Winning Wednesday
07/27/22
Unlike previous Wednesdays here at Forman summer we decided to ditch the competition tonight and allow everyone to win. To reward students for all of their hard work and cooperation, we set up a massive slip and slide, helping us cool off on the beautiful day we had.
Mr. Marchand is back as our spotlight teacher, sharing another one of his creative and engaging lesson plans:
Hello, Parents and Guardians–
This week in writing class, students are once again engaging in CAST paragraph structure for an expository essay assignment. But before we dive into that...(and just like in class), the students begin each period with a ‘fun’ writing activity. Last week they engaged in grammar battles, and this week students are enjoying Word Choice Warz on the white board. I place two prosaic clauses on separate white boards, split the class in two, and have them rewrite their assigned clause eight different ways; they must swap at least two words for every rewrite. I continue to be impressed with both the teamwork and the competitiveness in all three classes.
Now back to the assignment... In pairing with this week’s theme: Plan for Yourself—students are working to complete a multi-paragraph essay, where they identify the aspect(s) of the writing process that they a) struggle with the most, and b) find themselves enjoying/doing with the greatest degree of ease; develop a plan that they can implement during the upcoming school year to help them succeed on academic writing assignments; and explain how and why that plan would foster success on a given writing assignment. With that, on Monday, each student engaged in individual and global brainstorming and completed subsequent graphic organizers for their respective papers. Yesterday and today, students delved into the process of drafting and revising their first and second paragraphs. Today, I had several productive individual sessions that focused on incorporating appropriate transition words and transition sentences in multi-paragraph essays.
It is a pleasure to report that based on yesterday's and today’s writings, students are in tune with their writing strengths as well as their struggles, which indicates a recognizable sense of self-reflection, as they have been open and honest when sharing their thoughts in their final essay. I hope that each student continues to develop and expand in awareness of self, as it will yield terrific results in their writing and propel their bright futures
Afternoon activities seem to have an even higher energy level this week and we are loving the level of participation. Inspired by counselors, many students seem to be finding a passion in fitness and working out. Students in tennis have been mixing up their matchups, welcoming new competition each day. Field sports switched up the trend of playing volleyball by trying a few variations of Nookem. We noticed students have been decorating their rooms with their projects from drawing and painting, as well as gifting their works of art to friends.
This evening was extended free time featuring the 100’ slip and slide where students used soap to really speed up the journey across the green. The gym, students center, and fitness center were also made available for the few students that were looking to stay dry to end another perfect day at Forman Summer.
Unlike previous Wednesdays here at Forman summer we decided to ditch the competition tonight and allow everyone to win. To reward students for all of their hard work and cooperation, we set up a massive slip and slide, helping us cool off on the beautiful day we had.
Mr. Marchand is back as our spotlight teacher, sharing another one of his creative and engaging lesson plans:
Hello, Parents and Guardians–
This week in writing class, students are once again engaging in CAST paragraph structure for an expository essay assignment. But before we dive into that...(and just like in class), the students begin each period with a ‘fun’ writing activity. Last week they engaged in grammar battles, and this week students are enjoying Word Choice Warz on the white board. I place two prosaic clauses on separate white boards, split the class in two, and have them rewrite their assigned clause eight different ways; they must swap at least two words for every rewrite. I continue to be impressed with both the teamwork and the competitiveness in all three classes.
Now back to the assignment... In pairing with this week’s theme: Plan for Yourself—students are working to complete a multi-paragraph essay, where they identify the aspect(s) of the writing process that they a) struggle with the most, and b) find themselves enjoying/doing with the greatest degree of ease; develop a plan that they can implement during the upcoming school year to help them succeed on academic writing assignments; and explain how and why that plan would foster success on a given writing assignment. With that, on Monday, each student engaged in individual and global brainstorming and completed subsequent graphic organizers for their respective papers. Yesterday and today, students delved into the process of drafting and revising their first and second paragraphs. Today, I had several productive individual sessions that focused on incorporating appropriate transition words and transition sentences in multi-paragraph essays.
It is a pleasure to report that based on yesterday's and today’s writings, students are in tune with their writing strengths as well as their struggles, which indicates a recognizable sense of self-reflection, as they have been open and honest when sharing their thoughts in their final essay. I hope that each student continues to develop and expand in awareness of self, as it will yield terrific results in their writing and propel their bright futures
Afternoon activities seem to have an even higher energy level this week and we are loving the level of participation. Inspired by counselors, many students seem to be finding a passion in fitness and working out. Students in tennis have been mixing up their matchups, welcoming new competition each day. Field sports switched up the trend of playing volleyball by trying a few variations of Nookem. We noticed students have been decorating their rooms with their projects from drawing and painting, as well as gifting their works of art to friends.
This evening was extended free time featuring the 100’ slip and slide where students used soap to really speed up the journey across the green. The gym, students center, and fitness center were also made available for the few students that were looking to stay dry to end another perfect day at Forman Summer.
Terrific Tuesday
07/27/22
It was a beautiful day filled with games, laughter, learning, and maybe a few friendly lightsaber fights on the green. The students are savoring their last few days of Forman Summer and we are keeping the schedule full of excitement.
Mr. Miller is back as our spotlight teacher to tell us about his Tuesday math classes. Per Mr. Miller:
Geometry
Today we started with a short competition between two teams. The goal was to answer the questions related to angles inside a circle. Inscribed angles are angles that start on the perimeter of the circle. The arc of the inscribed angle is twice the angle. Central angles originate at the center of the circle. The value of the arc is equal to the value of the angle. After the short competition, we took a walk outside. The goal was to find shapes within our environment. We found rocks down by the bridge that leads to the dining hall. The bridge itself was made of many rectangular boards. Lamps were circles and windows in the buildings were also rectangles and squares. The trees were rounded like cylinders. After the walk outside, we went back into the classroom and watched a video on how a sphere can be rotated inside out whereas a circle cannot. The math behind the concept is complicated and took many years to solve. Tomorrow we will continue to work with circles that eventually will also include triangles inside the circle where the Pythagorean Theorem is needed to solve one of the sides.
Algebra 1
The Algebra 1 class had a competition between two teams. One team of three players and the other team two. The goal was to complete the assigned problem correctly and faster than the other team. The problems were composed of the quadratic equation. The problem was worth 100 points broken down from 4 parts worth 25 points each. Part one was setting the equation to zero. Part two was labeling the a, b, and c coefficients. Part three was solving for the discriminant. The last part was solving the entire quadratic equation. The competition was fierce. However, the team of two dominated by scoring all the points and shutting out their competitor. The quadratic formula problems had both rational, irrational and decimal points rounded to the nearest tenth for answers. After the competition was done, we finished out the day talking about the upcoming topic of exponential functions for Wednesday and our project of selling our stock on Thursday. Each student spent a pretend $1,000 on stock of their choice. We will summarize the results on the last day of classes.
Pre-algebra
Today in pre-algebra we had a pre-math discussion on the pro's and con's of camp. The students have made some good friends. They also had to find ways to be around people they otherwise would not be around. The weather was mostly good with a short hot streak. For most, the summer camp went by really fast. The lesson for the day was expanding our knowledge of volume beyond prisms. We looked at cones, cylinders, and spheres. We studied how the formulas themselves help understand volume when compared to area. Afterwards, we took a peek at our stocks. The stock project is where each student spent a pretend $1,000 on stocks they felt would increase in price. On Thursday we will sell the stock and do a class by class comparison of the net value. Most of the stocks had initially increased. It will be interesting to see where they end up. Lastly, we talked about our plans for Wednesday where we will look closer at the volume of a sphere.
Afternoon activities are continuing with the same enthusiasm we started the summer with. Music class has been learning Billy Jean by Michael Jackson per request from one of our students. The swimming group is full this week, likely influenced by the great weather we’ve been having. Field sports has an ongoing game of volleyball going and the competition is tight! Equestrian has been having a great week with some experienced riders and even working on their jumps.
This evening we had our final counselor chat with Em Woolley. Em is a funny and kind Forman Alum who is musically gifted and enjoys performing. She attended The New School the past 2 years and will finish her college career at Birmingham Southern University for Nursing and Music. She ended up at Forman by her parents choice but found a lot of success and happiness here at Forman. She found joy in the music program, her staff, and her cohort. She was a Prefect, a member of student government, and made high honors. She also regularly participated in the open mic night. We appreciate Em for her hard work this summer and wish her luck at school.
To end our night we had games on the green and had the Milkcraft Ice cream truck serving some of the best ice cream we’ve had.
It was a beautiful day filled with games, laughter, learning, and maybe a few friendly lightsaber fights on the green. The students are savoring their last few days of Forman Summer and we are keeping the schedule full of excitement.
Mr. Miller is back as our spotlight teacher to tell us about his Tuesday math classes. Per Mr. Miller:
Geometry
Today we started with a short competition between two teams. The goal was to answer the questions related to angles inside a circle. Inscribed angles are angles that start on the perimeter of the circle. The arc of the inscribed angle is twice the angle. Central angles originate at the center of the circle. The value of the arc is equal to the value of the angle. After the short competition, we took a walk outside. The goal was to find shapes within our environment. We found rocks down by the bridge that leads to the dining hall. The bridge itself was made of many rectangular boards. Lamps were circles and windows in the buildings were also rectangles and squares. The trees were rounded like cylinders. After the walk outside, we went back into the classroom and watched a video on how a sphere can be rotated inside out whereas a circle cannot. The math behind the concept is complicated and took many years to solve. Tomorrow we will continue to work with circles that eventually will also include triangles inside the circle where the Pythagorean Theorem is needed to solve one of the sides.
Algebra 1
The Algebra 1 class had a competition between two teams. One team of three players and the other team two. The goal was to complete the assigned problem correctly and faster than the other team. The problems were composed of the quadratic equation. The problem was worth 100 points broken down from 4 parts worth 25 points each. Part one was setting the equation to zero. Part two was labeling the a, b, and c coefficients. Part three was solving for the discriminant. The last part was solving the entire quadratic equation. The competition was fierce. However, the team of two dominated by scoring all the points and shutting out their competitor. The quadratic formula problems had both rational, irrational and decimal points rounded to the nearest tenth for answers. After the competition was done, we finished out the day talking about the upcoming topic of exponential functions for Wednesday and our project of selling our stock on Thursday. Each student spent a pretend $1,000 on stock of their choice. We will summarize the results on the last day of classes.
Pre-algebra
Today in pre-algebra we had a pre-math discussion on the pro's and con's of camp. The students have made some good friends. They also had to find ways to be around people they otherwise would not be around. The weather was mostly good with a short hot streak. For most, the summer camp went by really fast. The lesson for the day was expanding our knowledge of volume beyond prisms. We looked at cones, cylinders, and spheres. We studied how the formulas themselves help understand volume when compared to area. Afterwards, we took a peek at our stocks. The stock project is where each student spent a pretend $1,000 on stocks they felt would increase in price. On Thursday we will sell the stock and do a class by class comparison of the net value. Most of the stocks had initially increased. It will be interesting to see where they end up. Lastly, we talked about our plans for Wednesday where we will look closer at the volume of a sphere.
Afternoon activities are continuing with the same enthusiasm we started the summer with. Music class has been learning Billy Jean by Michael Jackson per request from one of our students. The swimming group is full this week, likely influenced by the great weather we’ve been having. Field sports has an ongoing game of volleyball going and the competition is tight! Equestrian has been having a great week with some experienced riders and even working on their jumps.
This evening we had our final counselor chat with Em Woolley. Em is a funny and kind Forman Alum who is musically gifted and enjoys performing. She attended The New School the past 2 years and will finish her college career at Birmingham Southern University for Nursing and Music. She ended up at Forman by her parents choice but found a lot of success and happiness here at Forman. She found joy in the music program, her staff, and her cohort. She was a Prefect, a member of student government, and made high honors. She also regularly participated in the open mic night. We appreciate Em for her hard work this summer and wish her luck at school.
To end our night we had games on the green and had the Milkcraft Ice cream truck serving some of the best ice cream we’ve had.
Motivated Monday
07/25/22
Week 4 of academics is here and the students are well into the groove of things. Our Forman Summer teachers have built a tremendous amount of rapport with the students in three short weeks. The small class sizes and skilled teachers have helped create an engaging environment for learning and we’d like to thank them for their hard work this month.
For our spotlight teacher we will be highlighting Sara Reilly’s Executive Functioning and Metacognition classes. Per Ms. Reilly:
Executive Functioning Classes
I am thrilled to continue to have the pleasure of instructing these amazing Forman Summer Scholars in highly engaging lessons and sophisticated level discourse. Our third week was devoted to strategy instruction, skill acquisition and the authentic application of the learned strategies and skills relative to continuous improvement in Executive Functioning Skills. This provided a foundation to apply specific executive functioning strategies and skills on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week we focused on task initiation and planning and prioritizing by engaging in a variety of structured discussion formats. This was accomplished through researching various student defined topics. These experiences challenged the students to incorporate flexible thinking and Cognitive Flexibility as part of their academic/ social emotional repertoire. Students also continued to reinforce their Executive Functioning skills by preparing for timed, formal debates.They continued to implement task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning this week , as students reflect on the Plan for Yourself theme, by identifying resources which help students gain independence. This will also increase their skills in Self- Advocacy.
It has been an honor to work with such an intelligent, progressive and creative group of students. I will miss them!
