News & Events
Cultural Arts - How Do Waves Transmit Information?
On January 14th, The 4th graders learned about waves, particularly how sound waves travel and make different sounds.
How Do Waves Transmit Information?
On January 14th, The 4th graders learned about waves, particularly how sound waves travel and make different sounds. The students first started by banging on an empty drum. Dr. Dave then introduced the various sounds that occur when a drum or other object (i.e. a soda bottle in this case) are filled with different amounts of water. The Wampanoags (and many other cultures) used these concepts when building water drums. The students learned that this has to do with the length (wavelength), height (amplitude) and speed (frequency) of the traveling waves. They got to visualize waves by doing a human wave and moving a slinky at different speeds.
The students also learned how sound waves travel through our vocal cords to create different letter sounds. And they also learned the importance of nasal passages when making sounds (try to hum with your nose blocked...tricky!) Finally, the students got a home handout to try measuring the speed of light with chocolate in a microwave.
Thanks as always for teaching our kids about science, Dr. Dave! And thanks to all of you for your continued support, which allows us to host these wonderful Cultural Arts and STEM programs for our students!
2nd Grade - What is dry ice, and what can we use it for?
On Monday, December 2nd Dr. Dave Hiller visited the 2nd Grade for a STEM program about Dry Ice!
On Monday, December 2nd Dr. Dave Hiller visited the 2nd Grade for a STEM program about Dry Ice! Dr. Hiller explained the properties of dry ice, and how it is similar to and different from conventional ice. Dry ice is extremely cold, and it turns into gas very quickly! He then combined it with soap to create bubbles. The kids then all got to experiment with dry ice to make their very own soap bubbles. Finally, Dr. Dave combined dry ice with a liquid to make a yummy sorbet! The kids got to try it later in the week.
Nutcracker Performance for 1st Grade
Last Friday, our first graders were treated to a demonstration by the Greater Boston School of Dance of their upcoming production of the Nutcracker.
Last Friday, our first graders were treated to a demonstration by the Greater Boston School of Dance of their upcoming production of the Nutcracker. They learned the story of the Nutcracker and then watched the dancers perform highlights of the show in costume. They even got to learn some dance moves from the Nutcracker! Thank you to the amazing dancers for sharing your talents with us!
If you would like to learn more about the performances and programs offered by the Greater Boston School of Dance, please check out their website at https://www.greaterbostonschoolofdance.com/
Cultural Arts Update - Dr. Dave Hiller
The 3rd graders had a wonderful visit with Dr. Dave Hiller last week, learning about what makes things fall over!
The 3rd graders had a wonderful visit with Dr. Dave Hiller last week, learning about what makes things fall over. Every object has multiple forces acting on it, and they explored how to make those forces all balance out (and what happens when they don't). The kids used their own bodies and tried to "balance" against the wall. They made paper butterflies and taped washers on the back to show that by adding equal weight, you can balance a piece of paper on your finger without it falling to the ground. They also used clothespins and pipe cleaners to create objects that balanced on the end of chopsticks!
We appreciate Dr. Hiller visiting our 3rd grade students last week! And thank all of you for your support, which allows us to continue to bring these Cultural Arts and STEM programs to our students!
Cultural Arts Update - Ball in the House
Earlier last month, each grade got to experience the magic of a cappella singing!
Earlier last month, each grade got to experience the magic of a cappella singing!
Ball in the House is an R&B/Soul/Pop a cappella group based out of Boston, MA, whose high energy shows have audiences singing, dancing, even beatboxing along! Our students were clapping and dancing to their amazing performance! Ask them what their favorite song was!
With their extensive tour schedule (averaging 200 shows a year), Ball in the House has performed everywhere - from theaters to performing arts centers, fairs & festivals, to opening for some of the biggest acts in the world, such as The Beach Boys, The Jonas Brothers, The Temptations, Fantasia, Gladys Knight, Lionel Richie, Jessica Simpson, Blondie, Smokey Robinson, KC & The Sunshine Band, Diamond Rio, Colin Raye, Orleans, and numerous others.
As always, thank you for your support of the PTO, which allows us to bring these cultural arts experiences to our students!
Cultural Arts Update - Dr. David Hiller
We have kicked off our Cultural Arts Programming for the 2024-2025 school year! Our first graders had a visit with Dr. Dave Hiller to learn “Why is the Sky Blue?”
We have kicked off our Cultural Arts Programming for the 2024-2025 school year! Our first graders had a visit with Dr. Dave Hiller to learn “Why is the Sky Blue?”
Dr. Dave Hiller is a scientist with extensive lab training and teaching experience, and is also a Brown Elementary parent to a daughter in 3rd grade! He is passionate about communicating science to others, and bringing programs in math and science to elementary students. We look forward to his future visits for our other grades!
This program demonstrated that white light is made up of many colors, and that we can mix and separate those colors of light. The students first visualized light bending by seeing how a straw appears when it is immersed in water. They then poured milk into water to replicate the effect of the sky on sunlight, and also used flashlights to demonstrate how the sun appears yellow. They also made color wheels to see what happens when colors mix and explored different tools to split light into separate colors.
