What's New!
Saving the Seals
6/9/08 - Thanks to Martin's leadership, a group of us (Max, Bobby, Nora, Dora, Kenny, Autumn, Haleigh, Martin, Danny and Eyeruse) have been working on doing what we can to stop the inhumane hunting of baby harp seals. One idea we had was to create a petition. Our goal is to get 1000 signatures. So everyone was given 10 petition sheets, each with 10 spaces for signatures. Martin and Bobby have already brought in 100 signatures each! We will be continuing to work on this project next year, but we plan to collect as many as we can before the end of the school year. Parents have been asked to help. Stay tuned!
Interviews in Monster Land
SU student teaches children to make claymation videos
Re-printed from SU News
Mrs. Crabs is a friendly but shy clay monster with curly hair, pink appendages and an inviting smile. Created by 10-year-old Dora Schloss-Witkowski, a student in The New School, Mrs. Crabs lost some of her hair after getting slimed by a green glob named Gluhrer during a recent filming of "Monster Land," a claymation video. Syracuse University senior Sarah Rebar, an illustration major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is the volunteer coordinator for the project. Rebar is also a student in SU's Renée Crown University Honors Program, administered by The College of Arts and Sciences.
Rebar met the children in January 2008 when she went to The New School, a private K-6 school in DeWitt, to interview them about their fears. She planned to turn the children's descriptions into cartoon characters and add them to her growing collection of characters based on some 60 interviews with friends, family, teachers and anyone else who would agree to sit in front of her camera to talk about their secret monsters. Rebar has created storyboards for characters she plans to include in a claymation video she is producing for her Honors Capstone Project, called "Interviews in Monster Land." Her project is inspired by animator Nick Park, creator of the original, Oscar-winning short "Creature Comforts," a clay animation produced in 1998 by Aardman Animations in Great Britain. "Creature Comforts" features zoo animals talking about their living conditions. The characters were based on Park's interviews of people living in a British housing development and a home for the elderly. Rebar is also a big fan of Park's "Wallace and Gromit," also produced by Aardman Animations.
"I grew up watching `Wallace and Gromit,'" Rebar says. "I love claymation and experimented with clay animation in high school. My Honors Capstone Project has enabled me to put together a learning experience that is not available anywhere on campus. It has been a great year of learning."
Rebar had so much fun interviewing the children at The New School that she decided to teach them to produce their own claymation videos. Working with small groups of children twice a week since January, she encouraged them to draw cartoon characters of the monsters lurking in their imaginations. She then helped the children sculpt clay figures of their monsters, tell their stories and draw backdrop scenery for them. A little technical magic -- a digital camera, computer and a software product called iStop motion -- brought the monsters to life on the computer screen.
Recently, Mrs. Crabs joined seven-year-old Martin Welych-Flanagan's Gluhrer and 6-year-old Haleigh May Summers' blue monster on the big screen. The monsters' escapades included a harrowing escape from a rolling magic marker and a devastating three-way crash in the final scene. Unfortunately, there were no stunt doubles and all three monsters required some repair after the fateful crash. Gluhrer had to be peeled off of Mrs. Crabs, who lost a few appendages; Haleigh had to peel one of her monster's eyes off of Gluhrer, who also required a bit of reshaping.
Alas, Haleigh was not sure her monster would star in another film. "He lives in Hawaii," Haleigh says. "He can't step on the road; he can only step on sand. And if a mean monster picks on him, he squirts a pricker (a.k.a. toothpick) into the mean monster." Following the crash, Haleigh retrieved a few prickers from Gluhrer. Martin insists Gluhrer is simply misunderstood. Maybe it's that sticky ooze.
Kids Unplug!
Light's Out for Earth Hour
Read More HERE
For an hour on June 6, the students at The New School turned off all the lights along with many other participants across the community. Our goal was to show how people can work together to do something good for our planet. For more info, email us at questions@newschool-syr.org. We can make a difference!
