As I move around the School from classroom to classroom each day, I see moments of wonder and glimpses of challenge.  Last spring, I started taking snapshots and writing reflections to share with the faculty as a way to affirm and encourage the kind of teaching and learning that Capitol Hill Day School advocates in its mission and embodies in its classrooms.  Choosing different lenses through which we view the life of the School and posing thought-provoking queries help us to step back and look at the bigger picture.  This in turn stimulates collegial communication and professional development.

Some questions we ask ourselves as teachers are:

• What does a spiral curriculum look like?
• What do we mean by curriculum integration and how is this evident in classroom practice?
• How does our program meet the needs of a diverse student group?  

Recognizing that we carry out our educational mission in partnership with the families of our School community, I share these Curriculum Threads with you and hope these moments and glimpses give you a clearer picture of the rich and dynamic fabric of learning that happens every day here at CHDS.


Linda DeGraf
Curriculum Coordinator
lindad@chds.org

2009 - 2010 Academic Year

03/01/10
Winter Olympics; Using Math Manipulatives

02/22/10
Searching for Dreams in A Raisin in the Sun; Electricity, Inuits, and Art Integration

01/25/10
Bringing Stories to Life; Math Strategies

01/11/10
How to Begin the Day; Questioning Identity, Immortality, and Value in Literature

12/09
Curriculum Integration; Peace Cranes

11/23/09
Sharing Student Work with Families; Understanding Ecosystems; Geographic Literacy

11/09/09
The Heartbeat of the School

10/26/09
Differentiated Learning; Adaptation

10/13/09
Spelling Patterns; Readers' Theatre; Owl Pellet Deductions; Problem-Solving

10/05/09
The Art of Seeing

09/28/09
Writing Perspective; Political Punch

09/21/09
Roots of Critical Thinking: Balancing Knowledge and Inquiry

09/14/09
Fair Tests; Mock Newberry Awards; and Mandarin

09/08/09
Setting the Tone and Creating a Sense of Belonging

2008 - 2009 Academic Year

06/01/09
Speaking the "100 Languages of Children" through Frogs, Machines, and Museums 

05/26/09
Exploring Inclusion and Community: From Dr. Seuss to the Courtroom

05/18/09
Candy Lottery; New Faces in Music and French; Working with a Published Poet

05/04/09
Students Travel to Madrid, Watch the Space Launch, and Go Green

04/27/09
Perspective in Literature and On Stage

04/20/09
Making Math Real; A Chinese Tradition for Remembering Our Past