Doherty

Learning about Nigeria for Cultural Connections

Doherty students of all ages learned about different aspects of Nigeria and Nigerian culture as part of Cultural Connections, an annual week-long study of a different country and its culture. Before the week began, Unit III parent Dotun Shonubi presented about Nigeria history and culture at the Doherty Assembly on March 8. Students kicked off the week on Monday with a visit from Praise Ekeng and his group of traditional Nigerian drummers that included music, dancing, and learning words in Nigeria’s three main languages. In science teacher Robin Taylor-Fabe’s classes, kindergarten through fourth grade students built floating structures inspired by the Kunlé Adeyemi’s Makoko floating school built in the Lagos lagoon. Unit II students worked on research projects on food, geography, and places to visit. The kindergartners studied the Nigeria River Delta and worked to create a biodiverse area with different plants, trees, and animals native to Nigeria in through the hallways of Haile Hall.

Unit III performs “Seussical KIDS”

Unit III students brought Dr. Seuss’ characters to life with their energetic and engaging production of “Seussical KIDS” on The Schiff Center’s main stage on the Hillsdale Campus on March 14. The musical extravaganza showcases characters from multiple Seuss stories, like “Horton the Elephant,” “The Cat in the Hat,” and more. Bravo to the cast, crew, Lower School drama teacher Natalie Bird, Doherty music teacher Jon Newlie, and technical theater director Trey Tatum for the spectacular performance.

Poetry Presentation in Unit I

On Thursday, Feb. 29, Unit I students in Joan Claybourn and Amy Kuhlhavik’s classes gave a poetry presentation for their parents in the cafeteria. From the stage, the students bravely read poetry and honed their public speaking skills, focusing on expression and clarity while speaking.

Music with Sarge in PK2

In honor of Black History Month, the pre-kindergarten for 2-year-old classes had a special lesson from Seven Hills Director of School Safety and Security Cassandra Tucker. The students learned about jazz, its history, and artist Trombone Shorty as they listened to a story and sang and danced with Sgt. Tucker.

Spanish Around the World

Unit II and III students completed their “All Around the World” projects in their Spanish classes taught by Katya Ramos, who is the long-term sub for Spanish teacher Kristen Diersing. In groups, students picked different Spanish speaking countries, researched them, and created a poster displaying what they learned. The groups then taught their classmates about the different ways Spanish is spoken throughout the world in places like Honduras, Mexico, and Peru.