Doherty
May 6, 2021
Lower Schools Virtually Welcome Author Don Tate
Lotspeich and Doherty Lower Schools were excited to virtually welcome author and illustrator Don Tate! In late April, Tate, who is the author and illustrator of more than 50 books, spent two days with Lower School students of all ages discussing his life and his work, as well as drawing in real time. “I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the room,” Tate said of his career. Tate said at a young age, he always loved to draw and was passionate about the arts. He encouraged students to follow their talents, and said each and every single person has a special talent. Tate also discussed some of his books, including “William Still and His Freedom Stories: Father of the Underground Railroad” and “Swish!: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters.” He told students how he conducted research and gathered images for reference. Then, Tate drew for students and showed how he illustrates books. In addition to speaking to students, Tate also spoke to Lower School faculty and shared books with themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Thank you to Lotspeich librarian Lori Suffield and Doherty librarian Jo Schnirring for organizing Tate’s visit!
Cultural Connections—A Virtual RV Trip around the U.S.
As part of Doherty’s commitment to deep geographic and cultural studies, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers and students embarked on a virtual RV trip around the United States. All pretend, the trip included an initial stop to rent the RV, a snack stop at the “gas station,” a moment to fill out and check their personal identification bearing their photos, and a time to “board” a virtual “RV,” which was located in the pre-kindergarten hallway. The regions of the United States were broken down, with pre-kindergarten studying the Southwest region of the United States, kindergarten studying the Southeast, Unit I the Northeast, Unit II the Midwest, Unit III the Northwest, and the Encore program studying Puerto Rico.
Botany 101
As part of their studies of the Midwest region of the United States, Unit II students are exploring plants native to the area. “We began with an introduction to seeds, specifically Lima beans, examining the parts of the seed with a hand lens and determining each part’s purpose,” said Unit II teacher Sherri Linville. “Next up, we’ll be propagating Lima bean seeds, as we plan to place them on a damp paper towel, which will remain in a baggie taped to our windows!” In early May, students will also take a field trip to California Woods Nature Preserve in Cincinnati, for a program called The Ecology of Habitats, where they will study forests, meadows, and creeks.
Fraction Chefs
As part of their focus on fractions, Unit I students have been studying the math property from the perspective of a pizza chef. “After creating a chef hat, students used model magic to make little pizzas,” said Unit I teacher Amy Kulhavik. “We rolled the ‘dough’ into flat circles and students sliced their dough into equal parts.” Kulhavik said the students then discussed their pizzas and the division of its parts with a partner and they also talked about how they could make their divided slices equal. “We discussed questions like, ‘What do you notice about the size of the slices? or if I take a slice away, what happens to my whole?’ We had fun learning about fractions in a fun, creative way,” said Kulhavik.
Cypress Trees for Earth Day
Students in Seven Hills’ afterschool program, After the Bell, recently planted three bald cypress trees on campus, as part of Earth Day celebrations in late April. In addition to the ATB project, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, who studied the characteristics of the cypress tree, each took home cypress saplings to plant with their families. Said ATB and pre-kindergarten teacher Julie Brackett, “It is a very hands-on way for our students to give back to the earth and make family memories at the same time.”
Studying Family Culture in Unit III
Unit III students are delving into an intensive study about family culture and traditions that began in their own living rooms. “What was once a weeklong discovery has become an in-depth exploration over several weeks this year,” said Unit III teacher Dana Pease. “Students began the journey in their own homes researching their family’s cultural aspects and chose their methods for presenting their findings to the class.” Pease said some students created Keynote slideshows, while others used apps such as Pic Collage and Book Creator. Unit III students presented their findings using tri-fold posters that included pictures, words, and symbols to represent the cultural aspects of families. “From there, we are beginning our exploration of the cultures in the western United States,” said Pease. “This is our contribution to Doherty’s collective Cultural Connections investigation of America.”
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Five Stingers Sign to Play in College
Five Stingers from the Class of 2024 signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college.
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