KCD Headlines

Fourth grade students create Spanish eBooks

james.booker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:28:02 +0000

In a collaborative project with Liz Gatewood (computer lab teacher) and Levin Elpers (spanish teacher), the fourth grade created books in Spanish! Ms. Elpers had her students write a book in Spanish titled "Como Es?" The fourth grade students brought their final drafts to computer class where they created their book using RealeWriter. The students learned how to create collages, create frames for each page, format the page layout for each page, insert accent marks, and format the text. (Please note: the books were blank and the fourth graders formatted everything!)
RealeWriter is a free software that you can download at home - www.realewriter.com

Read the ebooks here!

Destination imagination team prepares for state competition

james.booker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:13:48 +0000

The fourth grade Destination Imagination team performed a full dress rehearsal for their classmates in the middle school lobby on Tuesday. The performance had many great props and costumes with a tropical forest theme. Led by sponsor Sandi Johnson, the DI team used the opportunity to warm up for their state competition performance in Lexington this weekend along with the Middle School teams. The team received valuable feedback from their classmates on what they did well and what areas needed to improve. Destination Imagination organizes projects and competitions that involve students in hands-on, problem-solving activities. Good luck to the teams this weekend!

Photo set on Flickr

KCD's very own BrainPOP Jr. video

james.booker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:02:29 +0000

Liz Gatewood (computer lab) and Sandi Johnson's 3rd grade class wrote, designed, and created their very own BrainPopJr on Volcanoes! Ms. Johnson's class had been studying volcanoes and noticed that BrainPopJr didn't have a movie on the subject - so they decided to create their own!The video was filmed in front of KCD's green screen and students used iMovie to produce the video.

Ms. Johnson's students created everything you see in the video. They created the script (Microsoft Word), all the background images in the video (Kid Pix), hot facts (PowerPoint), word wall (PowerPoint), belly up (Kerpoof), quiz (SMART Notebook), & jokes (PowerPoint) all by themselves! Ms. Gatewood did the website and the video editing!

Ms. Gatewood submitted the Volcanoes video to the real BrainPopJr to see if they would add it to their BrainPOP Educators website and they responded immediately with a "Yes"!

"We are totally blown away by your student-made BrainPOP! What an amazing collaborative project. I would list all of my favorite parts, but there are far too many! ... I'd love to add it to our student-made videos on BrainPOP Educators. We reach over 83,000 teachers now!" Allisyn Levy, Director of BrainPOP Educators.

On the first day of having the video online, it received over 170 hits from 19 states!!!

Great job Leah (Annie), Jake (Moby), Meera & Maddie (word wall), Cameron & Oliver (hot facts), Jennifer & Alex (jokes), Coleman, Areeba, Lucy, & Lauren (graphic artists), Ashley, Margaret, & Elena (script writers), Will & Solomon (quiz writers), Jake & Pavani (belly up cartoon)!

View KCD's Volcano BrainPOP

To view free BrainPop movies - click here!

Photo set on Flickr

First graders impress parents at Poetry Café

james.booker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:48:51 +0000

First grade students had their Poetry Cafe in the Commons Room on Friday March 12. Parents enjoyed coffee and a light breakfast while being entertained by their first grade poets. Each first grade class performed a poem while dressed in character. The event was done in celebration of "Keep a Poem in Your Pocket Week”.

More photos on Flickr

Incredible edible orbits

james.booker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:42:20 +0000

Second grade students in Ms. Giesel's science resource class used their imagination to create edible orbits. Learning about the solar system, students used sweet treats to create their own individual solar system models. The students used materials ranging from jawbreakers to skittles to butterscotch discs. Icing was used to hold the planets in place. The students were able to enjoy eating the leftover candy and icing after their projects were complete.

More Photos on Flickr

Kenyon College singers visit KCD

james.booker — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:19:42 +0000

On Friday, March 12, KCD was happy to host the Kenyon College Chamber Singers as they visited Louisville and the KCD campus as part of their annual spring concert tour. The group is a select mixed choir consisting of forty-three undergraduate musicians who regard singing as an integral part of a liberal arts education. While at KCD, the choir held a workshop for KCD chorale students. Later in the day, the singers performed for the community at St. Francis Episcopal Church.

For more information on the choir, click here.

Photo set on Flickr

Eighth graders present endangered species projects

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:17:22 +0000

On Tuesday, March 6, eighth graders completed their project on endangered species with formal presentations on their research of animals from around the world. The presentations were given in front of classmates as well as a panel of teachers and parents. Students had to give a persuasive argument as to why their species needed to be protected and preserved and to explain the steps they would take to make it happen. The six most persuasive students had the honor of presenting their reports in front of the whole eighth grade class.

Photo set on Flickr

Varsity girls place 15th in indoor state track championship

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:15:04 +0000

The varsity boys’ and girls’ track and field team competed in their first meet of the season at the 2010 Kentucky Class A Indoor State Championship at Broadbent Arena. Nine Bearcat athletes competed in the annual meet, which is also called the Mason-Dixon Games. Seven individuals scored points, and one team member set a KCD indoor track and field record.

Highlights from the event included a fourth-place finish for the girls’ 800m relay team of Chelsea Klein, Lyle Gernert, Olivia Tennant, and Mallory Eisenbrei. Sophomore Healey Loeffler placed fifth in the shot put with an impressive indoor school record distance of 28’01.25”. Additional scorers in the meet were senior Daniel Greene (eighth in the 800m) and freshman Meredith Brown (eighth in the 1500m). Other impressive competitors in the meet were Sam Summers in the 55m and Johnny Marcsik in the 1500m.

Collectively, the six members of the girls’ team placed fifteenth in the state indoor championship, representing the fifth-best female finish in KCD history. This indoor event provides great experience for both the boys’ and girls’ teams as they prepare for the outdoor season.

Third graders create egg helmets

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:13:47 +0000

On Wednesday, March 10, third grade students in Susan Nevel’s class had the task of making creative egg “helmets.”

The helmets were used to protect an egg that had to be dropped from various heights. Students were evaluated on the creativity of their helmets. The majority of the helmets served their purpose and protected the eggs from breaking. Materials used to protect the eggs included marshmallows, cotton balls, yarn, bubble wrap, plastic, bowtie pasta, and much more.

Photo set on Flickr

Middle school track returns to Mason-Dixon Games

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:10:35 +0000

The middle school track and field team sent seven competitors to the 2010 Mason-Dixon Games, which serve as Kentucky’s middle school indoor track and field state championship. After a four-year hiatus, new head coach Chris Herrick decided to travel back to Broadbent Arena for the marquee middle school event. According to Coach Herrick, the event serves as great preparation for the upcoming outdoor spring track and field season. Although the middle school event is limited to grades six through eight, the Mason-Dixon Games are not divided by size classification. Many events, therefore, receive over a hundred entries.

Five Bearcats placed high in the event standings, including a thirteenth-place finish by the girls’ 800m relay team of Selena Morgan, Kaitlyn Dwyer, Brigitta Hendren, and Catherine Lavin. Brigitta placed 35th in the girls’ 1500m, Catherine finished 36th (out of 139 competitors) in the girls’ 55m, and Hans Naake placed 36th in the boys’ long jump. Other notable competitors for the Bearcats included George Arnold in the boy’ 55m and Jack Smith in the boys’ 400m.

Coach Herrick says that he looks forward to competing with his entire roster, including a strong group of fifth-graders, in the upcoming spring track season.