Blog Posts

Beginning March Celebrating Strong Women in History and Today

3/10/2018

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Exploring Women's rights and gender issues in history.

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."
~Rosa Parks

Click the button below to see incredible photos of the different ways girls around the world travel to school each day.

Photos of Girls Going to School Around the World

High steppers performed at our MYP morning meeting

Celebrating MYP students who came to school ready to learn by being
Open-Minded in February

We understand and appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities.

Congrats to our MYP 6-8 Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn
by being Open-Minded!

Names (nominated by)
Tyler Young (Weber)
James Gordon (Arens)
Jayla Jones (Thomas)
Augustine Bearden (Mishaga)
Samone Harris (Taylor)
Madison Tatum (Orbash)
Cate Mullin-Vanneste (Kane)
Mya Colbert (Dudik)

Grade 3 amazed us with their performance of, Aristocats!

Thank you to our music and arts department for putting on another AMAZING Disney Musical!

8th grade students working on science projects after school

Making Thinking Visible

Exploring Units of Inquiry Around CIS

Future World Leaders!

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I Love to Read Week!

3/4/2018

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What a fun week as we celebrated reading with, I Love to Read Week and Dr. Seuss!
We started the week with our All School Morning Meeting and Hat Day. Check out the fun pictures below. Many of our teachers enjoyed the week too. Thank you for your enthusiasm...it's contagious! Our students got such a kick out of Ms. Chambers on Crazy Hair Day!!

We also heard from Grade 2 as they presented their Black History reports, and grade 3 gave us a sneak peek into their Disney Musical, Aristocats. Make plans to attend their performance this week.

Grade 3 Aristocats Schedule

Tuesday, March 6th; Dress Rehearsal 9-2pm

Wednesday, March 7th; Matinee Performance 10:00am (K-4 will attend)

Thursday, March 8th; Afternoon Performance 1:30pm (5-8 will attend)

Thursday, March 8th Evening Performance 6:30pm

*All performances take place at CSU Main Classroom

Hat Day

Silly Socks Day

Crazy Hair Day

Dress Like a Friend, Twin Day

Reading, Writing, and Having Fun with Dr. Seuss Week!

Did someone say "Free Books Day?"

Taking home books donated by our families

Culminating Activities for Black History

The Black Child and Family Institute Freedom School hosted the American Legacy Magazine Mobile Truck Thursday in our parking lot for all classes to visit

2nd Graders presented their Black History reports in the classroom and at our All School Morning Meeting

6th grader, Layla Yarbrough recited Langston Hughes' poem, Dreams during our All School Morning Meeting

Dreams
Langston Hughes, 1902 - 1967

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Juliette's father, Mr. Gutierrez donated a canvas print of of Alma Thomas' March on Washington to our school. Check out this beautiful work of art hanging in our main office.

Juliette researched Alma Thomas for her grade 2 black history report.

Thank you, Mr. Gutierrez!

Click the button below to learn more about Alma Thomas.

Alma Thomas

Inquiring in grade 3...Is it possible to live without money?

Grade 3
Researching Current Events
Local and Global

MYP Science

Hanging with MYP during Indoor Recess

Ambassador Smoothies for being Balanced

Lunch with Mrs. Bechtel for taking on the Book Challenge

Young Men's Group

Showing Appreciation with our Actions

The Taseff kids in grades 1, 3, and 4 delivered these Cop-U-Mints to the police officers who direct traffic every morning and afternoon at our school.

The more you KNOW and CARE....the more you want to DO!

Service

8th graders are partnering with Campus District on the
Payne Avenue Project.

Click the button below to learn more.

Payne Avenue Project

We sure did end February in a big way with a lot FUN!!
Dr. Seuss week brought back a lot of much needed JOY....so much, we needed a snow day to recover!

 Let's start March in a great way by getting to school Ready to Learn with a great attitude!

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Standing Tall, Standing Together!

2/25/2018

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Congrats to our PYP 3-5 Ambassadors
who came to school Ready to Learn by being Balanced!

Names (nominated by)

Maggie Larkin (Webb)
Casey Higgins (McCarthy)
Liam Burg (Wells)
Marilia Tsirikos-Karaparios (McCafferty)
Naijal Hawkins (Outrich)
Johanna Zheng (Grzelak)
Ivy McLennan (Bubbett)
Aum Tyler (Hawley)
Alta Taseff (Hawley)
Sam Uva (Kirby)
D’Nyla Collier (Guardado)
Miracle Smith (Nasca)
Kendall Fluker (Glickman)

Congrats to these 3-5th graders for being caught showing, "Random Acts of IB Attitudes!"