Metacognition Class
We are continuing our mission of creating a dynamic classroom environment in our Forman Summer Metacognition class. I continue to be in awe of these students, I am so inspired by the passion, curiosity and intellect with this group of Scholars! During our third week, we devoted our classes to strategy instruction, skill acquisition and the authentic application of the learned strategies and skills relative to continuous improvement in Metacognition Skills . This enhanced our bank of skills so that Students applied specific metacognition strategies on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week Students focused on the critical cognizance of their learning and thinking. They also developed a critical awareness of themselves as thinkers and scholars. Students demonstrated the ability to adapt as well as transfer their learning to new contextual activities and exercises.. Students also engaged in preparing for a variety of structured and timed debates by continuing to implement task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning as students will apply the skills of planning for themselves , tapping into resources that will help them gain independence and self- advocacy skills.
It has been a genuine privilege to work with these Students. I will miss them!
Afternoon activities started their new rotation of electives and once again dodged the afternoon rain. Volleyball on the green, doubles on the tennis court, and a group of photographers all benefited from the beautiful day. The fishing group had a successful morning on the water and other students opted for board games and puzzles in the air conditioned student center.
This evening we held our final Mindfulness Monday, hosted by none other than Brittany Bloom. Ms. Bloom is a Forman teacher during the school year and has done a phenomenal job as Dean of Academics this summer. The first activity involved an end of month reflection. Students discussed their proudest moments, biggest challenges, and lessons they’ve learned. Next, we asked them to discuss what advice they’d pass onto future students in the Forman Summer program. With paper and pencil, they wrote letters to themselves from the start of camp, reflecting on what they’ve learned. They continued their writing to say “thank you” to the staff that they felt made an impact for them. Thank you, Ms. Bloom for leading the activities that promote mindfulness, personal growth, and leadership for all of our students.
Week 4 of academics is here and the students are well into the groove of things. Our Forman Summer teachers have built a tremendous amount of rapport with the students in three short weeks. The small class sizes and skilled teachers have helped create an engaging environment for learning and we’d like to thank them for their hard work this month.
For our spotlight teacher we will be highlighting Sara Reilly’s Executive Functioning and Metacognition classes. Per Ms. Reilly:
Executive Functioning Classes
I am thrilled to continue to have the pleasure of instructing these amazing Forman Summer Scholars in highly engaging lessons and sophisticated level discourse. Our third week was devoted to strategy instruction, skill acquisition and the authentic application of the learned strategies and skills relative to continuous improvement in Executive Functioning Skills. This provided a foundation to apply specific executive functioning strategies and skills on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week we focused on task initiation and planning and prioritizing by engaging in a variety of structured discussion formats. This was accomplished through researching various student defined topics. These experiences challenged the students to incorporate flexible thinking and Cognitive Flexibility as part of their academic/ social emotional repertoire. Students also continued to reinforce their Executive Functioning skills by preparing for timed, formal debates.They continued to implement task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning this week , as students reflect on the Plan for Yourself theme, by identifying resources which help students gain independence. This will also increase their skills in Self- Advocacy.
It has been an honor to work with such an intelligent, progressive and creative group of students. I will miss them!
Metacognition Class
We are continuing our mission of creating a dynamic classroom environment in our Forman Summer Metacognition class. I continue to be in awe of these students, I am so inspired by the passion, curiosity and intellect with this group of Scholars! During our third week, we devoted our classes to strategy instruction, skill acquisition and the authentic application of the learned strategies and skills relative to continuous improvement in Metacognition Skills . This enhanced our bank of skills so that Students applied specific metacognition strategies on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week Students focused on the critical cognizance of their learning and thinking. They also developed a critical awareness of themselves as thinkers and scholars. Students demonstrated the ability to adapt as well as transfer their learning to new contextual activities and exercises.. Students also engaged in preparing for a variety of structured and timed debates by continuing to implement task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning as students will apply the skills of planning for themselves , tapping into resources that will help them gain independence and self- advocacy skills.
It has been a genuine privilege to work with these Students. I will miss them!
Afternoon activities started their new rotation of electives and once again dodged the afternoon rain. Volleyball on the green, doubles on the tennis court, and a group of photographers all benefited from the beautiful day. The fishing group had a successful morning on the water and other students opted for board games and puzzles in the air conditioned student center.
This evening we held our final Mindfulness Monday, hosted by none other than Brittany Bloom. Ms. Bloom is a Forman teacher during the school year and has done a phenomenal job as Dean of Academics this summer. The first activity involved an end of month reflection. Students discussed their proudest moments, biggest challenges, and lessons they’ve learned. Next, we asked them to discuss what advice they’d pass onto future students in the Forman Summer program. With paper and pencil, they wrote letters to themselves from the start of camp, reflecting on what they’ve learned. They continued their writing to say “thank you” to the staff that they felt made an impact for them. Thank you, Ms. Bloom for leading the activities that promote mindfulness, personal growth, and leadership for all of our students.
Self-Care Sunday
07/24/22
Our last Sunday together was as smooth and relaxing as possible. Students are embracing each other and the new friendships that have formed. Everyone has been reflecting on the summer and thinking about all of their positive experiences. Today’s off campus trips included a trip to the Westfarms Mall and the Movie Theater to see Top Gun Maverick. We saw one of the most well attended trips this summer to the mall, we took two bus loads of students and they all loved spending this time together. Friends bought matching jewelry, build-a-bear, and shared meals with their friends that will surely stay in contact beyond the end of Forman Summer.
Free time on campus was spent in the fitness center, gym, and campus green, as the sun continued to shine at a slightly more tolerable temperature than earlier in the week. This evening was spent doing dorm clean up and relaxing in preparation for the last week of classes. Counselors and dorm parents spent some quality time with their students continuing to help form healthy Sunday evening habits.
We’d like to thank our dorm parents for handling ALL of their responsibilities and being the fun, positive role models that many of our students benefit from. We are excited for one more week of academics, afternoon activities, and making memories with our Forman friends.
Our last Sunday together was as smooth and relaxing as possible. Students are embracing each other and the new friendships that have formed. Everyone has been reflecting on the summer and thinking about all of their positive experiences. Today’s off campus trips included a trip to the Westfarms Mall and the Movie Theater to see Top Gun Maverick. We saw one of the most well attended trips this summer to the mall, we took two bus loads of students and they all loved spending this time together. Friends bought matching jewelry, build-a-bear, and shared meals with their friends that will surely stay in contact beyond the end of Forman Summer.
Free time on campus was spent in the fitness center, gym, and campus green, as the sun continued to shine at a slightly more tolerable temperature than earlier in the week. This evening was spent doing dorm clean up and relaxing in preparation for the last week of classes. Counselors and dorm parents spent some quality time with their students continuing to help form healthy Sunday evening habits.
We’d like to thank our dorm parents for handling ALL of their responsibilities and being the fun, positive role models that many of our students benefit from. We are excited for one more week of academics, afternoon activities, and making memories with our Forman friends.
Soccer Shootout Saturday
07/23/22
At this point in the summer there is a general understanding among us that the program is wrapping up and it seems like all of the students are feeling appreciative of the remaining free time we get together. Today we took a trip to Hartford to get dinner at Black Eyed Sally’s BBQ, an excellent establishment owned by a Forman Alumna . Students got their fill from brisket, ribs, wings, mac & cheese, caesar salad, corn bread, rice & beans, and vegetarian options. The food was amazing and the comradery in the large dining area truly captured the community feeling that we’ve created as a group.
After dinner we hopped back on the buses and drove to Trinity Health Stadium to watch the Hartford Athletic soccer team. We had rented out an area behind the goal and had the opportunity to get close to the field during warmups. The fresh squeezed lemonades were a nice addition to the warm evening game and the sun setting over the pitch added to the experience. Unfortunately Hartford Athletic lost to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds after they scored a goal in stoppage time. Overall, the last Saturday together was nothing short of magical and will for sure be a memorable one for us.
Thank you to Black Eyed Sally’s and Trinity Health Arena for hosting us and treating us so well.
We look forward to another relaxing, sunny Sunday tomorrow and mentally preparing for the fourth and final week of Forman Summer.
At this point in the summer there is a general understanding among us that the program is wrapping up and it seems like all of the students are feeling appreciative of the remaining free time we get together. Today we took a trip to Hartford to get dinner at Black Eyed Sally’s BBQ, an excellent establishment owned by a Forman Alumna . Students got their fill from brisket, ribs, wings, mac & cheese, caesar salad, corn bread, rice & beans, and vegetarian options. The food was amazing and the comradery in the large dining area truly captured the community feeling that we’ve created as a group.
After dinner we hopped back on the buses and drove to Trinity Health Stadium to watch the Hartford Athletic soccer team. We had rented out an area behind the goal and had the opportunity to get close to the field during warmups. The fresh squeezed lemonades were a nice addition to the warm evening game and the sun setting over the pitch added to the experience. Unfortunately Hartford Athletic lost to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds after they scored a goal in stoppage time. Overall, the last Saturday together was nothing short of magical and will for sure be a memorable one for us.
Thank you to Black Eyed Sally’s and Trinity Health Arena for hosting us and treating us so well.
We look forward to another relaxing, sunny Sunday tomorrow and mentally preparing for the fourth and final week of Forman Summer.
Escaping the Heat with Cool Treats
7/22/22
We can’t believe it's the end of week 3! We continued to fight the heat all day and broke out the water games to keep it exciting.
For today’s spotlight teacher we are highlighting Mr. Yursha’s writing classes. Per Mr. Yursha:
On the final day of the third week of classes, students in Mr. Yursha's writing classes finished working on their second writing assignment. Each student was tasked with, in a three-paragraph essay, identifying an aspect of their current academic environment that they believe impedes their success as a student, proposing a solution to that issue, and explaining how and why that solution would foster success in their current academic environment
Students used a combination of text-to-speech assistive technology, Grammarly, and in-line comments from Mr. Yursha to fine-tune their writing prior to submitting their essays. Students looking for an additional challenge were encouraged to, in an additional paragraph, consider how their proposed solutions might be applied in a broader scope so as to help other students who may struggle in ways similar to themselves.
Next week, students in Mr. Yursha's classes will use a similar three-paragraph essay structure to devise individualized plans for themselves to help them tackle future writing assignments.
This afternoon a few activities opted to play water games that included a soft-hands contest with water balloons, running through the sprinkler, and a water balloon fight that ended the day. Wendy Welshans treated the kayaking group to some treats at Suzy’s Bakery in Cornwall prior to kayaking down some heavy flowing white water on the Housatonic. The rest of the activities enjoyed wrapping up their last day together while the last few signups poured in for next week’s afternoon activities. Thanks again to the administration for making rounds with cool drinks throughout the day.
This evening we did a Friday night movie complete with movie theater snacks and a surprise visit from the local ice cream man. Students loved watching The Sandlot on the big screen and escaping the heat with some cool treats. We look forward to our final Saturday trip tomorrow and more time with friends!
We can’t believe it's the end of week 3! We continued to fight the heat all day and broke out the water games to keep it exciting.
For today’s spotlight teacher we are highlighting Mr. Yursha’s writing classes. Per Mr. Yursha:
On the final day of the third week of classes, students in Mr. Yursha's writing classes finished working on their second writing assignment. Each student was tasked with, in a three-paragraph essay, identifying an aspect of their current academic environment that they believe impedes their success as a student, proposing a solution to that issue, and explaining how and why that solution would foster success in their current academic environment
Students used a combination of text-to-speech assistive technology, Grammarly, and in-line comments from Mr. Yursha to fine-tune their writing prior to submitting their essays. Students looking for an additional challenge were encouraged to, in an additional paragraph, consider how their proposed solutions might be applied in a broader scope so as to help other students who may struggle in ways similar to themselves.
Next week, students in Mr. Yursha's classes will use a similar three-paragraph essay structure to devise individualized plans for themselves to help them tackle future writing assignments.
This afternoon a few activities opted to play water games that included a soft-hands contest with water balloons, running through the sprinkler, and a water balloon fight that ended the day. Wendy Welshans treated the kayaking group to some treats at Suzy’s Bakery in Cornwall prior to kayaking down some heavy flowing white water on the Housatonic. The rest of the activities enjoyed wrapping up their last day together while the last few signups poured in for next week’s afternoon activities. Thanks again to the administration for making rounds with cool drinks throughout the day.
This evening we did a Friday night movie complete with movie theater snacks and a surprise visit from the local ice cream man. Students loved watching The Sandlot on the big screen and escaping the heat with some cool treats. We look forward to our final Saturday trip tomorrow and more time with friends!
Classic New England Thursday
07/21/22
It was a beautiful day at Forman Summer, even with the New England weather showing us what it does best… change. Fortunately, we are prepared for almost everything mother nature has to throw at us and there isn’t much that can stop the learning or the fun.
Tammy Diehl is back as our spotlight teacher of the day. Per Ms. Diehl:
Reading:
Students in the Academic Reading 1 class are continuing to work on the scope and sequence in the Orton Gillingham program. The students have learned 10 words from the LINCS Vocabulary Strategy and we are playing games like matching and 100,000 Pyramid to try and make them become masters of those words. We are using the Grammar section in Khan Academy to work on grammar syntax. So far we have worked on nouns and verbs. The students have started to use the Megawords Series and are making great strides in connecting what they have learned from OG to the sounds and spellings of the words in the series. The students and I are making sure that we are staying on track to make our Scarborough’s Rope stronger and longer each day.
EF Skills
This week the EF Skills class was working on engagement in the classroom. We used materials from a book entitled: The 21st Century Student’s Guide To Study Skills For College & Career Readiness by Susan Mulcaire. The sections we worked on were Active Learning in a Passive Learning World, Hey are you Listening?, and Good Citizens, Perfect Participants. Each section begins with a comic and an introduction of skills. Learning goals are also identified. There is a brief description of each skill that is going to be learned. The students then do some sort of activity for that particular skill to be practiced. Each section has discussion questions for the students to think about how they are using those skills in their lives. Making connections helps with students' understanding. At the end of the chapters is an application of skills to see how they could use them for school this coming year. Next week we will be focusing on growth mindset.