Animal Adventures Visits 2nd Grade
In May, our second graders had a visit from Animal Adventures! They learned about and had the chance to pet the following animals: gecko, hedgehog, lizard, ferret, chinchilla (the second-softest animal in the world!), snake and alligator! Animal Adventures is an exotic animal rescue with the mission to provide a home to unwanted and unable to be cared for animals, while educating the public about these animals.
THANK YOU to our Brown community for your continued support that allows us to provide these programs!
Discovery Museum Visits 4th Grade
Our 4th graders explored simple wave models while delving into the science of sound and how it travels.
THANK YOU to our Brown community for your continued support that allows us to provide these programs!
Geodome Visits 4th Grade
Fourth graders enjoyed a visit from the Geodome Workshop. Students participated in the construction of several two-story geodesic domes seating 30 people! Learn more about Dr. Bagwell and the program here!
Your support allows us to fund programs like this. Thank you!
Wingmasters
Our first-graders enjoyed a visit from Wingmasters and learned about birds of prey, including visits from lots of real-life birds!
Before break, our first-graders enjoyed a visit from Wingmasters and learned about birds of prey, including visits from lots of real-life birds! The program is designed to explain predation, the birds' place at the top of the food web, their different hunting adaptations, and their status in a rapidly changing world. This presentation also features one or more of the endangered raptors that we care for, and explains why these species face an uncertain future.
Thank you for your support in funding visits like these!
Discovery Museum Visits Kindergarten
The Discovery Museum visited Brown School this week to teach kindergarteners about Force & Motion. The kids explored concepts of force and motion and experimented with the effects of forces, such as gravity and friction. They even got to engineer and experiment with their own toys!
The Discovery Museum visit is funded by the PTO Cultural Arts budget. Thank you for your ongoing support of our programs!
Paul Revere House Visits 3rd Grade
Third graders had a visit with Paul Revere House to explore the facts and fiction surrounding the story of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride!
This week, our 3rd graders had a visit with Paul Revere House to explore the facts and fiction surrounding the story of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride! With the addition of some fun costumes, our Brown Bears retraced Revere's route as they took on the roles of Paul and Rachel Revere, their children, British soldiers, rowers, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and others!
The Paul Revere House visit is funded by the PTO Cultural Arts budget. Thank you for your ongoing support of our programs!
Origamido!
On Tuesday, our second graders enjoyed a visit from Origamido!
On Tuesday, our second graders enjoyed a visit from Origamido! Origami artist Michael shared some of his amazing origami critters including a paper penguin named Creamsicle.
Thank you for your continued support of the PTO! It allows us to continue bringing programs like this to Brown School!
Pumpernickel Puppets Visits Kindergarteners
Our littlest Brown Bears enjoyed a visit from Pumpernickel Puppets this morning.
Kindergarteners enjoyed a visit from Pumpernickel Puppets this morning. We are so happy they could come again this year to perform for our littlest Brown Bears! 🐻
Thank you for your continued support of the PTO that allows us to fund these beloved programs at Brown School!
Elly Swartz Visits Fourth Graders
Author Elly Swartz visited Brown School and inspired fourth graders to be uniquely themselves!
On Tuesday, 1/9, author Elly Swartz visited the fourth grade! An author of five books, Elly shared her journey to becoming a writer and told us about each of her books, including the challenges and mental health struggles her characters face and overcome. Students were reminded that imperfect is beautiful and that we are all many things, including awesome, kind, and brave!
We are grateful to Elly for inspiring us to be ourselves!
To learn more about Elly, check out her website: https://ellyswartz.com/.
Elly’s books are Hidden Truths, Dear Student, Finding Perfect, Give And Take, Smart Cookie, and Same Page (coming spring 2025)
Force & Magnetism with The Discovery Museum
Third graders learned about Force and Magnetism with the Discovery Museum!
Our third graders had a visit from the Discovery Museum! They learned about the basics of force and motion and explored ideas of balanced and unbalanced forces while working with and learning about magnetic force. They then built an original moving toy of their own design that used the force of magnetism to operate.
Thank you to the Discovery Museum for this wonderful presentation and to YOU for your continued support of the PTO, which allows us to provide these programs for our budding scientists!
Illstyle & Peace School-wide Performance
Thank you to Illstyle & Peace for treating our school to an interactive dance performance!
Thank you to Illstyle & Peace for treating our school to an interactive dance performance! The kids and teachers had a blast learning and sharing new dance moves!
Illstyle & Peace Productions is a Philadelphia-based dance company founded in 2000 by Brandon “Peace” Albright. The company creates work rooted in contemporary, West African, old school & new school hip-hop blended with an eclectic mix of dance and performance disciplines including breaking, popping, locking, tap, hip-hop and house dancing. They have toured to critical acclaim nationally and internationally and are committed to delivering positive messages to all audiences.
Discovery Museum Visits First Grade
Exploring the wonders of science with our curious first graders!
Exploring the wonders of science with our curious first graders! 🌟🔬 We had a blast hosting a visitor from the Discovery Museum who sparked their imaginations and ignited a love for all things scientific. These little scientists are ready to change the world! 💫✨