Mrs. Hawley's 4th graders shared their Black History posters.

They stood proud while they read their posters and explained why Black History Month is important.

Cleveland School of the Arts presented, Black History Makers: I Dream of Cleveland

Our students enjoyed hearing about all of the famous Black Americans who came from the very same neighborhoods as many of them.

CSA's performance was very inspiring!

Revisiting books that remind us of what it means to be an IB student...what it means to CARE, to be KIND, to take ACTION and to make this a PEACEFUL world for ALL.

On February 21st at 2:05pm, 7th and 8th graders participated in a walk-out organized by a MYP student. They paraded outside and stood in complete silence for 17 minutes.

Dear Campus International School Family,

In light of last week’s tragedy in Parkland, Florida, I want to share some information and resources with you.
In addition to our safety preparedness, our school also places a great emphasis on social emotional supports for students. Our dedicated team of teachers, social workers (https://www.beechbrook.org/), and school psychologist are here to support our students who may be experiencing social emotional health issues.

In PYP, we create safe spaces to learn through our school wide practice of Morning Meetings using the Responsive Teaching Model. The four parts of this model are:

Greeting: Students and teachers greet and welcome each other.
Sharing: Students share something about themselves or their lives, and the rest of their peers listen, then ask follow-up questions or offer comments.
Activity: The group completes an activity that encourages teamwork while re-emphasizing social or academic skills.
Morning message: Students read a short message from their teacher, usually describing what is to come in the day ahead.

We also incorporate our Learner Profile Attributes and Attitudes into all of our units of inquiry and throughout our day. Since the tragic events of last week, we have been revisiting books that help us understand our part in noticing people/things that seem out of the ordinary (how to stand up or tell someone you trust), emphasizing feelings, empathy, and what it means to be human.

In MYP, students have discussed Current Events through CNN News, articles, and advisory time. Students have had time to talk in classes about how these events have impacted them and to share their feelings. Staff members have been supportive while using this time as teachable moments on how to peacefully protest and work together for positive change.

Below you will find a number of resources and professional advice for talking with your children about violence and tragedy.

Resources:

SaferSchools Ohio
This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety—whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student.
To access the SaferSchools Ohio tip line, call or text 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764).

Talking to Children About Violence - Tips for Parents and Teachers
The National Association of School Psychologists put together a helpful and comprehensive guide to talking to children about violence. Click here to read the guide.

“Resiliency After Violence,” The Harvard Graduate School of Education

The American School Counselor Association on helping kids after a shooting

The Coalition to Support Grieving Students, with research-backed resources

Useful two-page guidance from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement

Appreciation

Thank you to Adrien's parents for coming in to share their Venezuelan heritage with Mrs. Hill's second graders.

Thank you to second graders Julia and Juliette for sharing a beautiful duet during open mic in the Balanced Cafe.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend finding their balance! This week will be full of fun with,
 Dr. Suess, I love to read week!

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Exploring Big Questions

2/18/2018

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What does it mean to be Balanced?

"We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live."
~ibo.org

Congrats to our PYP K-2 Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Balanced!

Names (nominated by)

Alma Alyamani (Dottore)
Mary Ryzner (Snyder)
Abdullah Alkassar (Hubeny)
A’Mare Morris (Fergie)
Brielle Jackson (Mori)
Mary Burg (Meaker)
Ginger McLennan (Fairman)
J’Marri Williams (Wightman)
Johnnason Sturdivant (Hill)
Owen Andrikanich (Chambers)
Steven Chandler (Morris)
 Chloe Ng (Humphrey)

Big Question within our Units of Inquiry

Kindergarten

Where We are in Place and Time

Central Idea: There are many ways to learn about the world

Questions:

What is a map?
How can we find out about different homes?
What can stories teach us?

Grade 1

Where We are in Place and Time

Central Idea: Families and Places Change Over Time

Questions:

How do maps help us?
How do people change?
What changes in your life have impacted you?
What are landforms?
How do landforms affect the way you live?

Grade 2

Where We are in Place and Time

Central Idea: Geography and Culture Shape Communities

Questions:

How does where you live influence how you live and work?
What are natural resources?
How do natural resources affect the way we live?
How do cultures develop?

Grade 3

Sharing the Planet

Central Idea: Biodiversity Affects the Survival of Organisms

Questions:

What is biodiversity?
What are adaptations and why are they necessary?
How are people, plants, and animals interdependent?

