How Far They've Come!

 We were thrilled to welcome these middle school students to Dryden this week. They traveled halfway around the world from Shitara, Japan to spend some time in our school district and community. Our students enjoyed showing them how to play chicken-tag, African drum circles, Jenga, Battleship, Connect-Four and much more!

It was a wonderful cultural learning experience to host these international exchange students!

 The engagement and collaboration of these two students caught my attention at recess the other day. They were deeply immersed in writing and illustrating a graphic novel about a superhero and monster they created.  Almost every page of their notebook was completely filled. It is always so rewarding to see this intersection of learning, work and play in action, as this is my hope that all of our students will experience this throughout their entire lives and careers. 

 Speaking of the intersection of learning, work and play... our fifth grade students certainly experienced this with their music teacher, Mr. Deptula, as they sang, danced, acted and performed many instruments at their 5th grade musical performance this past week. 

How far they have come during their time at Dryden! We will miss them, we wish them all the best and we know they have a very bright, promising future ahead of them!

Full STEAM Ahead!

It is full STEAM ahead as we make our way through the end of the school year and try to make the most of every moment! By STEAM, we mean Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. We had a wonderful, interactive STEAM Night for our families this week. Here are just a few of the many engaging activities that were featured:

The Cub Scouts demonstrated their Pinewood Derby track, and high school students assisted us with Lego Robotics. 

 It was so fun to sink our hands into kinetic sand and make our own slime while exploring different physical properties and considering the chemistry behind it all.

Volunteers from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library took us on a Google Expedition, and a college student came to help us construct and test catapults. 

 

Cup stacking and programmable robots helped us learn about how coding works. 

Designing structures and playing games helped us think about how to balance objects and make them sturdy and tall. 

This blue print activity helped us think about what it might be like to be an architect.

Our kindergarteners are thinking ahead to first grade! They got to practice eating lunch in the cafeteria just like the big kids. It was an exciting milestone moment as they practiced eating lunch with sporks and opening their milk containers for the first time. 

 

You may have noticed that our lunch supervisors are wearing teal. Many of us wore teal this week for Allergy Awareness Week in support of our students with food allergies. We are working to build empathy and understanding among our school community so that our students with food allergies feel safe and included at school. 

Our fourth graders are thinking ahead to 5th Grade Band! They were able to get a sample of all of the band instruments that are offered in our school district from the middle school band directors this week. It's exciting to think about their possibilities for the coming school year!

As we head into the last weeks of school, we want to say THANK YOU to our PTA! Most recently they have agreed to provide our school with a portable gaga ball court, a class set of heart monitors for physical education, and banners with lyrics to our school song.  We are so grateful for the many ways they enrich the lives of our students and enhance their school experiences!

Additionally, the PTA recently honored to very special Dryden Dolphins. PE Teacher Mr. Gries was awarded a lifetime PTA membership for his outstanding leadership in so many PTA events such as Field Day, 5th Grade Shoot Out and Just Jump. Administrative Assistant Mrs. Lane was honored as she retires with a generous donation from the PTA to the Veterans Closet. 

What an AWESOME group!! Thank you for all you do!

Teacher Appreciation Week

This past week, our PTA showed their appreciation to our teachers and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week with a special treat every day of the week - breakfast, lunches, snacks and gift cards - oh my! We were so touched by their kindness and appreciation of our teachers' hard work and dedication!

One way our teachers go above and beyond is by bringing learning to life. These students were fascinated by the process of making butter and buttermilk as they learned out pioneer life. And, of course, tasting the butter was a delightful treat!

 

Another way our teachers show their dedication to our students' learning is by the extra time they put in to before and after school rehearsals and evening performances. The students' spring concert was outstanding!

Our teachers give our students time for purposeful play in kindergarten. It was impressive to see these students collaborating, sharing and using their creative imaginations to build transporting machines of the future!

It took a dedicated teacher to engage her class in constructing this giant kelp forest in the classroom. She could have had the students read and complete a basic worksheet about it, but she knows that their learning and understanding goes even deeper when the students work together to rebuild all of the parts of this delicate ecosystem. 

Our teachers go above and beyond by nurturing an attitude of gratitude among our students. This first grade class delivered flowers and made a beautiful bandaid-shaped card for our school nurses on School Nurse Appreciation Day!

This teacher spent her lunch hour meeting with our School Spirit Committee so that they could brainstorm and vote on their favorite School Spirit Days for 2018-2019. We are grateful that our students can have a voice in decision-making at Dryden to make our school a fun place to learn and grow. !

You may have heard the saying, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery." Well, our students showed how much they adore their teachers on Dress Like a Teacher Day on Friday!

 

Celebrations, Creativity & Community

It was so great to see so many families, students and staff enjoying the D25 Art Show at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. We thank Mrs. Fuglestad for putting her heart and soul into such amazing art experiences for our students. The students' artwork truly shined! 

 

 We also enjoyed the Kindergarten Musical that was coordinated by our creative music teachers, Mr. Deptula and Mrs. Tosheva! The kindergarten students amazed us with their singing and dancing. We are so proud of all they accomplished in their first year at Dryden. My how time flies!

Our fourth grade students came up with creative building designs and tested their structure's resistance to breaking with the earthquake simulators that they also built. What makes this endeavor even more meaningful is that students will have opportunities to share their building designs and constructions with professional architectures and receive feedback from them. 

Our first grade students have been learning about animal adaptations. They took what they learned about animals to design and create a new kind of animal, and explain how it would survive in its specific habitat. 

Our second grade students were fortunate to experience a visit from arborists who work for the Village of Arlington Heights. They got to learn and observe first-hand the work and equipment these service workers use to take care of the trees in our community. It was truly fascinating!

Our Book Buddies Club was an awesome way for our students to come together as a community of readers and share their favorite books. It's wonderful to see how books can bring people of all ages and interests together!