“‘Satellite archaeology’ refers to the use of NASA and commercial high resolution satellite datasets to map and discover past structures, cities and geological features.” – Sarah Parcak, space archaeologist
Geology Studies in K-5th Grade
Learnwell elementary school students have been progressing in the study of geology. This week, they learned some types of geology-related jobs, including an artist whose sculptures relate to geology, and then students made their own clay creations.
Biology Studies Include Dissection in 6th & 7th Grade
Students in middle school science are continuing their study of animals’ biological makeup by looking at the anatomy of flounder this week.
Brain Breaks Vital to Learning in All Grade Levels
A new study suggests that what was previously believed to be a “break” from the learning process is actually a determinant of how binding (connecting what we learn to previously learned material) takes place. So, breaks are crucial to the learning process! (Read more here.)
Students at Learnwell regularly take small breaks, whether inside or outside the classroom, which keeps them engaged and focused — and keeps the learning process fun! Here, students play outside, chat with friends in the hallway, and enjoy non-academic pursuits like coloring or sensory play.
High School Students Retreat for Rest & Refreshment
High school students take an annual retreat with high school advisors to cement their need for rest, taking breaks, getting out of their everyday environment, and learning how God has created them and equipped them. They form teams to tackle responsibilities like cooking and cleanup throughout the weekend, and they learn about ways to connect with God. The goal? Return to everyday life filled up and focused on what matters most: relationships with God and others.
Learning about the Milky Way under the Milky Way
Students in fourth grade learned about the Milky Way this week…under a makeshift Milky Way in their classroom. What fun!
Fourth & Fifth Graders Share the Gospel with Friends
Using an object lesson (e.g., cool science experiment), fourth and fifth grade students showed younger peers how the gospel displays God’s grace for everyone. We are proud of how these young leaders learned the experiment, practiced it, and related it to Jesus’ transfer of His right standing with God to us through grace & faith.
Read-A-Thon Announced for K-5th Students
Dr. Shipman shared exciting news with Learnwell’s elementary school students this week: They get to earn rewards through reading that benefit individual students, each class, and the entire school! Parents will be sent information about how the Read-A-Thon works, so they can help inspire and challenge their students to record reading time at home. Students voted on a schoolwide delivery cart for record reading results! (Think old-school Amazon meets Five Below and gets wheeled to winning classrooms for treats and trinkets.) Other possible prizes include a classroom popcorn party and getting to send in your favorite stuffed animal for a weekend Stuffies School Takeover. (These rascal stuffies will take over the school and our social media accounts to record all their fun antics!) We’re looking forward to how this helps the school and our young students love reading even more than they already do!
Club Period Love… of Pillow Fights, Games, Art & Cupcakes!
Our creative club leaders last week showed their peers how to fight fairly with pillows, decorate cupcakes, design their own board games and enjoy artistic pursuits! We are so proud of our Club Period leaders who courageously shared something they love with others.
Yearbook Staff Hard at Work
Our 24-25 yearbook staff has been working hard, meeting during lunch recently to plan color schemes, layouts, etc. Thank you to these students for collaborating to record the 2024-2025 school year so well!
Middle & High School Outdoor Lunch
It’s finally warm enough again to go outside for lunch! Several middle and high school students took advantage of sunnier weather, while others stayed inside this week.
2nd, 4th & 5th Celebrate Weekly Wins!
Second-graders celebrated a job well done during their math lesson. At the same time, the fourth-grade class racked up yet another jar of pom-poms (which means a classroom reward is coming soon!), reviewed math with a slam, and learned about the StoryLab video creation suite. Fifth-graders celebrated a few classmates’ birthdays and half-birthdays. Celebrating weekly wins is essential to maintaining a strong student morale!
Middle School Discipleship Classes Learn About Shema Words & “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul & strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Learning God’s Word is an ACTIVity in middle school when you’re working to build a foundation of strong beliefs. These middle school students learned that “shema” in Hebrew means to listen with the intent of obeying. They then acted out these verses in group activities. Thank you to all of our discipleship teachers who provide opportunities for students to grow spiritually and academically.
Buddies Still Going Strong
The seventh-grade buddies support our youngest kindergarten and first grade learners each week by reviewing concepts they learned the previous week(s). We’re so thankful for their interest in our young students’ education and the leadership and guidance they provide to make our K/1 students comfortable in a school setting. All our students are fantastic, and watching these students work together each week is a reminder of that!