Grade 4

How We Organize Ourselves

Central Idea: Ideas, Location, and Action Influence Infrastructure

Questions:

How do cities allow people to move?
How do you get a large group of people to make a decision?
How does the physical environment relate to an areas economy?

Grade 5

Sharing the Planet

Central Idea: Relationships happen interdependently within systems

Questions:

What are the relationships among organisms in an ecosystem?
Why do we have four seasons?
What would happen if the earth had no tilt?
Can we live without bees?

Presidential Questions
(from our students)

Why does a country need a President?
Why do we have a President instead of a King?
Why can't there be two Presidents?

Cleveland's Black History Questions

How has Cleveland helped shape the lives of African Americans?
How has the Karamu House contributed to Black History?
How was Cleveland's changing racial distribution influenced by the Great Migration?

Meeting Author, Angie Thomas
Book: The Hate U Give

Valentine's Day "Caring Day" Questions

Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day?
Why don't people care more?
Why do people hurt others?
Is love really blind?

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Inquiry, Research, Text Evidence, and so much more!

2/11/2018

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This week I was able to spend a lot of time in classrooms observing and supporting. Following a week of data meetings, we adjusted schedules to support new reading and math interventions, writing across the curriculum, critical thinking skills through research, and using texting evidence in reading. From kindergarten to grade 8, students were engaged and enjoying learning!

What is the future of learning?

SOLE (Self-Organized Learning Environment)

Sole helps students develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, research, and communication skills.

Khan Academy for math support

Moby Max for reading/math support

What Is Writing Across the Curriculum?
Teachers across disciplines (subject areas), use writing-to-learn and writing-to-demonstrate knowledge strategies to deepen the learning of students in all content areas.

Writing promotes learning
• Integration of writing and the writing process promotes student participation, a diversity of student voices, and engage students as critical thinkers while promoting their texts as important resources and thinking tools
• Effective writing instruction integrates disciplines
• Opportunities to write in every class develops good writers
• Only by practicing the thinking and writing conventions of an academic discipline will students begin to communicate effectively within that discipline.

Ways we support writing, no matter what subject we're teaching:

Journal Writing: Informal writing that provides a safe place for students to summarize their thoughts while building confidence.
Think-Pair-Share: After a lecture or presentation, students are invited to record their thoughts. Then they are paired up with another student to discuss the topic. Finally, the discussion is opened up to the whole class. Discussions are richer when students have an opportunity to organize their thinking and gain perspective from others prior to discussing with the whole group. (also builds on confidence)
Quick-Writes: Quick-writes are great ways to get students to practice writing and critical thinking skills. They’re designed to focus the student’s thinking. Timers are set for 10 minutes and students are given a writing prompt, picture, quote, or a question...anything to get them thinking and writing.
Self-Assessments: Throughout the year students are invited to self-assess their learning (reflect) within their units of inquiry and character development (The Learner Profile). Ask them what the most difficult part of the class has been or what they’ve loved learning. Not only will they get practice writing, you’ll get valuable insight into how your child is learning and what you can do to help them even more!
Real World Writing: Mathematicians write theorems and textbook problems. Scientists write lab reports. Journalists in all fields write articles, writers write books, journal articles, parents write notes, lists, etc. This type of writing shows students the relevancy of writing skills and how it is applied in daily life.
Note Taking: We begin working on this in kindergarten with our pictures and labels of what we learned from listening to the teacher. By grade 1, students are practicing this with their research skills using SOLE and independent research. The toughest part is helping them "put it in their own words" paraphrasing.
Research Projects: The Common Core Standards and IB require all students to be able to research a topic in any discipline and write about it. The goal is for all students to become self-directed learners that are adept at researching, writing, and presenting a wide variety of subjects.

Congrats to our MYP Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Balanced!

Names (nominated by)
Vivian Cox (Dudik)
Claire Brazalovics (Arens)
Isabel Wood (Taylor)
Amiyah Hart (Perry)
Catherine Mullin-Vanneste (Thomas)
Victor Boyd (Weber)
Nalmah Ali (Orbash)
Carli Jordan (Kane)
Terri Jackson (Mishaga)

Kindergarten

Opinion Writing

"How to" writing

Inquiry

Where We are in Place and Time

Grade 1
Researching with SOLE

Grade 2
Researching Famous Black Americans

Grade 3
Researching using SOLE on Economic Choices

Using paired texts to cite evidence in opinion writing

Reading about local and global news in the Plain Dealer Newspaper and making connections with our current unit of inquiry

Grade 4
Researching and using evidence to support writing

Black History Research

Inquiry into Electricity

Grade 5
Exploring African American History and Culture website to prepare for Black History Research papers

Reading nonfiction texts and learning how to highlight, take notes, summarize, and write an essay using multiple sources.

