Lotspeich Closing Exercises

Lotspeich celebrated its fifth graders during closing exercises on May 31. Fifth graders entered the ceremony to fourth graders playing handbells under the direction of music teacher Robin Wilson. Fifth grade teachers Danielle Levine and Laura OGrady read the kind words and high praise the fifth graders’ former Lotspeich and Doherty teachers wrote about them. Head of School Chris Garten ended the ceremony with closing remarks. “I want to congratulate you on what you’ve achieved,” he told the fifth grade. He also thanked the parents and Head of Lotspeich Susan Miller. “Susan, during your first year here, you’ve done an incredible job of creating a warm and safe environment where kids excel,” Garten said. Faculty and administration at Lotspeich also presented awards to fifth grade students based on academic achievement, a love for learning, citizenship, character, and leadership. The following awards were presented during the closing ceremony.

The Joy in Learning Award was presented to Alice Oliari Tomazi. The award is given to a student “who exemplifies the Lotspeich philosophy of finding joy in the pursuit of learning, sharing that learning in a selfless, helpful manner with others, and enjoying the quest of learning in all its facets.”

The Theodore C. Wuerfel Merit Award was presented to Sania Ansari. The award was created “to recognize a Lotspeich student who has demonstrated academic achievement, breadth and scope of interests beyond the classroom, leadership, citizenship, and character.”

The Elisabeth Greenwald Mapes Award was presented to Jack Snyder for exemplifying “the Seven Values of Seven Hills. This student is a well-rounded individual who is eager to learn, help others, and promote the best values of Seven Hills.”

The Eileen Driscoll Literary Award was presented to Courtney Klein for “demonstrating a love of literature and joy in the printed word.”

FIFTH GRADERS TAKE FIELD TRIP TO DEARBORN, MICHIGAN

For the 80th year, Lotspeich fifth graders in teachers Danielle Levine’s and Laura OGrady’s classes took a field trip to Dearborn, Michigan, where they spent two days studying the collections at Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum. At Greenfield Village, students saw historical re-enactments of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Lab, the Wright Brothers’ Cycle Shop, and working farms with glassblowers, potters, and other craftsmen. The Ford Museum taught students about the four transformative eras in America’s quest for freedom — the Revolutionary Era, the Anti-slavery Movement, the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the modern Civil Rights Movement. This year, students also toured the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Arab American National Museum. The Lotspeich tradition began in 1938, and has taken place every year, except for during World War II, when transportation to Dearborn wasn’t possible, in 2003, when Greenfield Village was closed for a redesign of the grounds, and 2020-21 due to the pandemic.

Fourth graders build hand robots

Fourth graders in science teacher Kate LeBare’s class made robotic hand models as part of their study of the human body, specifically bones, muscles, and tendons. Students used string, paper, and paper clips to create their robotic hands and see how different parts of the hand contribute to its ability to move.

Fifth graders compete for Greek Mythology Hall of Fame

For their final language arts project, fifth graders in Lotspeich teacher Danielle Levine class researched and wrote informational essays about different Greek characters to hopefully win a place in the Greek Mythology Hall of Fame. Students also crafted in-character speeches on behalf of the god or goddess they selected. “The goal was to prove to their classmates that they were the wisest, fastest, coolest, and the most noble character in Ancient Greece and deserved a place in the Greek Mythology Hall of Fame,” Levine said.  Clara Rafferty as Nike was inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame. Courtney Klein as Nemesis and Alice Gumlaw as Iris were the respective second and third place runners up. 

Lotspeich play day

On the last day of school, Lotspeich students enjoyed the annual Play Day complete with a healthy dose of friendly competition! Students played gaga ball, tug of war, relay tic tac toe, and more. Thank you to physical education teachers Mike Combs and Abbey Sir Louis, who organized the day’s events