Turmoil

Word of the Week, 8/29/11:
Turmoil is something you feel or experience when you're upset or confused.

Yes You Can: Team Hoyt

Person(s) of the week, 8/29/11:
Team Hoyt consists of Rick and his father Dick. Rick was born in 1962 and suffered from a lack of oxygen, which led his doctors to say that we never recover or live a normal life.

Since then Rick and his Dad have completed over 1,000 races, including marathons, duathlons, and triathlons. They even ran all the way across the United States, which is 3,735 miles!

Learn more about them and their amazing story at their website: www.teamhoyt.com.

Week One

First Day of School

The first week can only be described as a success by the administration, but what to the padawans have to say?

"It's awesome. I loved the floating man science project." –E.

"Twelve chicken nuggets. That's four for each of us." –M.

We made lots of cool stuff this week, including our own crystals, which the boys are obsessed with.

Homemade Geode

Battle of the Brains

The PSB is officially participating in this exciting competition. Who knows, maybe you'll see us as Science City some day!

What is the Battle of the Brains you ask? Check out their site. It's pretty cool stuff: battleofthebrainskc.com

A Learning Revolution

This video of Sir Ken Robinson from the Ted Conference is fantastic. Here are some of our favorite quotes:

"Creativity is as important now in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status."

"If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original."

"You cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do is, like a farmer, create the conditions under which it will begin to flourish."

"It isn’t about using a cloning a system...it’s about customizing to your circumstances your own program and personalizing education for the people you are actually teaching. And doing that I think is the answer to the future."

"Every day, everywhere, our children spread their dreams under our feet. And we should tread softly."

Luscious

Word of the Week, 8/22/11:
Luscious is an adjective that means something has a yummy taste.

Crash and Rebuild: The Wright Brothers

Person of the Week, 8/22/11:
Orville and Wilbur are credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane. They had the first controlled, powered and sustained flight, which is different than being shot out of a canon for example. This historic flight happened on December 17, 1903.

Each day, the brothers would bring extra materials as they experimented with flight. They knew things would go wrong, and they were undaunted. They just tried again and again until it worked!

"We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate what ever aroused curiosity."
–Orville

"If birds can glide for long periods of time, then… why can’t I ?”
–Orville

School is in Session

It all starts today, and everyone is excited. We are not taking the easy approach, but we are trying something we feel and expect to be a worthwhile approach for all involved.