“The evolution of algebra at Hyla The story of our new math curriculum begins at the Arbor School soccer exchange. Each year Hyla students compete in various sports events in the region with other students from independent schools. While the soccer exchange with Arbor, Catlin Gabel (track) and Spring Reign (Ultimate Frisbee) are beloved traditions for students, they are also important times for Hyla faculty to connect with other teachers. Casual conversations between teachers at these events can spark exciting exchange and inquiry. And that’s exactly how we came to find out about a new algebra…

Starting in the Spring of 2014, the science room has received some exciting upgrades: New technologies: Robot kits for computer programming and robotics in 6th grade and electives. iPad minis for science (to receive data from probes) and math class (graphing calculators). Digital probes to transmit data wirelessly (like temperature and motion) during labs in all grades. Several new solar car kits so kids can work in pairs rather than groups. Color printer and copier in the science room for distributing data and sharing student-generated work more quickly and easily (the printer is also shared with…

They did it! The 6th grade class has completed one of the signature Hyla experiences: performing a full Shakespeare play. A culminating experience, like a performance, allows students to demonstrate their developing skills, and therefore to feel a great sense of success. Sitting in the audience, we too can feel their pride when we watch them on stage transformed into their characters.   Interpreting a classical dramatic text and then creating a unique character to express physically and vocally is a tremendous personal challenge for students. These photos capture quiet moments of the difficult work that prepares students…

Last week teachers took the 7th grade into the Mountaineer’s Preserve near Chico, WA as part of our aquatic biology and experimental design unit. With new iPad minis in hand, students walked along the salmon run capturing data and photos. Special thanks to Hyla dad, Rick Gillat, who guided stream biology experiments along this active salmon run in an old growth forest. 

Today during Morning Meeting, faculty members briefly described their visions for this year’s mini-term explorations. Yes, mini-term is a month away! This is the first time we’ve had mini-term this early in the school year; however, we are excited to start Tuesday afternoon, December 16th, 2014. Students will be in specific groups all day Wednesday and Thursday. We will reassemble on Friday to share our findings and share a meal, celebrating culture, before our noon dismissal for winter break. For those new to the Hyla community, each year we break from the normal academic routine to look…

We are excited to announce a new program for parents of tweens on Bainbridge that Hyla is co-hosting with Raising Resilience and the Bainbridge Island School District. The program is called “Right in the Middle: Coolheaded – Warmhearted Tools for Parents of Tweens Grades 5-8.” We know that when it comes to parenting tweens, the stakes are higher than ever. The traditional challenges of this age (identity, sexuality, risk-taking, communication with parents, etc.) are complicated by the dominance of technology and media in a broader culture of busy-ness, strain and stress that threatens the quality of…

What a wonderful visit from Arbor School! Thank you to all of the families who volunteered to host Arbor students overnight, and to Mike Fosmark for coaching soccer this fall. In a special morning meeting on Friday, we received a new book for the Hyla library and two origami duo-decahedron constructions from the Abor team. We sent them home with the game ball, signed by all of our players. As Mike explained to the kids in morning meeting, the power of such a school exchange goes beyond the walls of any classroom to create meaningful connections…

The 6th grade production of a full-length Shakespeare play is a proud Hyla tradition. Our 6th grade class just finished “retellings” – an important phase of the curriculum where students effectively translate each line of the play to claim the story as their own and reach a deeper understanding of the text. With retellings complete, students now move on to another important part of interpreting the text: characterization. Characterization is both internal (like understanding the emotions and motivations of their characters) and external (how to express their characters physically). Students learn to ground all character details, like costume,…

To conclude their biology study of native plants, 7th graders worked with Clarice Cutler from “Let’s Pull Together – Scotch Broom Control of Bainbridge Island” to eradicate this non-native plant from the Hyla Campus. Clarice spent a week with the 7th grade science class to teach them about invasive plants and design a study to determine best eradication techniques. Students identified two plots on campus for eradication and monitoring over a 2-year period. The data collected by students will be shared with “Let’s Pull Together” for their records. Students also rolled up their sleeves and pulled…

Round 2: PE and General Elective Choices On Monday, October 27th, 2014, during last period, students will sign up for the second round of electives. This second round will begin after fall conferences on Monday, November 3rd, 2014. Students will be choosing one PE elective and one General Elective. Take some time to discuss the choices as a family! Students should have their top three or four choices in mind for both categories to ease the signup process. You will notice that some electives are designated as Community Service electives. We expect each student to sign…