Blog – Page 5 – Chrysalis School

Project-Based Learning

May 15, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: The objective of project-based learning is to engage students in projects that will help them learn content and skills in ways that traditional nose-to-textbook methods can’t offer. When learning is connected to real world situations it becomes relevant to students’ lives and provides the foundation for deeper, more joyful learning, and better retention. Aside from building critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, project-based learning also encourages independence, collaboration, communication, goal-setting, and creativity.

Practice: Project-based learning is a critical avenue for students whose learning style favors kinesthetic or “hands-on” activities. Our students take up a myriad of projects each year at all ages and grades, ranging from constructing a milk jug igloo to better understand geometry, to combining a Physics of Flight course with actual flying lessons to understand the principles of physics, to participating in a crime to learn about forensic science. By engaging themselves in every detail of a project, students learn lessons they’ll never forget. It’s not only fun…it’s learning at its finest!

Senior Nate Pollak- Where is He Going and What is He Doing?

May 14, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Nate Pollak is at home at Chrysalis – this is likely why he chose to go to Fairhaven at Western Washington University. If you want to find Nate, check the activity room, but be ready to look around, because he is never just with one person. He flows in and out of different social groups and navigates a variety of friends and experiences. When asked about Chrysalis, he often cites how much he appreciates the flexibility and small classes. He credits Chrysalis for his belief in himself and his desire to pursue more education after high school. Nate says he chose Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies in Bellingham precisely because it reminds him of Chrysalis. We have appreciated Nate’s smiles, confidence and strength. We wish him great success next year at Fairhaven!

Happiness

May 8, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: The World Happiness Report was released last week with the purpose of assessing quality of life to measure national progress and inform future policy making for the well-being of society. It dedicates a chapter to the well-being of children and concludes that emotional development—not academic achievement—is the best predictor in determining whether a child becomes a satisfied adult. It recommends that schools focus on well-being to nurture children’s emotional health by developing trust, practicing empathy, stressing the use of praise, and emphasizing mutual respect, kindness, and play.

Practice: At Chrysalis we know that the foundation for learning is based on two very important things: (1) individual well-being, and (2) engagement. When a child isn’t well, they cannot perform at their potential, despite their capacity. When a student isn’t engaged and doesn’t buy in to the work they’re doing, they achieve less. Our goal is to provide a safe, positive, and stable environment for kids to assure their happiness in school. When kids are happy and engaged we are given the opportunity to stretch their abilities, deepen their learning, foster their success, and provide joy in learning.

We Don’t Adhere to Arbitrary Standards

April 30, 2015 By:Chrysalis School

Research: Rebecca Givens Rolland laments that schools are racing through K-12 education these days, with policies that encourage children to cover more material in shorter amounts of time, under expectations that are misaligned with natural child development. She argues, “This push, while well-intentioned, is counterproductive. Children need time to sit with a subject, to see mistakes not as humiliations, but as chances to learn.” What’s missing in this “need for speed” is an understanding of the nature of the learning process and proper encouragement to create lifelong learners.

Practice: Every student at Chrysalis is allowed to learn at their own pace and in their own time. Since we don’t adhere to arbitrary standards we can create educational programs that meet each child where they are and allow them to progress when they’re developmentally ready. Our program allows children the extraordinary gift of time to flourish, learn deeply, and develop a love of learning.

Will DJ for Food

March 27, 2015 By:Chrysalis School

ValdezDrew-2-683x1024 Drew Valdez is dedicated to playing music. He’s also dedicated to helping others. Recently, he was able to combine both of those interests and at the same time, earn the highest Boy Scout honor possible – Eagle Scout.

Drew not only plays music, but has a knack for picking out just the right sound for the right event – usually electronic dance music with undertones of jazz. Although he has played in venues as large as Bumbershoot, most recently, that ‘right event’ was held at Chrysalis. For his Eagle Scout project, “Will DJ for Food,” Drew hosted an event at the high school that raised between 700 and 1000 pounds of food for Hopelink and the local foodbank!

Drew has released his own EP of music called “Bada Bing” under his DJ name Slap Serif and looks to his future knowing music will be part of it. He hasn’t decided on a major yet, but is thinking of Engineering or Computer Science. No matter what he decides, his passion for music and his passion for helping others has made a difference – here at Chrysalis and out in the world.

Scouting Out a Bright Future

March 24, 2015 By:Chrysalis School

WinstonBrittany-683x1024 Sometimes you can find Brittany modeling for Margaret’s Fashion Photography course, or, sometimes you can find her getting ready for the next drama production; but always you can find Brittany deeply involved in helping others. Not only does she give her time and energy to her pursuits at Chrysalis, she gives a tremendous amount of time to a group she has participated in most of her life – the Girl Scouts.

Recently, Brittany was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award – the highest honor available in the organization. To receive this honor she had to research a need in the community, prepare and present a plan to address the need, and then take action. Brittany chose to install signs along the Snoqualmie Valley Regional Trail in Carnation that identify native trees and plant life. For her ribbon cutting ceremony, she led a fantastic tour of the area. She volunteers and mentors young girl scouts and even marches in the Carnation Christmas Parade with the Girl Scout Troop dressed as Frosty!

