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Learning to Give Back  |
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By Michelle Cristella, History teacher, Director of Secondary School Placement, advisor |
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An essential element of our mission statement is “to create responsible active citizens of the world”. One way in which our dedicated team of preparatory teachers strives to do this is through Mandell’s comprehensive service learning program. The integration of service learning into our curriculum allows for students to apply and use the skills learned in class to real world situations, further enhancing their learning and making it more meaningful. Teachers and students collaborate weekly to plan service learning projects, develop action plans for implementation, and ensure that within each project, curricular skills are being learned, used, and reinforced. Each grade of the preparatory division has a specific focus, driven by student interest, for their service learning experience. |
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Mandell Third Graders Confront Life’s Many Mysteries in Science |
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By Juliette Guarino, Science teacher |
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“Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.”
I like to think that this quote, attributed to famed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, reflects the often bewildering nature of the phenomenon we refer to as “life.” There are people who dedicate their lives to biology, or “the study of living organisms,” with the purpose of demystifying what we frequently refer to as “the mysteries of life.” In return, science takes pleasure in challenging us by providing as many additional questions as it does answers.
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Building Character One Book at a Time |
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By Nicole Arndt, Director of Literacy and Learning Services |
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Respect, collaboration, and diversity are important values of the Mandell School community. We strive to develop a sense of character within our students, where good judgment and individual passions ignite their desire to be responsible and active citizens of their community. Our literacy program is a starting place for such work, where all students, JK-4, explore various types of characters within their books to learn valuable lessons about life. |
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Preparatory Curriculum Corner: Assessment |
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By Tiffany Della Vedova, Head of the Preparatory Division |
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In reference to educational growth, we frequently hear touted, as a desired outcome, that schools will help “lay the foundation” for future student success. At Mandell, our building process differs in one key way from this ubiquitous goal. As stated in our Mission, Mandell provides “a blueprint for learning.” |
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Diversity Meeting: We Are Mandell follow up |
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The PA held its first diversity meeting, We Are Mandell: Diversity Matters, on Thursday, October, 24. WE ARE MANDELL, has been the PA's ongoing theme to remind us all that the spirit of community and citizenship matters in all that we do!
Ernest Boyer, states in his book In Search of Community, “in order for a community to develop fully it must have purpose, be open to ideas and value others.” Thus, as parents and educators, we along with the children of Mandell must be mindful that we should always foster a spirit of inclusion.
The PA discussion focused on diversity and inclusion in all forms within the independent school setting and how it shapes the well-being of our children in today's society. Diversity is not only defined by race and ethnicity, but includes: socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, family make-up, gender diversity, learning abilities, and social emotional learning. |
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Professional Development Day at Mandell |
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Our wonderfully diverse faculty has a few things in common: their belief in our school mission and the idea that not all children learn in the same way. Another commonality among our faculty is passion. Our faculty is passionate about teaching and learning and constantly strives to bring that passion to the classroom each day for our students and for themselves.
To support our belief in differentiated instruction, our faculty endeavors to always teach the curriculum in exciting and engaging ways and to bring fresh, innovative ideas into the classroom.
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Elementary Spotlight Book |
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By Deanna Bocchetti, Assistant Head of the Elementary Division |
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 This year in the Elementary division we are launching an exciting new
program called Spotlight Book. Five times this year every class, Junior
Kindergarten through Fourth, will read the same picture book over the
course of a month. Spotlight Book kicked off this month with the book Garmann’s Summer,
by Stian Hole.
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Autumn in the UWS Pre School! Happy Halloween! |
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By Myrna Stuart, Upper West Side Pre School Director |
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From green faced witches in Pre Nursery, to dried apple witches in Nursery; from tissue paper pumpkins in Toddler to stuffed paper bag pumpkins in Nursery; from glitter bats in Pre Nursery to bats of the rainforest in the Pre K, the Pre School has been immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of Autumn. We have been walking through pumpkins vines and apple trees, and as the teachers ask “What did you do this weekend”, we often hear all about their apple picking adventures with their families. |
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Pre K Rainforest Headdresses |
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By Kate Sylvain, Lincoln Square Director |
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What do red-eyed tree frogs, scarlet macaws, leopards, green emerald tree boas, and leaf cutter ants have in common? Well, two things actually. Firstly,
they are all animals who live in the rainforest. Secondly, they are all
animals, amongst many others, that will adorn Lincoln Square Pre K’s
headdresses for their Rainforest Breakfast Feast that takes place in a
few weeks. |
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Witches in the West Village |
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By Brianne Dishaw, West Village Pre School Director |
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For the past several weeks, the children in Nursery have been busy working on fun and exciting art projects in preparation for Halloween. One of these fascinating projects is the Apple Witches. This is a long standing project that has been done in the Nursery classes for many years. The end result truly depicts what a witch looks like and has excitement and meaning along the way. |
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Our Elementary and Preparatory Community |
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By Rick Brown, Associate Head of School |
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This weekend I attended the
investiture ceremony for the newly elected Head of School of the
boarding school I currently serve as a Trustee. It was truly a
celebration of that school’s sense of community.
The ceremony was in
part serious, as the occasion certainly warranted. It was also personal,
with words spoken that made those gathered feel like participants. The
ceremony included some unexpected and fun moments, appropriate for a
school that takes its work seriously, without always taking itself too
seriously. Simply put, it was a celebration completely consistent with
the shared sense of community those gathered at the ceremony felt.
At
Mandell, we strive for our own sense of community and work hard so that
a shared sense of our school exists among students, faculty and
families. This year we have once again re-configured our school, as the
Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade students all share our 795
location. Change can either weaken or strengthen a community. In this
case, I believe it is a strengthening factor. |
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