Little Things Can Make a BIG Difference

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Melanie

On Friday, MDS students will be making a BIG difference for several Burke county organizations. Our lower elementary classes are working with Christmas Cheer to help make Christmas a little brighter for others. There is still time to clean out those gently used toys and bring them to school. The children will be cleaning, making sure all the pieces are together, and sorting and counting all the toys before they deliver them to the fair grounds. Some children will be off to the radio station to make a Public Service Announcement to encourage others to donate to Christmas Cheer as well. Our upper elementary classes will travel to the Christian Outreach Center to help prepare food bags and perform other needed jobs. Middle School students are heading in three different directions as they help Habitat for Humanity, BUCM, and area seniors with much needed yard work.

Additionally, the whole school is teaming up with Burke County Library to help them win a $25,000 grant. If you have a Facebook account you can help too. You only need to vote ONE time to help them win. Here’s how you can vote: Log on to your Facebook account, type in “Chase Community Giving App” in the search box, “Like” the Chase Community Giving page, type in “Burke County Library NC” into the search box, then click the “Vote” button. Voting is open now through November 22. Together we can make a BIG difference.

As an IB school, we encourage our students to think globally and to use knowledge for the greater good. Our MDS Making A Difference Service Day is an opportunity to exhibit the IB learner traits of being caring and principled at the local level.

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New Technology Coming to MDS

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Melanie

With the collecting of Pepsi caps concluded and the voting over, we are proud to say we are officially winners of the Pepsi Refresh Everything Grant for both the August and September cycles. The truth in the Vince Lombardi quote, “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work” has never been more evident than with these recent Pepsi grants. By working together and pulling in our friends, families, and community, we can proudly announce that we have $50,000 dollars to purchase new technologies for MDS. With this grant, we are looking to provide our students with opportunities that will enhance and take learning to a new level. It is our goal to have the new technology better prepare our students for future education and 21st century careers.
We realize that for technology to truly be a beneficial tool and not just merely a cool toy, it must be both blended and integrated into current teaching methods. In several articles in today’s Communicator, there are examples of our current technology integrated into science, math, and S.T.E.M. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of what will be possible as we move forward with mobile devices, the infrastructure to support such devices, and enough iPads to create entire class sets allowing for one-to-one opportunities. Used this way, technology becomes a tool that engages students and allows for deeper exploration of topics. Additionally, these tools become presentation devices allowing our students the opportunity to demonstrate and present new knowledge in creative and innovative ways as well as extend their learning into other related areas. Students become information producers rather than just information consumers by engaging in higher-order thinking.
There are a myriad of uses for these wonderful devices. MDS sees this as an opportunity for students to create or brainstorm ways the devices might be used for learning, as an opportunity for teacher research and development, and as an opportunity for Morganton Day School to jump ahead of the current use of technology in education and onto the cutting edge.

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8th grade Graduation

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Melanie

Graduation Address to the 8th grade graduating class

From, Head of School, Mrs. Mikusa  

When I started to write this address, I thought I would mimic the works of Dr. Seuss and write in a whimsical voice that would carry us back to your younger days. In the end, I decided to address you as the incredible young adults that you are. And, I am very proud to have been a part of your educational journey. So here we are today at a crossroads of an incredible journey, a journey that began when you entered school. Actually, your parents began this journey for you. But, today YOU are the ones who are off to great places and are off on your way. The next phase of your educational career really is in your hands. Your parents and teachers, here at Morganton Day, have helped to guide and support you through the beginning of this journey. Now it is your opportunity to take the metaphorical map and embark on a new educational adventure.

Each one of you has accomplished many outstanding and wonderful things while here at Morganton Day. As much as I don’t want to say it, it is time for you to move on to what’s next. In High School and in college you will have an abundance of opportunities to choose from-but don’t spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, that you miss the right opportunities. Remember what Mrs. Frizzle always said, “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.” Recognize that failures and obstacles are just opportunities to look at something with a different perspective. Where would we be without some of the greatest “failures” in the world, well I think we might have all walked here today and be sitting in the dark. Remember, we can learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others.

I hope one of the things you learned while in my class so many years ago is to commit to the adventure. Do you remember our trip to South Mountain State park in the rain? It was so cold, rainy, and miserable outside that most folks thought we should not take the adventure, but did that deter us? NO! I had faith in you as students and in my skills and knowledge. Remember, always have faith in the skills and the knowledge you’ve been blessed with and have gained here at Morganton Day School and go, because regrets are born of paths never taken.

As you travel on your educational journey, continue to look at the world with a new and fresh perspective. As an IB learner, you have had the opportunity to hone your sense of inquiry, and there is no better catalyst for success than curiosity. Continue to ask the questions, why and I wonder what will happen if, and you will continue to learn where ever your educational journey takes you.

Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers was quoted as saying, “Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people into the room… or find a different room.” This is a great example of the IB quality of risk taker. Continue taking risks and learning from others and you will succeed in all you do.

