Zoo Zurich and other attractions

This morning I woke up and had breakfast in our hotel before departing to the Swiss International School. It took a few questions from our hotel and passerbys (thank goodness everyone here basically speaks fluent English) to understand how to use the tram, but once aboard it was a ten minute ride to this private school. Situated on the west bank of the river, I met with my contact, a first grade British teacher named Peter. The school is notable because it is dual-languaged; thus, the students spend part of their day with one "English" teacher speaking only English and doing all coursework in this language, and then rotate either later on in the afternoon or the following day to a "German" teacher, speaking only German and doing all coursework in this language. I sat in on a pre-kindergarten classroom in English, and then traveled across the hall to a German pre-kindergarten classroom and was able to participate in a lesson with the students. How fun!
Below is a picture inside of Peter's room, reminding the students to speak in English:

To respect the privacy of the students, I am not able to post photos but can tell you how wonderful my experience was! For one, the day is very centered around play- here is a copy of the kindergarten classroom schedule (I apologize for the poor photo quality):


After the school visit, we ate at an Italian restaurant in the plaza by our hotel. What I have found so interesting is that there is such a mix of Swiss-German, German, French, and Italian languages in all parts of this city- during coversational exchange (it's common for many Swiss- Germans to greet you with "Hallo" or "Ciao" or say "Merci" for thank you) and on signage throughout the city. The culture here is very much a melting pot, if you will. Below is the copy of the receipt from lunch- notice the Italian language throughout, including at the bottom.


Following lunch we went to Zoo Zurich- on the opposite side of the city, but an easy tram ride. Watch the below video for a peak at some hippos!


We had a wonderful dinner at an authentic Swiss German restaurant- more details to come. I am off to bed now, however, as I have a very early wake-up call tomorrow morning in preparation for my trip to the Lakeside (outdoor) School.

Guten Tag, from Zurich, Switzerland!

Guten, Tag, Calvert!
I arrived in Zurich, Switzerland this morning after an 8 hour flight from Dulles International Airport. After a little rest on the plane, I woke up to picturesque views of the Swiss Alps, the neighboring countryside and below city, and the sound of the captain informing us of our decent. Although exhausted, I was thrilled to have safely landed and was ready for the day's adventures! My mother-in-law and husband are joining me on this trip. This is a photo of me at the Zurich airport, (the largest airport in Switzerland) having just landed.
After checking in to Hotel Wellenberg, we walked to the train station (apparently this is one of the only places opened on Sunday). At 11:00 a.m. Zurich time, we met up with Jeff, a friend from home who currently resides here. He gave us an insider's walking tour of the city.
A photo with Jeff, my husband, and I, in front of beautiful Lake Zurich:

There are ducks and swans that frequent this lake!
Another photo of the city of Zurich near our hotel:

We stopped at Zurich's top confiserie, Sprungli, the landmark chocolatier and cafe. Owned by the Lindt chocolate company, Sprungli is the more expensive (and many consider tastier) chocolate brand and restaurant chain. Although we did not order dessert, our eyes and noses were tempted with sweets and chocolate treats with mouthwatering ingredients like Bailey's and champagne. Mouthwatering Sprungli treats:

Licking our lips at the delicious sight!

Following lunch, we noticed many people dressed in festive and quite outrageous costumes preparing for a Mardi Gras (called Fasnacht here) parade. The Protestant Swiss-German celebration apparently continues through the beginning of this week. We stopped to watch lively group performers playing instruments, dancing, and throwing confetti and candy at onlookers. How fun to be part of Fasnacht!
Jeff, covered in confetti, during the Fasnacht parade:
Cowbells signaling the beginning of the parade:

Street performers:

After a brief nap, we walked to a locals-only fondue restaurant, Stubli. We had gruyere cheese fondue with bread, small potatoes, pineapples and pears. Flavored sausage and spicy mustards accompanied additional bread. What a feast! Me, enjoying a traditional fondue feast!

Dessert menu- we chose the chocolate mousse:

Tomorrow I will visit the Swiss International School for a morning peak at their kindergarten program.
Until then, Gute Nacht! (Good Night!)

Zooming to Zurich

I am at the airport departing for Zurich, Switzerland! I will be there through next Sunday and am traveling with my husband and mother-in-law. Thank you, Calvert School for this amazing opportunity!

This Is The House That Jack Built

The 6th Age readers listened to the story THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, retold (and illustrated) by Simms Taback. This favorite rhyme for children was first published in 1755 and probably derived from an ancient Hebrew chant in the 16th century. It was originally illustrated by Randolph Caldecott in 1878.

Additionally, this type of story is commonly referred to as a cumulative tale, or a chain tale, because action or dialogue repeats and builds in some way as the tale progresses. Upon listening to this story the second time, the readers were encouraged to say the words they remembered out loud.
After hearing this story twice, the readers watched a version of this story told again on YouTube. They learned about another cumulative tale also written by Taback, I KNOW AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY.
The readers lastly acted out this story, with each student receiving one of the following roles:
house
cheese
rat
cat
dog
cow
maiden
man
judge
rooster
farmer
and artist.

Bravo to my students!

Darling Dolls Camp!

Darling Dolls Camp is back! This summer Mrs. DeLorbe and I are hosting this fabulous camp at Calvert School during the weeks of June 13-17 for graduated Pilots (or 5 year olds) and graduated 6th Agers (or 6 year olds), and June 20-24 for graduated 6th and 7th Agers (or girls aged 6-8).

The camp will take place from 9-12, and snack will be provided. Each day, the girls will craft a different type of doll. On the last day of camp, the girls will attend a special party with their favorite doll! Cost is $150. Please email me if you have any questions!

Nelson Mandela and Ray Charles

We added two new activists to our timeline this week, the first of which was Nelson Mandela. A 6D student sought me out a week ago with interest in learning more about him and possibly highlighting Mandela on our timeline. (What a great idea!)

Nelson Mandela is the world's most famous South African. 6D learned that he is an activist because he believed that all people should be treated equally. He worked hard to change previously unfair laws. In 1994 he became the first black president of South Africa.
Ray Charles Robinson (or "Ray Charles" as he is widely known) lost his eyesight at a young age but persisted in learning how to play the piano. He combined different genres, or types, of music to create a new sound. As an activist, Ray Charles became of the of the first African American musicians to be in charge of a music company. Did you know that Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Ray Charles #10 of the 100 greatest artists of all time? We listened to parts of the song "Georgia On My Mind", Georgia's national anthem, in class as well.

Inchworm measuring

The mathematicians listened to the story INCH BY INCH by Leo Lionni today. It is about an inchworm who measures the length of many animals to spare from being eaten by them. After the story, the students learned about a measuring tool called the ruler, which can measure the length of objects in inches. Utilizing various classroom items, the students first estimated how long these items were before using a ruler. They then recorded their answers and shared them with the class. Nice job!