Picture a day at Steppingstone…

Steppingstone Photo Diary: July 29, 2014

 

8:05 a.m. – Starting the morning with a high five!

More than 300 Scholars arrive on campus for a day of learning and fun. Now in the fourth week of Steppingstone’s summer session, Scholars have been hard at work all month long. When the school year starts this fall, they’ll be prepared and on track for college.

 

 

 

9:35 a.m. – Science Scholars learn how to use microscopes to examine organisms found in a nearby pond.

10:35 a.m. – Reading Ms. Finnie’s class talks about tolerance, oppression, and overcoming fear while reading The Liberation of Gabriel King.

11:25 a.m. – aPlay Scholars head outside to exercise and soak up the sunshine. Today, older students are teaching new Scholars a game.

11:25 a.m. – Challenges and Choices

For homework last night, Scholars were asked to write about a time when they experienced bullying as a target, a bystander, or an ally. During class, they share their stories and discuss:

•  Reasons why bullying occurs and why others don’t stop it
•  Different types of bullying and where it takes place
•  The consequences of bullying and how it can be prevented

 

2:45 p.m. – Visual Thinking Strategies

In VTS class, Scholars actively examine artwork as a way to strengthen their critical thinking, observation, and discussion skills.

Today, Scholars are broken into two groups – they take turns describing what is happening in the image and observing and taking notes about the other group’s discussion. Here, the class notices that the fish in the boat is large and probably heavy, so it must have been difficult for the man to reel into the boat.

Reflecting on the exercise at the end of the period, one Scholar says, “I was really impressed by how we make each other think deeper about the art and see even more in the images.”

 

2:45 p.m. – Tutoring

In the afternoon, Scholars spend one-on-one time with teachers and teaching assistants to work through concepts they might be struggling with, perfect their organization skills, and get a head start on their homework.

 

 

 

 3:30 p.m. – Heading Home

At the end of a long day, Scholars ride the bus home to more than 13 different neighborhoods, and prepare for another fun and academically challenging day tomorrow!