showing entries tagged "ESAA"
by: Susan Griffiths, Principal
Construction on our Campus
There has been a flurry of activity this summer on our campus. The 2017-18 school year will bring several positive changes. As we have already shared, our name is changing from ESAA to Étude Elementary to further unify our K-12 organization. The facility is also expanding.
In April, Sheboygan voters approved a referendum to make school improvements at many Sheboygan Area School District locations. There will be an additions to both the ends of the our building and renovations within the school. On the west end of the building an office space and classroom will be added. Currently, the office is located within a Pigeon River hallway. This addition will allow us to locate our office at the school entrance. The new classroom will be used by specialists that are currently teaching in the regular ed classrooms. On the east end of the building, a multipurpose room will be added that will mainly serve as a cafeteria. The addition of the multipurpose room will allow Phy Ed to access the entire gym throughout the day. Finally, in the summer of 2018, our bathroom will be expanded and the parking lot will be renovated to allow for more capacity and better traffic flow at the beginning and end of the day.
Construction started in July. For safety reasons, all entrances to the building except Door #10, the door next to the current office, have been closed off. This impacts where students will enter and exit the building during the 2017-18 school year. All students, families, and visitors will need to enter and exit the school at Door #10. We will still have access to our playground for recess.
While the construction may be inconvenient at times, the renovation will give us additional space that is greatly needed. As the construction continues, we will keep you updated on available entrances, playgrounds, and the parking lot.
ESAA's Mrs. Faul Named SASD Teacher of the Year
Jamie Faul 2017 As one of ESAA's upper primary teachers, Mrs. Faul takes steps every day to make sure that all students are engaged in authentic learning and deep thinking.
ESAA Exhibitions of Learning Schedule
ESAA students look forward to sharing their learning with their school community on Monday, February 27th. Parents are encouraged to attend their child's Exhibition of Learning, and are welcome to stay to see the other projects. Students have focused on looking closely at the world around them, researching topics, creating solutions, and representing their ideas. Exhibitions of Learning are as much about their process as they are about the final product. Questions and connections are always welcome!
by: Susan Griffiths, ESAA Dean of School
Trimester 1 Exhibitions of Learning
We are excited to invite you to ESAA’s Trimester 1 Exhibitions of Learning (EoLs) on Friday, November 18, 2016. EoLs are the students’ culminating presentation of projects. These exhibitions illustrate the integration academics, arts, and our Habits of Mind and Learning found in students’ projects. Students share their learning and problem solving through the creative process. Exhibitions of Learning are also an opportunity for friends and families to participate in the learning by asking questions and giving feedback to students on topics such as the process, working together as group, how the students’ thinking changed, or how might their newly gained knowledge be relevant beyond the project.
by: Susan Griffiths
Connections: Building Community at ESAA
If school is about helping students understand the world around them, it makes a great deal of sense to start the school year helping students better understand themselves as friends, learners, teachers, and leaders. With this in mind, ESAA teachers Rachel Pekarek and Jamie Faul created a school wide plan to build community during the first weeks of school. We began the year using this plan to provide students and teachers with the time and space to make connections not only in their classrooms, but throughout the school and in the community. The following are some highlights from our first two days of school.
by: Beth Carreno
MAKER Break at Sheboygan Summer Music Series
MAKER Break, the creative makerspace program developed by The Étude Group’s IDEAS Academy and The ARTery of the John Michael Kohler Art Center, was a featured program at the August 11th Levitt Amp Sheboygan Summer Music Series.
by: Beth Carreno
Announcing MAKER BREAK: A Summer Makerspace Program
We are excited to announce a free summer makerspace program developed by IDEAS Academy[ideas/] and The ARTery of The John Michael Kohler Arts Center. MAKER BREAK is a series of summer workshops and sessions that explore a wide range of making practices and activities. Participants can explore everything from circuitry and mic building at IDEAS Academy to knotsmanship and screenprinting in The ARTery.
by: Beth Carreno
ESAA World Peace Games Challenge 4th and 5th Graders
Students in the 4th and 5th grades at ESAA spent time this spring participating in the World Peace Games and were guided by the essential question, “How can people better understand each other?”
by: Beth Carreno
ESAA 2nd and 3rd Graders Skype with Lightning Thief Playwright
ESAA 2nd and 3rd graders recently had the opportunity to attend a matinee showing of Theatreworks’ The Lightning Thief at the Weill Center. Exposure to theater is important to everything from developing creativity and imagination to lengthening attention span. It’s also a powerful connector to reading. We were fortunate that our students had the chance to attend a live production of a book so many of them enjoy.
