March 24, 2016 by Elana Cohen (Faculty and Staff)

Two JPDS-NC sixth grade students and two alumni students were awarded first-place ribbons and special prizes at the DC STEM Fair. The DC STEM Fair is the premier science event for students in grades 6 to 12 who attend independent and public schools in the nation’s capital. Sixth graders Gabriel B. and Yael N. earned […]

• Awards
• Project Based Learning
• STEM
• Washington D.C.

February 17, 2016 by Elana Cohen (Faculty and Staff)

With our North Campus Design Lab up and running, teams of students had opportunities to practice Design Thinking and to make their learning visible with access to a variety of materials and tools for this year’s Expo projects. Calling it an “Art and Science” Expo is somewhat limiting, as much of the work was truly […]

• Design Thinking
• Project Based Learning
• STEAM
• STEM
• Visual Arts

January 28, 2016 by Candace Manor (Faculty and Staff)

Walking among towering trees, a fish-filled creek, and a brick-lined Peirce Mill, parents visiting JPDS-NC’s South Campus on January 21st could have thought they were taking a ramble through Rock Creek Park. Instead, they were appreciating first graders’ scaled model of the natural treasure that lies not a mile from our classroom doors, the culmination of […]

• Design Thinking
• Environmental Education
• Project Based Learning
• Washington D.C.

November 4, 2015 by Class of 2024 (Students)

We went on the field trip to Audubon Naturalist Society because we wanted to see nature. We’ve been learning about fall in science, and we wanted to look for fall things like seeds. Before we went, we learned about who John Audubon was. He was an important person because he was a bird expert. When […]

• Environmental Education
• Student Stories
• Washington D.C.

October 14, 2015 by Dalia H (’16) (Students)

The sixth grade class of JPDS-NC had a wonderful experience visiting the National Building Museum. The purpose of our visit was to come up with ideas and designs for using the west lawn. When we observed the space, we noticed a large patch of grass and a pathway in a semi-circle. Then we met in […]

• Design Thinking
• Project Based Learning
• STEAM
• STEM
• Student Stories
• Washington D.C.

October 7, 2015 by Mira E (’20) (Students) Miriam G (’20) (Students) Shoshana L (’20) (Students) Yael R (’20) (Students)

Fourth grade students at JPDS-NC celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in special ways this year. During Sukkot, some Jews build a sukkah in their back yard and eat there. A  is a hut or booth with at least 2 ½ walls and schach (plants) on top. A long time ago, when the Jews were […]

• Design Thinking
• Holidays
• Israel
• STEAM
• STEM
• Student Stories
• Washington D.C.

September 24, 2015 by Alexandra Taylor (Faculty and Staff)

JPDS-NC students are engaging in Design Thinking! Since the start of the school year, students in grades 2-6 have researched problems, generated questions, collaborated with one another, brainstormed solutions, solved challenges and overcome setbacks as they sought innovative and practical solutions to real-world problems associated with building a sukkah. This iterative learning process invites students […]

• Design Thinking
• Holidays
• Multimedia
• STEAM
• STEM

September 24, 2015 by Elana Cohen (Faculty and Staff)

At the heart of our Design Lab is the strategy of Design Thinking. Design Thinking is an approach to learning that includes contemplating real-world problems, conducting research, participating in reflective thinking and analysis, conceiving original ideas, conducting experiments, and sometimes building things! To introduce the North Campus students to the newly designated Design Lab and […]

• Design Thinking
• Holidays
• Multimedia
• STEAM
• STEM

May 27, 2015 by Lincoln A (’16) (Students)

The 5th graders at JPDS-NC went on a four-day field trip to TEVA at the Pearlstone Center in Reisterstown, MD for an educational outdoors adventure. (“TEVA” is Hebrew for “nature.”) We went on hikes where we learned about the local environment including “the F.B.I.” – fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates. The hikes were full of wildlife […]

• Environmental Education
• Student Stories

May 21, 2015 by Lisa Davis (Faculty and Staff)

This year, my kindergarten class, Gan Anavim, undertook an in-depth and exciting exploration of outer space and the Solar System in ways that reflected the Reggio Emilia philosophy that inspires our school. The investigation provided opportunities for collaboration between the students and teachers as we co-constructed our knowledge about different aspects of space in a […]

• Project Based Learning
• STEAM
• STEM