MYP
Creativity~Activity~Service

Literature Circles
A Long Walk to Water

Enjoying our guests this week!

MARI BLACK TRIO

Featuring: Mari Black, violin; Conor Hearn, guitar; Joe Magar, bass

Mari Black (click to learn more)

Doug Wood

Classically-Infused Folk, Rock, Jazz instrumental guitar

Doug Wood (click to learn more)

Chef Eric Wells

Skye LaRae's Culinary Services (click to learn more)

Kent State University

Education students studying to become IB teachers visited CIS to see the IB curriculum in action.

Guest Reader

Grade 1

"Reese's Dad"

Celebrating Friendship on No One Eats Alone Day
and
Red, White, and Blue Day for the Opening of the
Winter Olympic Games

When asked by a visitor from Kent State, "What do you like the most about the IB curriculum and Campus International?" 4th grader Yazmeen replied,
"Everybody fits in...no one is left out."

Keep choosing kindness, CIS!

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Enjoying Winter with Engaging Experiences

2/3/2018

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We ended January in a big way! So much student action, fun learning experiences, and commitment from our students and staff. With a few challenges due to weather, everyone did their best to remain positive and flexible with changes that occurred. Although we are ALL ready for warmer days, we are making the most of the cold, winter days...with a smile on our face!

Congrats to our PYP 3-5 Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Communicators!

Names (nominated by)
Iyanna Massey (Webb)
Zoe Flynn (Wells)
Kaylani Cika (McCafferty)
Logan Greer (McCarthy)
Orion McGuiness-Silvertien (Bubbett)
Jane Gyorki (Hawley)
Ariyan Johnson (Grzelak)
Layali Baddour (Outrich)
Kali Boyd (Glickman)
Cam’Ron Benson (Kirby)
Logan Wolf (Nasca)
Chris DeLeon (Guardado)

Congrats to our MYP Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Communicators!

Names (nominated by)
Nora Van Lier (Dudik)
Amiyah Hart (Arens)
Ahmad Bates (Taylor)
Audrianna Atkinson (Perry)
Lania Baker (Thomas)
Michael Wachter (Weber)
Shane Maxey (Orbash)
Danielle Thompson (Kane)
Carli Jordan (Mishaga)

Celebrating with smoothies on the stage!

Celebrating student action during our All School Morning Meeting

Helping animals in need

Investing in our Great Lakes

Bringing awareness to homelessness among kids

Collecting movie tickets for teens living in shelters

Congrats, Xavier for your contribution to the CIS High School Debate Team!

A few of our 8th graders shared their Service Projects.

Kindergarten
Where We are in Place and Time

Mrs. Snyder's kindergartners are learning about the city through the adventures of their friend, Felix!

Kindergartners exploring math shapes in Mrs. Hubeny's class

Happy 100th Day of School!!

Fun learning stations in Miss Dottore's kindergarten class

Grade 1
Where We are in Place and Time

Grade 2
100th Day of School Scavenger Hunt in Mrs. Humphrey's class

Grade 3
How We Organize Ourselves
Central Idea: Economic choices and decisions play a role in the market place.

Grade 4
How We Organize Ourselves
Central Idea: Ideas, location, and action influence infrastructure

4th graders in Mrs. Grzelak's room use the thinking routine, See, Think, Wonder with this image to unpack new unit of inquiry.

4th graders in Ms. Outrich's class unpacked the central idea with a provocation. The blue tape (classroom streets) got students thinking about infrastructure and the importance of effective decision making.

Number Talks and SOLE in Mr. Bubbett's 4th grade class

4th grade students from Mrs. Hawley's and Mrs. Grzelak's class won prizes in the 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. Alta Taseff won second place in the fourth to sixth grade division. Her prize was $75. Michaela Arrington won $25 for third place.

Grade 5
Sharing the Planet
Central Idea: Relationships happen interdependently within systems

5th graders getting ready for Exhibition

Ms. Glickman's 5th graders share their recent Action

Dancing Classrooms

Congrats to our 5th grade students who placed gold in Semi-Finals for the Dancing Classrooms competition at Tri-C. They now move on to the Grand Finals at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square on Sunday, May 20th @4:00pm.

Thank you to our 5th grade students and teachers for your commitment and enthusiasm. We are so proud of you!

