8/16, Monday  – SPEAKER – Lei Jin, Chinese Professor at the College of Charleston, will speak about Mandarin and Chinese culture.

8/18, Wednesday – orientation for Learning Outside the Classroom. Students will bake cookies, deliver them, and clean up the kitchen. This will allow students to gain practice with the responsibility inherent to LOTCs and meet our neighbors around Coleman Blvd.

8/25, Wednesday – we will conclude our LOTC from last week. Some USL students will bake cookies, deliver them, and clean up the kitchen. We will finish the exercise of meeting our neighbors around Coleman Blvd. Other learning activities will focus on the walkability of cities and neighborhoods, and this will include discovering what this entails in terms of layout and the needs of citizens. We will also look at a web-based program that evaluates the walkability of an address. LOTC prep is related to one of our yearly themes – water. Please read and explore the National Geographic special issue on water from spring 2010.

9/1, Wednesday – MS students and faculty will receive American Red Cross CPR/AED training through the Carolina Lowcountry chapter. IS students will engage in a field exploration. Complete a self-evaluation using the skill wheel for today.

9/7, Tuesday – SPEAKER – Michelle Zink, author of Prophecy of the Sisters, a well-regarded piece of young adult fiction, will speak at USL and sign copies of her works. She will be doing a signing at Blue Bicycle Books later that evenings, and we are grateful to Jonathan Sanchez, owner of BBB, for making this opportunity possible.

9/8, Wednesday – We will walk to the Pitt Street Bridge Park, Alhambra Hall, and other areas within the Old Village for lessons in walkability, history, and ecology. In the afternoon, USL students will learn more about religious holidays that are currently being observed by major world faiths and how they are observed: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish), Ramadan (Muslim), and Nativity of the Theotokos (the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus, Orthodox).

9/14, Tuesday  – University School students, faculty, and parents will take part in National Day of Caring service projects through the Trident United Way: (Cannon Street YMCA , Murray-LaSaine Elementary, Angel Oak Elementary, Jane Edwards Elementary, Stono Park Elementary, International Primate Protection League, Sangaree Intermediate School, and the Carter-May Home).

9/15, Wednesday – SPEAKER – George Patton Waters, grandson of US Army General George S. Patton, will speak at 1 PM.  Waters was five when his grandfather died in 1945, and he spent 5 years in the Navy (including Vietnam) before embarking on a real estate career.   Waters’ efforts to this day have been instrumental in maintaining his grandfather’s legacy.

9/22, Wednesday – In preparation for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s2010 Annual Convention in Charleston from September 29-October 3, University School students will explore Patriots Point and the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum.

9/29, Wednesday – (a) Preparing for our first hosted event on Tuesday, October 5 (Kinobe and Soule Beat Africa from Uganda). We have at least 5 different schools and over 20 homeschoolers slated to attend; (b) Watching the webisode from PBS’ Frontline series about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is a carryover from the Military Day; (c) We will be previewing the next Interdisciplinary Day, Elections, that is also being held on Tuesday, 10/5. Joan Dehne from the League of Women Voters will speak about the history of voting in America and Jonathan Brown, 2010 candidate for mayor of James Island this summer, will also be presenting; (d) Doing some mentoring and small group work on LOTC expectations, cubby organization, and personal study skills; (e) 7th and 8th graders will have SAT/PSAT prep with Dr. Shockey in preparation for the PSAT (8th graders on Wed., 10/13) and the SAT (7th graders on a Saturday in either December or January).

10/5, Tuesday – HOSTED Performance – Kinobe and Soule Beat Africa from Uganda at 10 AM in the gym; Elections Interdisciplinary Day – SPEAKERS – Joan Dehne from the League of Women Voters will speak about the history of voting in America and Jonathan Brown, 2010 candidate for mayor of James Island this summer, will also be presenting.

