Written by Layla Carter, kindergarten teacher

Eight of our 4th and 5th graders traveled to Jefferson, Maine to stay at Camp Wavus Leadership School! Together they bonded and strengthened their team building skills while exploring nature. They had opportunities to rock climb, sleep in cabins, complete rope courses, and enjoy themselves in the great outdoors. Let’s hear what they have to say about the trip!

“My favorite part in Maine was probably the food or the Catwalk. It was a rope course where we had to balance. I also liked Gaga ball.” – Ben

“Going on a boat.” – Euree

“We did this thing called the Whale Watch and we also pet a lobster, and we also went to two lighthouses! And we played lots of lots of lots of lots of Gaga ball!…And the food was great too!” – Nomi

“It was really cool. We went to the beach, and we did a lot of nature hikes. And we got to eat delicious food and go rock climbing and do a ropes course. So, it was a lot of physical activity, but it was definitely worth it cause I got awesome muscles and I got to eat food every day!” – Priscilla

“It was pretty good! We had lots of fun. And I love the counselors, especially Rosie. We had lots of fun.” – Jayla

“So I liked it personally. I didn’t realize my phone and tablet were taken away because we were just so busy. I couldn’t even recognize that phones weren’t there. We did rock climbing. I didn’t do the ropes course. We went on a Lobster boat, and a bunch of cool stuff.” – Morgan

“My trip to Maine was good. And I actually loved nights where we were laughing so hard.” – Tiana

Written by Karen Falcon, 4th grade teacher

In 4th grade history we began the year with students learning about twentieth century history from Jubilee’s student created textbook “Journey to the Core of the Twentieth Century”. The class decided they wanted to write a book about people who refused to give up their seats. For example, Morgan let me know that she was very excited about Claudette Colvin, who was getting her name cleared after having been arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus at the age of sixteen. They are finished with the writing piece and are now working on illustrations.

They also interviewed a professor at Penn who wrote a book called “Travelling Black”, and the interview was broadcast on a local radio station. The following is the introduction to their book, which they wrote collaboratively:

“This is a story about segregation on public transportation and how people refused to give up their seats. They kept fighting for their freedom; they were braver than brave and stronger than strong. There is a growing awareness about some of these people, but not a lot of them are well known. We should know how they fought for justice and civil rights because they are our history and our blood, and our past affects our present and future. If we neglect these legends we are neglecting what is beautiful about humanity.”

Written by Layla Carter, kindergarten teacher

Block building is an essential element in Jubilee’s early learning curriculum. Young children are developing their fine motor skills, spatial awareness, as well as fundamental math and science skills. Block building advances these skills while encouraging teamwork, a sense of community, and parallel play. Kindergarten has built houses, skyscrapers, parking lots, and neighborhoods all with their imaginations. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next!