SAT/ACT
In the SAT/ACT class, the students are working on reading comprehension in both tests and the science section of the ACT test. One day we go over how to take the tests and what strategies could be used. We do practice tests that correlate with those strategies on the first day. The next day the students take a practice test on that subject to see if they could apply what they learned the day before. The students are seeing that the tests are not that scary if you know how to attack them. Next week will be the SAT writing and language sections.
Afternoon activities were met with some abrupt thunderstorms. Students were kept safe and entertained while they found shelter in the gymnasium, fitness room, V-Pac theater, art rooms, and dance studio. Spiderman played on the big screen and a series of dodgeball games broke out in the gym. In typical New England form, the dark clouds parted and activities were resumed for blocks 3 and 4.
This evening students from the Newton dorm were treated to a steak dinner cooked by their house parent, Victoria. The steak, potatoes, and veggies were earned for positive behavior and for creating a pleasant community atmosphere in the shared building. The rest of the evening included extended freetime and students enjoyed the slightly lower temperatures following the rain storms earlier in the day.
We show no signs of slowing down, despite trying to cling to every moment here at Forman Summer. Don’t forget to check out the photo gallery for more updates on activities!
It was a beautiful day at Forman Summer, even with the New England weather showing us what it does best… change. Fortunately, we are prepared for almost everything mother nature has to throw at us and there isn’t much that can stop the learning or the fun.
Tammy Diehl is back as our spotlight teacher of the day. Per Ms. Diehl:
Reading:
Students in the Academic Reading 1 class are continuing to work on the scope and sequence in the Orton Gillingham program. The students have learned 10 words from the LINCS Vocabulary Strategy and we are playing games like matching and 100,000 Pyramid to try and make them become masters of those words. We are using the Grammar section in Khan Academy to work on grammar syntax. So far we have worked on nouns and verbs. The students have started to use the Megawords Series and are making great strides in connecting what they have learned from OG to the sounds and spellings of the words in the series. The students and I are making sure that we are staying on track to make our Scarborough’s Rope stronger and longer each day.
EF Skills
This week the EF Skills class was working on engagement in the classroom. We used materials from a book entitled: The 21st Century Student’s Guide To Study Skills For College & Career Readiness by Susan Mulcaire. The sections we worked on were Active Learning in a Passive Learning World, Hey are you Listening?, and Good Citizens, Perfect Participants. Each section begins with a comic and an introduction of skills. Learning goals are also identified. There is a brief description of each skill that is going to be learned. The students then do some sort of activity for that particular skill to be practiced. Each section has discussion questions for the students to think about how they are using those skills in their lives. Making connections helps with students' understanding. At the end of the chapters is an application of skills to see how they could use them for school this coming year. Next week we will be focusing on growth mindset.
SAT/ACT
In the SAT/ACT class, the students are working on reading comprehension in both tests and the science section of the ACT test. One day we go over how to take the tests and what strategies could be used. We do practice tests that correlate with those strategies on the first day. The next day the students take a practice test on that subject to see if they could apply what they learned the day before. The students are seeing that the tests are not that scary if you know how to attack them. Next week will be the SAT writing and language sections.
Afternoon activities were met with some abrupt thunderstorms. Students were kept safe and entertained while they found shelter in the gymnasium, fitness room, V-Pac theater, art rooms, and dance studio. Spiderman played on the big screen and a series of dodgeball games broke out in the gym. In typical New England form, the dark clouds parted and activities were resumed for blocks 3 and 4.
This evening students from the Newton dorm were treated to a steak dinner cooked by their house parent, Victoria. The steak, potatoes, and veggies were earned for positive behavior and for creating a pleasant community atmosphere in the shared building. The rest of the evening included extended freetime and students enjoyed the slightly lower temperatures following the rain storms earlier in the day.
We show no signs of slowing down, despite trying to cling to every moment here at Forman Summer. Don’t forget to check out the photo gallery for more updates on activities!
Winning Wednesdays are heating up!
07/20/22
We’re halfway through week three and continuing to cruise through this heatwave. Competitive Wednesday was a challenge of the mind and brought out the competitiveness and wit of everyone. However, the first mental exercise of the day was our academic classes.
Mr. A. is back as our spotlight teacher of the day, sharing his engaging lessons on strategies for solving algebraic equations.
Per Mr. A:
Students in my Pre-Algebra have been focussing on the steps to tackle solving an equation. Students reviewed the distributive property and evaluated expressions using variables. Students continued by learning to combine like terms, which is crucial in algebra. Students will then go on to learn about inverse operations and will be set up to look at fundamental algebraic equations. Deltamath has been used as practice for students.
Students in Algebra I have been focussing on different ways to write the function of a line as well as graphing them. Methods focussed on include point-slope form and slope-intercept form. Students enjoyed looking at Desmos activities such as Marbleslides, writing the correct equation so that a marble hits all the checkpoints, and an airplane landing game, writing the precise equation to help a plane land on a strip.
Afternoon activities continued to beat the heat by utilizing cool areas and modifying activities. The students who signed up for swimming and kayaking found extra joy in their afternoons. Kayaking practiced their wet exits as a way of preparing for some real whitewater experience (and for a refreshing dip). For the safety of the horses and students, Fox Crossings closed their stable for the week due to the excessive heat. Our Equestrian riders have been reassigned this week and have enjoyed trying out new activities. Tennis and Field Sports utilized the air conditioning to play table tennis, air hockey, foosball, and billiards. We’d like to thank the administration for driving around from activity to activity providing gatorades and waters to keep the students and counselors hydrated.
This evening we hosted another Competitive Wednesday with a little more incentive than previous weeks. Tonight students competed in Kahoot, testing our memory and recall of ‘brands and logos’. The entire Chace dorm won a pizza party and other students won prizes including T-shirts, hats, beach towels, jackets, and snacks.
We look forward to continuing the fun tomorrow!
We’re halfway through week three and continuing to cruise through this heatwave. Competitive Wednesday was a challenge of the mind and brought out the competitiveness and wit of everyone. However, the first mental exercise of the day was our academic classes.
Mr. A. is back as our spotlight teacher of the day, sharing his engaging lessons on strategies for solving algebraic equations.
Per Mr. A:
Students in my Pre-Algebra have been focussing on the steps to tackle solving an equation. Students reviewed the distributive property and evaluated expressions using variables. Students continued by learning to combine like terms, which is crucial in algebra. Students will then go on to learn about inverse operations and will be set up to look at fundamental algebraic equations. Deltamath has been used as practice for students.
Students in Algebra I have been focussing on different ways to write the function of a line as well as graphing them. Methods focussed on include point-slope form and slope-intercept form. Students enjoyed looking at Desmos activities such as Marbleslides, writing the correct equation so that a marble hits all the checkpoints, and an airplane landing game, writing the precise equation to help a plane land on a strip.
Afternoon activities continued to beat the heat by utilizing cool areas and modifying activities. The students who signed up for swimming and kayaking found extra joy in their afternoons. Kayaking practiced their wet exits as a way of preparing for some real whitewater experience (and for a refreshing dip). For the safety of the horses and students, Fox Crossings closed their stable for the week due to the excessive heat. Our Equestrian riders have been reassigned this week and have enjoyed trying out new activities. Tennis and Field Sports utilized the air conditioning to play table tennis, air hockey, foosball, and billiards. We’d like to thank the administration for driving around from activity to activity providing gatorades and waters to keep the students and counselors hydrated.
This evening we hosted another Competitive Wednesday with a little more incentive than previous weeks. Tonight students competed in Kahoot, testing our memory and recall of ‘brands and logos’. The entire Chace dorm won a pizza party and other students won prizes including T-shirts, hats, beach towels, jackets, and snacks.
We look forward to continuing the fun tomorrow!
Staying Cool, Attending School
07/19/22
The sun came back and appears to be here to stay. Today was the start of the heatwave and we are doing everything we can to combat it. Luckily, students have air conditioned classrooms, plenty of shady areas, and freeze-pops to provide some respite.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Mr. Burkhart!
In Mr. Burkhart’s Academic Reading II class, students were introduced to advanced phonetic concepts including morphology and word origins. The class was encouraged to remember that English spelling prioritizes consistent spelling of morphemes over consistent pronunciation of morphemes. Thus, it is vital that students understand grapheme-phoneme connections from within the larger context of morphological families. A word family for the Latin word “autobiography” was generated. Students reviewed the idea that one way to connect to long term memory is through association. Associating multiple word parts helps students remember each word part better than through individual memorization. For example, auto means “self,” bio means “life,” graph means “write” and y means “the process or result of.”
Over the last few days, students have been completing a number of exercises that were devoted to providing them with strategies and skills to improve their listening and notetaking. Most recently, the class watched a short CBS 60 Minutes episode centered on the research and development that is taking place within the labs at Boston Dynamics. Students were wowed by the physical capabilities that this company has been able to give to robots. While watching the piece, students were tasked with taking two-column notes and generating questions that they would ask the researchers that work at the lab in Massachusetts. We had a fruitful discussion about how the media and film industry often portrays worst case scenarios when it comes to robots (i.e., they go rogue). This discussion then led to an understanding and dive into cognitive vs. athletic ability in terms of robots and how that compares to humans. Lastly, we delved into what careers/jobs have the potential to easily be replaced by robots, as well as those that do not. Students mentioned how they would not want a robot to operate as a surgeon or lawyer. Where debate took place was when it came to piloting a plane or driving a taxi or bus. Every student was in agreement that robots would make poor teachers. It was awesome to see the students engrossed in this topic and debate.
Since we had a rainy day yesterday, today was day 1 of our new afternoon activities. Tennis was competitive and fun, but we found ourselves seeking shade for the 2nd half of the block to discuss how we would like to spend the rest of the week. Students are looking forward to table tennis tomorrow in the student center and potentially some sprinkler time on Thursday! Basketball was spent playing ‘PIG’ and working on our jumpshot form. Students are excited to have activity leader Dallis involved in basketball this week. Kayaking went to Mohawk Pond and practiced wet exits in preparation for the more technical days ahead on the Housatonic River. Due to high temperatures, we are being mindful of the safety and comfort of everyone here at Forman Summer by requiring water breaks and providing popsicles!
This evening we had our 3rd series of Counselor Chats. Our first speaker was Will who attended Forman and found his passion for theater. Will is from Fairbanks, Alaska and found Forman after attending two other high schools. He explained that coming from Alaska set him apart from his peers at times but the friendships he formed at school were what made Forman so memorable. He explained how skipping a soccer practice to attend an audition for the school play ended up changing the course of his life, leading to him attending Salve Regina University where he is currently a theater major. Will hopes to attain a career in advertising and we are rooting for him all the way.
Lark was our second speaker tonight and we enjoyed hearing Lark’s story as a former Forman student AND a former Forman Summer student. Lark was a two-sport captain and loves the outdoors. We are very lucky to have her involved in the ropes course this summer, serving as a positive influence for other outdoor-loving students. One thing Lark heavily emphasized was the importance of the friendships that she made while she was a student at Forman. She also mentioned the confidence that she gained as a student here, which is evident by her current path of earning a degree in social work and education at Skidmore College. Lark hopes to help kids the way that she was helped and we have no doubt that she will accomplish that goal.
The sun came back and appears to be here to stay. Today was the start of the heatwave and we are doing everything we can to combat it. Luckily, students have air conditioned classrooms, plenty of shady areas, and freeze-pops to provide some respite.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Mr. Burkhart!
In Mr. Burkhart’s Academic Reading II class, students were introduced to advanced phonetic concepts including morphology and word origins. The class was encouraged to remember that English spelling prioritizes consistent spelling of morphemes over consistent pronunciation of morphemes. Thus, it is vital that students understand grapheme-phoneme connections from within the larger context of morphological families. A word family for the Latin word “autobiography” was generated. Students reviewed the idea that one way to connect to long term memory is through association. Associating multiple word parts helps students remember each word part better than through individual memorization. For example, auto means “self,” bio means “life,” graph means “write” and y means “the process or result of.”
Over the last few days, students have been completing a number of exercises that were devoted to providing them with strategies and skills to improve their listening and notetaking. Most recently, the class watched a short CBS 60 Minutes episode centered on the research and development that is taking place within the labs at Boston Dynamics. Students were wowed by the physical capabilities that this company has been able to give to robots. While watching the piece, students were tasked with taking two-column notes and generating questions that they would ask the researchers that work at the lab in Massachusetts. We had a fruitful discussion about how the media and film industry often portrays worst case scenarios when it comes to robots (i.e., they go rogue). This discussion then led to an understanding and dive into cognitive vs. athletic ability in terms of robots and how that compares to humans. Lastly, we delved into what careers/jobs have the potential to easily be replaced by robots, as well as those that do not. Students mentioned how they would not want a robot to operate as a surgeon or lawyer. Where debate took place was when it came to piloting a plane or driving a taxi or bus. Every student was in agreement that robots would make poor teachers. It was awesome to see the students engrossed in this topic and debate.
Since we had a rainy day yesterday, today was day 1 of our new afternoon activities. Tennis was competitive and fun, but we found ourselves seeking shade for the 2nd half of the block to discuss how we would like to spend the rest of the week. Students are looking forward to table tennis tomorrow in the student center and potentially some sprinkler time on Thursday! Basketball was spent playing ‘PIG’ and working on our jumpshot form. Students are excited to have activity leader Dallis involved in basketball this week. Kayaking went to Mohawk Pond and practiced wet exits in preparation for the more technical days ahead on the Housatonic River. Due to high temperatures, we are being mindful of the safety and comfort of everyone here at Forman Summer by requiring water breaks and providing popsicles!