So with apologies to Dr. Seuss… be your name Brazinski, or Collett, or Dembski, or Gwynn, or Mohuiddin, or Reid, You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your adventure is waiting. So… get on your way!

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Costa Rica Reflections

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Melanie

The most beautiful part of my trip was experiencing the Arenal Waterfall. The waterfall flowed from a high above cliff, creating a breathtaking illusion of the water falling from the sky. The rapids around the waterfall rushed and cascaded with a fluent motion and consistent pressure. The turquoise water splashed down from the peak above, and it felt like we were swimming in a stormy ocean, being whipped around by waves and currents. Our class slid down the rocky rapids, and climbed up them, adventuring through the rushing water. The vegetation around the falls was plush, with trees and vines, ferns and bushes. The sound of the falls was harsh and heavy, with constant “whooshes” and splashes. It was a beautiful feature of Costa Rica to experience, and a breathtaking picture to absorb.
-Toddy Collett

I think the highlight or outstanding event of this trip would be the waterfall. As I approached the bottom of the waterfall with little breath to spare, the rest of my breath was taken by the beauty of the roaring cascade. Its peak was gushing out water like the top of a fire hydrant being broken. It was a very loud but calming sound, just for the fact that it took the place of every other thought or sound I had in my head. It consistently poured out light blue water. When you swam near the rapids, it felt like an invisible barrier was pushing you back while you had the urge to make it to the rapids. Even the smaller pool of water below was calm and peaceful, with a relaxing area that was arguably “desolated” at times. This was definitely the most beautiful part of the trip, and it was also the most worthwhile.
-Gage Gwyn

In Costa Rica we saw so many beautiful sites! One of my most favorite sites was near the top of the Arenal volcano. When we all hiked up, we were surrounded by volcanic rocks. They were dark grey and kind of hurt to put your hands on. The ground was made up with a really fine dust that got in my shoes. If you looked to the right, you could see the rain forest. The tops of the trees stretched out for miles with vines and leaves twisting together. The monkeys swung from tree to tree with no work at all. The colorful toucans swooped underneath out of sight and then flew back up to the top. If you looked further out, you could see a huge manmade lake. It was beautiful and looked picture perfect with the sun shining on it. To the left, you could see the volcano. It looked like a fat mountain with a rocky terrain. There were clouds and fog surrounding the top which made it seem kind of mysterious. It was definitely one of the most amazing and breathtaking sites I’ve ever seen in my life.
-Morgan Reid

The white sand beach in Punta Leona was definitely my favorite part of our trip to Costa Rica. The sand was soft in between my toes as I ran through it to the ocean. The water was warm and relaxing. Swimming further and further as the water got deeper and deeper was me being free and not afraid of anything. The huge waves would come crashing down on all of the 8th graders and push us 10 feet back towards the shore. We’d all hold our breath as the water took us below. Never have I had so much fun at the beach. I’ve only been to about three beaches and the white sand Punta Leona beach is without doubt the best one I’ve ever visited. When I am older, I hope I can visit Costa Rica again and stay at the Punta Leona resort so I can let the nice breeze flow through me, soft sand surround me, and that perfect temperature ocean water take me away again.
-Sana Mohiuddin

The most exhilaratingly beautiful landscape I entered on my eventful expedition to the lands of Costa Rica must be the waterfall located in La Fortuna. I recollect hiking downward on the steps toward the sound of roaring water. I reach the final destination at the entry point of the hydrolic fury. I gaze upon one of the most feared and exciting powers of nature. A two hundred foot waterfall that frees itself from the confines of a river and thrown into the emptiness of air, suspended until it seemingly pulverizes itself into a chaotic explosion at the pool below. After the furor of the fall, the water gently cascades down a series of rocks and boulders until finally resting in a calm deep pool inhabited with fish.
-Connor Brazinski

There were many beautiful things that I saw in Costa Rica… the La Fortuna waterfall, Paya Blanca, and not to mention the countless amount of rainforest reserves we hiked; but, in my opinion, nothing comes close to Arenal Volcano. Arenal’s last major eruption was in 1968 before anyone knew that it was a volcano. Arenal is located in La Fortuna and is still very active, so active that scientists cannot study it because it could blow at any time. Arenal is at such a high altitude that most of the time you can’t see the summit. Luckily the day we hiked Arenal was very clear, not clear enough to see the summit. The hiking around the volcano was probably one of the most memorable things I did in Costa Rica, and is a memory I will cherish for as long as I live.
-Jordan Dembski

Stay tuned for tomorrows reflections – in Spanish!

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A visit to theCloud Forest

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Melanie

We had a great night and a wonderful dinner. Ceviche, nachos, garlic chicken, all was good. The students are great at trying all sorts of new food. Walking in the cool of the evening to dinner made it all the better. This morning we are headed to Monteverde Cloud forest and then on to El trapiche coffee farm to see how coffee and sugarcane are farmed. We will get to take part in the coffee production process as we pick and transport coffee for grinding. The students have been great trying all that is presented and really learning as much as possible from every opportunity. We have a new school motto -  Morganton Day School, where learning opportunities abound and we learn till it hurts. Well off for more learning !

