Lower School celebrates #RockYourSchool
Thursday, September 20 was full of classroom transformations and out-of-the-box learning!
The Lower School participated in Get your Teach On’s “Rock Your School Event,” a nationwide initiative encouraging all educators to create a unique educational experience for their students. Thousands of educators across the world took part in the event.
The day featured classroom transformations and out-of-the-box learning across campus. Each classroom had a theme and teachers incorporated lessons integrated with their classroom transformation. In Pre-K, students had a “thriller” of a time practicing motor skills and identifying letters and numbers in their Michael Jackson-themed room. Kindergarteners in Ms. Middlebrooks’ class read by flashlight in a tent and made pizza box s’mores in her camping-themed classroom, while Ms. Hill’s kindergarten class went on a safari adventure based around the Magic Tree House books.
The first grade classrooms were transformed into a dance party, complete with lights and balloons, as they discovered music through the ages and how sound waves travel. Second graders walked the plank with Captain McGratch (Mr. McGrath) to practice math and phonics skills.
In Ms. Anderson’s third grade, students were immersed in the world from the book The One and Only Ivan. Ms. Garner’s third-graders went to the “carnival” where they built a Ferris wheel and participated in exciting math and science games.
Fourth-grade humanities teacher Ms. Neidle transformed her classroom into Fortnite, a popular video game, and taught writing skills as her students took a stance on the game. Fourth and fifth-grade math students enjoyed Ms. Cantrell’s “Math Savers” themed room as they learned the habits of a good math student. Our fifth-graders’ critical thinking skills were put to the test in Ms. Christie and Ms. Mattis’ out-of-this-world classroom, complete with a space-themed escape room.
The decision to participate in “Rock Your School” came after several Lower School teachers attended the Get Your Teach on conference in Washington, D.C. last year. Classroom transformation and other innovative teaching practices are a part of the daily curriculum at the Evelyne Sheats Lower School, but all teachers came together to create an exciting day for students on Thursday.
“Student-centered learning is always our goal at the Lower School. I am so proud of our teachers for putting this belief of our school into practice in such a big way. Ms. Tricia Anderson, Instructional Coach at the Lower School, really led the charge on this endeavor, and our teachers all responded in a true "Lead the Way" attitude,” said Head of the Lower School Renee Rogers. “Our students' wonder, awe, and immersion in academic rigor while having so much fun, was truly a joy to watch. This is not a one-day practice for the Lower School; the idea that learning should be fun and engaging every day is a core value of who we continue to be as a school.”
The event created much excitement in the Lower School, especially when the room transformations were revealed after chapel. Click here to view more photos from “Rock Your School.”
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
