A Well-Deserved Break
Hello again, Philomath community! I know it seems like 2024 just started, but we’re already coming up on the end of the third academic quarter! Changing seasons are an excellent opportunity for natural learning opportunities—what teachable moments have come up in your household with the warming weather?
The Philomath Lower School and Independent Study programs have been keeping very busy this quarter. Here’s where our studies have been taking us of late:
In Math, the Independent Study students are finishing up a unit on integers, opposites, the coordinate plane, and rational numbers. Lower School students have been reviewing our 1st and 2nd grade skills and concepts from earlier in the year to keep these skills sharp. We are about to start a measuring unit that will be VERY helpful for our upcoming science unit…
Speaking of Science, the students will be starting a biology unit on Wednesday, March 13th (This is the week BEFORE the Spring Break). Lower School students will start off by planting beans. They will use their newfound measuring skills to track and record daily growth and changes. Upper School students will be designing an experiment that will involve planting, observing, measuring, recording, and reporting. They will be focusing on controls and variables, interactions within ecosystems, and conservation attempts.
After a lengthy unit introducing different world cultures and how they inform the way we live, Social Studies has been focused on a study of U.S. History through the lens of Black History Month. Our Lower School and Independent Study students have had a chance to learn about African-American leaders and creators through history and have had a chance to draw connections between historical activist movements and modern opportunities for individual or collective action.
In ELA the Lower School program has learned about the difference between facts and opinions, and is practicing writing their opinions about stories we’re reading in class. Meanwhile, the Independent Study cohort is diving deeper into various nonfiction text structures, and are currently working on a Problem and Solution essay on a self-selected issue of national or global importance (due March 15th).
Our third academic quarter will be coming to an end on Friday, March 15th. That means a few things for the purposes of planning. First, it means we’ll be switching from Social Studies back to Science for our Wednesday group classes. This change will begin on Wednesday, March 13th. In the next few days, you will receive additional information about resources and materials necessary for our first session. Second, you’ll be getting your child’s Q3 progress report shortly after the end of the quarter. Most importantly, though, our Spring Break will take place from March 18th–22nd, and there will be no classes or tutoring during that week (unless you’ve made other plans with Professor Althoff or Smith). That also means that you’ll be getting a tuition invoice for the final academic quarter—this tuition payment is due before the first day of class on Monday, March 25th.
One last point, since we’re coming up on the end of the year: we’ve had a stellar virtual school year together, and we’re already looking forward to making plans for the fall! If you’re considering re-enrolling your child for the Philomath virtual school year for 2024–25, please let Professor Althoff or Smith know! Our programs are enrollment-dependent, meaning the next school year may look different from this one. Whatever our circumstances, however, we would be overjoyed to have your family continue with us on your child’s learning journey.
Have a happy and restful Spring Break, and as always, thank you for all you do!
