Christine Corbin, Middle School Art teacher writes about her recent field trip with Grade 8 students, “We met Josh Olson, the Art Director for Boise City, at City Hall last Monday. He took us on a fabulous tour of the art in downtown Boise. We looked at bronze sculptures, traffic boxes, bus stops, alleyways (Freak Alley, the kids’ favorite), buildings, escalators, etc. Most of the artwork was created by local artists. He explained each work of art to the students and also explained how each artist had to apply to get their artwork accepted. Each artist is paid between $2500 and $40,000.

The kids had a blast and ended the two hour tour at PieHole and Aspen Yogurt.”

Next time you’re downtown, take a look around. What’s your favorite art installation?

The Riverstone Middle Years Programme (MYP) Physical Education Program has undergone an exciting hybridization with the Outdoor Education Program. This change expands the students’ exposure to a variety of outdoor pursuits while doing so through the lens of MYP objectives. As a result, on rotating Friday afternoons from lunch until the end of school, students may find themselves traveling to pools/ponds for kayaking instruction, to climbing walls for bouldering practice, and to trailheads to hike, bike, and run. These activities will be assessed according to MYP guidelines which we believe will ensure that students get the most out of the activities.

To start off this new program, students in grades 6, 7, and 8 traveled to the Parkcenter Pond to learn flatwater strokes (sweep, scull, draw, rudder, etc) in order to maneuver kayaks. This exposure will set the foundation for subsequent rolling sessions and open the door to optional, Riverstone-only river instruction. All instruction will be provided by Cascade Raft and Kayak, the same company that guides the Elementary School’s back to school float trips on the Payette River.

The following photos were taken of our Grade 8 students. As you can see, they also brushed up on their tent set up skills. And clearly were enjoying themselves while kayaking!

Please read the following letter from our Grade 2 teachers to the Women’s World Banking Organization to learn how the students applied the knowledge that they gained in the classroom to the real world.

June 6, 2011

To Whom It May Concern,

Every year at Riverstone International School, our classes participate in a service-learning project as part of the One Stone program. In recent years, our Grade 2 classes have written and distributed pamphlets about animal habitat conservation and conducted a book drive to benefit a local family advocacy program. This year, during our Economics and Inventions Unit, our students were introduced to the book One Hen, a story about an African community that is transformed thanks to a small loan. After discussing the book and its message, our students were interested in fund raising and contributing to an organization that helps people to start or build small businesses and pull themselves out of poverty. After some research, we decided to target Women’s World Banking.

Our students planned and raised money through a bake sale and lemonade stand at school, raising over $170.00. To increase the impact we could make, and to add a local element to the project, we also sought small additional donations ($25, or whatever they were willing to give) from local businesses that are owned or operated by women, or that would be interested in participating in this type of project. Our students researched local businesses owned by women, and wrote letters asking for donations. Our goal was participation, and we were thrilled with the results. In all, we received donations from 16 different local businesspeople for a total of $640.00.

One of our core goals at Riverstone is to increase our student’s international-mindedness and make them aware of their role in a global community. Through this project, our students increased their awareness of the importance and benefits of microfinance and took their own steps toward making a positive impact on the global economy. On behalf of our Grade 2 students, we are proud to donate $812.75 to Women’s World Banking.

Sincerely,

Trevor Lindsay and Tina Morgan
Grade 2 Teachers
Riverstone International School

Camp Invention kicked off today with lots of energy, creativity, and innovation!

Thanks to all the families who stopped by the Riverstone International School booth at the Treasure Valley Family Magazine Education & Camp Fair at Idaho Expo this past weekend. We had a great time meeting you!

Special thanks to students Kristi B. and Davis G. for showing all the visiting kids how to make marble paper. You represented Riverstone beautifully!

For the fifth year in a row, the Grade 7 Art students have been invited to display their beautiful artwork on the Children’s Art Wall at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Lois Lenzi, the curator of the Art Wall, created the hospital hallway gallery to profile the work of young student artists in the Treasure Valley. As the students viewed the wall, Lois told them, “Riverstone students create some of the best Middle School artwork in the Boise area.”

The Children’s Art Wall is part of St. Alphonsus collection of “healing art.” Throughout the hospital, there are art installations of paintings, sculptures, weavings, and clay art. The philosophy behind displaying art is part of St. Al’s program of “principled healing.” Combinations of decreased noise level, large windows, ambient lighting, access to nature, and art have proven to enhance and accelerate healing. Riverstone students are privileged to be a part of their program.

The Grade 7 art pieces were a culmination of a MYP unit of study concerned with understanding the relationship between positive and negative space and how both work together to create a work of art. Before beginning the unit, students pondered the guiding questions: How do we develop an awareness of space and shape? How do they work together to form a finished work of art? Working within the Area of Interaction of Environment, the students were able to develop an understanding of the relationship our environment has on our understanding of two and three-dimensional space. Challenged to create “jigsaw puzzles” based on individual themes, the students created artwork with as little negative space as possible. The results were beautiful watercolors based on themes of flowers, music, animals, iconic world monuments, and more.

Take a moment out of your busy day to visit the Children’s Art Wall. You will be impressed with the talent of our artists! The display will be up through the month of November.