This evening we had our 3rd series of Counselor Chats. Our first speaker was Will who attended Forman and found his passion for theater. Will is from Fairbanks, Alaska and found Forman after attending two other high schools. He explained that coming from Alaska set him apart from his peers at times but the friendships he formed at school were what made Forman so memorable. He explained how skipping a soccer practice to attend an audition for the school play ended up changing the course of his life, leading to him attending Salve Regina University where he is currently a theater major. Will hopes to attain a career in advertising and we are rooting for him all the way.
Lark was our second speaker tonight and we enjoyed hearing Lark’s story as a former Forman student AND a former Forman Summer student. Lark was a two-sport captain and loves the outdoors. We are very lucky to have her involved in the ropes course this summer, serving as a positive influence for other outdoor-loving students. One thing Lark heavily emphasized was the importance of the friendships that she made while she was a student at Forman. She also mentioned the confidence that she gained as a student here, which is evident by her current path of earning a degree in social work and education at Skidmore College. Lark hopes to help kids the way that she was helped and we have no doubt that she will accomplish that goal.
Cloudy Skies, Clear Minds
07/18/22
We finally got some rain in Litchfield, Connecticut today, but luckily weather couldn’t bring down our moods.
Making his second appearance as spotlight teacher is Tyler Christie. Per Mr. Christie:
In Pre Algebra today and this week we are going to be exploring topics in Geometry which incorporate what we've learned so far in Pre Algebra. We examined properties of triangles and sums of both interior and exterior angles. We are going to be building popsicle stick bridges and competing to see who's bridge can hold the most weight. We discussed symmetry last Friday in preparation for our bridge build off. Students will first create congruent equilateral triangles and then piece them together to form their structure. This is modeling with Geometric figures and will be a fun hands on experience. We are going to measure the lengths and angles of the triangles using rulers and protractors. Attention to detail is going to play a role in how well the bridge comes together. All students are doing an amazing job and demonstrating a lot of progress in Pre Algebra.
In Algebra I today, we also are examining topics in Geometry. The lesson plan is similar to the Pre Algebra class for the week but studying angle sums of triangles and their relationship to other convex polygons. Algebra I students are using their two-step problem solving process using inverse operations to find what 'x' equals in both interior and exterior angle problems. Given that a triangle has 180 degrees, we are going to reconstruct the angle sum formula for all convex polygons. This is an exercise in writing rules and mathematical formulae. Students in Algebra I are also going to do a popsicle stick bridge build-off by creating congruent triangles and combining them into a bridge that spans twelve inches, and a Hot Wheels car can pass through. Students in Algebra I are going to explore right triangle trigonometry more as the week progresses. The students are doing an amazing job and demonstrating a lot of progress in the discipline of Algebra I.
In Algebra II today, students have been reintroduced to the definitions of sine, cosine and tangent as it pertains to right triangle trigonometry. We completed lessons on DeltaMath for finding the missing sides and angles of a right triangle using these trigonometry definitions and their calculators. The problems were challenging to some and review for others. I was able to go around and give individual support or additional challenges to each student depending on their ability. All students are doing an amazing job and demonstrating a lot of growth in the discipline of Algebra II. Students in this class are going to collaborate to design a 3-D building, using popsicle sticks and other manipulatives. This project will take a couple days this week. To wrap up this week, we are going to examine graphs of sine, cosine and tangent and the unit circle and special right triangles.
While the storm clouds swooped in this afternoon we opted for a relaxing day indoors, utilizing the student center and V-pac buildings for shelter. To stay occupied we played movies on the big screens while offering the video game room, pinball machines, board games, dance studio, arts & crafts, and ping-pong. We are glad we were able to stay safe and comfortable without sacrificing fun with friends.
This evening we were back to practicing mindfulness with five staff-led activities where students teamed up and examined the positives in their lives and their memory skills through a variety of games. Looking at what we are grateful for and what we are looking forward to was a great way to practice police thought. We also looked at things that are currently challenging for us currently so we can develop action steps toward solving problems and managing stress. Next, we practiced memory skills and examined strategies that strengthen our memory, such as, chunking numbers, memorizing and adding to grocery lists, categorizing items rapidly, and word memorization. The level of engagement from the students tonight was admirable and we are grateful to have such a successful Mindfulness Monday.
Take a look at the photo gallery for updates on the fun!
We finally got some rain in Litchfield, Connecticut today, but luckily weather couldn’t bring down our moods.
Making his second appearance as spotlight teacher is Tyler Christie. Per Mr. Christie:
In Pre Algebra today and this week we are going to be exploring topics in Geometry which incorporate what we've learned so far in Pre Algebra. We examined properties of triangles and sums of both interior and exterior angles. We are going to be building popsicle stick bridges and competing to see who's bridge can hold the most weight. We discussed symmetry last Friday in preparation for our bridge build off. Students will first create congruent equilateral triangles and then piece them together to form their structure. This is modeling with Geometric figures and will be a fun hands on experience. We are going to measure the lengths and angles of the triangles using rulers and protractors. Attention to detail is going to play a role in how well the bridge comes together. All students are doing an amazing job and demonstrating a lot of progress in Pre Algebra.
In Algebra I today, we also are examining topics in Geometry. The lesson plan is similar to the Pre Algebra class for the week but studying angle sums of triangles and their relationship to other convex polygons. Algebra I students are using their two-step problem solving process using inverse operations to find what 'x' equals in both interior and exterior angle problems. Given that a triangle has 180 degrees, we are going to reconstruct the angle sum formula for all convex polygons. This is an exercise in writing rules and mathematical formulae. Students in Algebra I are also going to do a popsicle stick bridge build-off by creating congruent triangles and combining them into a bridge that spans twelve inches, and a Hot Wheels car can pass through. Students in Algebra I are going to explore right triangle trigonometry more as the week progresses. The students are doing an amazing job and demonstrating a lot of progress in the discipline of Algebra I.
In Algebra II today, students have been reintroduced to the definitions of sine, cosine and tangent as it pertains to right triangle trigonometry. We completed lessons on DeltaMath for finding the missing sides and angles of a right triangle using these trigonometry definitions and their calculators. The problems were challenging to some and review for others. I was able to go around and give individual support or additional challenges to each student depending on their ability. All students are doing an amazing job and demonstrating a lot of growth in the discipline of Algebra II. Students in this class are going to collaborate to design a 3-D building, using popsicle sticks and other manipulatives. This project will take a couple days this week. To wrap up this week, we are going to examine graphs of sine, cosine and tangent and the unit circle and special right triangles.
While the storm clouds swooped in this afternoon we opted for a relaxing day indoors, utilizing the student center and V-pac buildings for shelter. To stay occupied we played movies on the big screens while offering the video game room, pinball machines, board games, dance studio, arts & crafts, and ping-pong. We are glad we were able to stay safe and comfortable without sacrificing fun with friends.
This evening we were back to practicing mindfulness with five staff-led activities where students teamed up and examined the positives in their lives and their memory skills through a variety of games. Looking at what we are grateful for and what we are looking forward to was a great way to practice police thought. We also looked at things that are currently challenging for us currently so we can develop action steps toward solving problems and managing stress. Next, we practiced memory skills and examined strategies that strengthen our memory, such as, chunking numbers, memorizing and adding to grocery lists, categorizing items rapidly, and word memorization. The level of engagement from the students tonight was admirable and we are grateful to have such a successful Mindfulness Monday.
Take a look at the photo gallery for updates on the fun!
Spotlight Sunday
07/17/22
Another Sunday well spent with friends at Forman Summer. After yesterday’s festivities we all needed a day to recoup. Brunch was one of the best ones yet, offering fresh fruit, a Belgian waffle station with fruit and whipped cream, and an omelette station. While students indulged, we held signups for trips off of campus to either the mall, target, or to the movies to see Minions: The Rise of Gru.
A group of girls agreed to buy neck ties to attend the Minions movie in fashion while the boys found drones to host races on the green. Back on campus the students had free time in the fitness center, gym, and the green where games were available all afternoon.
Our local Chipotle catered a large lunch for the campus and the students loved the surprise! Free time continued into the evening until dorm clean-up and preparation for the new week of academics. Again, we’d like to thank our counselors for leading the students through healthy Sunday routines and setting positive examples leading into week 3.
We’d also like to show our gratitude to the Forman maintenance crew for their non-stop work on our beautiful campus. Between the sports fields, campus green, and endless list of odd-jobs, they have been working around the clock to keep our grounds pristine and operations running smoothly.
Be sure to check out the photo gallery and we look forward to creating more memories tomorrow.
Another Sunday well spent with friends at Forman Summer. After yesterday’s festivities we all needed a day to recoup. Brunch was one of the best ones yet, offering fresh fruit, a Belgian waffle station with fruit and whipped cream, and an omelette station. While students indulged, we held signups for trips off of campus to either the mall, target, or to the movies to see Minions: The Rise of Gru.
A group of girls agreed to buy neck ties to attend the Minions movie in fashion while the boys found drones to host races on the green. Back on campus the students had free time in the fitness center, gym, and the green where games were available all afternoon.
Our local Chipotle catered a large lunch for the campus and the students loved the surprise! Free time continued into the evening until dorm clean-up and preparation for the new week of academics. Again, we’d like to thank our counselors for leading the students through healthy Sunday routines and setting positive examples leading into week 3.
We’d also like to show our gratitude to the Forman maintenance crew for their non-stop work on our beautiful campus. Between the sports fields, campus green, and endless list of odd-jobs, they have been working around the clock to keep our grounds pristine and operations running smoothly.
Be sure to check out the photo gallery and we look forward to creating more memories tomorrow.
Superman,Batman, Joker...Oh My!
07/16/22
What a day! Our big trip to Six Flags was finally here and it was quite the adventure. After a pancake breakfast, we hopped on the buses and took our second trip of the summer. Students got free admission as well as an all-day drink package, meal and snack vouchers.
Once we broke off into groups, students took off to ride rollercoasters, water rides, and play carnival games until it was time to decide where to grab lunch. A number of students rode their first roller coasters, while others congregated in the arcade to see how many tickets they could rack up. Fried dough, Johnny Rockets burgers, and the food court were great breaks from the excitement… and dippin’ dots were a fan favorite on our way out of the park.
After a full day of being on our feet, the students appreciated games on the green and a relaxing bonfire with pizza and s’mores to end the evening.
We anticipate a relaxed Sunday tomorrow after all the excitement today and look forward to another day of Forman Summer. We’d like to thank the counselors for their leadership and collaboration while chaperoning the students on our trip today!
What a day! Our big trip to Six Flags was finally here and it was quite the adventure. After a pancake breakfast, we hopped on the buses and took our second trip of the summer. Students got free admission as well as an all-day drink package, meal and snack vouchers.
Once we broke off into groups, students took off to ride rollercoasters, water rides, and play carnival games until it was time to decide where to grab lunch. A number of students rode their first roller coasters, while others congregated in the arcade to see how many tickets they could rack up. Fried dough, Johnny Rockets burgers, and the food court were great breaks from the excitement… and dippin’ dots were a fan favorite on our way out of the park.
After a full day of being on our feet, the students appreciated games on the green and a relaxing bonfire with pizza and s’mores to end the evening.
We anticipate a relaxed Sunday tomorrow after all the excitement today and look forward to another day of Forman Summer. We’d like to thank the counselors for their leadership and collaboration while chaperoning the students on our trip today!
Fantastic Friday
07/15/22
It is hard to believe that we have completed two full weeks of academics here at Forman Summer. It seems like mother nature has been in our favor since the start here.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Jennifer Kaplan. Mrs. Kaplan has been a member of the Cognition and Learning Department at Forman School since 2018 and has been making a positive impact on our students ever since. Per Mrs. Kaplan:
Executive Functioning
It has been a great week in Mrs. Kaplan’s EF class. In an effort to adhere to our Week II theme of “Assisting Yourself,” students delved into the topic of time management. Students looked at their individual daily schedules, practiced anticipating the amount of time tasks take to complete, and explored the Planning Fallacy. The planning fallacy is a phenomenon in which predictions about how much time will be needed to complete a future task display an optimism bias and underestimate the time needed. This generated a lively discussion surrounding household routines: are students allowing themselves enough time to prepare for school in the morning, complete homework assignments and study for assessments, and get ready for bed in the evening? We included Tim Urban’s legendary TED Talk on procrastination, which the students thoroughly enjoyed.
Metacognition
It has also been a great week in Mrs. Kaplan’s Metacognition class. In an effort to adhere to our Week II theme of “Assisting Yourself,” students learned pre-reading strategies. They reacted to the written prompt, “Who deserves a second chance?” We then went on to discuss what criteria could be used to determine whether a person deserves another chance. All of this was in preparation for reading O. Henry’s short story, “A Retrieved Reformation.” After listening to the audio version and following along, students were then asked to consider their responses to the prompt in light of the story’s surprise ending. They had to decide if our main character’s situation fit any of their criteria for deserving a second chance. Once again, a lively discussion ensued.
Reading II:
It has been a great week in Mrs. Kaplan’s Reading II class. In preparation for a close reading of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story, “Markheim,” students watched the short film of the same name. This film was produced in Poland in 1971, and students followed along by reading subtitles. Students were able to articulate their understanding of the main character’s internal struggle between good and evil. Next, students did a close reading of the first two pages of the story as they answered questions and engaged in a discussion about Markheim’s motivation. As the reading material becomes progressively harder, the students are doing a wonderful job at staying focused and asking questions when they are confused. This class is always up for a challenge!
