Lausanne News - September 2020

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Middle Schoolers Live Prehistoric

Our 5th graders transformed their socially distanced desks into caves as they studied petroglyphs. Brown butcher paper became cave walls for the as the Class of 2028 showcased their creativity through the eyes of a prehistoric human. The students have been studying the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic eras in Individuals and Societies, part of their Middle Years Programme curriculum (MYP). After being introduced to "Prehistory," they learned about the discovery of &... Read More

at Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Middle School Middle Years Programme

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

PYP Unit Encourages Pre-Kindergartners To Learn Through Play

We love beautiful days on campus! Especially when it inspires out littlest Lynx to venture beyond their classroom walls for an afternoon on the lawn learning through play. To encourage the physical play week of their current unit, How We Express Ourselves, Pre-Kindergarten students in Ms. Boyd's class challenged themselves to an outdoor obstacle course. The unit's central idea supports play as a tool for expanding our ability to think, create and express ourselves. Today's activi... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Lower School Primary Years Programme

Monday, September 28, 2020

Middle School Announces House Election Results

When it comes to the Middle School House System, election week has become an annual favorite that students look forward to each year. During the House Elections process, middle schoolers have the opportunity to showcase their leadership skills through student-driven campaigns. Students can run for House Prefects in 5th through 7th grade and the prestigious House Head in eighth grade. This year was a little different because students couldn't do as much face-to-face campaigni... Read More

at Monday, September 28, 2020

Middle School

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Students Celebrate Becoming Stronger Readers

In honor of first grade wrapping up one of their most recent PYP units of inquiry, the students held a Reader's Celebration. First-graders have been practicing good reading habits and learning strategies to help them work through hard words as a part of their Reader's Workshop curriculum. "We loved having a Reader's Celebration to give them recognition for all the hard work to become stronger readers," said first-grade teacher Christina Mewborn. To celeb... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Thursday, September 24, 2020

Lower School Primary Years Programme

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Second-Graders Explore Solar Energy Through PYP Unit

Recently, Ms. Fessler's second-grade class took advantage of a sunny day on campus and headed outside to explore solar energy and the benefits it can have on the environment. Students learned how to connect cables to the positive and negative terminals on a hand-held solar panel to generate electricity. The second-graders used their device to watch a wind turbine spin, listen to a music box play and see a lightbulb light up. "It was such an awesome learning moment when ... Read More

at Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Lower School Primary Years Programme

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Fifth-Graders Take Science Class Outdoors For A Dance Party With Slime

To help spark an interest in science, Mrs. Bullard's fifth-grade class took the classroom outdoors for an afternoon experiment involving a speaker and Oobleck, a gooey slime they created from cornstarch and water. Students cranked up some music and took turns watching their Oobleck dance around the speaker as the soundwaves moved through the solution. Named after the slime that falls from the sky in Dr. Seuss's Bartholomew And The Oobleck, students learned the solution a... Read More

at Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Academics Middle School

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

National Merit Scholarship Finalists 2021

Updated 2/10/21: Kewe Chen '21, Jad Hamze '21 and Ayaka Kimura '21 have advanced to become Finalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship competition. The three Lausanne seniors were among the 16,000 names announced as semifinalists back in September after earning high marks while taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during their junior year. Semifinalists must complete several requirements to advance to the fi... Read More

Posted by Drew Smith at Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Academics Upper School

Friday, September 18, 2020

Advisories Host Phone-Free Freshman Party

From the anticipated tapping of the seal on the first day of freshman year to the excitement of learning who your partner is for Senior/Freshman appreciation week, the transition from Middle to Upper School offers many exciting milestones for our Lynx. Of these traditions, one of the most beloved is the annual Freshman Class Trip, a team-building and group-bonding experience that helps students get to know new members of their class and build relationships with the ninth-grade faculty.&... Read More

at Friday, September 18, 2020

Upper School

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Lower School Students Find Their Musical Beat

Events like Lausannia and Grandparent's Day have showcased our Lower School students' harmonies for years. But with the pandemic, encouraging the musical abilities of Lower School Lynx became much more challenging. However, thanks to some creative ideas from Tara West, the Lower School is finding their beat again. To limit possible cross-transmission, Ms. West has been moving from classroom to classroom each day. The Lower School teacher also brings musical instruments wi... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Student Government Connects With Freshman Advisories

To connect with and welcome our newcomers to Upper School, the Student Government at Lausanne hosted introductory meetings with freshmen advisories. The student-led organization decided to use their lunchtime for a week to meet with each group to discuss what it means to be a part of SGA, student leadership, and getting involved at Lausanne. "We know that it might be a bit more difficult for students to connect with their peers as they might have before the pandemic, but eve... Read More

at Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Upper School

Monday, September 14, 2020

Middle Schoolers Empowered to Spread Kindness

In sixth grade, students have been designing tangible products that serve as a reminder to promote and inspire kindness. Their creations vary from water bottles to canvas bags to sweatshirts, and each one is marked with a self-constructed symbol and a compassionate quote. Over the summer, 6th-grade students read the book, Wonder, which is filled with precepts that encourage kindness, motivation and reminders to be true to yourself. In class, they researched and chose ... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Monday, September 14, 2020

Middle School

Friday, September 11, 2020

First-Graders Explore Their Campus Community For PYP Unit

As a part of their Primary Years Programme unit, Who We Are, "Many Faces, Many Places," our first-graders explored their school community this week. Their journey began with visitors, including Nurse Jo, Officer Walsh, and learning specialist Dr. Sailors, stopping by the first-grade classrooms throughout the week to explain how they help the community, followed by a campus tour with Headmaster McCathie to learn about Lausanne's history. The first-graders... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Friday, September 11, 2020

Lower School Primary Years Programme Schoolwide Event

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Lower Schoolers Design Outdoor Art Installations

On Wednesday, Mrs. Whittaker's first-grade class and Ms. Hadskey's third-grade class enjoyed a different kind of art experience when guest speaker Charlotte Albertson stopped by their classrooms. Drawing on the inspiration of contemporary British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, the students took a trip to the great outdoors - whether that was on campus or in their backyard at home - to find inspiration in nature and design outdoor art i... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Thursday, September 10, 2020

Arts Lower School

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Online and On-Campus Learners Stay Connected Through Memory Game

To help keep the Junior Kindergartners in Mrs. Roberson's class connected with their online classmates, the students have been working on their memorizing abilities together through Zoom. "Junior Kindergarten has always put a significant focus on social skills and teamwork," said JK teacher Lindy Roberson. "With some of our friends learning from home, we wanted to make sure we found ways to foster these skills even from a distance." Tuesday, during their center block... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Friday, September 4, 2020

Sixth-Grade Brings Back Genius Hour

Mr. Lawrence's Genius Hour is back, and our middle schoolers have once again come up with some creative ideas. The sixth-grade teacher launched Genius Hour last spring and because of its success, decided to continue it with his class this year as well. The project-based program allows students to pursue their passions and develop a plan for serving their community through these passions. The rules for the project are simple: You must start with a question. The questi... Read More

Posted by Shayne Dotson at Friday, September 4, 2020

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Annual Night Of Broadway Virtual Auditions Are Open

Auditions are open for Lausanne students to take to the (virtual) stage for the annual Night of Broadway, hosted and directed by the Upper School thespians. The show, normally held in the Elder Performing Arts Center (EPAC), features songs from Broadway musical favorites. Night of Broadway, which is in its 13th year at Lausanne, has become an annual favorite among students. The evening was originally started by a student to raise money for her grade. It was then passed on to the ... Read More

at Thursday, September 3, 2020

Arts Schoolwide Event