This year, through the Virginia Birdsall Faculty Professional Development grant, I was able to attend an exclusive Robotics course for educators held at Carnegie Mellon’s research facility in the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Nestled along the Allegheny River, an 1800’s warehouse converted to house Robotics research has been home to CMU’s program for the last 50 years. This course spent the week looking at Robotics through both the eyes of an educator and also of a student.   We opened with a discussion of defining what a robot is and found that we are surrounded by more robots that most people realize.

Working with educators from all over the world, we worked on complex problems utilizing the concept of the SPA (Sense-Plan-Act), often discussing the pedagogy of robotics and the cross-curricular application of using robotics in the classroom.   Through the use of extensive math and applying skills learned, we learned to apply precise calculations to the robot to travel precise distances to within 2 centimeters.   The final day was spent reviewing more complex applications of robotics and transforming the robot from understanding simple commands and calculations to utilizing logic to make decisions every 1000th of a second.  This accuracy allowed the robot to sense objects in front of it and react as soon as it was moved.  All of this was related to how we make decisions as humans and how robotics can replace human work in situations where work environments are not safe.

During the course, a special tour of the facility and the various projects that have been worked on there was given to our group of educators. Projects from the original rover designed in the 60’s for NASA to several ongoing projects for developing unmanned tractors for John Deere to spray orange trees in Florida during the night to protect them from insects that damage the crops were among the projects we saw.  Many projects are developed in the facility for the government as well as projects for the shipping industry to clean the barnicles off of major oil tankers in a fraction of the time that it can be done by man.   This part of the course was very interesting to see first hand.

This course will help us to take robotics, which has become a strong part of the technology curriculum here at Unquowa, to the next level. The city of Pittsburgh offered a lot of history to take in during my spare time that enriched my experience on this trip, and I cannot wait to bring this new knowledge back to my technology and social studies classes!

This summer, the first Robo Workshop was held at Unquowa. Participants entering grades 2 and 3 were introduced to robotics using Lego WeDo programming.   Each day began with a free build period where creativity was sparked.  Each person was asked to create a design build and to use their imagination.  Each day, the creation was added to and the free build project became more and more advanced as new concepts and different sensors and gears were introduced.  By the end of the week, free build developed into an experimental period where some trial and error was conducted to get the design to work.  Several side projects were built by our junior counselors who worked with the students on developing more complex robotic builds, including a solar and wind turbine station that generated and powered a battery supply, an intelligent car that used robotic sensors and a tri-bot that navigated using a light sensor to steer.  The first Robo Workshop was a huge success and we hope to see more students joining us next summer in creating the next great robo-creation.

After a physical workout in the fields of Sport Hill Farm, our campers came back to Unquowa for a much more cerebral afternoon. Four days a week, campers participated in science, art and cooking classes.  Some experiences the campers have had in science are constructing fossils, making watercolors with saltwater and  hypothesizing how these pictures will be different when dry than other watercolor paintings and finding out how many worms are found in a square foot of dirt on our field then estimating how many worms they think are in the entire field. Many art projects were also completed. Some of these were clay sculpting, sand painting, making pet rocks, using light sensitive paper to make amazing pictures and using a real fish to make beautiful fish prints.  In cooking classes the campers learned how to do many things with our school’s chef. They made bread from scratch, garlic scape pesto and zucchini brownies, to name just a few. They also brought produce back from the farm daily and would prep vegetables for sauteing and enjoy a small feast at the end of the day. Each Friday, cooking classes were a bit longer and the campers helped out to prepare a family style lunch for everyone!

For two weeks in June, students in grades 4 through 8 have breathed, stretched, and artistically created in a calm, relaxing, and zen environment here at Unquowa. The first half of the day consisted of asana practice, followed by snack and outdoor play. The morning concluded with a creative arts exploration based on the theme of the day, which correlated with that day’s chakra focus. Yoga calms the central nervous system and enables one to relax into situations and get outside of one’s comfort zone. Friendships were forged through collaboration, innovative game play, and creative expression. The students designed “third eye” masks, sculpted miniature spirit animals, wove friendship bracelets, colored mandalas, and explored their dreams through the creation of their own tree of life. They also learned the importance of ritual and reflection through their daily practice of yoga. It was a valuable and enriching experience for all, and hopefully the students now have a deeper appreciation of yoga and creative arts.

Namaste,
Ms. Sabol & Ms. Tortora

Farm Camp has gotten off to an amazing start! One facet of Farm Camp the campers love is spending time at Sport Hill Farm in Easton. Four mornings a week campers board a school bus to visit the farm and see what the farmer, Patti Popp, has in store for them. Campers always get a tour of the farm. They learn what it means to be an organic farm and some of the challenges organic farmers face. The campers also get plenty of hands-on experience. One day they may be picking lettuce that has bolted and gone to seed, or they may pick a variety of greens and other produce to be sold in the farm’s market. Campers also start fall crops in cell trays or direct seed right in the fields. They also get an opportunity to feed the chickens and go into the coop to gather eggs. The list goes on and on! Whatever jobs need to be done, the campers are eager to help and have a great time in the process!

