In the Elementary division, we have been learning about program music. Program music is instrumental music that tells a story without words. We listened to Smetana's "The Moldau," a piece for orchestra that follows the course of the river Moldau, depicting the scenery along the way. Together we heard a farmer's wedding party, a group of mermaids dancing under the moonlight, and some powerful river rapids!

The Middle Schoolers are hard at work preparing their songs for the Spring Sing, coming up on March 21st! It's been very exciting seeing students who performed for the first time at the Winter concert continue to take on new musical challenges and step into the spotlight in new ways.

High School has been working on their Garageband projects and preparing for the Spring Sing, as well. We've been exploring different styles of classical music, focusing this week on Minimalism. We learned how composer Steve Reich creates complex music based on simple ideas as we listened to and discussed his "Clapping Music" and "Piano Phase."

​– Tobias Banks, K-12 Performing Arts

K-8 Emotions & Relationships
Elementary students continue to focus on Relationship Skills and Communication. This month we worked on the power of our words. Students discussed the various impacts that their words have on peers both short and long term. We talked about being non-judgemental and open. Students practiced sharing and listening to different opinions. We finished the unit by creating positive words and messages to thank adults in our community with a “Heart Attack” prank.

Middle School students have been learning skills for self-management from Dialectical Behavior Therapy. We worked on noticing our thoughts and working towards reducing judgment of self and others. We have been talking about various skills to build awareness of what our brain is doing. After our mindfulness skills, we moved into Distress Tolerance skills for self-management during a crisis to avoid shutting down. Students identified and rated the different things that cause them stress and discussed ideas for managing high-stress situations.

HOME RESOURCE: DBT-RU: DBT Skills from Experts – Mindfulness What Skills

– ​Emma Mamis, MA, BC-DMT, LPCC – Clinical Counselor

   All grade level divisions have been getting their artwork from the first half of the school year finished, mounted, and displayed throughout campus for their divisions' big Showcase of Learning event. The halls are filled with beautiful winter landscapes painted by Middle and High School students. Middle schoolers also have their silly sandwich design drawings and figures in motion paintings and sculptures on display. Be sure to check out the names of their sandwiches, too! The three-dimensional architecture letters made by high school students are spinning continually for everyone to see all sides of them in Hayden Hall along with their large whimsical cardboard painted sculptures. Elementary students painted large snow people with lots of details and fun personalities hanging down from the display wires.
   Middle School and High School art students are getting the opportunity to be an art designer and are hard at work designing the possible next yearbook cover design for the 2024-2025 Yearbook! This year the theme is, Students Shine Bright. Students brainstormed together as a class what the phrase “shine bright” might mean and how at Stanbridge Academy students can excel in academics, sports, and the arts. Thumbnail sketches were used to come up with different ideas and compositions for how to show this in their designs. Once the student settles on their final idea, they will begin the final drawing process on actual size paper after break. It is exciting to see the inventive and creative ideas the students are coming up with.
   Currently, Lower Elementary and Middle Elementary students have been busy working on creating stained glass style heart designs for Valentine’s Day. Upper Elementary students have been making three-dimensional creative creatures using aluminum foil, masking tape and papier-mâché to construct them. Once their creatures were finished being built and they were completely dry, students were able to paint them various fun and bright colors.
   Student's amazing artwork is on display in Hayden Hall. Photos will also be taken and shared on social media.
– Camille Geraci, Visual Arts Teacher

K-5 SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
We have been focusing on empathy and kindness, connecting both with the themes of Martin Luther King, Valentine's Day, and Black History Month. Empathy is a skill that takes time for all children to develop, but it is especially challenging for students on the autism spectrum and those with ADHD. These lessons give them the opportunity to dive into the concept a little more and practice the skills in a structured environment. Our students have discussed and generated good ideas for how to be a good friend and how to make a kinder community. Their creative ideas were on display at the showcase this week.
– Tricia Keener, Speech Language Therapist

Dear Stanbridge Parents & Staff,

STUDENT SHOWCASES
Two successful Division Showcases down and one to go! It was a full house yesterday that came to see our Middle School Division present their slides. Our four Advisory classrooms were packed both with nerves and smiling faces. For many students, this was their first presentation to a room full of people. Each of the student presentations built on their learning from the beginning of the school year, challenging our students in public speaking, presentation skills, sharing of knowledge, individuality and creativity.