10/6, Wednesday – AM for 5-8th graders – we will prep for the 10/27 Morris Island experience by watching and discussing the film Glory, PM 7th and 8th graders will have SAT/PSAT prep with Dr. Shockey in preparation for the PSAT (8th graders on Wed., 10/13) and the SAT (7th graders on a Saturday in either December or January), 5th and 6th graders will work on other future LOTC preparations; 3rd and 4th graders will learn more about slavery in America and in Charleston by visiting the Old Slave Mart Museum on Chalmers St. Following the tour, students will eat lunch at Waterfront Park.

10/10, Sunday – OPTIONAL FAMILY SPEAKER – Dientje Krantz Kalisky will speak at Hibben UMC at 6 PM. She survived the Holocaust as a child in Holland, but the ordeal traumatized her and she lost over 85 members of her family.

10/13, Wednesday – (AM) 4th-7th grades – community building exercises and then community service by running Hibben Church’s Pumpkin Patch and cleaning up in and around campus; 8th grade – take the PSAT in the morning and then community service at Hibben. (PM) Beginning at 11:30, we will take our school and individual photos with Pat Ring from Ring Photography.

10/20, Wednesday – We will visit Middleton Place in West Ashley. It is one of the three major plantations that are adjacent to each other on Highway 61 (Magnolia Plantation and Drayton Hall are the others). This is in line with our effort to visit a different plantation each year (Middleton in 07-08, Hampton Plantation in McClellanville in 08-09, Magnolia Plantation in 09-10).

10/25, Monday – SPEAKER – National Park Service volunteer Russell Horres will speak at 1:30. His presentation will encompass the Civil War in Charleston with special attention to Morris Island and Fort Wagner (in preparation for our LOTC on 10/27).

10/27, Wednesday – 5-8 grade USL students will travel to Morris Island with National Park Service Rangers, a historian, and a naturalist to learn first-hand about the attack on Fort Wagner by the Massachusett’s 54th Regiment (the first black regiment recruited in the North) during the Civil War. This is part of our study of the Civil War and Charleston’s place in it as part of the 150th anniversary of the start of the War in April 2011.

11/2, Tuesday – ELECTION DAY LOTC – Our main effort will be exit polling at various precincts around the county. Each student will visit at least two precincts in different areas of the the Lowcountry to get a sense of what is motivating voters at the polls. We will also make an effort to predict the outcomes using our exit poll results. Click here for the results of our exit polling.

11/3, Wednesday – we will begin our day with PE and a recap of our exit poll results. We will then compare what our surveys revealed to the actual outcome and reported analysis. The rest of the day will be devoted to the Literary Meet Interdisciplinary Day. This includes a focus on literary skills, including poetry recitation, current events essay writing, and oral argument presentation about current events.

11/6, Saturday – OPTIONAL FAMILY LOTC – The Charleston BookFest will take place across downtown Charleston. Mrs. Logan and Ms. Paeschke are leading USL’s participation.

11/10, Wednesday – After PE and L&L, IS & MS students will be matched up together to share their skill wheels and review their reflections on their First Quarter evaluations. Then IS students will break into two groups: one will mentor Ms. Pat’s kindergarten kids, and the other will begin baking cookies. Then the IS students will take the cookies to Mt. Pleasant Fire Station #1 on McCants Drive to thank them for our fire drill last month, explore the station, and learn more about fire fighting. The MS students will have a Science class to work on the Africa project. Afterwards, they will watch an edited version of Shakespeare in Love in preparation for reading Romeo and Juliet.

11/17, Wednesday – University School students will learn more about erosion, accretion and marine science through an exploration of  Folly Beach Park. This is part of a multi-site themed study of the role of governments in purchasing and protecting important cultural sites for their citizens and establishing and maintaining recreational sites, as well. In Charleston County, these sites are overseen by the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission. In our study, we will visit three CCPRC entities — James Island County Park (Holiday Lights gathering on 11/16), Folly Beach Park, and Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel (12/15). We will also learn more about the current efforts of CCPRC and the Town of Mount Pleasant to establish a joint site on several hundred acres on Rifle Range Road in Mount Pleasant.