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Another Beuatiful Day

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Melanie

It is hard to believe that there could be any place more beautiful than the rain forest in la Tirimbina, it seems however that we found one to rival it. Today we went to the waterfall outside la Fortuna. The students and the parents enjoyed the hike down the 500 steps to an outstanding 250 ft. falls. The water was a bit cold but we are tough and we persevered. <our students were risk takers as they climbed the rocks to get to the base of the falls. The trip back down to the lower pool was fun but a bit bumpy on the bottom. We are now doing some shopping in town and resting before dinner.

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Costa Rica, the most beautiful place on earth!

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Melanie

We just returned to our hotel after another beautiful day in Costa Rica. We are on day four of our eight day adventure. Our time in country is flying by. Today we began with a wonderful breakfast of rice and beans, eggs, fried cheese, plantains, and the most wonderful fruit ever eaten. The papaya was so fresh it melted in my mouth. Our stay at the La Tirimbina field station was incredible. Jody our guide and Ralou, the field station specialist provided us with many outstanding experiences. We hiked in the reserve and found a pit viper coiled in the mud. Thank goodness Jordan saw it before we were too close. After leaving the reseve we found our way, in the tour bus, to La Fortuna where we set off to see Arenal Volcano, an active volcano. We hiked to the base of the volcano over lava rocks to see many beautiful birds and flowers. On the hike-run back to the bus, we saw a band of white faced monkeys. Connor and Jordan were able to video the monkey bussiness. We will post the video when we return to the states, no way to upload video here. Anyways, rounding out our wonderful day was our trip to the Ecothermal hot springs. Enjoying the hotsprings together as a class was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

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Everyone is Writing at MDS

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Melanie

Spring brings many things to Morganton Day School including blustery weather and indoor breaks, bees by the Bradford Pears, little purple flowers that are just to tempting not to pick, and of course thoughts of spring break and trips to the beach. But spring also brings nationally normed assessments, better known as TESTING. This week our students are engaged in the WrAP writing assessment. This assessment allows students to demonstrate their writing skills in a more real world format that traditional writing tests. The WrAP is designed in a two day format where students receive a prompt on the 1st day and are given time to formulate a writing plan, create a rough draft and complete some initial editing before time is called. Students then return on day two to reread their work, make changes to the writing, edit, and create a final draft of their work. What a refreshing change to the typical writing test where students are asked to do their best writing on the first attempt. I don’t know about you but my final work is rarely the first thoughts and words I put down on paper.
This type of assessment does raise the bar for students as the expectation for quality, content, and mechanics is much higher, but isn’t that what we want from our students.

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Open Enrollment Season

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Melanie

It has been a very busy week at MDS and it’s only Wednesday. As always, there is incredible learning experiences going on in every classroom. This morning for example, the 3rd grade  students were learning about money and economics. Instead of just reading about this concept, Mrs. Holt and the students opened a bank with personal checking and savings accounts. And this is just the beginning. They will delve into how economies work, what are some of the driving forces behind leading economies and what happens when an economy falters. The students will become entrepreneurs and experience capitalism first hand. This is one of many wonderful examples of the incrediable learning going on at school; I could go on and on but I really wanted to share the other reason the school is so busy.

It is re-enrollment time and open enrollment begins on Friday, March 11. In the last two and half days, I have given three tours of the school to new families, received four applications for new students, and arranged three student visits for next week. The number of available seats seems smaller every day. Additionally, we launched the Middle School Merit Scholarship today with 1/4 page ad in the News Herald. MDS is on the “grow”. It is my hope to fill our school to capacity and if the current level of interest is any indication, we may see more smiling faces in our engaging classrooms next year!

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Take a look

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Melanie

This past week I had the privilege of touring a family, who was temporarily transferring from Germany to Morganton, through MDS. The family found MDS while searching for IB schools in the area. After I was finished explaining our program, we toured the building. As we walked in and out of each classroom, the family was impressed by the depth and bredth of knowledge our students demonstrated. I explained to the family, the IB curriculum is designed to allow true inquiry by both the teacher and the student. Students are engaged in asking questions, discovering answers, and creating opportunities to use their new knowledge. This was highlighted as we saw the 5th grade class beginning work on their exhibition. Again explaining to the Krause family that in exhibition students are asked to identify a topic to study, decide what they want to learn about the topic, how they are going to learn, and then set about the task of learning. In the end, the students present their finding. As we continued to talk I once again realized this level of depth and breadth not typical in all school.
Some times it is easy for me to take for granted the wonderful education taking place day in and day out at MDS. I look forward to future tours so that I can continually see, through a fresh lens, the extraordinary learning taking place at MDS.

Tour anyone?

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