Talk of advertising claims, the impact of geopolitical issues on the economy, and wage estimates floated about the Boulevard as the Middle Schoolers welcomed professionals from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) during the first of their three visits to Speyer, as part of our financial literacy curriculum. Taking a break from their usual morning schedule, each grade explored various financial topics. Click through to read all of the details of this spirited session!
Read MoreWhat do you get when you take delicious breads and yummy spreads, add some cultural heritage, and mix it all together? Why, Speyer’s annual Breads and Spreads extravaganza! Yes, Kindergarten students and their families were asked to bring a bread and/or spread that is special to their family to share with the community. They welcomed their families to Speyer…as well as author Todd Parr!
Read MoreDragons on the field! Dragons on the court! Dragons…in the playoffs! Yes, our Dragons were everywhere as the regular season for Soccer and Volleyball came to a close. What happened in the final games and who’s headed to the playoffs? We’re back with all of the latest athletic news for you!
Read MoreSpotted on the Bouelvard: campaign posters! Yes, it was Student Council election time here at Speyer! We have al of the details and the results, so let’s meet the newly elected Speyer Student Council!
Read MoreWhether on the court or the field, our Dragon student-athletes faced some tough opponents these past two weeks. Yet, in true Speyer fashion, they fought hard and showcased their strong teamwork!
Read MoreYour mission is to wonder.
The fifth and sixth grade Science Summer assignment started with those five words. Middle School Science teacher Kimberly Schwab set forth this challenge to her students over the summer break, encouraging them to wonder about what they encounter in the natural world, leaving what to wonder about and how to document their wonderings up to the students. Read on to discover what they wondered about and how they shared them!
Read MoreWe can enumerate a multitude of ways that NYC is amazing, yet our city is more than just the metropolis in which we live – it’s also an extension of Speyer’s classrooms. It’s been Field-trip-palooza these past few weeks, with treks to Central Park, apple farms, museums, and more!
Read MoreAs autumn leaves fall to the ground, so does the gavel to the desk when Debate season kicks off…and this year, it came earlier than usual! Once again, to recap all of the exciting Debate news, we have guest writer and Debate Coach extraordinaire Mr. Glasser!
Read MoreSpotted on the Boulevard: true masterpieces. Once again, Speyer was the home of a Teacher’s Discovery Traveling Exhibit. Last year, we welcomed the works of Picasso, and this year, we had the fortune to view fascinating paintings from “the father of surrealism" the Spanish painter, Salvador Dali!
Read MoreHow do we know what Thomas Jefferson meant in his famous 1776 "Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen united States of America" and what do we think George III and Parliament thought about it? Just ask a Speyer eighth grade writing student! The eighth graders and their writing teacher, Head of School Dr. Tischler, spent some time deciphering Jefferson's complicated grammar (Which truths are self-evident anyway?) and discussing this important piece of writing. Dr. Tischler then challenged the students to write their own versions of this revolutionary document.
Read MoreThe past two weeks of Speyer Athletics brought a bit of everything: annoying rainouts, fantastic wins, and tough losses. Read on for the latest on Dragon Volleyball and the kick-off of Dragon Soccer!
Read MoreThis week, it was once again time to kick off Speyer’s Financial Literacy Program, with members of the eighth grade officially “handing off” the responsibility for management of Speyer’s Financial Literacy Fund Portfolio to a very eager seventh grade. One watching the events of the morning could say the seventh graders are very invested in this aspect of their curriculum...c’mon we had to go there!
Read MoreSpotted on the Boulevard, well, actually in Speyer’s library: author of The Night Diary Veera Hiranandani talking with our fifth graders. Reading the book was part of the fifth grade summer assignment, and having the author here to discuss her inspiration and writing process was a unique opportunity for our students.
Read MoreThe 2018-2019 Dragon Athletics season has officially begun…and is already off to a winning start! The Girls Volleyball was first up to compete, with a match against Rodeph Sholom on Thursday afternoon – and they brought home their first-ever match win!
Read MoreLet the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. — Langston Hughes
Speyer’s fifth graders took Langston Hughes’ words to heart when they spent the day at Alley Pond Park. As part of their first days as Middle Schoolers, the fifth grade trekked to the park, which is home to New York City's first public high ropes adventure course (the largest in the Northeast), to have a fun-filled bonding day despite the weather!
Read MoreThe Dining Hall was host to not one, not two, but three parent gatherings this week, all in the efforts to welcome parents back to school – and to welcome our new head of Lower School! First up was Head of School Dr. Barbara Tischler with her annual “Back-to-School Chat” on Tuesday morning, and on Thursday, Speyer parents had two opportunities to “meet and greet” the new Head of Lower School Ms. Shiva Behradnia.
Read More“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”
That quote from Oscar Wilde was the theme of the first Lower School Assembly, and it’s the important message Speyer’s new Head of Lower School Ms. Behradnia wanted to share with our students to kick off the school year. Ms. Behradnia and the Lower School faculty used the picture book Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles to illuminate this message, as the book’s central theme is being proud of who you are. At the end of the book, Edward the Emu discovers that “being an Emu may be the best thing after all," and, at Speyer, we want our students to look forward to coming to school knowing that “being themselves is the best thing after all.”
Read MoreHoo-ah! Speyer’s Middle School took a break from its usual Friday schedule and held the Second Annual Academic Bootcamp. Though it may sound intense, you know that, here at Speyer, we welcome a few challenges…but always mix in a bit of fun! This day-long “bootcamp” allowed our Middle Schoolers to become oriented with the various technology tools they will use over the course of the year, discuss key executive functioning skills, and foster a sense of community across all grades.
Read MoreWhether tuning into CNN or the local NYC stations, we are all following the news of Hurricane Florence, sending thoughts to those affected by this massive storm. Watching the footage, many of us are thinking about Superstorm Sandy, which affected our area six years ago, and the reports of this latest hurricane are all the more vivid for Speyer students Jonathan M., Sasha G., and Chris O. Last year, they used their personal experiences from Hurricane Sandy in their entry for the Hudson Data Jam, sponsored by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, a competition that promotes data literacy and science engagement while encouraging creativity. Titled Hurricane Sandy: What Happened and When, their project tied as the winner for the Middle School Level 2 Vision Project…and this winning project was quite personal.
Read MoreWhen Jackie Sirgo talks, people listen. WE all know that, and the writers at New York Family magazine also believe this, which is why they reached out to get her insights and tips for families as they navigate the admissions process.
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