5th graders from Mrs. Guardado's class taking action to clean paint they noticed on the floor in the hallway.

5th grader, Nick celebrating his commitment to finishing his project on Symbiosis

Starting Wednesday in a fun way in Mrs. Simone's class

What would you do?

Grade 6
Math with Mrs. Taylor
"Minds On" and Number Talks

Grade 6
Individuals and Society with Mr. Dudik
SOLE

Grade 6
Science and Design with Mrs. Arens

Grade 6
Field trip to Western Reserve Historical Society
Unit: Economic Decision Making Skills
Statement of Inquiry: Consumption choices change based on economic practices.
Program: The Global Marketplace

Grade 7 & 8
Language and Literature with Miss Thomas

Mr. Levy's trip to New York to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra chorus. They performed Hadyn's "Seasons" which is a 2 1/2 hour oratorio that describes musically the change of seasons from end of winter, to spring to summer to fall to the extremely long winter. Mr. Levy has been singing in the chorus for 17 years.

Carnegie Hall

2nd grader, Rose Kvidera joined her dad on the tour, as he too is a member of the chorus. Rose and her family took in the sites of the city while there.

A wonderful quote left on my desk by third grader, Carly.
Keep laughing and loving, Campus International!

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Making Learning Meaningful from our Youngest to our Oldest!

1/21/2018

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This week we had our first school meeting of the New Year with our k-2 classes. We celebrated Ambassadors chosen by their teacher for being Communicators in the month of December.

Communicators understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Congrats to our PYP K-2 Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Communicators!

Names (nominated by)
Saadiq Cooper (Snyder)
Christopher Mason (Dottore)
Constantine Diamantis (Hubeny)
Omari Greer (Fergie)
Alonzo Miller (Wightman)
Gary Hicks Jr. (Fairman)
Meredith Richardson (Meaker)
Princess Abena Anno (Mori)
Finn Gabrovsek (Morris)
Marianela Sims (Humphrey)
Carmen Davis (Chambers)
Austin Taylor (Hill)

Reflecting and deciding what to take a chance on in 2018!

Kindergarten began their new unit after winter break, Where We are in Place and Time.

Central Idea:
There are many ways to learn about the world

In this unit, students will explore maps, models, locations, landmarks, and hear stories from around the world.

Due to the freezing temperatures after break, we had several days of indoor recess. Kindergarten students enjoyed exploring math games, blocks, and puzzles.

They love sharing their notes from home. I love when they ask me to read them.

Freezing temperatures keep us from waiting outside in the morning. Students who arrive at 7:50 and do not need breakfast, enjoy having quiet time to read a book on the bleachers while waiting for their teacher to pick up.

All students in grades 2-8 should have a book in their backpack at all times. To become a better reader, you must read. There are many opportunities throughout the day where students have time to read a few pages. I like to randomly stop students and ask, "What book are you reading?" I love when a student can tell me exactly what they're reading and why I should read it too!

Number Talks during Morning Meeting in Grade 1

Click the button to learn more about Number Talks

Number Talk in grade 1

Enjoying Mandarin class in Ms. Mori's class.

8th Grade Community Projects

What is the MYP Community Project?

The IB MYP programme includes a Community Project in the 8th grade year. All of our 8th grade students at Campus International School have been investigating, planning, creating and completing projects. This project represents a great opportunity for students to demonstrate independence and commitment towards a long- term goal. .

The community project gives students an opportunity to engage with their community and take action through an independent service project. This project should be a consolidation of their learning throughout the PYP and MYP programme at Campus International School.

Students self- select topics and pursue issues they are passionate about to work on. Check out the photos and captions of some of our 8th graders below to get an idea of what they are working on and stay tuned for more photos and projects next week.

Also be on the look for their action throughout the school community through direct service, raising awareness and calling others to action.

We are what we do: at CIS we take action to make a better world.

While Kindergarten is exploring the many ways to learn about the world, 8th grade is applying what they know and making the world a better place!

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Happy New Year, CIS!

1/13/2018

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It was so nice to welcome students back after winter break...even with a few challenges due to extremely cold weather. CIS students and staff are used to finding solutions and making the best of situations. It took no time at all for students to figure out the temporary procedures while repairs are being completed. Sometimes being forced to do things differently is good... it can lead to new perspectives and ideas.

We are starting 2018 with the question, What do you do with a chance? This year is your chance to do something differently. What will it be? How will you go about taking this chance? Feel free to share what you're taking a chance on this year on our white board. Let's make this the best year ever!

