by Nicole Ayers and Marie Goodwin

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.“ ~Clay P. Bedford

How do you create a curiosity that will kindle a lifelong love of learning? One method we have found to be highly effective in cultivating this sense of wonder is through a program called Science Olympiad. According to the Science Olympiad website, “Science Olympiad is one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to nearly 8,000 teams in all 50 states.”

Our students are deeply engaged in a collection of 23 events that span all branches of science and technology. There are build events that challenge the students’ engineering and design skills; there are lab events that require an onsite performance of science mastery, and there are study events that will often test middle school students at a high school or even college level. Grades 5 through 8 have opportunities to collaborate on these events, and they willingly spend several hours together after school each week preparing for competition. The kids often request to meet over holiday breaks to go deeper in their studies and enjoy fellowship together. We love watching our students find their passions for science and pursue their interests with great fervor.

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.“ ~Clay P. Bedford

By: Marie Goodwin 5tth-6th Grade Math and Science Teacher

Merry Christmas!

Mrs. Goodwin’s homeroom has been busy, busy, busy!

We hit the ground running after Thanksgiving break. The students are learning about energy, force, and motion in science class. They used their understanding of potential and kinetic energy to build a simple roller coaster. The students acted as engineers by planning, testing, and improving their designs as a team. They got very creative and had some fun while learning.

Recently, we had two students participate in a tennis tournament with Pleasant Grove. Go Spartans!

Students from our class were also in The Christmas Story play, which was presented at The Silver Moon Theatre. This weekend, one of our students is participating in the Nutcracker at the Perot Theatre.

We are so proud that our students are active in the community.

We are currently participating along with the rest of the middle school to sponsor a family for Christmas. The kids are also practicing their music for the candlelight service, while working to master the addition, subtraction, and multiplication of fractions.

It’s a great time to be a Spartan!

by Jennifer Jordan, History and Latin Teacher

This school year, middle school students have the opportunity once a week to supplement in-school the after school activities of Quiz Bowl and Science Olympiad. The fall term focuses on Quiz Bowl, as we have more fall competitions, with Science Olympiad taking the reins in the spring. Since school began, the fifth grade class has been spending 45 minutes each Monday afternoon challenging itself to a variety of academia trivia questions. Not every student participates in the after-school programs, and this short period gives everyone a taste of the activities. The tools vary— one week, we may play a whole-class Quizlet; another week, we may try the “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader” board game. Sometimes, the class reinforces a concept they are learning in science or math. Either way, students are gaining knowledge of common trivia while also practicing the skill of thinking quickly on their feet. It’s a win-win!

Earlier this week, the fifth grade class embarked on its annual trip to the 4-H Arkansas Outdoor School outside of Little Rock. The students have looked forward to getting out of the usual routine and learning in a different environment--nature--and their time finally arrived. They worked on a variety of team-building challenges, from canoeing blindfolded to orienteering to crossing under a jump rope as a single group. The success of all of these activities rested on one element-- paying attention. Students learned that if they listen to instructions and to each other, giving each other a voice, they can accomplish their tasks well. We ended the afternoon with a rock climbing exercise, wherein students could climb a 40 foot rock wall, with their classmates manning the ropes as support. This, too, required listening to one another, and encouraging one another to keep going. 

Following our 4-H adventure, the class spent the next day exploring two museums in downtown Little Rock. They studied Arkansas pioneer history with a tour of historic homes and a visit to the blacksmith shop at the Historic Arkansas Museum. After lunch, students enjoyed a dry ice lab at the Museum of Discovery-- they worked in small groups to experiment. They literally had a blast, learning about sublimation! Overall, our Little Rock trip is a wonderful experience for 5th graders to learn and play outside the classroom. 

By: Marie Goodwin 5th and 6th Grade Math and Science Teacher

Fifth grade has been busy.  In science class we learned about the history of space exploration by doing an interactive timeline together with sixth grade.  The students were able to experience some aspects of what it may be like to live in space by attending the seventh grade space station simulation.  Currently in science, we are exploring physical properties.  The students added to their understanding of density and buoyancy by building a boat out of foil, and seeing how many pennies different designs could hold.   In PE, the kids have been learning about volleyball.  They can keep the ball in the air for an extended period of time by hitting it correctly and working together!  We are so happy that several fifth graders have joined the Science Olympiad team.  Pictured below are Daniel and Cooper working on a mousetrap vehicle.  Science Olympiad allows students to explore areas that they are interested in on a deeper level than they would in the daily classroom. The students are enjoying downtime as well, from playing games at recess to catching different sized toads and tree frogs.

They are a delightful group, and we are looking forward to discovering new things together as fall and all the October activities unfold!