F.A.I.L.U.R.E.S
This is how we view failures at The Phoenix School…
First
Attempt
In
Learning,
Understanding,
Redesigning,
Experimenting, and eventually
Solving!
Partnership with Montserrat College
We are so excited to announce we have partnered with Montserrat College to offer volunteer internship positions. Today we are introducing you to Cassandra who is our Communications Intern. We feel so fortunate to have such talented young adults working with us!
Hello, My name is Cassandra (She/They), and I’m going to be interning at the Phoenix School as a Communications intern. I’m an animator, illustrator, photographer, and writer currently enrolled at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly. My job at the Phoenix School will be to help create images and writing to help spread awareness of the Phoenix School. I had a similar elementary school experience to the one offered by the Phoenix School, so I’m excited to be able to help provide the wonderful education I received to the next generation.
My main artistic passion is animation. I think it’s entirely unique in the way it combines other forms of art, and I think the things you can do with it are absolutely amazing. In addition to my other contributions to the Phoenix School, I’ll be running a short workshop on creating simple animations with flipbooks. This was my first introduction to creating animation when I was little, so I’m very excited by the opportunity to help introduce it to the Phoenix kids.
I’ll also be contributing my photography experience to the Phoenix School. I’ll be accompanying students on some of their excursions to places like the PEM and taking pictures to record those adventures they go on. I love photography for its ability to capture a moment in life, and I’m excited to use that ability to showcase the strengths of the Phoenix School. Every form of art I do has different strengths, and I’m excited to use all of them to contribute here.
Day 1: Phoenix Kids Travel to Study
Day 1: Excited and ready to begin their Travel Study adventure in the Everglades, Phoenix kids rose early this morning, filled with anticipation.
“I imagine flying over rivers and trees of the Everglades. I’m feeling tranquil. I wish I were down there already, witnessing the landscape full of life.” Fiona
“Thriving mangroves surround me as I canoe down the River of Grass. Wading birds fly above me and alligators lurk just below the surface waiting for an unsuspecting bird to fly into their jaws. Alligators are one of my favorite parts of the Everglades, stalking their prey with undying patience.” Liam
“My dream is to learn about most of the animals of the Everglades and to learn about as many animals as I can. I want to meet park rangers because they meet, love, and learn about animals of the Everglades.” Eziah
“I look into great aeolian eyes that seem to burn holes into mine, then, vanish under cool bracken and bromeliads.” Karina D
“I am excited for the bike ride because I just started riding my bike and I got the hang of it.” Aiden
“Something that caught my eye on the list was canoeing. At first, I thought NO WAY, but then I realized it might be cool.” Karina P-Z
“I honestly have not been too excited to go on the trip. I will really miss my dog, no matter how annoying she is. I guess it could be interesting seeing all the alligators. Even though I would feel uncomfortable around an alligator, at least I would get to study the creature up close. Who knows? All I know is this could be fun.” Max
“I imagine venturing through the endless sawgrass prairies, the sharp edges biting at my legs.” Arlo
“As I skim through my Everglades itinerary for the very first time, my eyes catch an item far down the list: a 15-mile bike ride. I am suddenly transported onto my bike, riding through the breathtaking sights of the Everglades.” Alice
“The Everglades is teeming with reptiles. I’ll keep myself on high alert until I see one with my own eyes. My sight won’t be limited to reptiles, but I will spot all animals who call the Everglades home.” Charlie
After a full day of plane and van, we enjoy the local cuisine at an open-air Mexican restaurant before heading into the park and venturing out onto the Anhinga Trail. In the darkness, Taylor Slough embraces us, talking to us as we walk solo along the boardwalk above the water. We hear plops, whistles, chirps, grunts, squawks, splashes, and loudest, the whine and buzzing of hungry mosquitoes welcoming us, their surprise human feast, to the party.
