Welcome from Principal, Tami Weiser

This week our Techno Monday Digital Photography class took their work to a whole new level – under the water! The group has spent the year learning about many different aspects of photography, including nature photos, photos of fine art, macro photography, and how to take photographs at special events. They were interested in exploring new formats, such as using film for the first time as opposed to digital, and expanding their view of the world. Therefore, on Monday they had their class in our school pool to truly work in a fluid, 3-D environment. The students were models as they jumped in and swam under water, as well as photographers that worked hard to swim and set up the perfect shot. It was an exciting and experiential educational project, and I can’t wait to see the final product when the film is developed.

Tami Weiser

As an adult when we are asked to remember our elementary school experience, consistently people mention a vivid memory rather than a lesson that involved reading a chapter in a book and answering the questions at the bottom of the page. Today, we gave our Stephen S. Wise fifth grade students one of those indelible memories. Our fifth graders participated in their immigration simulation and it was amazing to watch. Students got out of their cars dressed as immigrants from different countries, and they gathered with their family members. Their first task was to board a train from Russia to France, which was challenging as some families were separated, some lost tickets, and some had to really negotiate to get their passports accepted. Then, each family had to get on a “ship” led by Captain Hosler, where they had the treacherous journey across the ocean. Families lost precious items on the journey, and even worse a few family members. One early lesson was that a generous bribe to the captain often got them a better place on the ship. Once they arrived to Ellis Island they had a grueling process to go through. They had to wait in line at passport control, and many found out that their original names were changed to more “American” names without any discussion. On to the luggage station, where many items were confiscated if the inspector liked them (I saw Mrs. Baker with quite a few new necklaces!). The next challenge was the medical inspection done by “Dr. Kim” who checked hair, teeth and eyes to see if the immigrant was healthy enough to enter the country. There were some braces that caused quite a stir. And the final station was intelligence where students had to do learning activities and then within their families answer 100 naturalization questions – the actual questions currently asked to enter the U.S. At each step of the way students were faced with scares such as deportation, and triumphs as they moved through the process. The final ceremony was having the entire class stand to take the naturalization oath, and it was really a meaningful time for all. I shared with the fifth grade after the simulation that when they are adults and someone asks them about their elementary school they will be able to say, “I remember being in the school play, I remember winning a championship game, and I remember our immigration simulation.” I am so blessed to be part of an educational team that creates and provides these opportunities for kids every day!

One of the unique aspects of Stephen S. Wise Elementary School is our Project Studio classroom, which is always alive and buzzing with inquiry-based learning that ties into our social studies curriculum. Students are eager to get to Mr. Meth and his room so that they can dive into new experiences every week. Our first grade is learning about communities, and a part of this study is an examination of community workers. They have learned about postal workers, firemen, and construction workers and the picture above is our first grade construction workers learning how to make a suspension bridge. An interesting connection that the students made was the work that is currently happening on the Mulholland Bridge, and they have a new sense of appreciation for this engineering.

Second grade is studying multicultural lessons with a focus on Kenya, Brazil and China. Each class is taking a virtual “trip” to their country, and so far they have exchanged their currency, learned the language, checked into the hotel, and have tasted the foods. They are learning about what defines a culture, and their work will culminate in a travel scrapbook with photos and mementos from each activity.

Third grade studies Los Angeles and they have learned about Native Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans, and Asian Americans that are all Angelenos. They met an herbalist, looked at artifacts on loan from the Autry Museum, and are leaving today for a field trip to Chinatown where they will participate in a walking tour, eat a dim sum lunch and do Tai Chi in the Plaza.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit our Project Studio I invite you to stop by and see the magic for yourself – you will be amazed at what our students are experiencing every day.