issue one, volume one november 2015 the brimmer...

ISSUE ONE, VOLUME ONE NOVEMBER 2015

Features

Inside the Design Lab By Edan Zinn (5)

Over the past few years, the Lower School at Brimmer and May has been making a major change in their curriculum. It started with the Second/Third Grade’s and Fourth/Fifth Grade's Engineering Co-Labs, a collaborative, cross-grade subject. Each Friday over a two-month period, students in mixed-grade groups were paired and given a "challenge" that they had to solve collaboratively. One of the assignments was the well-known Gumdrop Bridge challenge.

That's when the Brimmer and May engineering movement started. Then First Grade added a weekly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Lab, using their Innovation Grant to design and fund this new curriculum. Fourth and Fifth grades added Creative Design to their Friday schedules. A new STEAM into Summer program was launched, led by former Third Grade and current First Grade teacher, Ms. SG.

All of this STEAM action sparked up an idea: What if Brimmer created a dedicated Science and Engineering Lab? The Lower School already had a Science room on the premises, but what if we improved it and added some more TEAM to it?

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THE BRIMMER EYE

FUNNY PAGES HAND-DRAWN COMICS

BY YOUR VERY OWN FIFTH GRADERS

COOK’S CORNER A RECIPE CREATED

JUST FOR LOWER SCHOOLERS

FEATURES IN-DEPTH REPORTING

ON NEWS AROUND SCHOOL

SPORTS SECTION THOUGHTS ON A

FAVORITE BRIMMER SPORT

OPINION PASSIONATE PIECES FROM YOUR PEERS

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CLASSROOM WHAT WE’RE STUDYING

BE THE TEACHER LEARN ABOUT A NEW SUBJECT FROM YOUR

FELLOW STUDENTS

WHAT’S INSIDE:


Brimmer began the process of moving the Science space to a more convenient area and renovating the new space so that it would fit the feel of a Design Lab. New whiteboard "planning" tables as well as black "building" tables were added, as well as Kinex and Lego kits. Dedicated laptops will be added eventually as well. The new Design Lab will be fit for engineering marvels!

Sports

Kicking It at Brimmer and May By Ema Claire Luczkow (2)

Soccer is about having fun. Soccer is also about being fair to your team and the people you are playing against. I play soccer—so does my sister and my dad! My sister, Eloisa (5), knows how to score a goal off a corner kick. Other students here at Brimmer love soccer too and know how to do some cool tricks. Rohan (2), Thacher (2) and Adrien (2) know how to do a rainbow kick. Charlie (2) and Adrien (2) are great at scissor-kicking. What Charlie loves most about soccer is “kicking the ball really high into the goal.”

When I grow up, I want to be really good at soccer. Soccer is so important to me, but not winning, because winning is not what makes it fun. Fun is what makes it fun! I would love to learn so much more about soccer and I believe that soccer is the best sport. Soccer means so much to me, to Brimmer and to the world. I hope that you give it a try yourself or go out to watch a Brimmer team play!

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An interview with Mr. Stattel on his hopes for the new Design Lab space: _______________Edan Zinn: Why did Brimmer launch the STEAM Lab/Design Space program rather than keep the science lab that we already had? Mr. Stattel: Brimmer would like a space for students to be able to transform their ideas into a real STEAM project. We believe that the STEAM space will be a great way for students to collaborate. EZ: How do you think classes are going to use the Design Lab? Mr.S: There have been cross-grade projects as well as small class projects that have been created in the Design Lab. The projects are centered around the group’s curriculum. EZ: What is the previous science lab going to be used for? Mr. S: The previous science lab's main use is yet to be determined. The room is currently being used as a share space for grades. EZ: Thank you for your time. Mr. S: Thank you!


Spotlight on the Classroom

Bugs Galore on the Third Floor By William Apen (3)

If your child is going to Third Grade, they are going to be learning about bugs. Here are some facts about insects they might learn. I learned this year that spiders are not insects. Insects have 6 legs. There are over one million types of bugs!

I interviewed students who had studied insects at Brimmer and staff to find out their thoughts on their favorite bugs. Kolja (5) said, “I thought that the grasshopper was lame” but he eventually started to like it. Ryan (3) said his “favorite bug is a wasp.” Sadye (5) loved studying the firefly. And Ms. Beech told me her “favorite bug is a ladybug.”

I like learning about bugs because you can learn about different parts of a bug. You are also able to study an insect that you get to pick! I hope you will get to study this topic—it’s something to look forward to and a great part of being at Brimmer!

Cook’s Corner

A Recipe for Fun! By Liesel Gartner (2)

Are you looking for a great, sweet treat to make after school one day? If so, I have a recipe for you! Created, tested and tasted by me and the staff. Note: Contains nuts.

Ingredients:A bag of tiny mini chocolate kisses3/4 cup of Reese’s peanut butter1/2 cup of shortening1/3 cup of granulated sugar1/3 cup packed light brown sugar1 egg3 tablespoons of milk1 teaspoon of vanilla extract1 cup of all purpose flour1/2 teaspoon of baking soda1/2 teaspoon of salt

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Steps:1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.2. Mix peanut butter and shortening and sugar

and brown sugar.3. Now add egg, milk and vanilla.4. Beat until fluffy.5. In another bowl, mix flour and baking soda

and salt.6. Add flour mix to peanut butter mix and beat

until blended.7. Roll into half inch balls and roll them in

sugar and put on a baking sheet.8. Bake for 5-6 minutes and press a Hershey’s

kiss in center!