Brittany embodies the traits not just of being a good Girl Scout, but of being a good human being. She is kind, thoughtful, generous of her time and talent and invested in making the world a better place. She will continue to serve her community next year at St. Martin’s University in Lacey. She is thinking about either Nursing or Forensics as a major. No matter what she decides, we have no doubt she will continue to change lives for the better.

The Humanistic Approach to Learning

March 20, 2015 By:Chrysalis School

20140515_122358-1024x768 Research: Professor Yong Zhao at the University of Oregon has been making headlines recently with his call to reimagine education in the United States. He states that “all human beings are born with the capacity and desire to learn…but their environment can either suppress or encourage that drive.” The school environment must be both stimulating and supportive, and allow kids to pursue individualized goals that build on their strengths rather than identify differences as flaws that must be fixed.

Practice: This humanistic approach is the very basis of a personalized education. We place the student and their individual goals at the center of their program, and commit ourselves to helping them be successful by implementing the right amount of support along the way. This looks different for every child and is crucial to encouraging student success. The right amount of support allows students to recognize their abilities, comfortably accept new challenges, increase their independence, and advocate for their needs.

Hannah and Hanna – Two Seniors Going Places

March 3, 2015 By:Chrysalis School

Hannah Cole

Hannah Cole laughs. A lot. Notes of her laughter and joy play their way gently down the halls like a song – making those around her smile. Perhaps it seems so musical because her voice is her instrument and she is never very far from music. Currently, she’s involved in our theater department and getting ready for the big push towards the production of our upcoming musical – Once Upon a Mattress! But she is more than giddy laughter down the hall. Hannah is going places – Italy to be specific.

This is her Senior (and final) year with Seattle Children’s Choir. Much to her excitement, her choir has been asked to participate in a Sacred Music Festival at the end of June… in Italy! She said they may even sing at the Vatican. She is so enthusiastic, she brought her itinerary to her World Cultures class so that together, she and her teacher could study Italy and the places she will be visiting in more depth!

Next year, Hannah hopes to either attend SPU majoring in theater and/or musical theater or go to Bellevue College because of their active theater and gaming theory departments. No matter what she decides about college, we wish her the best wherever her talent takes her!

Hanna Shephard

Hanna Shepherd is a young woman always moving forward. She is absolutely one dedicated young woman. Whether rowing or learning – Hanna gives all of herself to pursue excellence in whatever she is doing as part of a team, or for her own future.

Hanna has attended Chrysalis High School all four years of high school specifically so she could use the flexible schedule to explore her own passions. One of her greatest passions is rowing. Hanna rows with the Sammamish Rowing Association and along with the other seven young women on her team, competes locally and nationally. She was selected by Seattle Area Rowing in their varsity eight boat and competed at the USRowing Club National Championships in Oakridge, TN placing 6th overall. Her team also won the Sykes Cup in the varsity four at the Husky Open. The first time Sammamish Rowing Association has won the event!

But most often, at school, people don’t see the rower. They see the avid scholar; the dedicated young woman in pursuit of learning that touches everything she does. Almost always, one can find Hanna with her nose buried in a book – fiction, non-fiction, academics – her love of reading and learning knows no restrictions. So much so, that her curiosity and pursuit of academics will take her on the move to the east coast next fall! Hanna has been accepted by Brown University and will major in Biology/Pre-Med.

We wish Hanna the best as she moves forward in her life to pursue her excellence at Brown and wherever her passion and determination takes her!

Our Beloved Smartphones Prevent Sleeping

January 23, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: A new st udy focuses on the effect of small screens (phones and tablets) on children’s sleep and concludes that they are worse for sleep than television screens. The problem is that we hold them closer to our faces, which prevents the increase of melatonin that drives us to fall asleep. They are also more interactive, which tells our brains to stay alert.

Practice: The prevailing recommendation for children and teens is to remove technology (TVs, computers, phones, tablets, etc.) from their bedrooms at night. Having a technology curfew is one great way for parents to protect their sleep. Teens especially just can’t resist the temptation of getting to the next level on their favorite video game or checking who “liked” their last post. This is where we as parents have to step in to ensure their ability to function the next day and their overall health.

A New Vision of Schooling

January 9, 2015 By:Alison McNee

Research: I was taken aback by a recent opinion piece in which James Delisle proclaims that differentiation is a farce. These are strong words for a practice we believe is so fundamental to learning! He agrees that the theoretical benefits of differentiation are great: determining what students know and still need to learn, allowing students to demonstrate what they know in multiple ways, and encouraging depth and complexity in the learning/teaching process. But in practice, it simply cannot be implemented in the traditional heterogeneous classroom where so many types of learners are lumped together.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/07/differentiation-doesnt-work.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1

Practice: Herein lies the qualification of his claim. When we think of schools and classrooms in traditional ways, he’s right—differentiation cannot take place. It can work, however, when we create a new vision of schooling. At Chrysalis differentiation is an inherent part of our program. It is a natural element of the individualized class and can easily be incorporated into small groups that group students according to ability. (Maybe we should invite him in to show him how it’s done!)

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