This coming week, Elementary families will gather in Hayden Hall to see a variety of presentation formats by all students. Please plan to have at least one family member attend and arrive early for parking, as both our lot and the neighborhood are sure to be impacted by these community events. We look forward to sharing this opportunity for you to see your child shine!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT)
Stanbridge has contracted with Therapeeps for OT services that will take place on our campus on Thursdays. This is the first time we've had OTs on staff and we are working to make the most of this time. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. 

ADVANCEMENT OFFICE NEWS
Our Director of Advancement has been out on medical leave since early November. Please join me in welcoming an Interim Director of Advancement who knows our community well. Please know we will be getting the year-end donation letters out in the near future for tax purposes. If you have any questions or needs prior to receiving those letters, feel free to reach out to me directly.

Stay Strong, Bulldogs!
Julie Smith
Head of School

Future-Ready: Students Master AI, Presentations, and Spreadsheets
Students from Upper Elementary to High School are now diving into the Google Applied Digital Skills curriculum, gaining essential tech skills for school, careers, and life. The curriculum includes lessons on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in daily life, create dynamic presentations, and manage spreadsheets. By working with real-world tools like Google Slides and Sheets, they develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. High School students are working on the Google Slides lessons while upper elementary and middle school are working on the AI lessons. By learning these skills early, students build confidence and adaptability, making them better prepared for an increasingly digital world. With technology evolving rapidly, this curriculum ensures students stay ahead—future-ready and digitally fluent.
Middle Elementary has been working on their Google Slides showcase the past two weeks. They are excited to show parents what they've been learning. Prior to jumping into presentation-mode, they were creating VR experiences in Cospaces. 
Lower Elementary has been hard at play with the basics of coding, the best way to learn for this age. Parents are welcome to reinforce their learning at home in Kodable and Scratch Jr.
– Gregory Wilson, PhD., Director of Instructional Technology

High School students are learning about self-advocacy and assertive communication in Social Learning, as well as how to set personal boundaries while respecting others' boundaries. We are examining the in-person and online connections we make and how to evaluate the health of those relationships. We also discussed how we use our cellphone cameras – what boundaries we set when photographing people, including ourselves, and posting photos online or sharing them with others.
​
Here is a helpful link for parents from Common Sense Media:
Help Kids Make Friends and Interact Safely Online

– Mary Stadler, Director of Counseling

MS Art Silly Sandwiches
This art prompt delivered such deliciously silly titles as Dessert Sandwich; the Honey Carrot Cake Donut Sandwich; the Cool Crazy Heart Sandwich; Rainbow Dessert Sandwich; Mr Good Recipe Sandwich on Earth; the Most Hardest, Healthiest, Poisonous, Paperous and COLDEST Hamburger; the Submarine Sandwich (ingredients included a submersible boat!); ​Unedible School Supplies Sandwich; the Brawl Stars Sandwich; Heart Attack 9,000... and more!

Dear Stanbridge Parents & Staff,
   Each division showcase for current parents builds on previous learning to challenge our students in public speaking, presentation skills, sharing of knowledge, individuality and creativity. Please see your division schedule below and plan to have at least one family member attend a Thursday event. Also plan to arrive early for parking, as both our lot and the neighborhood are sure to be impacted by these community events.
   It was wonderful seeing all the parent support on campus yesterday for the HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION Showcase! Check out this week's collage for a few great moments. Students were able to make their presentations to standing-room only crowds, making all their hard work feel like they all hit a huge jackpot. The format emphasized that, in addition to the tremendous SEL happening everyday, our school follows a traditional high school curriculum. A huge thank you to Camille Geraci and Jay Huston for their ability to think outside the box on how we previously ran Showcase in High School. If you have any feedback about the new format, please let us know. We think it was a Grand Slam idea!
   The MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION will present their Showcase next. Middle School Advisory Groups will present slide decks about life in Middle School. We will meet in Advisory classrooms. Please pick up your individual student's daily schedule in Hayden Hall prior to programming.
   ELEMENTARY DIVISION presents last, as they need much time to prepare for one of their first public speaking appearances. Families will gather in Hayden Hall to see a variety of presentation formats by all students.
    We look forward to seeing you at your child's Showcase. More importantly, we look forward to sharing this opportunity for you to see your child shine!
Stay Strong, Bulldogs!
Danny Martin
Principal