We appreciate the creative and engaging lessons provided by Mrs. Kaplan. Afternoon activities came to a bittersweet ending for week two. Students are looking forward to switching up their schedules next week and some will even be joining our newest option, board games and puzzles. A handful of students in fitness took on the new 10-minutes of core challenge hosted by Forrest! Ceramics wrapped up their week by finishing their pinch pots and pottery from the wheel. Kayaking went to a new spot on the Housatonic River to practice ferrying across the current and even riding a stationary wave. The adventurous bunch of students at the ropes course have steadily been progressing to more challenging obstacles, learning more about patience and perseverance when trying new climbs.
This evening we had a campus-wide event in the student center where students voted to watch The Lost City. All the classic movie snacks and refreshments were provided for a low-key Friday night before we head to Six Flags tomorrow!
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the dining hall staff for continuously providing great meals for our staff and students. The options have been appreciated by all of us with dietary restrictions, picky eaters, and just plain foodies that like variety. Thank you to all of the wonderful, accommodating, and friendly staff in the kitchen… you’ve kept us all going!
It is hard to believe that we have completed two full weeks of academics here at Forman Summer. It seems like mother nature has been in our favor since the start here.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Jennifer Kaplan. Mrs. Kaplan has been a member of the Cognition and Learning Department at Forman School since 2018 and has been making a positive impact on our students ever since. Per Mrs. Kaplan:
Executive Functioning
It has been a great week in Mrs. Kaplan’s EF class. In an effort to adhere to our Week II theme of “Assisting Yourself,” students delved into the topic of time management. Students looked at their individual daily schedules, practiced anticipating the amount of time tasks take to complete, and explored the Planning Fallacy. The planning fallacy is a phenomenon in which predictions about how much time will be needed to complete a future task display an optimism bias and underestimate the time needed. This generated a lively discussion surrounding household routines: are students allowing themselves enough time to prepare for school in the morning, complete homework assignments and study for assessments, and get ready for bed in the evening? We included Tim Urban’s legendary TED Talk on procrastination, which the students thoroughly enjoyed.
Metacognition
It has also been a great week in Mrs. Kaplan’s Metacognition class. In an effort to adhere to our Week II theme of “Assisting Yourself,” students learned pre-reading strategies. They reacted to the written prompt, “Who deserves a second chance?” We then went on to discuss what criteria could be used to determine whether a person deserves another chance. All of this was in preparation for reading O. Henry’s short story, “A Retrieved Reformation.” After listening to the audio version and following along, students were then asked to consider their responses to the prompt in light of the story’s surprise ending. They had to decide if our main character’s situation fit any of their criteria for deserving a second chance. Once again, a lively discussion ensued.
Reading II:
It has been a great week in Mrs. Kaplan’s Reading II class. In preparation for a close reading of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story, “Markheim,” students watched the short film of the same name. This film was produced in Poland in 1971, and students followed along by reading subtitles. Students were able to articulate their understanding of the main character’s internal struggle between good and evil. Next, students did a close reading of the first two pages of the story as they answered questions and engaged in a discussion about Markheim’s motivation. As the reading material becomes progressively harder, the students are doing a wonderful job at staying focused and asking questions when they are confused. This class is always up for a challenge!
We appreciate the creative and engaging lessons provided by Mrs. Kaplan. Afternoon activities came to a bittersweet ending for week two. Students are looking forward to switching up their schedules next week and some will even be joining our newest option, board games and puzzles. A handful of students in fitness took on the new 10-minutes of core challenge hosted by Forrest! Ceramics wrapped up their week by finishing their pinch pots and pottery from the wheel. Kayaking went to a new spot on the Housatonic River to practice ferrying across the current and even riding a stationary wave. The adventurous bunch of students at the ropes course have steadily been progressing to more challenging obstacles, learning more about patience and perseverance when trying new climbs.
This evening we had a campus-wide event in the student center where students voted to watch The Lost City. All the classic movie snacks and refreshments were provided for a low-key Friday night before we head to Six Flags tomorrow!
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the dining hall staff for continuously providing great meals for our staff and students. The options have been appreciated by all of us with dietary restrictions, picky eaters, and just plain foodies that like variety. Thank you to all of the wonderful, accommodating, and friendly staff in the kitchen… you’ve kept us all going!
Thorough Thursday
07/14/22
We can’t believe it’s almost been two full weeks of classes here at Forman Summer. Students continued with their typical school day and got to sign up for next week’s activities during lunch. The excitement of the students was evident as they congregated to plan activities with their friends and inquire about each others’ interests.
Today’s spotlight teacher is our Forman Summer writing teacher Jeremy Marchand. Mr. Marchand keeps his writing lessons fun and engaging and has a strong ability to build rapport with his students demonstrating his experience in this role. He enjoys swimming and can also be found helping manage the waterfront at a popular local camp. Per Mr. Marchand:
Writing (1, 2, & 3):
The Writing classes are meant to provide the students with research-based methods, assistive technology, and individual instruction in the name of unlocking their voice. To assist students in their endeavor to discover their writing voice, the course equips them by strengthening their grammar skills and improving their structural organization. Last week, the course
introduced assistive technology (speech-to-text, text-to-speech, grammarly), to help in their first formal writing assignment. This week, we turn our focus to strengthening grammar skills through various activities and lessons; students are tasked with applying the day’s grammar focus (e.g. today’s: modifier placement, logical comparisons) in a friendly competition on the whiteboards. They are encouraged to purposefully create an incorrect sentence, with the day’s focus in mind, and then leave it on the board for the next period to find and fix. They are also encouraged to write a note to the next class below their ‘creation.’
Regardless of the week, each class either begins with a team grammar competition and/or a fun/creative writing prompt. As for the prompt, students have five to seven minutes to complete a small paragraph (approximately 6 sentences), and then share it with the class, if they choose to do so. Today’s prompt: If you had a superpower, what would it be, and why? [lots of creative answers today!] Yesterday’s: If you had one million dollars to spend on a charity/cause/people, what/who would you give it to, and why? The answers were not only kind, thoughtful and considerate, but they were all very sincere. One of my primary goals is for the students to gain self-confidence as they realize their potential in writing and to find some enjoyment in the process. The writing prompts have proved successful in this regard; I genuinely look forward to the students’ responses, their creativity, and the way many of them enthusiastically discuss their answers.
Next week, our theme is Advocate for yourself (how can students increase their self-advocacy and use these skills during the academic year?). With this theme in mind, we will leave grammar instruction/activities and make our return to formal structure/writing. Students will complete a persuasive essay, where they will identify an issue in an academic environment, propose a solution, and then explain how and why that solution would foster success in an academic environment. I expect the students to have improved their grammar skills and apply that improvement in their upcoming assignment. I am enjoying the students and look forward to our next few weeks together.
Afternoon activities were full of enthusiasm and we once again dodged the rain clouds. Wendy Welshans has been making minor changes to the ropes course to keep things interesting and challenging. Crafts has been focusing on a variety of skills with the very talented Jen Gianfanga who teaches art at Forman doing the school year. A few students have been working on portraits using a variety of mediums, but Ms. Gianfanga has been most impressed with their use of watercolors. Nurse Ann made a generous donation of small fairy houses, which have been very popular among the crafts students. Kayakers checked out a new location on the Housatonic River where they practiced wet exits and ferrying, or crossing the current of a river. The views on the Housatonic were stunning on this beautiful day. Students in volleyball have continued to improve their skills and even set a new record for number of volleys today!
Thursday evenings are extended free time and students loved to bounce from area to area, mingling with a variety of friends and contributing to the camaraderie. The counselors have also been very engaged during this time, participating in activities with the students and taking part in conversations that help foster rapport and respect. We have one more day of classes before another big weekend where we will be traveling to Six Flags! Sunday students will get to choose between a variety of trips to pick up essentials and non-essentials (ice cream).
We are looking forward to another perfect day at Forman Summer. Don’t forget to check out the Photo Gallery for visual updates on the fun!
We can’t believe it’s almost been two full weeks of classes here at Forman Summer. Students continued with their typical school day and got to sign up for next week’s activities during lunch. The excitement of the students was evident as they congregated to plan activities with their friends and inquire about each others’ interests.
Today’s spotlight teacher is our Forman Summer writing teacher Jeremy Marchand. Mr. Marchand keeps his writing lessons fun and engaging and has a strong ability to build rapport with his students demonstrating his experience in this role. He enjoys swimming and can also be found helping manage the waterfront at a popular local camp. Per Mr. Marchand:
Writing (1, 2, & 3):
The Writing classes are meant to provide the students with research-based methods, assistive technology, and individual instruction in the name of unlocking their voice. To assist students in their endeavor to discover their writing voice, the course equips them by strengthening their grammar skills and improving their structural organization. Last week, the course
introduced assistive technology (speech-to-text, text-to-speech, grammarly), to help in their first formal writing assignment. This week, we turn our focus to strengthening grammar skills through various activities and lessons; students are tasked with applying the day’s grammar focus (e.g. today’s: modifier placement, logical comparisons) in a friendly competition on the whiteboards. They are encouraged to purposefully create an incorrect sentence, with the day’s focus in mind, and then leave it on the board for the next period to find and fix. They are also encouraged to write a note to the next class below their ‘creation.’
Regardless of the week, each class either begins with a team grammar competition and/or a fun/creative writing prompt. As for the prompt, students have five to seven minutes to complete a small paragraph (approximately 6 sentences), and then share it with the class, if they choose to do so. Today’s prompt: If you had a superpower, what would it be, and why? [lots of creative answers today!] Yesterday’s: If you had one million dollars to spend on a charity/cause/people, what/who would you give it to, and why? The answers were not only kind, thoughtful and considerate, but they were all very sincere. One of my primary goals is for the students to gain self-confidence as they realize their potential in writing and to find some enjoyment in the process. The writing prompts have proved successful in this regard; I genuinely look forward to the students’ responses, their creativity, and the way many of them enthusiastically discuss their answers.
Next week, our theme is Advocate for yourself (how can students increase their self-advocacy and use these skills during the academic year?). With this theme in mind, we will leave grammar instruction/activities and make our return to formal structure/writing. Students will complete a persuasive essay, where they will identify an issue in an academic environment, propose a solution, and then explain how and why that solution would foster success in an academic environment. I expect the students to have improved their grammar skills and apply that improvement in their upcoming assignment. I am enjoying the students and look forward to our next few weeks together.
Afternoon activities were full of enthusiasm and we once again dodged the rain clouds. Wendy Welshans has been making minor changes to the ropes course to keep things interesting and challenging. Crafts has been focusing on a variety of skills with the very talented Jen Gianfanga who teaches art at Forman doing the school year. A few students have been working on portraits using a variety of mediums, but Ms. Gianfanga has been most impressed with their use of watercolors. Nurse Ann made a generous donation of small fairy houses, which have been very popular among the crafts students. Kayakers checked out a new location on the Housatonic River where they practiced wet exits and ferrying, or crossing the current of a river. The views on the Housatonic were stunning on this beautiful day. Students in volleyball have continued to improve their skills and even set a new record for number of volleys today!
Thursday evenings are extended free time and students loved to bounce from area to area, mingling with a variety of friends and contributing to the camaraderie. The counselors have also been very engaged during this time, participating in activities with the students and taking part in conversations that help foster rapport and respect. We have one more day of classes before another big weekend where we will be traveling to Six Flags! Sunday students will get to choose between a variety of trips to pick up essentials and non-essentials (ice cream).
We are looking forward to another perfect day at Forman Summer. Don’t forget to check out the Photo Gallery for visual updates on the fun!
Competitive Wednesdays
07/13/22
Hump day was a success for Forman Summer. Students have really fallen into the routine and are showing a level of comfort that surpasses what we have expected.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Ron Miller. Mr. Miller serves as a Forman math teacher during the school year, as well as the head wrestling coach. Per Mr. Miller:
Algebra 1
Today in Algebra 1 we played Math Jeopardy. The teams were composed of three solo players and one team made of two players. First they picked the avatar they wanted to represent their team. Next, each team guessed a number and closest went first. The topics of choice were exponents using multiplication, exponents using division, and exponents using the combination of multiplication and division. The two main ideas to be successful were that exponents with the same base being divided are subtracted. If the exponents are being multiplied, the exponents are added. The scores were tight and the winner was not determined until after Final Jeopardy. After Jeopardy, we looked ahead at what we will be working on the next few days. Tomorrow, we will cover linear equations. Friday, we will be putting together a mock investment portfolio that will compete against the other classes. The students were engaged and enjoyed the class.
Geometry
Like Algebra 1, the students in Geometry also played Jeopardy. The teams were again three solo teams with one that had two players. They selected avatars and the topics of choice were classifying angles, angles formed by parallel lines, and measuring angles. Some of the angle questions involved understanding complementary angles, which add up to 90 degrees, and supplementary angles which add up to 180 degrees. Lastly, acute angles are less than 90 degrees while obtuse angles are greater than 90 degrees. Angles formed by parallel lines were much more challenging. Alternate interior and exterior angle knowledge was important and an area we will work on further. The measuring angles topic was a slam dunk. After the competition, we looked ahead at proportions and the introduction to the Pythagorean Theorem.
Pre-Algebra
Pre-Algebra was also a day of Jeopardy. The students decided to create only two teams. Each team had two players. The topics covered were Writing Algebraic Expressions, Simplifying Algebraic Expressions, and Solving Equations. These topics tested the skills of knowing the order of operation. We teach PEMDAS which is parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction as the order of operations. Simplifying expressions required the skill of distribution and solving equations required a bit of each of the previous skill sets. The questions were challenging and each team went into negative points. However, a strong comeback by both teams put them well into the positive points. In the end, both teams tied. The class was engaged and enjoyed the friendly competition. After Jeopardy, we looked ahead at fine tuning our distributive property. Solving more difficult equations is really our end goal to prepare the Pre-Algebra students for this coming fall.