by: Beth Carreno
The Étude Group's Maker Movement
There is a lot of talk in education these days about “makerspaces.” It seems to be a new buzz word. The reality is that while it may be a new concept for some in the education community, it’s one of the foundations for The Étude Group. While the concepts of making and creating are not new for us, our role in sharing this concept at a greater level with the community is.
by: Beth Carreno
ESAA Creative Process: It’s No Accident
A recent blog covered ESAA’s first grade Exhibition of Learning (EOL) on human body systems. It was a reminder of what The Étude Group’s education philosophies create when they are put into practice. It was also an opportunity for us to step back and acknowledge that this is not an accident. The approach, the successes, the learning…it is purposeful, and it is a process.
by: Beth Carreno
ESAA receives funding for forestry education
The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) announced that ESAA / The Etude Group has been awarded $4,700 to develop and enhance forestry education projects at the school.
ESAA First Grade Exhibitions of Learning
As a supporter of our schools, I was invited to a first grade Exhibition of Learning (EOL). I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve attended EOLs for our high school students. They are amazing. But, I’ve also spent lots of time with first graders. I wasn’t sure how what I understood about EOLs would be translated by first graders.
by: Lori Ladiges
ESAA Literacy Connections: What is family literacy?
Dear Parents,
by: Janelle Bane
Kindergarten Students Study Holidays and Celebrations from Around the World
Kindergarten classes are exploring the question: How can I learn about others? To answer this, they've explored the holidays and celebrations of different cultures in our community. Guest speakers came to kindergarten to share information, food and background information about a holiday they observe. Students learned about the Hmong New Year, Las Pasadas, Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah, Epiphany, and Indian Harvest Festival and always had plenty of questions. The visits included stories about the origin of the holiday, why it is important to that particular culture, and customary food, toys, clothing and plants. Students then identify elements of each holiday, and compare and contrast to find themes. At the end of the unit, the classes will use this research as a model to create their own celebration about peace using the common themes and elements in world celebrations they’ve discovered.
by: Susan Griffiths
Gaining understanding through close looking
In our busy world, we rarely take the time to look closely to see things that often go unnoticed. Much can be learned when we slow down and really look at something. As one of our Habits of Mind, observation is essential to learning. Observation requires students to intentionally slow down and look closely to see details. From these details students start to form patterns and make connections. This leads to understanding not only the details they see, but how these parts interact systematically to form the whole. In projects at ESAA, observation can be found throughout the creative process. Observation is a form of research and discovery. Students use the details they uncover to wonder, think deeply, and analyze. These observations help students understand the complexities of the world around them.
by: Janelle Bane
First Grade Body Books: All About Bones
This trimester, first grade students are investigating the question: How does the human body work?
by: Janelle Bane
Second and Third Graders Learn About Geography in the Field
The second and third grade classes visited Pigeon River, Kohler Andrae Park and The Kettle Moraines over the last three months to make observations and work together in the classroom to research Wisconsin landforms, practice reading and writing skills, and integrate movement into their research. Through trips to area landscapes, each classroom brought their knowledge and questions back to school as tools for learning and extending by thinking critically about what they’ve seen.
by: Janelle Bane
A Trimester of Bee Research and Learning with the Fourth and Fifth Graders
In the first trimester of the year, the fourth and fifth graders of ESAA studied ecosystems. What better way to study ecosystems than through the lens of bees and their contribution to a healthy environment. To begin, each class performed a “Generate and Sort” thinking routine that helped to grasp knowledge students already had about bees and captured all the questions students have about our buzzing friends. This research continues throughout the trimester, learning more about bees to better understand why they are important to our ecosystem, and culminating in a final project to help support bees and their important work. 20150921 142310
by: Janelle Bane
First Grade Exhibitions of Learning: Why are Butterflies Important?
The first grade students of ESAA have spent the trimester exploring the question, “Why are monarch butterflies important?” Butterfly habitats, conservation, and the environment in general is an extremely relevant topic at the moment and also provides many opportunities to incorporate science, literacy, movement, and music.