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL (Lemon & Nurse groups)
   Our Elementary and Middle School Physical Education classes continue to do an amazing job! Our Elementary classes have done such an incredible job of playing together as a team and showing great Sportsmanship. We have focused heavily on working with supporting each other and being great teammates. Playing lots of various scooter, dodgeball, tag, and exercise-based games, I have seen such an improvement with their hand-eye coordination, proprioception, flexibility, agility, and stamina.
   Our Middle Schoolers have been playing lots of sport-based games such as baseball, soccer, sockey (a combination of hockey and soccer), bowling, and golf to focus on learning various game rules, but also full body coordination and teamwork skills. We are seeing lots of great sharing, respecting others and ourselves, and looking out for our friends. It's been an awesome quarter! I look forward to continue seeing our students thrive in PE.
– Coach Gage Daniel, ​Co-Athletic Director, K–8 Physical Education; Health

MIDDLE (Hammerhead & Tiger groups) & HIGH SCHOOL
   Our Middle School and High School classes have been doing great in Physical Education this Winter! This quarter we have participated in some new activities, as well as some of the activities from the Fall quarter. The new activities implemented this quarter have been baseball, jousting, basketball, football, and sockey (a combination of hockey and soccer). We still have circuit training, running the mile, and dodgeball games.
   Physical Education can help students improve their grades and standardized test scores, stay on-task in the classroom, develop confidence and self-efficacy, and develop critical thinking skills. Stanbridge PhysEd also follows the 4R's of Respecting the equipment, each other, the teacher, and yourself. We are seeing empathy grow towards peers which comes from teamwork, trust, and sportsmanship during activities. Lastly, in Health, students are realizing that living healthier lifestyles now, when they are young, can build positive habits and benefit them when they are adults.
– Coach Daniel Quinal, ​Co-Athletic Director, 6-12 Physical Education; Health

   In Student Government this week, we talked about having another seasonal hot chocolate sale and have decided to do it on Monday, February 10th. On that day, Student Government will offer K-12 students and staff hot chocolate during lunch for free. We look forward to serving you this delicious Winter treat!
   Next Friday, February 7th, will be our February Pizza Sale. Please pre-order on the Pizza Form if you would like your child to have a delicious pizza, salad, or hot dog lunch next Friday. Because of the success of the trial run of hot dog sales during last month's Pizza Sale, we will keep hot dogs on the menu for this upcoming sale. I think the Costco Pizza Sale is going really well and we are able to make money while also serving you a quality pizza along with yummy hot dogs now.
   Student Government recently bought some new sports equipment for all students to play with [during recess and lunch] and they are enjoying all of it. Student Government purchased five new basketballs, four soccer balls, three footballs, two frisbees, and a six-pack of foam dodgeballs. All balls were placed in the ball bin in the courtyard. We are pleased that students have enjoyed using the balls already!
   Thank you to SPA parents for providing us with delicious baked goods for today's Bake Sale! Congratulations to High School on their successful showcase presentations yesterday. Middle School, you are up next week!
– Daniel C., Secretary Stanbridge Student Government

Dear Stanbridge Community,
​   The Stanbridge Academy Showcase series traditionally takes place mid-winter afternoons before dismissal. We invite current parents to experience the learning that your child is engaging in at school. Think of Showcases as what used to be called (in our school days) a traditional school open house. Each division showcase builds on previous learning to challenge our students in public speaking, presentation skills, sharing of knowledge, individuality and creativity. Please see your division schedule and plan to have at least one family member attend the event. Also plan to arrive early for parking, as both our lot and the neighborhood are sure to be impacted by these community events.

 HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
High School classes will have two to three student speakers per class period. We will follow your individual student's daily schedule. Please pick one up in Hayden Hall prior to programming.