Afternoon activities continued with the same excitement as the past week and a half. The students who signed up for the ropes course have been using the rock wall and our outdoor expert Wendy Welshans is starting a new challenge to see how many students can reach the top of the wall by the end of the summer. Today Kayaking went to the Housatonic River to practice turning into the current and allowing some new members of the group to practice safely exiting their boats when they flip. Ceramics used the wheels again and students worked on exciting projects like an impressive vase and a series of geometric pinch pots. Golf got to play at a par 3 course and soak up plenty of the beautiful sunshine we got today, while running reaped the same benefits during their barefoot workout and stretching on the green.
This evening students went down to the field to compete in a program-wide kickball game. Team Enzo took home the championship. Luckily everyone was a winner because our favorite ice cream truck came to deliver everyone a special treat!
Hump day was a success for Forman Summer. Students have really fallen into the routine and are showing a level of comfort that surpasses what we have expected.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Ron Miller. Mr. Miller serves as a Forman math teacher during the school year, as well as the head wrestling coach. Per Mr. Miller:
Algebra 1
Today in Algebra 1 we played Math Jeopardy. The teams were composed of three solo players and one team made of two players. First they picked the avatar they wanted to represent their team. Next, each team guessed a number and closest went first. The topics of choice were exponents using multiplication, exponents using division, and exponents using the combination of multiplication and division. The two main ideas to be successful were that exponents with the same base being divided are subtracted. If the exponents are being multiplied, the exponents are added. The scores were tight and the winner was not determined until after Final Jeopardy. After Jeopardy, we looked ahead at what we will be working on the next few days. Tomorrow, we will cover linear equations. Friday, we will be putting together a mock investment portfolio that will compete against the other classes. The students were engaged and enjoyed the class.
Geometry
Like Algebra 1, the students in Geometry also played Jeopardy. The teams were again three solo teams with one that had two players. They selected avatars and the topics of choice were classifying angles, angles formed by parallel lines, and measuring angles. Some of the angle questions involved understanding complementary angles, which add up to 90 degrees, and supplementary angles which add up to 180 degrees. Lastly, acute angles are less than 90 degrees while obtuse angles are greater than 90 degrees. Angles formed by parallel lines were much more challenging. Alternate interior and exterior angle knowledge was important and an area we will work on further. The measuring angles topic was a slam dunk. After the competition, we looked ahead at proportions and the introduction to the Pythagorean Theorem.
Pre-Algebra
Pre-Algebra was also a day of Jeopardy. The students decided to create only two teams. Each team had two players. The topics covered were Writing Algebraic Expressions, Simplifying Algebraic Expressions, and Solving Equations. These topics tested the skills of knowing the order of operation. We teach PEMDAS which is parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction as the order of operations. Simplifying expressions required the skill of distribution and solving equations required a bit of each of the previous skill sets. The questions were challenging and each team went into negative points. However, a strong comeback by both teams put them well into the positive points. In the end, both teams tied. The class was engaged and enjoyed the friendly competition. After Jeopardy, we looked ahead at fine tuning our distributive property. Solving more difficult equations is really our end goal to prepare the Pre-Algebra students for this coming fall.
Afternoon activities continued with the same excitement as the past week and a half. The students who signed up for the ropes course have been using the rock wall and our outdoor expert Wendy Welshans is starting a new challenge to see how many students can reach the top of the wall by the end of the summer. Today Kayaking went to the Housatonic River to practice turning into the current and allowing some new members of the group to practice safely exiting their boats when they flip. Ceramics used the wheels again and students worked on exciting projects like an impressive vase and a series of geometric pinch pots. Golf got to play at a par 3 course and soak up plenty of the beautiful sunshine we got today, while running reaped the same benefits during their barefoot workout and stretching on the green.
This evening students went down to the field to compete in a program-wide kickball game. Team Enzo took home the championship. Luckily everyone was a winner because our favorite ice cream truck came to deliver everyone a special treat!
Building Blocks
07/12/22
We somehow dodged the forecasted rain today and continued the learning and fun. There was a new record set today for packages received from home, leading to some big smiles at breakfast time.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Arlis Astudillo, who teaches math during the summer program and school year. Arlis was pleased to spend his birthday with his students today and we hope he had the chance to get some volleys in on the tennis courts after class. Per Mr. A:
Students in my Pre-Algebra class returned to basics by studying some topics in number theory and the building blocks of Algebra. Today, students focus on the greatest common factor, connecting students' past lessons on the factors of a number as well as prime factorization. This will help students with understanding the structure and mechanics of a fraction and solving equations. A Kahoot was used to help solidify the lesson.
Students in my Algebra I class have been studying functions. Students first began by looking at the properties of a function and what characteristics make a dataset a function. Students also began to focus on linear functions and had a sneak peek of graphing linear functions through a word problem.
Afternoon activities continue to benefit from the nice weather. The students that signed up for fitness with our counselor Forrest have been learning the importance of core muscles when it comes to athletics. Forrest leads “5-minutes of core” everyday. Ceramics students got to use the wheels today and got a helpful lesson from Celia, who learned how to make pottery as a student at Forman. Kayaking was a blast on Mohawk pond where students got to learn how to use the “hip thrust” to flip their kayaks back over when submerged. The group also had the opportunity to use the rope swing before breaking for a free-swim. Some students got a big shoutout for helping pick up litter and protect the pond!
This evening's event was a counselor chat where students got to listen to former Forman students (current counselors) Sky and Enzo discuss their roads to Forman and how it helped them progress in their academic careers. Sky currently attends Skidmore College where he is leaning toward a degree in either Studio Art or Graphic Design. Sky is a great athlete and the students have been loving his leadership in basketball and field sports. Enzo was in the National Honor Society at Forman and captain of the soccer and lacrosse teams. He currently attends Syracuse University in hopes to land a job doing data analytics for a company like Microsoft.
We are grateful for our great staff at all levels here at Forman and they all look forward to making the rest of the summer as fun and beneficial to the students as possible.
We somehow dodged the forecasted rain today and continued the learning and fun. There was a new record set today for packages received from home, leading to some big smiles at breakfast time.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Arlis Astudillo, who teaches math during the summer program and school year. Arlis was pleased to spend his birthday with his students today and we hope he had the chance to get some volleys in on the tennis courts after class. Per Mr. A:
Students in my Pre-Algebra class returned to basics by studying some topics in number theory and the building blocks of Algebra. Today, students focus on the greatest common factor, connecting students' past lessons on the factors of a number as well as prime factorization. This will help students with understanding the structure and mechanics of a fraction and solving equations. A Kahoot was used to help solidify the lesson.
Students in my Algebra I class have been studying functions. Students first began by looking at the properties of a function and what characteristics make a dataset a function. Students also began to focus on linear functions and had a sneak peek of graphing linear functions through a word problem.
Afternoon activities continue to benefit from the nice weather. The students that signed up for fitness with our counselor Forrest have been learning the importance of core muscles when it comes to athletics. Forrest leads “5-minutes of core” everyday. Ceramics students got to use the wheels today and got a helpful lesson from Celia, who learned how to make pottery as a student at Forman. Kayaking was a blast on Mohawk pond where students got to learn how to use the “hip thrust” to flip their kayaks back over when submerged. The group also had the opportunity to use the rope swing before breaking for a free-swim. Some students got a big shoutout for helping pick up litter and protect the pond!
This evening's event was a counselor chat where students got to listen to former Forman students (current counselors) Sky and Enzo discuss their roads to Forman and how it helped them progress in their academic careers. Sky currently attends Skidmore College where he is leaning toward a degree in either Studio Art or Graphic Design. Sky is a great athlete and the students have been loving his leadership in basketball and field sports. Enzo was in the National Honor Society at Forman and captain of the soccer and lacrosse teams. He currently attends Syracuse University in hopes to land a job doing data analytics for a company like Microsoft.
We are grateful for our great staff at all levels here at Forman and they all look forward to making the rest of the summer as fun and beneficial to the students as possible.
Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zone
07/11/22
Smooth sailing at the start of week 2. Classes have resumed while afternoon activities have changed for a lot of students.
Tammy Diehl is our spotlight teacher for today. Her lesson involved going over resources for reading comprehension and vocabulary building, as well as strategies for the math section of standardized testing. Per Ms. Diehl:
Reading 1
We looked at Scarborough's Reading Rope to see all the skills that are needed for reading comprehension and then made one in class. We did a quick review of what is needed to focus on for the rest of the program. For the rest of the week, and beyond, we will be using the Orton Gillingham approach to fill in some of the missing gaps. We will also be learning different reading strategies to help with the upcoming school year. One of the strategies will be incorporating The Megawords series in class as already mentioned in Ms. Stull's blog. Another strategy is a different way to learn vocabulary. To build knowledge of words, students are studying “The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy”, from The University of Kansas, in which students learn the meaning of new vocabulary words by using powerful memory-enhancement techniques. This strategy cues students to focus on critical elements of the concept: to use visual imagery, to make associations with prior knowledge, to use keyword mnemonic devices to create a study card, and finally to study the card to enhance comprehension and recall of the concept. Through the use of Quizlet, a website, students are liking the features, especially the reader, so that they can learn the words.
EF
Students have been working on learning about The Adolescent Brain and what Executive Functioning (E.F.) Skills are. They learned that E.F. skills lay in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. We read a story about Phineas Gage and how his prefrontal cortex was affected. We then looked at a paper planner and learned how to write down homework assignments for next year. This planner has the students using these E.F. skills: organization, estimating time, prioritizing, tracking time, and planning. We then designed a proper study space to help with learning, learned how to keep track of where assignments are placed and played a game on how to organize and keep track of hard copy materials. We talked about self-awareness and personal strengths and challenges. Next, we will be working on Goal setting.
ACT/SAT
This class is meant to give students a toolbox of strategies that they can refer to when preparing for future standardized testing. While mastery of these ACT and SAT strategies is not a realistic goal within four weeks, students will become more mindful of and comfortable with the standardized test-taking process, which should bode well when they officially take these tests in the future. In the first week, we looked at how the tests are set up, how long each section is, strategies for all of the SAT, and strategies for all the ACT. This week we are focusing on the Math portions of each test. We are using a mixture of Khan Academy and the prep guides that are found in any bookstore. Next week we will focus on the English portions of the tests.
It was another beautiful sunny day here at Forman and we really reaped the benefits during afternoon activities. This week was the start of three new electives and students were eager to fill their schedules with ceramics, kayaking, and the ropes course. We have the pleasure of having Wendy Welshans joining our Forman Summer program. Wendy teaches Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and the Tropical Ecology Seminar. She is also head of Forman Boat Works, Forman's own wooden boat building program. With Wendy’s help we had a group of six students truly build their confidence in kayaking, as they had the opportunity to learn about white water kayaking and how to safely evacuate their boats (it was a great way to cool off during the warm afternoon).
Music electives have chosen to learn the popular song Begging by Manskin and made plenty of progress on day one of the week. The running group capitalized on the shade provided by Forman’s extensive network of trails. Arts and crafts had free draw, resulting in a number of students challenging each other to draw flowers or design their own bookmarks.
This evening’s program-wide activity involved a game and discussion on diversity and inclusion. The card-game that drove the activity was called We Are Not Really Strangers and the objective is to help facilitate deeper conversations at the dining room table. Through this game students got the chance to learn about the impact of their words and practice deeper reflection on their own differences in social identities.
We can’t wait for another great day at Forman Summer!
Smooth sailing at the start of week 2. Classes have resumed while afternoon activities have changed for a lot of students.
Tammy Diehl is our spotlight teacher for today. Her lesson involved going over resources for reading comprehension and vocabulary building, as well as strategies for the math section of standardized testing. Per Ms. Diehl:
Reading 1
We looked at Scarborough's Reading Rope to see all the skills that are needed for reading comprehension and then made one in class. We did a quick review of what is needed to focus on for the rest of the program. For the rest of the week, and beyond, we will be using the Orton Gillingham approach to fill in some of the missing gaps. We will also be learning different reading strategies to help with the upcoming school year. One of the strategies will be incorporating The Megawords series in class as already mentioned in Ms. Stull's blog. Another strategy is a different way to learn vocabulary. To build knowledge of words, students are studying “The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy”, from The University of Kansas, in which students learn the meaning of new vocabulary words by using powerful memory-enhancement techniques. This strategy cues students to focus on critical elements of the concept: to use visual imagery, to make associations with prior knowledge, to use keyword mnemonic devices to create a study card, and finally to study the card to enhance comprehension and recall of the concept. Through the use of Quizlet, a website, students are liking the features, especially the reader, so that they can learn the words.
EF
Students have been working on learning about The Adolescent Brain and what Executive Functioning (E.F.) Skills are. They learned that E.F. skills lay in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. We read a story about Phineas Gage and how his prefrontal cortex was affected. We then looked at a paper planner and learned how to write down homework assignments for next year. This planner has the students using these E.F. skills: organization, estimating time, prioritizing, tracking time, and planning. We then designed a proper study space to help with learning, learned how to keep track of where assignments are placed and played a game on how to organize and keep track of hard copy materials. We talked about self-awareness and personal strengths and challenges. Next, we will be working on Goal setting.
ACT/SAT
This class is meant to give students a toolbox of strategies that they can refer to when preparing for future standardized testing. While mastery of these ACT and SAT strategies is not a realistic goal within four weeks, students will become more mindful of and comfortable with the standardized test-taking process, which should bode well when they officially take these tests in the future. In the first week, we looked at how the tests are set up, how long each section is, strategies for all of the SAT, and strategies for all the ACT. This week we are focusing on the Math portions of each test. We are using a mixture of Khan Academy and the prep guides that are found in any bookstore. Next week we will focus on the English portions of the tests.