Spring Campout a Blast!
With great weather, the New School Spring Campout at highland forest was a terrific success. Activities included hiking and exploration, horseback riding, crafts and games, rocket launching, and family potluck, as well as songs and stories around the campfire. We're already looking forward to the Fall campout!
See an image gallery from the rocket launch with more images to come.
Cross-curriculum and Multi-level Activities
Local Artist, Tom Huff
Tom Huff, of the Seneca-Cayuga tribe, worked with the students at The New School in a series of activities, which culminated in creating a soap stone sculpture. The children viewed Native American artists, such as Alan Houser, and Stan Hill, and watched videos about the Haudenosaunee culture. Slides of the work of Henry Moore helped us understand Moore’s influence in Tom Huff’s work.
Students worked with clay first as an additive medium and then as a subtractive medium. Next, they drew thumbnail sketches of ideas for the soapstone sculpture. Once presented with “their” stone, some children had to modify their drawings and clay work to suit the shape of the stone. In one of his lectures Tom Huff explained how he believes that stone has a spirit and he often spends weeks looking for a chunk of alabaster or soapstone before he determines what it will reveal.
Protected with face masks and armed with tools of many different shapes, the carving began. Tom Huff provided assistance and advice. Once the carving was complete children polished with dry and wet sandpaper and sometimes steel wool. Children learned this is not an instant art medium and it took patience and effort to transform their ideas onto stone.
Local Artist, Tom Seiling
Tom Sieling, of Newfield, New York, is a visiting musician and composer with 20 years of experience working with children and adults. Using the guitar, banjo and harmonica, Tom engages students in a process which enriches their lives with music, writing and learning.
In the spring of 2005 and again in 2006, Tom worked with the New School students and through interactive discussions of the characteristics of good songs, Native American studies, and a The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl and the title of The New School's spring play. The following two songs were written and performed with Tom's assistance:
Tum-may Tum-may
Years ago we crossed the bridge
Looking for a place to live
A nice safe place to raise our kids
A range of climates live we did
Chorus
Tum-may Tum-may
Tum-may Tum-may
Tum-may Look kwee-xeen
Tum-may Tum-may
Tum-may Tum-may
Tum-may Look kwee-xeen
Food and water, sun and rain
We used all this without much pain
The land was rich with fish and game
With spears and bows we had good aim
Chorus
Fishes, squashes, deer and beans
Some of the things that we eat
We worship animals, land and sea
Thank their spirits silently
Chorus
Iroquois and Lenape
Narragansett, Cherokee
Separate personalities
Each tribe lived like family
Chorus
To us owning land means nothing
Though the earth is forgiving
We don't hoard a single thing
We share land without lying
Chorus
Looking east where sky meets sea
I can't believe the things I see
Boats are coming I see three
Maybe they'll be friends with me.
Chorus
The Magic Finger
One spring day I saw the Greg's
Some ducks were trying to warm their eggs
They shot a deer and 16 ducks
I pointed, they were out of luck
The Magic Finger
The Magic Finger
Next day when the Greg's awoke
They prayed that it was just a joke
The work with wings instead of arms
The looked for food all on the farm
The Magic Finger
The Magic Finger
The story shows the golden rule
The Greg's they learned to use that tool
We try to use it here and home
We'll use it still when we are grown
The Magic Finger
The Magic Finger
The Magic Finger
The Magic Finger
PRESS RELEASE:
Local Artist, Karen Kerney
Artist Karen Kerney visited The New School on Wednesday, March 22 to share the inspiration, design and artwork she created for the poster, Greetings and Thanks To The Natural World. As the children learned about the process involved in creating a poster, they were surprised to find out that the idea for this unique accordion poster began as a personal gift from Karen to Jeanne Shenandoah of the Onondaga Nation. Karen also demonstrated how she transformed her original watercolors into stencils for the poster. Karen’s visit to The New School was part of the school’s ongoing study of Native American tribes. The theme of the poster echoed what the children have learned about the Haudenosaunee’s respect, reverence and gratitude of the earth and its resources.
