A “wicked good” Halloween project

Posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2018

This week, Ms. Rubin and Ms. Goldman’s Green Cluster class presented their Halloween research papers to teachers and administrators. Over the past two weeks, the students have been independently researching, annotating, note-taking, and drafting research papers all about Halloween for their homework each night.

Students practiced student advocacy, built executive functioning skills, utilized writing strategies, and practiced public speaking techniques throughout this multi-step assignment. Each student created a visual representation once their research papers were completed, using organization and task-initiation strategies to create their projects.

According to Ms. Rubin, “They felt proud of their independence and determination. Their commitment, creativity and work ethic impressed us. It was great to see a sense of maturity, ownership, and pride as they presented their research papers to school administrators and teachers.”

Director of Intermediate Division Michelle Fox praised the effort, saying, “The project was such a clever way for students to harness their excitement for Halloween in a meaningful way while simultaneously using their writing and researching skills.”

Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson echoed Ms. Fox’s sentiments. “I was impressed with the students’ confidence to answer questions that demonstrated their understanding of the process and content,” said Ms. Thompson. “I thought the daily checklist was a great executive function tool!”

Ms. Goldman summed up the day’s events by saying, “We are so happy the teachers and administrators were able to attend Room 511’s Halloween Research Presentation. It was incredibly rewarding to watch the students’ enthusiasm while presenting to everyone. We are so proud of their hard work and look forward to continuing to encourage their progress and achievements.”