Basketball enthusiasts turned out for the third annual summer Basketball Clinic at Unquowa.  B-ball lovers  grades 4 through 8 focused on ball handling, shooting form and game play for one week. Age appropriate teams were formed to offer challenge and growth.  Skill sets were suggested for fun and form that should continue throughout the summer and fall. Students were given solo practice sets that they can use to improve their overall game without help well into the next basketball season.  All participants look forward to the fall knowing that they are stronger and more skilled. We are fortunate to feed the love of the game!

Thirty six eager future basketball stars began their summer participating in the second annual Unquowa Summer Basketball Clinic. When they arrived in the morning Coach Lawrence led them in dynamic stretches followed by basketball skill sets the rest of the morning and competition in the afternoon.

The morning session stressed fundamental drills where the students worked diligently to improve their passing, dribbling, shooting and defensive skills. We were thrilled with their improvement at the end of the week. During the afternoon we were able to assess the players’ progress as they applied their newly learned skills in competition with their peers. It was such a pleasure to witness the development of the students’ team offense and defense and what great sportsmanship they displayed.

We would like to thank all of our participants for a job well done!

Through the Virginia F. Birdsall grant, I was able to travel to Bali, Indonesia in July of 2010. It was an incredible program that exposed me not only to the traditional arts of this culturally-rich island, but also to the people who have kept these traditions alive for hundreds of years. I was able to spend three weeks living and learning alongside professional artists at the top of their craft and enriching my own skills and teaching practices.

The tour was designed for artists and art enthusiasts who wanted to be immersed in the culture of Bali. Bali is unique in Indonesia, as it is the only island that remained primarily Hindu after the invasion of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. The island became a kind of refuge for many artists and artisans, and as such it evolved and flourished in the arts. There are many and varied art forms that are still practiced in Bali from traditional dance, weaving, carving, painting, and puppetry to orchestral music. During my trip I had the opportunity to attend performances of masked dance, theatre, music, trance, and shadow puppetry. I also chose to further study Balinese dance, shadow puppets, and batik with expert teachers in their home studios.

My time in Bali greatly expanded my art curriculum and exposed me to a wealth of cultural and artistic experiences that were far richer than any that I could have simply culled from a book. To live among the Balinese and be able to spend time getting to know them and their culture first hand was an incredible opportunity that completely broadened my scope and understanding. I am excited to be able to bring part of this culture to my students this year through education and projects influenced by Balinese art.

The camp season this year was nothing short of sensational! With a full enrollment each week for both the Sweet Peas and our older campers, and the the help of an amazing staff, everyone had a fantastic time. The Sweet Peas enjoyed learning about different types of produce and how to care for them in our raised beds. They also did a bit of cooking with Chef Peter using the vegetables they learned about. Their teachers and counselors also made sure there was time for science, arts and crafts, and a bit of water play in some wacky sprinklers!

Older campers worked hard at Sport Hill Farm in Easton, where they experienced first-hand the trials and joys of farming. While at the farm campers had an opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like to be an organic farmer: planting, harvesting, composting, preparing produce for market and even gathering chicken eggs. Every Friday the students enjoyed a fun day on the farm including water balloon tosses and zucchini baseball. Upon return to school on Fridays, campers, under the supervision of Chef Peter, prepared wonderful farm to fork meals for themselves and the staff.

Afternoons on our campus gave campers the chance to take part in art, science and cooking classes with a focus on sustainability and nature. Campers and their parents left at the end of each session saying, “Thanks for the wonderful experience!” and “We’ll see you next summer!”  So I leave you with these words. Thank you for a great camp season and I can’t wait to see YOU again next summer!

Mary Faulkner

Farm Camp Director

What did you do with your summer vacation? If you ask one of the Upper School students who participated in the two week Creative Art and Yoga Workshop at Unquowa, they would tell you how they stretched their bodies and minds while exploring and expanding their inner selves. Each morning the participants met in our practice room, yoga mats in tow, and settled in for a lesson on one of the seven chakras. According to traditional Indian medicine (from which much of yoga is derived), the body has seven energy centers that each relate to a different part of the body. Starting with the color red and the root chakra, the students practiced a series of asanas, or poses, that tuned in to and honored the body’s energy flow. They also experimented with partner yoga and fun games designed to help their dexterity and flexibility. Following a short snack and break in the beautiful June weather, we returned to the art room to further explore the color of the day. We explored the stability of red, the creativity of orange, the sunny side of yellow, the green of the heart. We finger painted, collaged, designed, and wrote, both indoors and out. We brought nature into the classroom to use as raw material, and it brought our understanding and appreciation for the beauty all around us to a higher level. Mrs. Tortora and Ms. Sabol thank all of the students who participated in the workshop and encourage them to continue to make yoga and art a part of their everyday lives.