Middle School Students Off and Running

Fifth graders got their first taste of the scientific method on September 30 as they finished their first lab report on mummifying an apple. Michaela Boller, humanities teacher, explained the unique project was tied to their current area of study. “Students are learning about mummification as we begin to study Ancient Egypt in history,” she said. “And they are about to start writing their Egyptian puppet opera so it’s a great start to our interdisciplinary work.”

It’s not officially fall at Masters until the sixth graders go seining. For the past 15 years, science teacher Dan Russo has led the annual marine life expedition to and in the Hudson River at Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park.

Russo was joined by fellow sixth grade faculty Mark Tamucci and Brittany Farrar on September 30, and by Tamucci, Jen Rathkopf and Katie Meadows on October 6.  

The students, clad in hip waders, ventured into the Hudson with seining nets to catch and identify a variety of organisms. 

“These trips set the tone for the collaborative work the students will be doing throughout the sixth grade,” Russo explained. “Rather than simply studying the river in the classroom, it allows the students to gain firsthand experience by actually submerging themselves into the river.”

It is a much beloved part of the experiential curriculum that both students and teachers enjoy. “It’s an experience that many will remember for the rest of their lives,” Russo said. “It also affords them the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and splendor of the Hudson River.”

 

Seventh graders survived Survival Day on October 6, the highlight of Exploration Week, organized and led by humanities teachers Paul Friedman and Mary Chappell. Students participated in various team-building and problem-solving activities as part of their Journeys course work.

“They came up with team names, read maps of the campus to find food, created cheers, looked for specimens to meet a science requirement and went on a scavenger hunt,” Chappell explained.

The students then headed to the wooded area by Clarke Field to learn how to build shelters, baskets and fires. Friedman was impressed with their efforts: “Their level of enthusiasm, the speed at which they completed the challenges, how they bounced back from defeat and difficulty and of course, their great shelters.”

He added, “It was wonderful to have the students out and about on our campus and experiencing what it’s like to work as a team to embody these 10 characteristics throughout the process: focus, preparedness, principled perseverance, creativity, curiosity, resilience, risk-taking, independence and a sense of higher purpose.”

Meanwhile, eighth graders took the notion of higher education to new heights during a trip to Boundless Adventures, the zipline and aerial adventure park, in Purchase, New York.

Students learned to navigate ropes, ziplines and obstacle courses during an outdoor experience that brought the class closer together through collaboration, skill and perseverance. Eighth Grade Dean and science teacher Morghan Lewis, along with teachers Stephen Hildreth, Tim Campbell, Mona Hazarika-Tamucci and Eliot Bloomberg, enjoyed the day of bonding and exploration. 

“The trip was phenomenal,” said Lewis. “A highlight for me was how readily the students challenged themselves with the difficult ropes courses and how they supported and encouraged each other.”