Teachers started back a day before students to revisit goals, data, and plans from first semester and to set new goals for second semester. We discussed and practiced math strategies and thinking routines that support critical thinking skills. One of our priorities this school year is implementing Number Talks. Number Talks help students build mental math and computation strategies.

Second grade reflected and made plans for 2018

Model United Nations Team

Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, or other multilateral body, which introduces students to the world of diplomacy, negotiation, and decision making.

At Model UN, students step into the shoes of ambassadors of countries that are members of the UN, from Argentina to Zimbabwe. The students, better known as “delegates”, debate current issues on the organization’s vast agenda. They prepare draft resolutions, plot strategy, negotiate with supporters and adversaries, resolve conflicts, and navigate the UN’s rules of procedure – all in the interest of resolving problems that affect the world.

Before playing out their ambassadorial roles in Model UN, students research the particular global problem to be addressed. The problems are drawn from today’s headlines. Model UN delegates learn how the international community acts on its concerns about peace and security, human rights, the environment, food and hunger, economic development, and globalization.

Creating Global Citizens

Thank you, Mrs. Weber for your commitment to our first Model UN Team!

Eric Pohl and Neela Narine received
Honorable Mention
representing
Russia

Charles Pohl and Lee McBride received
Honorable Mention
representing
Kazakhstan

5th grade visited The Western Reserve Historical Society to take part in their Youth Entrepreneurship Program. This trip helped students prepare for their upcoming unit of inquiry, How We Organize Ourselves. In this unit, students will learn about all the resources needed to start and sustain a business.

What a great way to start every year...reflecting on the life of an American Hero. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was such a great example of this school year's motto: You are what you do! Let your actions speak for you. How are you making the world a better place?

Miss Dottore's kindergartners have a dream that one day people will be kind.

6th graders in Mrs. Taylor's class completed a Growth Mindset Escape Room activity. This activity incorporated 4 tasks with puzzles that taught students about grow mindset, quotes, and famous failures. Groups were generated randomly using an online website. After each group "escaped" they had to pick one of the famous people they learned about, and create a mind map about this person relating it to Growth Mindset.

This activity was a great way to return to class after winter break. Students had a lot of fun while starting 2018 in a positive way. Next week, students will look at each other's mind maps and think about how to apply what they learned to their work and set new goals for 2nd semester.

7th Graders take part in...
Effective Leadership Academy

In the activity below, one student was blindfolded and had a series of words in a sandwich bag. Without looking, the blindfolded student's partner helped direct them into making a sentence. This allowed students to build trust with one another, follow directives from a peer and work together in a partnership to create something. The students really enjoyed their first day with Language Arts! The program is once a week for each homeroom, for a total of eight weeks.

Dr. Glass had the pleasure of collaborating this summer with Flo Brett, the founder of Effective Leadership Academy, to write a grant that fully funded the program for all 7th graders at CIS. Ms. Gaines, works for the program and we are very appreciative of her help in creating this partnership!

Click the button below to learn more

Effective Leadership

ACTION
Our 8th grade service group on Homelessness would like to donate movie tickets to the Westhaven Youth Shelter. They are hoping to make someone’s day brighter by giving them a chance to see a movie during the cold, winter days. If you would like to support their service project, please drop off movie tickets to Mrs. Bechtel’s office.

Thank you for supporting our service groups!

Westhaven Youth Shelter
3020 W 104th
Cleveland, OH 44111
Description: Provides an emergency shelter for youth.
Next Step provides shelter care for youth, ages 12-17, who are without a home or a stable living environment.

Residents may be runaway youth or children placed by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS). DCFS placements may be youth who have been removed from their homes during investigations of abuse and/or neglect, or those who are awaiting a foster care placement. Next Step Youth Shelter residents attend their home schools whenever possible. They participate in meal preparation and household chores. Life skills education is offered based on an individual assessment of each resident. Individual and/or group counseling is provided as appropriate as well as opportunities for recreation. Next Step also offers semi-independent living in apartment and group living
settings. The program serves youth, ages 16-21, who will be exiting the foster care system. Its emphasis is preparation for living independently. Life skills—budgeting, cleaning, cooking, relationship building, conflict management—are at the heart of the program. Completing high school and moving on to college is the path taken by some participants, while others seek employment education. Case managers provide support and encouragement to youth as they seek to remove barriers and acquire the skills to live independently.

2018 is your chance to begin each day with a great attitude.

Welcome back, Campus International School!

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Oh, What Fun!!!

12/22/2017

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Oh, What Fun it is to Celebrate in December!

