AIS Online in Action: Week of 5/2

A Digital Visit from Incoming Head of School Sally Keidel

Incoming Head of School Sally Keidel visited middle schoolers via AIS Online this week! She began the week with the Middle School Assembly, where she greeted students and faculty members as they prepared for a week of learning. Later that day, she spoke with faculty members, commending them on their work during this time of online learning. On Tuesday, Mrs. Keidel visited Mrs. White's 5th grade science class, where students learned about infographics and chose topics for their upcoming project on energy sources. Mrs. Keidel's busy Thursday included a stop into Mrs. Hahn's 8th grade algebra class to learn about rational expressions in mathematics, and a meeting with the Middle School Student Council.

Mrs. Keidel met with faculty and staff in February, visited the Lower School last month, and will connect with Upper School students in the coming weeks.

Here are just a few examples of the engaging learning experiences that transpired via AIS Online last week:

Interviewing Those We Love

What could be more exciting than interviewing someone you love — and using it for a school art class? In Ms. Siembora's art classes, students in grades K-4 interviewed someone they love in order to create a better portrait of their chosen individual, and were encouraged to picture them in their favorite place, in their favorite color, and more! Parents and grandparents were the popular choices, and answered questions ranging from favorite color to what their childhood was like, the most important invention in their lifetime, and both similarities and differences between them and their interviewer. The project is connected to their study of portrait artists and their work, including the two artists who painted the official portraits for Barack and Michelle Obama.

Seniors Lunch with the Head of School

Wednesday marked the final day senior lunch of the year, where members of the Class of 2020 meet with Head of School Dr. Wendy Hill! Dr. Hill began this tradition when she joined the Agnes Irwin community as a way to connect with students and allow seniors to reflect on their time at Agnes Irwin, share highlights and strong memories, and look to the future.

Writing to Win in Fourth Grade

Collaboration is key in our 4th grade classes! Last week, students improved their writing in a voluntary workshop with Ms. Sweeney and Ms. Hicke. where they discussed their realistic fiction stories, the strategies they use to support their work, and encouraged one another with ideation and constructive feedback. We love that our students embrace a growth mindset — and are committed to helping one another succeed!

Alumnae Lunch Series

On Monday, upper schoolers met for a Q&A with Nicole Marchetto '06 MD, MPH, a Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Fellow at Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences. Nicole shared about her Agnes Irwin experience, her journey as a medical practitioner, and how her role has changed with the COVID-19 pandemic and her location near New York City. The Alumnae Lunch Series is presented by the Alumnae Relations Office and the Center for the Advancement of Girls.

Middle School Celebrates Virtual Parliament Theme Day

Snapchat filters, carpool karaoke, personalized M&M candies, and more were the subjects of Virtual Parliament Theme Day 2020 earlier this week. This student-led tradition in the Middle School community is a fun way for Parliaments to embrace themes and share their creativity through screenshots, videos, and picture collages.

Exploring Media Arts Through Floral Photo Collages

Springtime is the perfect time to incorporate nature into the Media Arts class! Students in Ms. Miller's course have been learning how to create photo illustrations and digital collages, focusing on combining line, shape, color, and other images to express an idea or emotion in a self-portrait. Some celebrated the themes of spring and personal growth, while others explored more abstract self-portraits.

Celebrating International Book Day with St. George, Shakespeare, and Don Quixote

What do St. George, Don Quixote, and Shakespeare have in common? All three were subjects in Señora Nomdedeu's PreK through Grade 2 Spanish classes last week! The lesson corresponded with April 23, an important day in northeast Spain where people celebrate patron St. George by exchanging books and red roses. In addition, April 23 marks International Book Day, so chosen as it was the day that both William Shakespeare and Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, passed away. At Agnes Irwin, students learned the legend of St. George, heard about Shakespeare and Don Quixote, and reflected on their learning through audio and video. For the Costas family, the lesson aligned perfectly with the presence of a unique resident in their garage — a dragon statue!

More Scenes from AIS Online

Sixth graders created their own crests/coats of arms this week, as part of their learning about the feudal hierarchy — a blend of their knowledge of history and their own interpretations of how they would want to be represented!

On Wednesday, students in Mrs. Slezak's class had a special guest reader — Mrs. Slezak's daughter, Madeline '11, who talked about her life and read a book to the students!
 

Students took a break on Thursday for a fun virtual origami workshop, hosted by the Arts Council!

Stay Connected With Us!

We know community is important; we're staying connected during this time — and want you to be a part of it! Here are a few ways that we are sharing the work of our students and faculty members. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and check out our Insta story daily: we regularly ask to hear from you about things like book recommendations, how you're spending your time as we stay at home, and more!

Maya and Grace Show Us AIS Online

Who joined us on the AIS Instagram this week? Maya '23 and Grace '26 took the reins and walked us through their days on AIS Online — including some math, Spanish, ceramics, French history, and more!

Agnes Irwin Workout Series

Get ready for planks, squats, farmer's carry, and more in Workouts 9 and 10 of the AIS Athletics' Workout Series!

We’ll be sharing weekly updates of the exciting project, classes, and creative exercises happening on AIS Online, so stay tuned!