Collaborative Kickoff

Our Specials teaching team (art, music, PE, library, technology) met with the entire student body on the first day of school. We introduced students to aspects of our subject areas, while reinforcing the ideas of teamwork, empathy, and perseverance that are so important to learning successfully at Edgewood School.

The Specials teaching team planned activities for group sessions with classes from grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. Each activity required students to think on their feet... but really together with lots of feet! Collaboration was essential to completing these tasks.

The Technology and Library team featured Mr. Tomizawa (me) and our awesome new librarian Mrs. Alison Turner. Students were challenged with engineering tasks such as building tall and strong structures and for our youngest students, reconstructing a familiar story, the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Ms. Houston, along with Ms. Forte, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Orengo (strings), created their own mash-up with Spanish and Music, combining Spanish vocabulary with the knowledge of instruments and familiar songs.

The Physical Education and Art team was led by Coach Weigel and Mr. Fitzpatrick. They combined physical activity with an understanding of the composting process at Edgewood.

These Specials team events were all fast-paced and fun. At times, the gym was as raucous as a stadium. So while classroom teachers took this opportunity to meet and plan together, their students chanted and cheered on their teammates. And everyone, students and teachers alike, took away great memories from the first day of school. - Paul Tomizawa

Team Special

The tallest nest tower at 15"!

What does the first day of school sound like? At Edgewood this year, it included over a hundred children shouting encouragement to their teammates during a special collaborative event in the gym. For the second year in a row, the out of the classroom teachers banded together for a unique Scarsdale event. These "special" teachers --Mr. Brown, (music), Ms. Forte (music), Ms. Houston (Spanish), Mr. Fitzpatrick (art), Mrs. Stokes (library), Mr. Weigel (PE), and myself (technology), organized two interactive events on the first day of school. One for students in Grades 1 & 2 and a second for grades 3-5.

Students were randomly selected to represent their teams, Blue versus White (yes, our school colors) to compete in activities that reflected their knowledge and skills in our special areas.

Students showcased their Spanish knowledge by slapping a fly swatter on top of images that matched the spoken words. They were challenged to alphabetize themselves by their last names. They shot free throws and tossed balls through hoops taped to the wall. They organized simulated "lunch waste" into the appropriate compost and trash bins. They pushed themselves to engineer a tall nest made of pipe cleaners to provide a safe haven for an eagle's egg. And they screamed encouragement to their classmates as they scrambled to arrange the bars of a xylophone in the correct musical order, shown below.

We're told this event only happens at Edgewood. And we know it afforded our classroom teaching colleagues a common preparation window, which is especially needed at the start of the new school year. But most important, we watched highly motivated students compete with skill, knowledge, and a strong sense of team. Go Edgewood!

Paul Tomizawa