Doherty Performs Winter Programs

Under the direction of music teacher John Newlie, Doherty students from pre-kindergarten through Unit III showed off their singing skills during the annual Winter Programs. The concerts took place over two days with pre-k to Unit III students dazzling their family and friends in the cafeteria on Dec. 13. Two days later, the kindergarten through fifth grade students traveled to the Hillsdale Campus to sing their holiday cheer from the stage in The Schiff Center. Congratulations to all Doherty students and Newlie for all the hard work in preparation for sharing the holiday spirit with friends and family. 

Acting out stories in PK2

Students in Julie Bracket’s pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds class at Doherty have been reading “Owl Babies” by Martin Waddell. The students have enjoyed the book so much that they acted out the story. PK2 students played the three baby owls while Brackett was the puppeteer for the mother owl and fifth grader Michael Graham guest starred as the narrator. In the story, the baby owls are worried when their mother leaves them alone but learned to believe she will return and rejoiced when she did. “The ‘Owl Babies’ story is food for the students to know that parents and caregivers come back, and we also learn a lot about owls,” Brackett said.

Fifth Graders Preview the Middle School

The fifth graders traveled to the Hillsdale Campus and previewed what life is like at the Middle School on Dec. 1. Along with the fifth graders from Lotspeich, the Doherty fifth graders attended chorus and instrumental ensemble classes, visited sixth grade classes, and finished the day with a scavenger hunt to learn the ins and outs of the Middle School, the Donovan Arts Center, and The Schiff Center.

Learning coding basics with Upper Schoolers

The Unit III students were visited by Upper School computer science students and their teacher Marcus Twyford to learn the basics of coding. The Unit III students attempted to “code” a robot, played by one of the Upper Schoolers, to make a sandwich as Twyford explained the importance of specific, small instructions when coding. The students then completed games and activities as part of the Hour of Code, a worldwide effect to celebrate computer science and broaden participation in the field.

Welcoming Winter with Festive Activities

Unit I students celebrated National Grinch Day by dressing up like characters from the book or wearing Grinch inspired outfits. In the week leading up to the big day, they completed Grinch-themed math games and reading and writing projects. They also brainstormed and wrote down ways they could make the Grinch smile.

Gingerbread men were on the loose on the Doherty Campus! Thankfully the kindergartners in Lindsay Pietroski and Molly Seta’s classes were able to use their reasoning skills and follow the clues to complete the hunt for their escaped gingerbread cookies. Before the hunt, the kindergartners read and analyzed a variety of books about gingerbread men and compiled a list of traits.

The Math of Fantasy Basketball

Fifth grade students in Bill Schmidt’s math class are learning about calculations, graphs, and equations with fantasy basketball. The project began with the students drafting eight NBA players for their teams, with a salary cap of $25 million. Each week, they decide which five players will start and track their stats for each game. The students calculate weekly scores for their players and teams while practicing their knowledge of equations, fractions, decimals, and different types of graphs. “It’s a good project because it’s sports, so it’s fun. Some of the math is more advanced than what an average fifth grader would learn, but they are eager to ask questions and keep working,” Schmidt said.