It was another beautiful sunny day here at Forman and we really reaped the benefits during afternoon activities. This week was the start of three new electives and students were eager to fill their schedules with ceramics, kayaking, and the ropes course. We have the pleasure of having Wendy Welshans joining our Forman Summer program. Wendy teaches Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and the Tropical Ecology Seminar. She is also head of Forman Boat Works, Forman's own wooden boat building program. With Wendy’s help we had a group of six students truly build their confidence in kayaking, as they had the opportunity to learn about white water kayaking and how to safely evacuate their boats (it was a great way to cool off during the warm afternoon).
Music electives have chosen to learn the popular song Begging by Manskin and made plenty of progress on day one of the week. The running group capitalized on the shade provided by Forman’s extensive network of trails. Arts and crafts had free draw, resulting in a number of students challenging each other to draw flowers or design their own bookmarks.
This evening’s program-wide activity involved a game and discussion on diversity and inclusion. The card-game that drove the activity was called We Are Not Really Strangers and the objective is to help facilitate deeper conversations at the dining room table. Through this game students got the chance to learn about the impact of their words and practice deeper reflection on their own differences in social identities.
We can’t wait for another great day at Forman Summer!
Sunday Funday
07/10/22
It was a leisurely Sunday for the Forman Summer program. Students were relaxed following the excitement from yesterday (or maybe it was the blueberry pancakes and omelette bar at brunch). We took trips to Target, West Farms Mall, Arethusa Ice Cream, and to the Mount Tom hiking trail. Target was the most popular choice for students today and the bus came back stocked with some essentials and non-essentials (toys).
On campus, students had the option of playing on the green, in the gym, or in the fitness center. The free time was definitely beneficial today and everyone enjoyed the downtime before starting some Sunday evening routines. While the day unwinded, students did some dorm cleanup and participated in dorm meetings to help mentally prepare for the new week of classes and afternoon activities. Student’s tidied up their dorms and common spaces and are ready for a productive (and fun) second week of Forman Summer.
We are looking forward to another great week of classes and a new round of afternoon activities!
It was a leisurely Sunday for the Forman Summer program. Students were relaxed following the excitement from yesterday (or maybe it was the blueberry pancakes and omelette bar at brunch). We took trips to Target, West Farms Mall, Arethusa Ice Cream, and to the Mount Tom hiking trail. Target was the most popular choice for students today and the bus came back stocked with some essentials and non-essentials (toys).
On campus, students had the option of playing on the green, in the gym, or in the fitness center. The free time was definitely beneficial today and everyone enjoyed the downtime before starting some Sunday evening routines. While the day unwinded, students did some dorm cleanup and participated in dorm meetings to help mentally prepare for the new week of classes and afternoon activities. Student’s tidied up their dorms and common spaces and are ready for a productive (and fun) second week of Forman Summer.
We are looking forward to another great week of classes and a new round of afternoon activities!
Saturday Smiles @ High Meadow
07/09/22
We are exhausted from the excitement that today provided us…
Our first trip of the summer was to High Meadow in Granby, CT. The grounds offered endless activities and we were again blessed with a beautiful sunny day. Between the rock wall, arts and crafts station, mini golf, gaga pit, pool, and DJ, it was difficult to find students sitting for more than a few minutes at a time. Lunch, ice cream, cotton candy, and popcorn were also provided at High Meadow for those few moments where breaks were needed.
In addition to the free range of activities, there were also scheduled competitions like the egg toss and pie eating contest. Judging by the amount of students that were covered in whipped cream… I’m not certain that any of us won, but I am positive that we participated with big smiles. Many students impressed everyone by beating two staff members in a race up the rock wall (by a marginal lead) and we all encouraged each other to try some new tricks off of the diving board!
While the trip was full of commotion, I’d like to think that the highlight of the day was watching one large group of students gather around the microphone and sing along to a number of songs (Frozen was my favorite). The cohesiveness of the students couldn’t be more evident and we love to see the level of inclusion from all of the peers.
Don’t forget to check out the Photo Gallery for some action shots from today!
We are exhausted from the excitement that today provided us…
Our first trip of the summer was to High Meadow in Granby, CT. The grounds offered endless activities and we were again blessed with a beautiful sunny day. Between the rock wall, arts and crafts station, mini golf, gaga pit, pool, and DJ, it was difficult to find students sitting for more than a few minutes at a time. Lunch, ice cream, cotton candy, and popcorn were also provided at High Meadow for those few moments where breaks were needed.
In addition to the free range of activities, there were also scheduled competitions like the egg toss and pie eating contest. Judging by the amount of students that were covered in whipped cream… I’m not certain that any of us won, but I am positive that we participated with big smiles. Many students impressed everyone by beating two staff members in a race up the rock wall (by a marginal lead) and we all encouraged each other to try some new tricks off of the diving board!
While the trip was full of commotion, I’d like to think that the highlight of the day was watching one large group of students gather around the microphone and sing along to a number of songs (Frozen was my favorite). The cohesiveness of the students couldn’t be more evident and we love to see the level of inclusion from all of the peers.
Don’t forget to check out the Photo Gallery for some action shots from today!
Fun Filled Friday
07/08/22
Happy Friday! What a great week at Forman Summer. Time is flying by and the next three weeks are as promising as this one was.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Sara E. Reilly who is teaching Executive Functioning and Metacognition.
Per Sara:
Executive Functioning Classes
I am thrilled to have the pleasure of instructing Forman Summer Scholars in engaging lessons and higher level discourse. Our first week was devoted to building a classroom community, taking risks, reading , writing and critical thinking strategies, as well as public speaking. This provided a foundation to apply specific executive functioning strategies and skills on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week we focused on reading and written response strategies relative to planning and organization. Students also engaged in preparing for a debate by implementing task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning as students reflect on the know yourself theme, identifying their strengths and areas for growth. Next week, we will target our theme of Assisting Yourself, discipline, specific skills and strategies.
Metacognition Class
We are creating a dynamic classroom environment in our Forman Summer Metacognition class. I am so inspired by the passion, curiosity and intellect with this group of Scholars! Our first week was devoted to building a classroom community, taking risks, reading , writing and critical thinking strategies, as well as public speaking. This provided a foundation to apply specific metacognition strategies on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week we focused on reading and written response strategies relative to planning and organization. Students also engaged in preparing for a debate by implementing task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning as students reflect on the Know Yourself Theme, identifying their strengths and areas for growth. Next week, we will target our theme of Assisting Yourself, discipline , specific skills and strategies.
Like the rest of our valued teachers, Sara encapsulates the values of Forman through her approachability and clarity in her lessons.
Afternoon activities were bittersweet, as students will start their new activities for week 2. Drawing and Painting has been working on abstract portraits this week, following the influence of Picasso. Students have gotten a kick out of drawing each other while adding creative twists. In basketball we played our first game of 5 vs. 5 with the help of a couple of students from the photography elective. Ben even hit a three point shot to help lead his team to victory.
This evening we rented out the entire theater to watch Thor, which just opened in the box office today. The consensus was that the movie was great and so was the popcorn.
We look forward to our big trip tomorrow to High Meadow where we will get to swim, play games, climb the rock wall, mini golf, and tie-dye shirts!
Happy Friday! What a great week at Forman Summer. Time is flying by and the next three weeks are as promising as this one was.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Sara E. Reilly who is teaching Executive Functioning and Metacognition.
Per Sara:
Executive Functioning Classes
I am thrilled to have the pleasure of instructing Forman Summer Scholars in engaging lessons and higher level discourse. Our first week was devoted to building a classroom community, taking risks, reading , writing and critical thinking strategies, as well as public speaking. This provided a foundation to apply specific executive functioning strategies and skills on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week we focused on reading and written response strategies relative to planning and organization. Students also engaged in preparing for a debate by implementing task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning as students reflect on the know yourself theme, identifying their strengths and areas for growth. Next week, we will target our theme of Assisting Yourself, discipline, specific skills and strategies.
Metacognition Class
We are creating a dynamic classroom environment in our Forman Summer Metacognition class. I am so inspired by the passion, curiosity and intellect with this group of Scholars! Our first week was devoted to building a classroom community, taking risks, reading , writing and critical thinking strategies, as well as public speaking. This provided a foundation to apply specific metacognition strategies on a daily basis as well as outside of the academic day.
This week we focused on reading and written response strategies relative to planning and organization. Students also engaged in preparing for a debate by implementing task analysis strategies pertaining to researching topics, summarizing information and analysis of both written and oral arguments.
We will continue with theme based learning as students reflect on the Know Yourself Theme, identifying their strengths and areas for growth. Next week, we will target our theme of Assisting Yourself, discipline , specific skills and strategies.
Like the rest of our valued teachers, Sara encapsulates the values of Forman through her approachability and clarity in her lessons.
Afternoon activities were bittersweet, as students will start their new activities for week 2. Drawing and Painting has been working on abstract portraits this week, following the influence of Picasso. Students have gotten a kick out of drawing each other while adding creative twists. In basketball we played our first game of 5 vs. 5 with the help of a couple of students from the photography elective. Ben even hit a three point shot to help lead his team to victory.
This evening we rented out the entire theater to watch Thor, which just opened in the box office today. The consensus was that the movie was great and so was the popcorn.
We look forward to our big trip tomorrow to High Meadow where we will get to swim, play games, climb the rock wall, mini golf, and tie-dye shirts!
Friday-Eve
07/07/22
This Thursday was business (and fun) as usual. We really lucked out with the weather this week and the students are loving the warm New England days.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Tyler Christie. Mr. Christie is a fan-favorite math teacher here at Forman who enjoys Ninja Turtles and pizza. Per Mr. Christie:
In Pre-Algebra this morning we covered some big topics including distribution and order of operations. Students were given 3 post it notes. There are 4 students in class. How many post it notes were distributed? Each student put their initials on each of their 3 post it notes and gave one each to the other 3 students in their class. How many post it notes did each distribute and receive? I then had students write out detailed recipes to highlight order of operations, as if I were a space alien with no idea how to cook. Hypothetically, I ate scrambled eggs with the shells and ramen that had been warmed by the sun, and microwaved mac and cheese. We re-emphasized attention to detail and that order matters when doing our mathematics.
In Algebra I today, we introduced the coordinate plane, X and Y-axes, the four quadrants and scale. The coordinate plane is the frame for the picture, which is our graph. We read our graph from left to right and bottom to top simultaneously. Relating this to the real-world, we discussed how this is the basis for story-board art for video games as well as how joysticks are coded to perform operations of movement on maps in games. Students then drew their own two-dimensional maps, including a spawn-point and flag to capture point. Students titled their maps and then created a scale and estimated distance from their spawn point and flag.
In Algebra II today, we talked about the big picture when it comes to math. To me, roller coasters have always been one of the pinnacles, pun intended, of mathematical knowhow. The function we are currently exploring is shaped and curved like a roller coaster. I had each student identify different roller coasters that are well known and why. We shared the fastest roller coaster in Abu Dhabi, as well as some really tall roller coasters like the Sky Coaster in Hershey Park. We concluded the day wrapping up how dividing polynomials helps us to gain an idea of the shape of the polynomial function and where the graph crosses the x-axis. It was a fun day of mathematical exploration.
We enjoy the functional math skills that Mr. Christie teaches and his ability to present the information in such a way that makes learning fun and engaging.
Afternoon activities were in full swing. The photography group is learning how to take action shots and ‘framing’ their photos. You can see some examples in the photo gallery tab. The trend in basketball lately has been challenging the activity leaders to games and a number of students have been seeking lessons from our counselor, Sky. Music has the benefit of a new counselor that started today, Em. Em has a background in music and is going to be a great addition to the elective!
This evening students were given the freedom of extended free time. The campus green was filled with smiling faces as the students enjoyed freeze pops! The comfort level of each student has been evident and we are enthusiastic about the friendships that are forming.
This Thursday was business (and fun) as usual. We really lucked out with the weather this week and the students are loving the warm New England days.
Today’s spotlight teacher is Tyler Christie. Mr. Christie is a fan-favorite math teacher here at Forman who enjoys Ninja Turtles and pizza. Per Mr. Christie:
In Pre-Algebra this morning we covered some big topics including distribution and order of operations. Students were given 3 post it notes. There are 4 students in class. How many post it notes were distributed? Each student put their initials on each of their 3 post it notes and gave one each to the other 3 students in their class. How many post it notes did each distribute and receive? I then had students write out detailed recipes to highlight order of operations, as if I were a space alien with no idea how to cook. Hypothetically, I ate scrambled eggs with the shells and ramen that had been warmed by the sun, and microwaved mac and cheese. We re-emphasized attention to detail and that order matters when doing our mathematics.
In Algebra I today, we introduced the coordinate plane, X and Y-axes, the four quadrants and scale. The coordinate plane is the frame for the picture, which is our graph. We read our graph from left to right and bottom to top simultaneously. Relating this to the real-world, we discussed how this is the basis for story-board art for video games as well as how joysticks are coded to perform operations of movement on maps in games. Students then drew their own two-dimensional maps, including a spawn-point and flag to capture point. Students titled their maps and then created a scale and estimated distance from their spawn point and flag.
In Algebra II today, we talked about the big picture when it comes to math. To me, roller coasters have always been one of the pinnacles, pun intended, of mathematical knowhow. The function we are currently exploring is shaped and curved like a roller coaster. I had each student identify different roller coasters that are well known and why. We shared the fastest roller coaster in Abu Dhabi, as well as some really tall roller coasters like the Sky Coaster in Hershey Park. We concluded the day wrapping up how dividing polynomials helps us to gain an idea of the shape of the polynomial function and where the graph crosses the x-axis. It was a fun day of mathematical exploration.