Congrats to our Grades 3-5 Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Inquirers!

Inquirers develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Names (nominated by)
Angelina Mim (Wells)
Mather Taseff (Webb)
Joshua Browning (McCarthy)
Chloe Xie (McCafferty)
Tristan Williams (Grzelak)
Eloise Peckham (Bubbett)
Deonna McElrath (Hawley)
Yazmeen Abdul-Wasi (Outrich)
Joshua Young (Guardado)
Olivia Moritz (Kirby)
Kaylee Moody (Nasca)
Jackie Garland (Glickman)

Enjoying Mr. Bearden's famous smoothies for Ambassadors lunch on the stage!

Oh, What Fun it is to...Share our holiday traditions with others!

Oh, What Fun It Is...To Perform in Winter Concerts!

Our K-2, 4-6, and choir had their winter concert this week. What an amazing job they all did! Thank you to all our families for coming out to support our students.

Our MYP Chamber Orchestra performed on Fox 8 News and brought joy to all the viewers who tuned in! They also made us very proud!

Our Woodwind Chamber Group took their show on the road and brought cheer to people all over the city. They played at the Cleveland Public Library, City Hall, the Mayor's office, and the Board of Education. They ended their day with a stop by Channel 3. What a great experience and a terrific way to spread joy during the holiday season!

Woodwind Chamber Group Channel 3

Woodwind Chamber Group video FB

Oh, What Fun it is...to explore and learn about science!

Kindergarten explored materials in their Inquiry Station using a thinking routine,
What do you See, Think, Wonder?

(Thinking about and exploring science concepts using what we already know...formulating questions about what we want to know.)

4th Graders enjoyed getting a little messy during their archaeological dig.

This activity was part of their unit covering Earth's Living History.

(Hands-on learning about science)

6th grade enjoyed playing Kahoot together to review for their assessment on Rocks & Minerals.

(Integrating technology to assess our understanding of science concepts)

7th Grade enjoyed a trip to the Science Center.

(Experiencing science and making real-world connections through field trips)

We're so Thankful for you...

Families who Live the Learner Profile and take action to Make the World a Better Place!

Fun Dress Down Days that bring excitement to morning routines and raise money for charities!

Our Principal, Ms. Beers!
Thank you for your hard work in opening our new school and bringing two buildings together again.

Happy Holidays, Campus International School!
Enjoy this time filling up on love and laughter with family + friends.

See you in 2018!

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Staying Warm While Learning and Having Fun Together!

12/16/2017

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Congrats to our PYP K-2 November Ambassadors who came to school Ready to Learn by being Inquirers!

Names (nominated by)
Owen Friedrichsen (Snyder)
Kite Lin (Dottore)
Evie Harsh (Hubeny)
Melita Alaref (Fergie)
Myles Wardzala (Wightman)
Khai Cole (Fairman)
Abel Perez (Meaker)
Madeline Swol (Mori)
Emma Pieraugh (Morris)
Theo Uva (Humphrey)
Jibril Walker (Chambers)
Mya Crawford (Hill)

This week during our PYP K-2 Morning Meeting, we were able to hear the 4th grade orchestra perform! This is their first year playing and we were very impressed!

This week we experienced our coldest temperatures of the school year, so far. Due to the temperature being so cold, we had to move recess indoors. We were creative in finding ways to fit everyone, while having some choices with indoor fun. We are unable to use the gym, due to PE classes that occur during lunch time, but we are able to use the dance studio, bleachers (quiet reading), stage (drawing/board games), and the brown tables for group activities.

Winter Band Concert

Our concerts are performed at Cleveland State University
in the Music and Communications Building

Click button below to see location

Music and Communications Building

4th Grade celebrated the anniversary of the Bill of Rights

Click on button below to learn more

Bill of Rights

Ms. Glickman's 5th grade enjoyed hot cocoa in their favorite mug, while reading and citing sources together!

Learning + Fun in the Classroom

Kindergarten, How We Express Ourselves...
in math (sequencing numbers)
our culture/traditions (Hanukkah)
and in science (observing the sun, moon, and stars)

First Grade Fun
How We Express Ourselves
"Communication allows us to connect with others"

Fun in Grade 2
Taking Action to Bring Holiday Cheer!

Students made and delivered cookies in Mrs. Humphrey's class.
Miss Chamber's students took a candy cane challenge and delivered over 187 candy canes to people. They're not finished!

