a visit to the outdoor classroom

a new school year...

who knows what Country Schoolers will be getting their hands into!

summer science

Summer is a great time for exploring. Whether it's geology or biology, ecology or astronomy, we can learn science in our travels and right in our own backyards. What did you learn this summer? NCCS science teachers are lifelong learners. For us, summer means time for professional development -- taking classes, writing curriculum, brainstorming for the coming school year -- and we're excited to share our summer learning with our students! (summertime quiz: where was this photo taken?)

Rube Goldberg Machine Day!

The day for the running of the machines arrived. It was the culmination of hours of work. Trial and error, problem solving, going back to the drawing board, and finally - hopefully - success! Sudents were challenged to make a machine that could perform one of the following tasks: water a plant, put toothpaste on a toothbrush, shut off an alarm clock, screw the cap on a gatorade bottle, pop a balloon, stamp a letter, or crush a soda can. Here's a look at our 8th graders' machines -- enjoy the show!

who eats what?

why do ducks and chickens eat different things?

Rube Goldberg Projects Under Construction

Rube Goldberg designed crazy contraptions that accomplished a simple task in the most ridiculous ways, so what better final project for a physics class than to build a Rube Goldberg machine that can pop a balloon or water a plant, stamp a letter or put toothpaste on a toothbrush? How about screw a cap on a bottle? 8th graders have been building around the clock...

Spring in Early Childhood

this chick fit inside this shell six days ago

observing closely...

tennis ball container terraria

recycle your old tennis ball containers!

something's hatching in Early Childhood...

It's springtime in EarlyChildhood and the incubators are filled with newly hatched chicks and ducklings!

balloon cars

8th grade physics students raced their cars made out of recycled materials and powered by balloons. The winning car went a distance of 19.1 meters!

magnetism attracts kindergarteners!

Beginners Teach Ninth Graders!

Beginners C children taught their ninth grade buddies about "watergel crystals" (super-absorbent polyacrylamide polymer) that change from hard to gooey when you add water. They encouraged their buddies to take a close look, to feel them and listen to them, but not to put the crystals in their mouths!

physics in the Watson Gym

Eighth graders calculated average velocities for time trials on scooters. When was the last time you were on a scooter?!

Our J-Term Intern is here!

Connor Hershkowitz has joined the NCCS science department for the month of January. He has already presented a slideshow to Upper Schoolers from his research on jaguars in the Cerrado region of Brazil, started to write a new unit on sustainability for inclusion in our curriculum, taught an honors biology class and last but certainly not least, helped reluctant seventh graders dissect an owl pellet! We're excited to have Connor here and we hope that you'll have a chance to meet him before he heads back to Middlebury in February.