by Kerri Consalvo | Apr 21, 2023 | Blog, TPS Travel Study Program
Alice, Arlo, Eziah, and Fiona start their day at the crack of dawn with an early morning snorkel with Mike and Kyle.
Cautiously, we journey into the brisk, early morning waters of Cinnamon Bay. Despite the groggy awakening, our minds are swimming with the fish that we are eagerly anticipating. Caffeinated by the shock of the frigid sea, we stumble upon a stingray early into our expedition. As we gingerly approach the jagged rocks of Cinnamon Cay, the vicious current violently drags us off course. Luckily we are still able to snorkel through schools of glistening bar jacks and sergeant majors. Diverse hidden fish emerge from crevices amongst the shallow reef, wondering what school of fish we are. After an hour of creature-filled snorkeling, we return with stories of astounding marine life and fascinating reef coral. by Alice, Arlo, Eziah, and Fiona.
The rest of us take advantage of another hour of sleep before heading to breakfast where we meet our intrepid snorkelers.
Today we hike the trail to the top of Amerika Hill where the ruins of the Great House overlooking the waters below remain. We imagine living in the cool breezes atop the sugar cane-covered mountain, watching over the sugar factory below, and keeping track of trading ships bringing goods to the island and transporting sugar, rum, and molasses to distant shores.
The climb to the Great House ruins is very difficult for us even with stairs at one point that slaves would not have had. To make it even worse, slaves would be carrying heavy loads, tons of sugar cane, and up to 35 tons of dirt and manure for the plantings each day after day. No trees would shelter them from the angry sun. Our journey is through the shade, but we still suffer from the heat. We imagine how a slave might feel trudging barefoot up the hill, then looking down from the Great House knowing the view is devastating instead of motivating.
Cinnamon Bay’s sugar factory and Bay Rum distillery were the most profitable on the island. We wander through the ruins that once made money for the owners, but now stand in silence a reminder of a distant time. We pause to record the ruins in watercolor in our journals. Maybe understanding and remembering history will help us live a kinder future.
One last snorkel and swim brings us to the close of our last day on St. John. Tomorrow we head home, happy to see our families and live with hot showers, but we take memories with us that will hopefully bring us back to St. John. Kyle and Ella, who have helped us all week, tell us we will certainly return just as they have done since being a Phoenix traveler to St. John National Park when they were younger.
by Kerri Consalvo | Oct 19, 2022 | Blog
When kids begin their Phoenix education, it often involves a process of unlearning common beliefs about mistakes. In a traditional education model, students are largely confined to the classroom and presented with standardized content which they are expected to memorize and demonstrate (often temporary) retention through worksheets and tests. This approach sends the message that mistakes are unwelcome. It also pressures our kids to be perfect and makes test scores the principal measure of success while neglecting to prepare students for their future. A future where flexibility and depth of thought, leadership and problem-solving skills, curiosity, perspective-taking, and cooperation are the skills most desired in today’s world.
At The Phoenix School, mistakes = learning.
What if the prevalent teaching methodology was turned on its head, and learning was encouraged through doing, being, exploring, experimenting, questioning, researching, designing, engineering, leadership, and other ways that engage students throughout their school day?
What if personalized education was a priority to support a student’s love for learning and gave them academic growth without boundaries?
What if students were given an active voice and role in the classroom and their education?
What if students were given the tools, ideas, and encounters to help them be the best versions of themselves?
Imagine the possibilities!
It exists…right here in Salem, MA and we are inviting you to come and visit our K-8 immersive partnership experience that cultivates leadership and problem-solving skills.
A school where project-based learning spans all subjects and gives students the opportunity to think deeply about topics of interest.
We don’t only ensure that students meet grade-specific standards. In our personalized learning environment, teachers work with each individual to identify areas that will enable the student to stretch beyond prescribed grade-level expectations.
Come and meet the Phoenix educators who are not just math or science teachers, but experts in student academic motivation, creating effective habits, and student empowerment.
Come and explore a school where…
- Learning is an adventure.
- Basic skills come alive as tools that lead to further knowledge, rather than ends in and of themselves.
- Excellence comes from challenge, curiosity, and persistence.
- Kids of different ages work and learn together in mutually beneficial ways. Respect for one another and taking responsibility for one’s actions are integral parts of the school experience.
- Kids and teachers of diverse backgrounds work and learn together.
- The creative arts are an integral part of the curriculum.
- Kids care – about themselves, their community, and the world.
- Parents are active partners in their child’s education.
- Teachers come to learn.
by Kerri Consalvo | Aug 2, 2022 | Blog, Summer Adventures
At the end of June, summer adventures explored aerodynamics and propulsion during Launch Zone.