Fun in Grade 3
Number Talks
Working in groups to inquiry about arrays

Fun in 4th

Research + Perspective

"Perspective influences interpretation and appreciation"

Making Learning Visible

Fun in grades 6-8th

Design Challenge

Winter Fun with the Browns!
Celebrating the Browns #give10 with ice skating at Public Square!

Browns mascot Chomps, Councilman Tony Brancatelli, Alumni players Bernie Kosar and Kevin Mack, future hockey stars Leo Barle and Jake Bill.

Having Fun with Parents at Coffee with the Principal

Fun with taking ACTION!

Thank you to all who helped with our December Service Projects!

We collected over 150 pairs of socks for the homeless.
We collected over 208 pairs of pajamas for children in need.
We collected over $800.00 for CMSD's Charities of Choice Campaign.
We are still collecting...and currently have, 3 boxes full of items for The Providence House. See their wish list on the right side of the blog.

Thank you for helping us bring smiles to others during the holiday season!

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​8th grade students working on science projects after school

Making Thinking VisibleExploring Units of Inquiry Around CIS

Hat Day

Silly Socks Day

Crazy Hair Day

Dress Like a Friend, Twin Day

Reading, Writing, and Having Fun with Dr. Seuss Week!

Did someone say "Free Books Day?"​ Taking home books donated by our families

Culminating Activities for Black HistoryThe Black Child and Family Institute Freedom School hosted the American Legacy Magazine Mobile Truck Thursday in our parking lot for all classes to visit

2nd Graders presented their Black History reports in the classroom and at our All School Morning Meeting

Inquiring in grade 3...Is it possible to live without money?

Grade 3​Researching Current Events​Local and Global

​MYP Science

​Hanging with MYP during Indoor Recess

Ambassador Smoothies for being Balanced

Lunch with Mrs. Bechtel for taking on the Book Challenge

Young Men's Group

Showing Appreciation with our ActionsThe Taseff kids in grades 1, 3, and 4 delivered these Cop-U-Mints to the police officers who direct traffic every morning and afternoon at our school. The more you KNOW and CARE....the more you want to DO!

Service8th graders are partnering with Campus District on the ​Payne Avenue Project. ​Click the button below to learn more.

​Appreciation

Big Question within our Units of Inquiry

​Meeting Author, Angie ThomasBook: The Hate U Give

MARI BLACK TRIO Featuring: Mari Black, violin; Conor Hearn, guitar; Joe Magar, bass

Doug Wood​Classically-Infused Folk, Rock, Jazz instrumental guitar

Chef Eric Wells

Kent State University​​Education students studying to become IB teachers visited CIS to see the IB curriculum in action.

Guest ReaderGrade 1 ​​"Reese's Dad"

KindergartenWhere We are in Place and Time

Grade 1Where We are in Place and Time

Model United Nations Team

7th Graders take part in...Effective Leadership Academy

Oh, What Fun it is to...Share our holiday traditions with others!

Oh, What Fun It Is...To Perform in Winter Concerts!

Oh, What Fun it is...to explore and learn about science!

We're so Thankful for you...

Learning + Fun in the Classroom

Author: ​Dora Bechtel

Archives:http://cissecondgrade.weebly.com/bechtel

8th grade students working on science projects after school

Making Thinking Visible

Exploring Units of Inquiry Around CIS

Did someone say "Free Books Day?"

Taking home books donated by our families

Culminating Activities for Black History

The Black Child and Family Institute Freedom School hosted the American Legacy Magazine Mobile Truck Thursday in our parking lot for all classes to visit

Grade 3
Researching Current Events
Local and Global

MYP Science

Hanging with MYP during Indoor Recess

Showing Appreciation with our Actions

The Taseff kids in grades 1, 3, and 4 delivered these Cop-U-Mints to the police officers who direct traffic every morning and afternoon at our school.

The more you KNOW and CARE....the more you want to DO!

Service

8th graders are partnering with Campus District on the
Payne Avenue Project.

Click the button below to learn more.

Appreciation

Meeting Author, Angie Thomas
Book: The Hate U Give

MARI BLACK TRIO

Featuring: Mari Black, violin; Conor Hearn, guitar; Joe Magar, bass

Doug Wood

Classically-Infused Folk, Rock, Jazz instrumental guitar

Kent State University

Education students studying to become IB teachers visited CIS to see the IB curriculum in action.

Guest Reader

Grade 1

"Reese's Dad"

Kindergarten
Where We are in Place and Time

Grade 1
Where We are in Place and Time

7th Graders take part in...
Effective Leadership Academy

Author:
Dora Bechtel

Archives:
http://cissecondgrade.weebly.com/bechtel