ESAA Information Night This Week
We know you never get tired about talking about your kids and their achievements... neither do we! We want to let people know what we're all about at ESAA and share all the wonderful things your kids do here. Help us spread the word!
by: Janelle Bane
ESAA Awarded Cellcom 2015 Green Gift for Environmental Stewardship
We are excited to announce that ESAA has been awarded a Cellcom 2015 Green Gift grant. Dean of School, Susan Griffiths, and The Étude Group Board Member, Beth Carreno, wrote and submitted the grant, showing ESAA’s innovative and educational approach to environmental stewardship in our classroom learning. There were nearly fifty entries and the selection was competitive.
by: Janelle Bane
Parent Connections: Creating an Empowering and Safe Learning Environment at ESAA
Last month, we held a Parent Connections meeting at ESAA. The focus of the meeting was establishing school culture and how we create community among our unique and individual students, families, and teachers.
by: Susan Griffiths
Establishing our school culture
First Day.blog
by: Susan Griffiths
New ESAA teachers explore Movement and Learning
M L PD 1
by: Susan Grifffiths
Busing available to all interested
ESAA will be offering busing to and from school for the 2015-16 school year to all of our families living within the Sheboygan Area School District. We have added transportation to make ESAA to more accessible to families from all over Sheboygan. In order to accommodate all families interested in transportation, we have alleviated the living within a 2 mile radius restriction. We will provide two bus routes, a north side and a south side, to keep the student travel times to a minimum.
by: Press Release
Étude Group Director selected to participate in WAB Creative Industries Committee
Madison, WI (April 29,2015) – Ted Hamm, Director, Principal and Founder of the The Étude Group has been selected to be a member of the Creative Industries Committee. The Creative Industries Committee is a board of experts comprised by The Wisconsin Arts Board to guide the Arts Board’s work to serve and promote the creative industries in Wisconsin.
by: Susan Griffiths
ESAA Rocket Club launches with a splash
Rocket Launch 1
by: Jodi Kimme
First morning on the farm
This week we visited Higher Grounds Farm near Plymouth. It is the farm of Mike an Christal Mulder (Ms. Kimme's niece and nephew-in-law).
by: Dan Burkey
Drama class brings literacy to life
dramakslide One of the ways that children naturally direct their own learning is through dramatic play. Left to their own devices, kids will often devise imaginative games in which they take on roles and act out the relationships between characters they create. Whether it's adventuring as knights and princesses, prowling the jungle as real or mythological animals, or just playing house, acting things out helps children explore the world around them and develop a deeper understanding of human relationships. Drama brings the body, voice, and imagination together into a whole-person activity that can connect with a variety of learners, so it's easy to see why it performs such a natural role in human development. In fact, recent studies have shown that dramatic play is one of the primary ways that humans develop empathy; by inhabiting the role of someone else, children begin to comprehend the existence of perspectives other than their own.
by: Susan Griffiths
2015-16 ESAA Transportation Sign-up
Map2013
by: Susan Griffiths
Bounce Into Spring Fundraiser a great success
A big thanks to all of ESAA's parents, staff and students for the success of our Bounce Into Spring Fundraiser on Friday. Together we were able to raise just over $3,700 for our school! These funds will be used for school gardens students will be creating this spring. The gardens will function as learning labs where students will observe, research, and discover to learn more about the outdoor environment.
by: Susan Griffiths
Transportation guidelines developed for the 2015-16 school year
While our move to the current campus in 2013 has brought many positives, the more remote location has made transportation difficult for many families. Offering busing will help ease our current families ability to get their children to school each day. It will also help reach beyond our current families and make ESAA more accessible to all SASD students. It will enable us to offer ESAA as an school option to those who could not consider it it in the past because of transportation issues. Adding transportation is integral to ESAA’s growth.
by: Susan Griffiths
Bounce Into Spring March 13 and help ESAA raise garden funds
ESAA Fundraiser Spring 2015
by: Susan Griffiths
February 19th PTO meeting rescheduled for March 19th
Last Thursday we lost Liz Bloise, a long time member of our school community, to cancer. When Liz’s children attended ESAA, she was a strong participant in PTO and our school. She could be seen regularly at meetings and graciously donating her time whenever needed. Liz developed many deep friendships while at ESAA. Liz’s memorial service is being held on Thursday, February 19th. Many of our community members would like to attend. With this in mind, we are rescheduling the February 19th PTO meeting. The new meeting date will be March 19th at 6:30pm. We look forward to seeing everyone on March 19th to discuss transportation and gardening at ESAA.
