Jon Bluestein | Gillispie School

September 6, 2018

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Elementary, Kindergarten, Learn by Doing, Values and Community

A Very Busy (and Fun-Filled) Monday!

Gillispie elementary students kicked off the first full week of school with a Monday to remember. The day began with a new tradition: Morning Announcements. K-6 students gathered on the Sport Court at the morning bell to hear announcements, celebrate birthdays, and learn about upcoming events. These new Monday morning meetings will occur every week that school is in session and are open to all parents, who may watch (quietly!) from the entrance to the play yard....

by Jon Bluestein

Constructivist learning

February 22, 2018

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Experts in Education, Learn by Doing

Understanding the Constructivist Classroom

Now more than ever, it is crucial that children learn how to become creative and empathetic solution builders, and the development of the skills needed for success can begin as early as preschool. In order to give children the opportunity to hone their creative problem-solving skills, it is important for them to be allowed to construct their own knowledge and understanding of the world through both experience and reflection on those experiences. This approach is referred...

by Jon Bluestein

November 9, 2017

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Values and Community

Students Practicing Kindness Daily

Working on this year’s goal of building empathy, at a recent assembly kindergarteners through second graders discussed the importance of practicing kindness daily. I challenged these children to perform two acts of kindness—one at home and one at school—that were to cost nothing monetarily and where nothing was expected in return. Some heartfelt examples are described below. One kindergartner explained, “Last night when my brother wasn’t feeling that good, we went to go get ice cream and...

by Jon Bluestein

October 18, 2017

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This Year’s Big Project Brings It Back Home

The Gillispie School Big Project last year reached for the stars, asking students to imagine settling a new planet. The three-day multi-discipline experience allowed children to think collaboratively about what goes into developing a new society and required them to use skills and content knowledge to plan for the roads, buildings, vehicles, laws, and jobs we would need in our new other-worldly community. This year, and for the foreseeable future, we will be turning our focus to...

by Jon Bluestein