Opinion

Why Education Matters By Kate Morris (2)

Education is important. It is important to learn. Learning helps you figure out things in life. Math is important because it helps you in everyday problems. For example, if you measure where a painting has to go, you use a ruler to measure, and that is math. If you go to the store and you look at prices on tags, you need to know how to add. To have a good education you should listen to your teachers. If you have a test, make sure to study. Get a good night’s sleep. Get a good breakfast. I appreciate my education now more than ever. Most importantly…HAVE FUN!

Below is an interview with Ms. Wareham on the importance of teaching math:

Kate Morris: Can you tell me about being a female math teacher? Ms. Wareham: I received a lot of support from my teachers to study math as a student. As a teacher, I feel it is very important to have all students excited to learn math. I enjoy sharing my favorite games and puzzles with my students, and watching them test out strategies to see how to best solve the problem. The math department at Brimmer has a lot of teachers who are women. I am very proud to be a part of the math department. KM: What advice would you give to girls who want to study math? Ms. W: My advice is to follow your passion and to keep persevering. I always shared my ideas and participated in groups in class to show people how much I loved math. Everyone should feel comfortable taking risks and ask for support from their teachers so that they can feel confident and challenged. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. We learn from mistakes. The more you understand about math, the more you will be able to learn! KM: Why do you think equal rights in education is important? Ms. W: There are so many talented boys and girls in school. Everyone has a gift to contribute whether you are a boy or a girl. I am so impressed by the love of learning I see each day from boys and girls in all subject areas. I feel so fortunate to work with many girls and boys that are passionate about learning math, which I hope is a trend we will see for the years to come!

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Be the Teacher

The Twelve Labors of Hercules By Miley Chen (3)

Hi, my name is Miley Chen. I love reading about Greek mythology and wanted to share what I know with you. I love learning new things from my friends, as well as from my teachers.

Today I'm going to talk about the 12 Labors of Hercules. Hercules is a half-man, half-God and his father is Zeus, king of the gods. Hera, queen of the gods, hates Hercules so she gives Hercules 12 jobs to do.

The first labor is to kill the Nemean lion that has skin so tough no blade can pierce it. Labor two is the kill the Lernaean Hydra. Labor three is to is to kill the wild boar of Erymanthus. Labor four is to retrieve the stag of Artemis. Labor five is to kill the Stymphalian birds. Labor six is to clean the Augean stables. Labor seven is to kill the Cretan bull. Labor eight is to retrieve the Girdle of Hippolya. Labor nine is to capture the Cattle of Geryon. The tenth labor is to capture the horses of Diomedes. The eleventh labor is to get the golden apples of Hesprides . The twelfth labor is to capture Cerberus the three headed dog.

Hercules managed to do all these difficult jobs. Then Hercules had a very good rest of his life.

The Spitfire By Sam Beal (2)

I am very interested in WWII. I have made dioramas of famous battle scenes at home and taught my friends more about this war at school. I want to share some of what I’ve learned with you. The Spitfire was the Allies most powerful air weapon. The other side in the war was the Nazis.

Their leader was Adolf Hitler. The Spitfire was used in the battle of Pearl Harbor. It fired at u-boats and German planes. U-boats were German boats. My great-grandpa was in WWII. He was a bomb disposal technician. He was very injured diffusing bombs. I collect WWII figurines in his honor.

I think WWII is very interesting and I hope you learned something from this article about a very important plane used during this important time in history.

A Guide to Football By Thacher Purdy (2)

When I play football it keeps me active. Football helps my legs and my arms to stay flexible and strong. My arms keep me moving the ball down the field. Football also helps me communicate better with my Second Grade friends. I help to pump them up when they are down. Positive speech helps people when they’re not 100% sure about something. It helps people feel better. Two things that I say when people need to be pumped up are, “You’re still in this!” and “Even though they’re taller, you can still compete with them!” Some other words I use when people drop the ball are “Good try! Good effort! You’ll get it next time!” The number one rule when you play football is HAVE FUN!

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About the Paper

and

Meet the Staff:

The Brimmer Eye is Brimmer and May’s lower school newspaper, written, edited and produced by students in grades 2-5. We hope you enjoy reading about our passions, both inside the classroom and out!

Enjoy a sneak peek of our staff at work! —>

STAFF:

Edan Zinn

Liesel Gartner

William Apen

Miley Chen

Ema Claire Luczkow

Thacher Purdy

Sam Beal

Kate Morris

Patrick Jing

Kolja Westhues

Ms. SG

Ms. Pappas

Edan and Patrick, our photographers

Liesel working on her recipe

William, loving insects!

Kolja working on his comic

Sam, hard at work on WWII

Ema Claire, sports writer!

Miley working on mythology

Thacher and his football

Kate prepping for her interview with Ms. Wareham!


The Fun and Funny Pages

Comic By Kolja Westheus (5)

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Night Sky Connect-the-Dots By Kate Morris (2)

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issue one, volume one november 2015 the brimmer...

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