just a few basic supplies, students had to design a "contraption" to absorb the impact force of a high drop. The goal was simple: keep the egg intact upon landing.

Designing Under Pressure

Working in teams, our students utilized the engineering design process to:

·         - Brainstorm & Sketch: Planning unique solutions like crumple zones, straw cages, and toilet paper roll bumpers.

·         - Build: Managing limited resources to create sturdy structural frames, while also leaving a functional opening to easily place the egg.

·         - Test & Reflect: Many students used a block (instead of an egg) to test their contraptions. After analyzing the fall their build took, many groups went back to the drawing board and made a few modifications. 

The Results

The playground was filled with suspense as each device took the plunge! so far, every egg has survived! And every student has succeeded in practicing critical thinking and resilience. 

*I will update the blog with pictures from the afternoon classes as they come in.