Some of us are excited for our solitary adventure into the darkness, some of us hold back, dreading being alone above the slough. We see distinct shapes, but no colors. In the end, we find each other, Leslie, and Kyle at the overlook, proud, and relieved to be together again. Before leaving the slough, we scan trees and water with Kyle’s bright light to discover the real inhabitants of the glades; fish gliding silently under lily pads, alligators with shining eyes, and a lonely spider resting on its web that spans from tree to tree. The ride back to the hostel finds us quiet and ready for bed at the end of our long first day of Phoenix Travel Study.
Leslie, Barbara, & Kyle
Goodhue Pollinator Gardens
The Phoenix School is creating an interactive, outdoor learning space where students will establish a pollinator garden populated with native plants! In addition, our garden will include a butterfly habitat, seed bank, and guided audio tour developed by the students and available to anyone who visits the garden.
We (parents and students) have been working hard because establishing this garden is a multiphase project. The site approval and basic landscaping have already begun with the students meeting with ….. From city Planning back in September. Since then they have been calculating the area of the plot and the garden beds, making sure the city mowers still fit between them and identifying the trees that are already there.
With active involvement from our students, their families, and surrounding community members we have created a series of hugel cultures and have begun growing many of the native plants from collected seeds.
As we come out of the winter months we are excited to see the progress we have made, with beginning buds popping through the topsoil of our hugel. As the ground warms up will start designing and planting our pollinator habitats, creating butterfly and insect homes.
Our students have been researching the plant species, of the pollinators, and attempting to create a gorgeous walk-thru and educational garden. Our Kindergarten through 8th-grade students work together to make this garden experience come to life.
This garden will be a continual site of natural science learning, hands-on education for the students as well as an open resource for the wider North Shore community. Feel free to stop by and watch the changes take place over the next few months.
CoolScience Extreme Weather Art Competition
We participated in the CoolScience and their 10th Annual Art Competition on Extreme Weather.
Please join us in congratulating Karina, 5th grade is a Cool Science Runner-Up. Congratulations Karina!
Karina’s Artist Statement: “We all seek a home, a satisfaction. The birds in the trees, the worms at our feet. Somewhere we can rest, forget. But flames will devour, even not by our cause. When I think of these animals and people I wish, and many others do, we could give them this shelter they seek. Running from the thing that comforts us most, leading onto the horridly gleaming sparks. Once we can all have this shelter, we can fix the shambles we’ve left behind.”
You can learn more about the competition and CoolScience here:
https://www.facebook.com/coolsci
https://www.coolscience.net/
CoolScience Extreme Weather Art Competition
We participated in the CoolScience and their 10th Annual Art Competition on Extreme Weather.
Please join us in congratulating Fiona, 4th grade, is a Cool Science Merrimack Valley Runner-Up. Congratulations Fiona!
Fiona’s Artist Statement: “There’s a build up of emotions within me while talking about this subject, sitting with me all day pouring into my hands and flooding onto the long strip of paper. Showing how I felt by doing something I’m passionate about was relieving, but knowing that my artwork could be exposed on a popular transportation made me push myself to do my best. I care about climate change and against it; so, if this gets put up on a bus it would attract people, making them feel how I feel. I need people who care about this issue, and know how it’s hurting animals and people, while feeling bad about it. My eyebrows still point down towards my nose illustrating the story behind why I’m mad. My eyes start brewing tears while seeing people hurt our own planet like this, and not doing anything about it. Empathetic people are the key to this problem. Empathetic people like me would understand what’s going on and how to spread awareness. My piece of art is showing two eyes, in the reflection there’s a green happy city with flowers, trees and windmills. In the reflection on the other side are factories, forest fires and trash, all representing climate change. If you look closely there is a tear and the eyebrow is curving up, showing that the person is worried, anxious, sad, or any other gloomy feelings, like how I feel. I made the eyes be my eyes, and I tried to show how I feel about the artwork, which is ‘unique’ and has more meaning behind it than the others.”
You can learn more about the competition and CoolScience here:
https://www.facebook.com/coolsci
https://www.coolscience.net/