12/1, Wednesday – various on-campus activities

12/8, Wednesday – Today’s LOTC to the Medical University of South Carolina was powerful and poignant, and the lessons that we learned rippled throughout the day.  After a general introduction by our host, Pulmonologist Dr. Gerard Silvestri, the students took off in three groups to complete three separate experiences within the Hollings Cancer Center.  Students learned about the people, technology and processes used to care for patients diagnosed with cancer, and this included imaging and radiation treatment.  They learned about the role of patient support, and the power of the library for resources (and the librarian for someone to listen), the non-denominational Hope Chapel for a connection to faith, and the Healing Garden for serenity and reflection.  They discovered more about the role of the Clinical Trials office in helping usher potential medicines along the path from possibility to fruition, all while making sure that patients in trials are monitored and cared for.  Students learned about the impact of smoking, and discovered how Dr. Silvestri trains aspiring pulmonologists to perform a bronchoscopy.  They also created and delivered holiday cards to patients and staff at the hospital, and these individual moments were touching.

12/15, Wednesday – USL students will learn more about rice production, coastal Native Americans, and one of the best birding sites in our area through an exploration of the Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel. Each student will experience two separate learning activities. #1 Carolina Gold – Students examine the various steps required for the cultivation of rice, the roles and influences of enslaved Africans and African Americans on the process, and how people historically and presently interact with the environments associated with rice cultivation. #2 Native Americans of Coastal South Carolina – Students explore Native American culture of coastal South Carolina at the time of European settlement. Learn how local tribes successfully used the natural resources available to meet their needs. * As a preview for Friday’s Winter Holidays Interdisciplinary Day, we will learn more about two Islamic holidays in December. Al-Hijira, the Muslim New Year, marks the migration of Prophet Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina and is celebrated on December 10. Ashura is a holiday celebrated on December 16. Our presenter will be Imam Melhem from the Central Mosque of Charleston. USL visited the Mosque in 2008.

12/17, Friday – We will have a Winter Holidays Interdisciplinary Day. We will learn about holidays and how they are celebrated by various faith and ethnic groups. (1) Father John Parker from Holy Ascension Orthodox Church will provide some information about the Orthodox Church and the Winter holiday of  Theophany. It marks the baptism of Jesus, and is observed on January 6. * This holiday also connects to our study of water in Science! (2) We have been invited as guests of Christ Our King-Stella Maris School to see their Christmas productions. In line with our study of different faiths, this will allow us to see how Catholics celebrate Christmas — on December 25 (just as last year we saw how Methodists do this at the Hibben Preschool program). (3) Talim Lessane from the College of Charleston will teach us more about Kwanzaa, which is celebrated on December 26. (4) Our Jewish students have devised a presentation and several activities so that we can learn more about the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, celebrated from December 1-9.

1/5-1/12 (Wed.-Wed.) – MS TRIP – The Middle School will travel to New Orleans for a plethora of experiences, including a Gulf Oil Spill Day, Hurricane Katrina Day, New Orleans Culture Day, D-Day Museum, Tulane University, and the Audubon Zoo. ****** Click here for the slideshow.

1/5, Wednesday – * IS only LOTC – Students will conduct an exploration of municipal government by learning more about North Charleston and Sullivan’s Island through guided tours of their town halls. This will allow students to compare and contrast two municipalities that vary greatly in size and composition. The North Charleston tour will be led by Teddie Pryor, Sr., Chair of Charleston County Council and was initiated with the help of a speaker from last year — Minna Hosseini, Victims’ Rights Advocate in the North Charleston Police Department. Students will meet with North Charleston Mayor Summey and pose questions to him about the City and its responsibilities.

1/12, Wednesday – The IS will have regular classes in the AM to make-up for the inclement weather canceled day and delayed opening this week. In the afternoon, they will explore New Orleans through a presentation by the Middle School. The Middle School will compose thank you cards related to the New Orleans trip, complete their reflections in their trip journal, and create and deliver a presentation on the New Orleans trip to the Intermediate School.