• Meet in Stanbridge Courtyard. Speaker Head of High School, Jay Huston
• 1st period presentations
• 2nd period Presentations
• 3rd period presentations
• Break - Check out Hayden Hall exhibits and updated hallway bulletin boards
• 4th period presentations
• 5th period presentations
• 6th period presentations
• Dismissal

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION
Middle School Advisory Groups will present slide decks about life in Middle School. We will meet in Advisory classrooms. Please pick up your individual student's daily schedule in Hayden Hall prior to programming.

• Check out exhibits in Hayden Hall
• Gather in students advisory classrooms (4 student speakers)
• Break
•  Gather in student advisory classrooms (4 additional student speakers)
• Dismissal

ELEMENTARY DIVISION
Families will gather in Hayden Hall to see a variety of presentation formats by all students.

• Gather in Hayden Hall and view exhibits
• Student presentations: Lower El, Middle El, and Upper El students
• Dismissal

We look forward to seeing you at your child's Showcase. More importantly, we look forward to sharing this opportunity for you to see your child shine!

Stay Strong, Bulldogs!
Danny Martin
Principal

 ¡VAMOS 2025!
We just started 2025 and now we are working and preparing for everything that is coming to us in this wonderful year. 
   In LowerEl we are reviewing basic vocabulary: colors, numbers, days, months, animals, transport, school supplies, foods, and drinks. Short Spanish cartoons, some Spanish songs, and games such as Spanish BINGO help reinforce our learning.
   Middle El is reviewly vocabulary similarly to LowerEl, but we also learn sentence structure and basic expressions in Spanish – How are you? How old are you? Where do you live? What do you like to eat/drink? What is your favore movie/tv show? and more.
We start focusing on Spanish pronunciation.
   There is always new vocabulary to learn and Upper El students practice a lot during class. Spanish movie scenes help students hear proper pronunciation and learn new vocabulary. Certainly it is a challenging exercise but they are doing very well. 
   In Middle School, we learn to recognize vocabulary with wordsearches, and we practice pronunciation by reading aloud small paragraphs and sentences. We continue to learn and use many of the basic questions for communication in Spanish. We use iPads for educational Spanish games or for finding Spanish slides that help in our class. Like the other levels, Spanish films continue to be a helpful learning tool. 
   High School classes learn vocabulary through puzzles and wordsearch. Almost daily, we type a good number of sentences in Spanish and complete corrections to improve our grammar. We read each sentence aloud, as well, and try the best pronunciation. Practicing basic conversations is important, so we try to speak as much as we can in Spanish every day. In Spanish 3, we reached a goal to speak only Spanish nearly the entire class! Recently we are working hard to prepare for next week's Showcase. Students are excited to show their parents what they are learning.
   We have good expectations for the rest of the year. We will keep working more and more to improve our Spanish learning process.
    Before I finish I will thank all of you for your support and understanding during my medical leave. I am doing very well now and ready to continue.
Muchas gracias.
– Ruben Nunez, K-12 Spanish

   This month, Elementary students are focusing on Relationship Skills. They are working on empathy and paying attention to others through a variety of games. They are also doing lots of body-based mirroring and clapping to help encourage students to build internal and external awareness. They faced their final challenge by working together to keep the leader a secret from a guesser. Students have had lots of fun while articulating the importance of paying attention to others and expressing understanding to develop friendships. See students expressions of empathy in the pictures below.
   Middle Schoolers are working on some new curriculum that is designed to help teach students about emotion regulation, mindful awareness, and distress tolerance. This content has sparked some great discussions about what benefits Middle Schoolers and the skills they need to be successful. This week, we learned about the three states of mind: emotion mind, reasonable (logic) mind, and wise mind. Students discussed how they are most successful when they combine the emotion and reasonable (logic) mind, and decisions cannot be made well with only one of them. The wise mind helps us balance these two states.
   We have also welcomed some new Middle Schoolers this Winter. Those students are working with their group to get to know each other and settle into the routine by goal setting and creating vision boards to express these interests and goals.
– Emma Mamis, Board Certified Dance/ Movement Therapist, Clinical Counselor