On Monday the weather kept us at The Phoenix School. Before it started raining everyone was still able to go out on a walk; they collected things like dandelion seeds and maple seeds that float in the wind. After they collected them the kids studied these natural objects to understand better how things in nature slow their descent. With this knowledge, they returned to the school and the kids all worked individually to come up with designs for parachutes, before testing them together.
On Tuesday the kids explored the kind of propulsion that’s used in rocket ships by making bottle rockets together. They used PVC pipes and plastic bottles to create the propulsion system and then tested them together, seeing how high the rockets could go. Some of them even got up to the tops of the trees at Salem Willows.
On Wednesday the kids designed catapults. After the kids built their catapults they could test how far they could throw a projectile with them using a measuring tape. Some of the kids were very invested in trying to throw the projectile as far as possible, and they were able to go back and modify their catapult to see if they could improve on their design.
On Thursday the kids worked in groups to make derby cars. After they’d made them, they set up the cars to start on ramps, and they raced the cars to see how fast they all were.
On Friday the kids designed sailboats for a miniature sailboat race. Everyone was given pipe cleaners, straws, and a small cloth sail. Each kid designed their own sailboat using those materials, and in the afternoon they raced their sailboats to test the designs the kids had made. These designs used all of the concepts the kids had learned about over the week: the sail works similarly to a parachute and propels like the bottle rockets and catapults, and the ships had to be aerodynamic like the racecars. Like the first week, the kids each drew their favorite event from the week on the cover of their journal.
Summer programs are enrolling now for the end of August – learn more here >>> https://phoenixschool.org/enrichment-programs/summer-adventures/
by Kerri Consalvo | Jul 26, 2022 | Blog
Tired of seeing your child come home with worksheets?
What would it look like if your child experienced a Purpose-Driven Curriculum that presented real-world problems for kids to solve?
Kids embrace curiosity and love for learning when they can make connections between what they are learning in school and how they can apply that to their everyday life.
We create a Purpose-Driven Curriculum, where the core of our academics remains the same, but the overarching theme changes yearly. This gives us the gift of an evolving curriculum, covering current technology, global partnerships, and expert guest speakers.
Students here are engaged learners because our educators think outside the box and create a challenging, hands-on & minds-on curriculum that has students solving real-world problems, daily.
If your student has lost their SPARK for learning, it’s never too late to get it back!
The Phoenix School provides an immersive educational experience that will give them the gift of becoming lifelong learners because they are always challenged at their own personal level.
Are you looking for a new school for your child? Get in touch today…https://phoenixschool.org/visit/
by Kerri Consalvo | Jul 19, 2022 | Blog
Imagine a school that….
- has a purpose-driven curriculum
- intentionally shifts focus to ensure challenge + engagement
- collaborates with individuals groups, and organizations to improve our community and the world
- emphasizes the process
Phoenix has been practicing experience-driven and student-centered learning for over 4 decades, where innovation, discovery, and student empowerment are key learning skills taught in the classroom.
Where global education and technology programs are a normal part of our day.
Where your child will never hit their academic ceiling, because each student is challenged based on who they are, not what grade they are in.
We invite you to ask if Phoenix is the right fit for your child.
Ask your questions below!
by Kerri Consalvo | Jul 1, 2022 | Blog
Two weeks ago Rotary welcomed the Phoenix School as the students gave a presentation on their recent trip to the Everglades.
Prior to leaving, students completed research on what to expect when they arrived in Florida, specifically the plants and animals they might encounter. Upon arriving in the Everglades, the students were amazed at how many alligators they saw, along with the amount of wading birds, especially little blue herons.
The presentation included drawings, photos, sketches, and excerpts from journals that the students kept while on the trip.
The highlights of the trip included a solo walk at night when they first arrived. The focus of this walk was to use their ears instead of their eyes, and they certainly heard a lot of sounds in the darkness.
This was followed by walking the Anhinga Trail the next day where the students saw many alligators, mangroves, and water lilies.
Another highlight of the trip was the Slough Slog where the students got right in the waters with alligators and cypress trees nearby. They came out of the water soggy but happy!
Students also went canoeing down a canal, which they loved. They did have to pay attention and got very wet, especially Charlie who fell in the water. They saw lots of wildlife while on the canoes, notably crocodiles and many birds.
The trip wrapped up with a 15-mile bike ride where the students had the chance to climb a tour. A final highlight was a trip to “Robert Was Here”, a fruit stand that makes delicious smoothies that has been around for 63 years.
The Phoenix School students stayed at a hostel in Florida where they got work done, journaled, ate, and had fun. It even had a huge treehouse!
When the trip was wrapping up, students reviewed their journals and compared notes. It was clearly a trip of a lifetime where students learned a lot about the natural world.