1/19, Wednesday – USL students will engage in a day of experiences to learn more about Chinese culture and foodways in anticipation of the performance of the Fabulous Chinese Acrobats on Friday, January 28. The day will begin with PE, and then Ms. Ma will talk about the upcoming Chinese events (Chinese New Year in February, Chinese Speech Contest in March at The Citadel, and our field trip to Camden, SC to visit the first Chinese-owned factory in America). We will then head to a Chinese grocery store, H&L Asian Market, to learn more about ingredients and foodways. After this, we will go to an authentic Chinese restaurant, Teppanyaki Grill, for a behind-the-scenes tour and explanation, and then we will enjoy lunch there.

1/26, Wednesday – The IS will field learn in the neighborhood and Shem Creek area. Field plans could include exercises in measurement and nature observation. The MS will have classes in the AM and watch and discuss Last of the Mohicans in the PM for Humanities class.

1/28, Friday – HOSTED PERFORMANCE – University School will host the Fabulous Chinese Acrobats for a performance at 10 AM in the gym. Presenting feats of extreme balance, contortion, and athletic skill, these teenage acrobats travel the world thrilling audiences and representing Chinese culture. It is appropriate for all ages and lasts about 45 minutes.

2/2, Wednesday – we will have two separate Learning Outside the Classroom experiences. 1) students participating in an event will travel to Holly Hill Academy for the SCISA Literary Meet. 2) students will engage in field learning and community building at USL.

2/9, Wednesday – we will travel to Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner. From 9:30-12:00, students will rotate among three distinct programs, including paddling the swamp and examining what they catch in dip nets). After this we will explore the Butterfly House and Swamparium. This LOTC links to our earlier explorations at Middleton Place and Caw Caw Interpretive Center, and it will provide a nice paired experience with our trip to the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition next week.

2/18, Friday – our LOTC activities for this week will include a trip to Marion Square in downtown Charleston for the first day of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. Flight demonstrations by the Center for Birds of Prey, specialty breeds of dogs, various forms of wildlife art, and the presence of government and non-profit experts on the environment and wildlife are the highlights of this experience.

2/19, Saturday – USL students will participate in the Second Annual Chinese Speech Contest and Performance at The Citadel. Other participants include students from The Citadel, College of Charleston, Chinese Sunday School, and Ma Wei’s School.

2/23, Wednesday – MS only – tour of the Santee Cooper Municipal Water Plant (the source of this drinking water is surface water from Lake Marion) and the Jefferies Hydroelectric Station on Lake Marion in Moncks Corner.

3/2, Wednesday – IS only – nature exploration led by USL Science teachers and mentors. MS only – tour of the Mount Pleasant Waterworks Reverse Osmosis Plant #1 (the source of this drinking water is ground water from the Middendorf Aquifer) located in the Old Village.

3/9, Wednesday – IS only – students will conduct several lab experiments throughout the day in conjunction with their NAIS 20/20 Global Challenge project. MS only – tour of the Mount Pleasant Waterworks Wastewater Treatment Plant on Rifle Range Road and MPW’s water quality testing lab located in the Old Village.

3/16, Wednesday – IS only – field learning. MS only – Math explorations and activities.

3/23, Wednesday – IS only – field learning. MS only – exploration of UEC Electronics in Hanahan. UEC Electronics does engineering and manufacturing as a government subcontractor — much of this work is affiliated with SPAWAR in Charleston.

3/30, Wednesday – Stanford Testing Make-ups. Once testing is complete, students will prepare desserts for our Lenten Lunch with members of Hibben UMC. This involves USL students eating in small groups with small groups of Hibben UMC: we share a meal that both groups provide (Hibben sandwiches and soup, USL dessert and sandwiches). It is a nice annual tradition that gives students practice conversing with adults with whom they are not familiar. After cleaning up after the meal, students will have practice time for tomorrow’s Talent Show.

3/31, Thursday – Please join us for the Annual Talent Show and Potluck Dinner at 6 PM in the gym. This is a chance to catch up, socialize, and enjoy and evening with other members of the University School community.Our native German family, Aaron and his parents, will be concluding their three-year stay in America in June and will be returning to Germany.  To celebrate their time here, the Engelmanns, Barry Hand (frequent traveler to Germany for his company), Karin & Klaus Lapine (owned and ran Mt. Pleasant’s sorely missed German restaurant, Max and Moritz) and Mr. Kreutner will be cooking up some German specialties that evening in Hibben’s kitchen for you to sample along with the potluck dishes.  ****** Click here for the Talent Show slideshow. 