by: Libby Schmitz
ESAA students excited about the world
ESAA Kindergarten students have been immersed in the exploration of the natural habitats of polar animals this wintery season. In the beginning, students easily began to recognize traits and characteristics of animals such as polar bears, penguins, and sea lions, however as they dove deeper, students were asked the essential question, “What Do Animals Need?” This question allowed for a range of topics such as animal habitats, the Arctic and Antarctic regions, land formations, maps, globes, life cycles of mammals, pollution, and global warming. In asking what animals need, we are in extension creating the context for broader topic that can then implement reading, writing, critical thinking, and the arts.
by: Ted Hamm, Susan Griffiths
ESAA Transportation 2015-2016
Beginning in Fall 2015, The Elementary School for the Arts & Academics will offer daily transportation to and from our school.
by: Rachel Pekarek
Enjoy an evening of snowshoeing with the ESAA community
by: Libby Schmitz
How Do Animals Influence Human Life?
biomim 500X
by: Dan Burkey
Join us for the Winter Arts Program!
On Tuesday, January 27th, ESAA parents are invited to our Winter Arts Program at 2:00 PM in the gym. At ESAA, our goal is to integrate the arts into all our learning, and this year’s Winter Arts Program will celebrate that process with student performances demonstrating the way we learn through the performing and visual arts. Each grade level will give performances of material they created in their project-based learning (PBL) units for this trimester, including forces and motion, and winter celebrations in world cultures. Also in the gym, a student art gallery will show how we explore the same subjects through the visual arts.
by: Kimberly Johnson
New! Subscribe to get ESAA Blog Posts by Email
ESAA is committed to sharing our thoughtful and vibrant community with our families and community members interested in our school. One of the primary ways that we tell the story of learning at ESAA is through this blog. If you would like to receive our blog posts by email, please click here. Enter your email address, subscribe, and then please check your email to "activate" your subscription.
by: Rachel Pekarek
Native American arts and legends captivate ESAA students
What can we learn from past use of Wisconsin’s natural resources to build a better future?That is the question that ESAA second and third graders are just beginning to ponder. For the first part of this question, students looked through a cultural lens to study Native Americans. The students read and listened to many Native American legends to learn about their beliefs and culture. The students began to understand the importance of nature, geography, animals, and natural resources through these legends.
by: Kara Pasche
For the Birds
This year, second and third grade students are on a journey to understand how animals, people, and plants adapt to our local environment. During the first trimester, students have been working through the essential question, “How can I create an environment to attract birds and share my information with the ESAA community?” In order to answer this larger question, students asked and answered many wonders using the creative process.
by: Libby Schmitz
Exploring Force and Energy
4th and 5th grade students have been exploring the physics behind what makes roller coasters man-made, gravity defying wonders. The thinking routine used in the beginning of their discovery was "Generate, Sort, Connect, Elaborate" to introduce the scientific method and give students a better understanding of how scientists develop their research and discovery process. The task was then to design and create their own model versions of roller coasters through a series of trial and error. Before building the roller coasters however, our student scientists carefully designed a blueprint that demonstrated kinetic and potential energy, centripetal force, friction, and inertia. Through this hands-on discovery, our 4th and 5th grade students came away with a new knowledge of how science can explain the natural world.
by: Susan Griffiths
ESAA: Students prepare garden spaces
On Friday, November 7th ESAA students started phase one of the school gardens by laying cardboard and compost to prepare the areas. We are looking forward to designing and nurturing these habitats, which will function as outdoor science labs for students to observe closely, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of the world around them.
by: Ted Hamm
May PTO Summary
At our last PTO meeting, I gave an overview of some of the changes that will be coming for the 2014-15 school year. Some of these changes are coming from the district and therefore are ones we need to work with while others are initiated at the school level. In order to help parents understand these changes, I will be holding a meeting at Paradigm on Friday, May 23rd at 9:30 to review the changes and answer questions. Below is a synopsis of the changes.
by: Ted Hamm
PTO Meeting Summary
We are looking for your input into the concepts below, specifically, around how they might impact your engagement in our community.
by: Kimberly Johnson
Learning Spaces: ESAA's second and third graders map new campus
Challenged with the task of creating a tool for new students and families to navigate the Pigeon River Elementary School campus, students in ESAA’s second and third grade classes engaged in an in-depth exploration of their physical learning spaces and an authentic, collaborative map design process.
