Have you looked at the Peirce PYP Documents lately?
You will find:
PYP Assessment Policy
PYP Language Policy
Peirce PYP Programme of Inquiry
Peirce Specialists Programmes of Inquiry
...And Much More!
Ms. Zawayta- MYP Year 2 DIverse Learners
Reflection-
My fondest memories from this year have to be any time I was working with kids and laughing. Whether it was in the classroom or on the playground, when students are having fun engaged in lessons they are learning. What makes me the most proud of this year is that Ms. Hernandez and I moved to student led lessons, student created do-nows, student created rubrics, and student feedback on lesson/assessment planning in Science. In Mathematics there was more student led initiatives as I learned from Mrs. Keiner how to produce quality formative and summative assessments students maintain ownership of during the entire learning process. Such collaboration is quite magical and leads to a lot of happy students.
Ms. Brugman- MYP Year 3 Language and Literature
June Studies
8th graders had many things to look forward to in June! We had a field trip sponsored by Gear Up to visit Robert Morris College. We also had a field trip to the Holocaust museum. Additionally, we will had the 8th grade luncheon on the Odyssey.
Reflection
One of my fondest memories is the bus ride home from The Hunter and The Bear. I’ve never seen our kids so excited about a play! (They also sang all the way there and most of the way home.) Another very fond memory was watching the 8th grade perform their work for Writer’s Theatre. There was a great deal of collaboration and compassion when students shared sensitive information. One of the proudest moments was watching our Battle of the Books team compete in the City Finals!
Mr. Roche- MYP Years 1-3, Diverse Learners
June Studies
7th graders will review integers and continue to solve equations and simplify expressions
8th graders will move beyond graphing lines to solving systems of equations using elimination.
Reflection-My proudest moments were hearing students say, “Oh! I get it!” after struggling for a while, then attack the problem with renewed energy.
I was also really excited that students were into the poetry unit and created their own little poetry book.
Ms. Thompson- MYP Years 1-3 Music
6th grade students continue to follow the historic Silk Road trade routes and our next stop is India From there we will “travel” to Turkey and end in Spain with Flamenco music. . 7th grade students have done a great job of building a community through our drum circles. We have set sail from West Africa towards the islands of the Caribbean with our first stop being Trinidad and Tabajo and steel drum music. Next we’ll study Reggae from Jamaica, Salsa from Cuba and Samba from Brazil.
Reflection
I was very proud of some of the 6th grade’s Instrument Design Projects. Students worked in small groups to create their own country and design and build unique instruments out of everyday items. Their projects are on display outside of the music room. The 7th graders are really beginning to listen to each other and our drumming circles are becoming very “groovy!” I am anticipating that the 8th graduation will be a fond memory from this year and I know that the 8th graders will make their families proud as they sing their graduation song!
Ms. Hernandez- Science
June Studies
Students explore fundamental principles of Mendelian genetics in pea plants and humans. They study asexual and sexual reproduction, the process of cell division, and the role of nature and nurture in determining traits. Near the end, students model the use of DNA technologies to solve real problems
Reflection
One of my fondest memories was the Energy Debate led by the awesome 8th grade science class! There passion for debate is truly inspiring!
Mr. Greenwell- MYP Years 1-3 Spanish
June Studies 6th grade- Students are learning regular ER and IR verbs! Students are also studying Puerto Rico and food!
7th grade-Students are learning about sports in the Dominican Republic!
8th grade- Students are discussing the importance of souvenirs while traveling in Costa Rica!
7th grade native speakers- continuing to read and write in Spanish. We are working on short stories from Julio Cortazar and poems from Pablo Neruda.
8th grade native speakers- continuing to read and write in Spanish. Students will be selecting short stories from Ana Maria Matute to study the effects of the Spanish Civil War.
Reflection-My fondest memories from the year are from the different programming opportunities at Peirce, including the DC trip! The students and staff had a great time learning about the different historical sites in our nation’s capital.
Another fun memory was the International Dance night! Parents, students, and staff came together to learn and practice different dances from around the world! I can’t wait for next year’s International Dance Night!
Ms. Jetton- Year 1 & Year 3 Science
June Studies
6th graders will take their final assessment on the Weather and Climate unit. They will then complete a research project on a science topic of their choice. 8th graders will take their final assessment on Forces and Motion. They will then complete the Egg Drop Challenge!
ReflectionOne of my fondest memories is of the 6th grade trip to Indiana Dunes. I saw a lot of students come out of their shell which was great! It was fun getting to know the students outside an academic setting :) I was also very proud of their positive attitudes and behavior during the trip. The experience was amazing!!
Ms. Keiner: MYP Year 2 Math & Year 3 Science
Reflection My fondest memory from this year was the NIU overnight trip with all of 7th grade. It was fantastic seeing all the students away from school, learning more about their personal likes, and watching them push themselves to learn outside the classroom.
Mr. Skvarenina- Physical and Health Education
June Studies-The students will finish up our softball/baseball unit. The students will also complete their final reflection on fitness testing. They will compare and contrast their scores from all quarters and set goals for the summer.
Reflection
I am very proud of the effort 7th grade put into their dance and song performance with Giordano's. A lot of students stepped out of the box and tried something that made them uncomfortable. I also really enjoyed working with the middle school students who joined cross country. The students put in a lot of work and continuously increased their times and ranking in the races.
Mrs. Gerhardt- MYP Year 3, Diverse Learner Co-Teacher
Ms. Kerkstra- Year 1 Mathematics
June Studies-6th graders will complete the introduction to algebra. We will continue writing expressions and equations, evaluating expressions and equations and work with independent and dependent variables.
Reflection-The kids’ activity books that students created for a summative assessment were amazing! The time, effort and collaboration showed by all students was a great example of what IB students should do every day!
Ms. Lawrenz, MYP Year 2 Language and Literature
Seventh grade students will complete the year by finishing their second argument essay on the feasibility of the construction of a border wall between Mexico and the United States. Students will also read The Goats, a novel by Brock Cole.
Reflection
My fondest memories of this school year was experiencing the students’ cooperative and collaborative work during our Confronting Injustice unit and Writer’s Theatre. The 7th grade classes emerged as authentic IB risk-takers as they produced and performed skits on the power of teens taking action against injustice.
Talyia Eve Riemer- Assistant Principal & MYP Coordinator
June Studies
In addition to bidding our 8th graders farewell, the rest of our MYP students will jump into their final Learning Celebration this June. It will feature Field Day Games, a Talent Show, and an Awards Assembly led by students. Special recognition will be given to students who have earned awards all four quarters.
Reflection
As I reflect on the year, one of my fondest memories is of seeing the students who went to D.C., honoring our veterans. I was pleasantly surprised to see the students go out of their way to shake hands with, applaud, and share expressions of gratitude with the men and women in uniform that we saw in our nation’s capital.
