November 6, 2015
As we commenced the school year back in August, students, faculty, and parents were asked the question: “What’s your bright idea?,” inspired by the book, What do you do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada. What do you do with an Idea? As individuals and as a community, we brainstormed goals and ideas we would like to see happen this year.
Ms. Newman, Mr. Straus, and the 2nd grade students have been participating in Global Read Aloud, a reading program that began as one teacher’s bright idea. In 2010, Pernille Ripp, a 7th grade teacher in Wisconsin who grew up in Denmark, had a desire to connect the world with a book. Five years later, the project has connected more than 500,000 students on six continents.
Every week, TDS 2nd graders Skype with a 1st grade class in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. The kids share writing activities, ask each other questions, etc. Students have also sent Halloween cards back and forth. At Tuesday’s Lower School meeting, Ms. Newman and some of her students read “Duck Rabbit,” a hilarious book they read with their pen pals. Students also share their work on a padlet, which parents can see as well.
Click HERE to learn more about the Global Read Aloud program.
What do you do with an idea? You change the world.