The older children at the school have volunteered to fold, string tie and package the posters after they are printed by The Syracuse Cultural Workers. A portion of the sale of this poster will go to the Onondaga Nation (one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee.) Karen Kerney will return to The New School in April to work with children as they create stencils to illustrate their individual expressions of thanks.
PRESS RELEASE:
New School Exhibits How Learning Works
To the Editor:
My thanks to The New School of Syracuse, which shines as an example of excellence in area of K-6 education.
My son and his classmates thrive, mastering basics through the individualized curriculum. Teachers foster student interests to energize learning, and they instruct based on readiness and need. Younger kids have strong role models in the multi-age setting, while older ones build confidence and responsibility. Numerous volunteers, resource people and student teachers complement an already low student-teacher ratio.
In this era of test-driven education, it's sad more teachers can't work in environments like this. Public schooling's most enduring problems reside in a flawed structural approach. True classroom quality derives from solid research and long experience.
Paul Otteson
DeWitt
WINTER EXPLORATION CAMP:
The New School Hosts Campers During Winter Break
The theme of the week was light. Every morning we met in a morning meeting and did a group game. We made a spider web on Friday.
One day we talked about eyes and how they see. As a fun activity we explored optical illusions and some children made up their own illusions.
One day we talked about reflection and color and how bubbles look so colorful. Students then made 3-D bubble blowers such as cubes and triangular prisms.
During choice time, one child creates with Tinker Toys, two play with a village and people and three others play a strategy game.
CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION:
The following was written by a New School student
To celebrate the Chinese New Year we read a book about the creation of the Chinese zodiac and how the animal race happened. After reading the book, we researched our own Chinese zodiac sign. When we found out our sign, we did a paper cutout picture of our animal and pasted it on a paper. Then we wrote something about ourselves that matched the characteristics about our animal. Then to continue our celebration, we created a huge red and gold 
Chinese dragon (that fit 20 kids in it!). This project happened during investigations and took a lot of time cutting out the scales. To end our Chinese New Year celebration, we paraded through the day care center and through the gym where some day care classes came to watch.
In addition, students took part in a glove-and-mitten drive. Donations were were sent to children in China in time for the New Year celebration. Students also shared stories about the Chinese New Year, and discussed similarities and differences with Chinese traditions and customs.
PRESS RELEASE:
Yoga at The New School
Students at The New School, a private K-6 in Syracuse, are island hopping, loping across the Serengeti, and reposing rolled in a yoga mat cocoon to soothing sounds of nature. All this, through the imaginative plan of YogaKids facilitator Mary Hagemann.
Each week Hagemann leads the children on a themed adventure bringing inspiration (literally, too) and enthusiasm to the students as they learn poses and thoughtful breathing, and extend those through movement. Linking postures traditional to this ancient practice to photographs of the animals and natural structures they represent helps the students envision themselves as possessing their qualities, and makes the poses easier to remember. Mary's art is in creating a storyline to carry the children's imagination through the session.
Starting from their own islands (purple yoga mats), New School students recently visited the Hawaiian Islands, as airplanes and sailboats, in the triangle pose. Warrior 2 and 3; arms extended front and back, legs in a grounded lunge; took them surfing and hang gliding, and the bow took them horseback riding on the beach.
Breathing exercises are explored in engaging ways; pairs of students propelled cotton balls back and forth across the floor using deep breaths blown through straws. Bunny breath takes a series of short breaths through a wiggly nose and out the mouth. Hot air balloon brings kids from child pose (the mouse, in YogaKids parlance) gradually up through successively deeper in-breaths until they are on their toes, arms up, and can float around the room. These exercises encourage control of abdominal muscles and the diaphragm and promote deep concentration, a focus of the practice of yoga.