4/5, Wednesday – MS SPEAKER – Dr. Sandra Conradi, forensic pathologist, will speak at 1 PM.  As a reflective link to the Middle School trip to New Orleans in January, Dr. Conradi will talk about her time in Gulfport, Mississippi in the late-summer of 2005. She was one of three doctors who were part of a comprehensive group, Disaster Mortuary Operational Recovery Team (DMORT), of specialists who helped identify the dead who were killed during Hurricane Katrina.

4/6, Wednesday – group and individual photo make-ups by Ring Photography andexploration of SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command) in Charleston. ****** Click here for the SPAWAR LOTC slideshow. 

4/5, Wednesday – IS SPEAKER – Debbie Stanley, nuclear engineer, will speak at 8 AM.  As a connection to the events unfolding in Japan over the last month and South Carolina’s use of nuclear reactors for electricity, Mrs. Stanley will discuss the how nuclear plants work at the micro and macro level.

4/12, Wednesday – Today marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.  There are several commemorative activities that day, and we will walk to Pitt Street Bridge and drive to Fort Moultrie to observe. Re-enactors will simulate the events surrounding the shelling of Fort Sumter, and it will be an interesting spectacle for our students to see how such a divisive internal American conflict is marked. ****** Click here for the Civil War Sesquicentennial LOTC slideshow. 

4/13, Wednesday – Personal Health Symposium in conjunction with MUSC. * MS SPEAKER – Jason Martin, engineer, will speak at 2 PM.  As a connection to the events unfolding in Japan over the last month and South Carolina’s use of nuclear reactors for electricity, Mr. Martin will discuss the how nuclear plants work at the micro and macro level.

4/15, Friday – SPECIAL IS LOTC – We became friends with Sweetgrass Village Assisted Living Center on Mathis Ferry Road in Mount Pleasant back in January: we invited them to attend our Chinese Acrobats show. They had a blast, and we let them know we looked forward to working with them again and would invite them to future cultural events. They would be grateful for our help on this day for their Easter Egg Hunt activity for their residents.  Sweetgrass is holding this activity in the afternoon in conjunction with assistants from MUSC, and they appreciate having our Intermediate School students to help their residents with this event. ****** Click here for the Sweetgrass Easter Egg Hunt slideshow. 

4/27, Wednesday – exploration of the aquaculture of clams, oysters and shrimp at Bill Cox’s farm, Island Fresh Seafood, on Yonges Island and tour of the portable water filtration equipment at Water Missions International.

5/4, Wednesday – * MS only LOTC – Day cruise on the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation’s tall ship “Spirit of South Carolina.” The day’s activities will include history, science, and math lessons in a truly unique environment.

5/5, Thursday – * IS only LOTC – Day cruise on the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation’s tall ship “Spirit of South Carolina.” The day’s activities will include history, science, and math lessons in a truly unique environment.

5/10, Tuesday – * MS SPEAKER – Shannon Dumont, a Girl Scout and candidate for the Gold Star Award (equivalent to the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout Award) will present her research on groundbreaking military nurses over the last forty years. The Wando senior will also talk about high school and her future plans in college.

5/11, Wednesday – University School students will explore three faith sites in the Charleston-area to learn more about each one first-hand.
1) Charleston Tibetan Center (near Hampton Park by The Citadel)
2) Unitarian Church (near the College of Charleston)
3) Hindu Temple of Charleston (on Orange Grove Road in West Ashley)
Our lead guide for the day will be Elijah Siegler, College of Charleston Religious Studies professor.

5/18, Wednesday – IS students will explore mass transit via CARTA’s new 401 route in Mount Pleasant, and this will include visiting Town Hall (already toured the North Charleston and Sullivan’s Island municipal complexes this year) with Council member Linda Page. MS students will discover more about Dewees Island, its ecology, and the green features of development on the island.

5/25, Wednesday – University School will celebrate the end of the year by the beach on Isle of Palms.