New School kids emerging from barefoot sessions as mountain, tree, elephant, cheetah, put their shoes and selves back on, energized, alert, and content. The New School is a kindergarten through sixth grade private school in Syracuse, with an inquiry-based, integrated curriculum. The school offers a child-centered world of intellectual challenge, creativity, warmth and mutual respect. Daily hands-on and small group activities foster cooperation and mentoring in a multi-age setting. The students at the New School develop communication, decision-making, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while delighting in curiosity and discovery in an environment which supports both.
PRESS RELEASE:
Immigration Studies at The New School: Personal Histories
Students at The New School, a private K-6 in Syracuse, have been capturing family storiesasthey take a personalized look at the history and impact of immigration in America. Each child has researched the country of origin of a family member, or their own, conducted an interview, gathered artifacts, used primary sources, and is creating an illustrated written account of the life journey represented. The students will make presentations using their mapping and flag making projects to support their talks.
Highlighting this project have been "Mystery Guest" visits by grandparents who have shared the amazing and moving accounts of their journeys to, and into, America. The children were enraptured by the stories, which brought the history they have been studying uniquely to life. The children asked, "Were you homesick? Were people kind to you? What did you expect to find?"
The students are reading fiction and non-fiction on the topic of immigration. With each work, the children explore who came to the United States, who did not, what was brought, initial impressions, expectations and reality, paths to assimilation, and how the original culture was maintained.
A study of Ellis Island was followed by a 119th birthday celebration for the Statue of Liberty, and a journey quilt based on drawings representing family artifacts will bring a warm finale to the project.
The New School is a kindergarten through sixth grade private school in Syracuse, with an inquiry-based, integrated curriculum. The school offers a child-centered world of intellectual challenge, creativity, warmth and mutual respect. Hands-on and small group activities foster cooperation and mentoring in a multi-age setting. Students at the New School experience communication, decision-making, critical thinking and problem-solving while delighting in curiosity and discovery.
PRESS RELEASE:
Syracuse University students collaborate with local elementary school
Halloween is the inspiration for collaboration between students in Syracuse University's Communications Design program and elementary students from The New School. For the seventh year, they will create improvisational skits based on their Halloween costumes on Friday, October 28th, 2005 in the Shaffer Art Building's small auditorium (Room 120). Working together in small groups, they will begin performing at 1:15 P.M. and will end at 2:30 P.M.
The New School is an independent, not-for-profit elementary school established by parents and educators to help children grow into healthy adults and lifelong learners. Children in grades K-6 work side by side in a multi-aged, collaborative and nurturing atmosphere. The curriculum reflects the natural connections between all subjects. As a result learning is project-based, hands-on, and reflects the children's interests and suggestions. Attention is directed to each child's particular style of learning, interests and needs, allowing them to work at their own pace.
The Communications Design Program at Syracuse is based on many of the same principles: inclusive, project-based learning in a mixed-level and highly supportive environment. Its variable credit system enables students to pursue their own interests and work at their own pace.
PRESS RELEASE:
Apple Math
On Monday, October 17th, students at the New School learned how much fun it is to make your own cider and how good it tastes. Parent volunteer, Inge O'Connor, provided her family's apple cider press for an afternoon. Students counted, weighed, and estimated the average weight of the apples before taking turns to mash the apples and squeeze out the cider. After measuring the volume of cider produced they discovered it takes a lot of apples, work and patience to produce a single glass of delicious apple cider!
Highland Forest Highlights
New School teachers, students and many of their family members spent two days hiking and exploring Highland Forest in October 2005. While some students collected and discussed seeds, others gathered water samples and explored ponds. Still others observed and classified leaves and wild flowers.
Notable events during the two-day field trip:
- Hiking skyline
- Science hikes and read alouds
- Fairy house creation
- Family dinner buffet
- Campfire songs, stories and snacks
- Birdhouse exploration and mapping
We had an amazing time sharing the sights and sounds provided by the forest. Once again Highland Forest provided a wonderful classroom.