We enjoy the functional math skills that Mr. Christie teaches and his ability to present the information in such a way that makes learning fun and engaging.
Afternoon activities were in full swing. The photography group is learning how to take action shots and ‘framing’ their photos. You can see some examples in the photo gallery tab. The trend in basketball lately has been challenging the activity leaders to games and a number of students have been seeking lessons from our counselor, Sky. Music has the benefit of a new counselor that started today, Em. Em has a background in music and is going to be a great addition to the elective!
This evening students were given the freedom of extended free time. The campus green was filled with smiling faces as the students enjoyed freeze pops! The comfort level of each student has been evident and we are enthusiastic about the friendships that are forming.
Write-On Wednesday
07/06/22
The students are finding their groove as we progress through week one!
Today’s spotlight teacher is Becky Stull who is preparing our students for the school year with strategies to improve their reading skills and executive functioning.
Per Ms. Stull:
Today in Reading 1 we had a discussion about what it means to be an active reader. We touched upon various topics such as fluency, decoding, main idea, supporting details, inferencing, authors purpose, as well as phonics and spelling rules. As the summer continues, we will delve further into each of these topics. We took a look at the Megawords series which is a program that will assist students with their decoding and encoding skills, spelling rules, and understanding multisyllabic words. Moving forward, each student will be provided direct instruction using the Megawords series. In addition, each student identified what they would like to work on in order to become a stronger reader and they set a reading goal for themselves. We will work on their goal for the remainder of our time together. We started reading a novel together and hope to finish it by the end of the summer program! To finish class today, we read a passage titled “Island of Hope”, a piece that talks about Ellis Island. We read the passage together and reflected on questions that helped with comprehension and identifying the main idea, supporting details, and the author’s purpose.
In Executive Functioning, the students completed a rating scale where they identified where they might struggle the most and the areas that they excel in. This was a catalyst for discussion on what is encompassed under the term of Executive Functioning. We identified topics such as organization, time management, flexible thinking, impulse control, working memory, goal setting and advocating for yourself. The students learned about the prefrontal cortex and how it is responsible for many of your executive functioning skills and decision making. We watched a short video on “What is Executive Functioning”. Each student decorated an index card about themselves reflecting what they would like to work on as far as improving themselves in any certain area of executive functioning. They took the information from their rating scale and set a goal for themselves. As the summer continues, we will learn more about strategies that may help us be successful in the classroom and in our personal lives. We will also focus on setting realistic and achievable goals for ourselves.
We appreciate Ms. Stull and these valuable lessons!
Afternoon activities were met with beautiful weather and eager students. Waters were warm at the pool and the greens were smooth at the golf course. Block 1 basketball and block 2 tennis hosted a friendly competition between students and activity leaders (it was a valiant effort by the activity leaders despite being outnumbered). Jess and Sadie won the award for best sportsmanship during tennis, after tolerating the endless amount of atrocious serves from their activity leader. Music classes are progressing through the Nirvana song they’re learning, moving onto the chorus today! By the end of afternoon activities we noticed a drastic increase in the amount of jewelry being worn, suggesting that production rate is increasing in the Jewel Making elective!
The real excitement came this evening with the school-wide dodgeball tournament in the gym. The comradery seems endless with this great group of kids. Team Lark, in particular, is celebrating tonight as they took home the 1st place trophy.
We look forward to another great day tomorrow! Make sure to check out the photo gallery to see visual updates on the fun!
The students are finding their groove as we progress through week one!
Today’s spotlight teacher is Becky Stull who is preparing our students for the school year with strategies to improve their reading skills and executive functioning.
Per Ms. Stull:
Today in Reading 1 we had a discussion about what it means to be an active reader. We touched upon various topics such as fluency, decoding, main idea, supporting details, inferencing, authors purpose, as well as phonics and spelling rules. As the summer continues, we will delve further into each of these topics. We took a look at the Megawords series which is a program that will assist students with their decoding and encoding skills, spelling rules, and understanding multisyllabic words. Moving forward, each student will be provided direct instruction using the Megawords series. In addition, each student identified what they would like to work on in order to become a stronger reader and they set a reading goal for themselves. We will work on their goal for the remainder of our time together. We started reading a novel together and hope to finish it by the end of the summer program! To finish class today, we read a passage titled “Island of Hope”, a piece that talks about Ellis Island. We read the passage together and reflected on questions that helped with comprehension and identifying the main idea, supporting details, and the author’s purpose.
In Executive Functioning, the students completed a rating scale where they identified where they might struggle the most and the areas that they excel in. This was a catalyst for discussion on what is encompassed under the term of Executive Functioning. We identified topics such as organization, time management, flexible thinking, impulse control, working memory, goal setting and advocating for yourself. The students learned about the prefrontal cortex and how it is responsible for many of your executive functioning skills and decision making. We watched a short video on “What is Executive Functioning”. Each student decorated an index card about themselves reflecting what they would like to work on as far as improving themselves in any certain area of executive functioning. They took the information from their rating scale and set a goal for themselves. As the summer continues, we will learn more about strategies that may help us be successful in the classroom and in our personal lives. We will also focus on setting realistic and achievable goals for ourselves.
We appreciate Ms. Stull and these valuable lessons!
Afternoon activities were met with beautiful weather and eager students. Waters were warm at the pool and the greens were smooth at the golf course. Block 1 basketball and block 2 tennis hosted a friendly competition between students and activity leaders (it was a valiant effort by the activity leaders despite being outnumbered). Jess and Sadie won the award for best sportsmanship during tennis, after tolerating the endless amount of atrocious serves from their activity leader. Music classes are progressing through the Nirvana song they’re learning, moving onto the chorus today! By the end of afternoon activities we noticed a drastic increase in the amount of jewelry being worn, suggesting that production rate is increasing in the Jewel Making elective!
The real excitement came this evening with the school-wide dodgeball tournament in the gym. The comradery seems endless with this great group of kids. Team Lark, in particular, is celebrating tonight as they took home the 1st place trophy.
We look forward to another great day tomorrow! Make sure to check out the photo gallery to see visual updates on the fun!
Cloudy With A Chance Of Fun
Tuesday 7/5/22
It was a beautiful Tuesday with comfortable temperatures and grey skies.
Today’s teacher spotlight is on Mr. Yursha!
On the second day of classes, students in Mr. Yursha's writing class began work on their first assignment. Each student was tasked with describing a situation in which they grew as a person or learned something about themself, identifying their greatest strength and their greatest weakness in that particular moment, and exploring the relationship between that strength and weakness in a 10-sentence paragraph.
Students familiarized themselves with a variety of graphic organizers before choosing one and using it to get their thoughts on paper. They were then introduced to CAST (claim, add-on, support, tie-back) paragraph structure, which they used to translate their graphic organizers into outlines. Tomorrow, students will use speech-to-text assistive technology to turn those outlines into drafts of their 10-sentence paragraphs.
Afternoon activities went as smooth as ever. Music classes are learning a song by Nirvana and students are getting the opportunity to dabble with a wide variety of instruments. Michiel is always a great influence for our blossoming musicians. In basketball we practiced half court and full court shots and even had a couple of makes! Besides a few raindrops, all outdoor activities thrived with the exception of block 4 field sports, which opted to compete in air hockey.
This evening students had the amazing opportunity to hear two Forman Summer Counselors and former students, Celia Tucker ‘20 and Forrest Smyth ‘20, speak about their respective experiences at Forman School - in particular the strategies they learned at Forman to be successful in the years that followed. Celia is a 2nd year counselor currently attending NYU to study English Journalism and Marketing Media. She found Forman through a friend and her favorite part of attending Forman as a student was the community-feel and the teachers. Forrest is currently attending Salve Regina University, studying Special Education and playing lacrosse. While attending Forman School, Forrest played on the soccer and lacrosse teams and was also part of the National Honor Society. His favorite part about being a student here were the friendships he formed and the personal connections he was able to make with his teachers. Celia and Forrest are wonderful role models for our students, and we are so happy that they came back to help us with Forman Summer this year.
It was a beautiful Tuesday with comfortable temperatures and grey skies.
Today’s teacher spotlight is on Mr. Yursha!
On the second day of classes, students in Mr. Yursha's writing class began work on their first assignment. Each student was tasked with describing a situation in which they grew as a person or learned something about themself, identifying their greatest strength and their greatest weakness in that particular moment, and exploring the relationship between that strength and weakness in a 10-sentence paragraph.
Students familiarized themselves with a variety of graphic organizers before choosing one and using it to get their thoughts on paper. They were then introduced to CAST (claim, add-on, support, tie-back) paragraph structure, which they used to translate their graphic organizers into outlines. Tomorrow, students will use speech-to-text assistive technology to turn those outlines into drafts of their 10-sentence paragraphs.
Afternoon activities went as smooth as ever. Music classes are learning a song by Nirvana and students are getting the opportunity to dabble with a wide variety of instruments. Michiel is always a great influence for our blossoming musicians. In basketball we practiced half court and full court shots and even had a couple of makes! Besides a few raindrops, all outdoor activities thrived with the exception of block 4 field sports, which opted to compete in air hockey.
This evening students had the amazing opportunity to hear two Forman Summer Counselors and former students, Celia Tucker ‘20 and Forrest Smyth ‘20, speak about their respective experiences at Forman School - in particular the strategies they learned at Forman to be successful in the years that followed. Celia is a 2nd year counselor currently attending NYU to study English Journalism and Marketing Media. She found Forman through a friend and her favorite part of attending Forman as a student was the community-feel and the teachers. Forrest is currently attending Salve Regina University, studying Special Education and playing lacrosse. While attending Forman School, Forrest played on the soccer and lacrosse teams and was also part of the National Honor Society. His favorite part about being a student here were the friendships he formed and the personal connections he was able to make with his teachers. Celia and Forrest are wonderful role models for our students, and we are so happy that they came back to help us with Forman Summer this year.
Let’s get down to BEES-ness!
Monday 7/4/22
This morning started with a local beekeeper coming to campus and helping re-home a swarm of bees from the tree outside of the fitness center. Thanks to her help, the swarm will live at an apiary and continue to benefit the environment with a safe home to return to.
Today’s spotlighted teacher is Mr. Burkhart!
On this first day of class, the primary goal was for the students in Mr. Burkhart’s Reading Two class to get to know each other better by sharing some interesting facts about themselves with one another. As a catalyst for starting this discussion, each member of the class was asked to compose a brief paragraph whereby they chose three individuals, dead or alive, whom they would invite to a dinner party that they hosted. Each student had to explain why they chose the people that they did and describe the direction that they would hope to steer the conversation and/or questions that they would ask. Multiple students mentioned that they would enjoy having dinner with George Washington and Ben Franklin – definitely a fitting choice given the July 4th holiday. Other students decided that Albert Einstein would be an intriguing invite, especially since he struggled with reading. Lastly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was another historical figure that multiple students mentioned. Students delved into how they thought it would be interesting for him to compare and contrast our current social and political climate from that of the 1960s.
After completing this activity, students were then introduced to what it means to annotate a piece of literary fiction. Using Roald Dahl’s short story, The Umbrella Man as our text, I read the piece aloud while stopping at set points. At these points, the students were asked to annotate what I had read. I was impressed by their willingness to share their thoughts and reflections while only having been in class for a short while. Many of the students commented that they enjoyed Dahl’s unique literary style and rich character development. We look forward to finishing the short story during tomorrow’s class. In looking ahead to tomorrow, students will dive further into annotations and also be introduced to a few advanced phonics concepts.
After classes, temperatures soared to 85°F. We made sure to take extra water breaks and gravitate toward the shade when necessary. Our first day of afternoon activities was a huge success. We got to see the creative and competitive sides of our students as they engaged in jewelry making, basketball, tennis, drawing, music, golf and fitness. To escape the heat we wrapped up early, allowing students to cool off with a plethora of water slides on the green. The fun didn’t end there… After dinner we got back together on the green for snow cones, cotton candy, and games!
This morning started with a local beekeeper coming to campus and helping re-home a swarm of bees from the tree outside of the fitness center. Thanks to her help, the swarm will live at an apiary and continue to benefit the environment with a safe home to return to.
Today’s spotlighted teacher is Mr. Burkhart!
On this first day of class, the primary goal was for the students in Mr. Burkhart’s Reading Two class to get to know each other better by sharing some interesting facts about themselves with one another. As a catalyst for starting this discussion, each member of the class was asked to compose a brief paragraph whereby they chose three individuals, dead or alive, whom they would invite to a dinner party that they hosted. Each student had to explain why they chose the people that they did and describe the direction that they would hope to steer the conversation and/or questions that they would ask. Multiple students mentioned that they would enjoy having dinner with George Washington and Ben Franklin – definitely a fitting choice given the July 4th holiday. Other students decided that Albert Einstein would be an intriguing invite, especially since he struggled with reading. Lastly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was another historical figure that multiple students mentioned. Students delved into how they thought it would be interesting for him to compare and contrast our current social and political climate from that of the 1960s.
After completing this activity, students were then introduced to what it means to annotate a piece of literary fiction. Using Roald Dahl’s short story, The Umbrella Man as our text, I read the piece aloud while stopping at set points. At these points, the students were asked to annotate what I had read. I was impressed by their willingness to share their thoughts and reflections while only having been in class for a short while. Many of the students commented that they enjoyed Dahl’s unique literary style and rich character development. We look forward to finishing the short story during tomorrow’s class. In looking ahead to tomorrow, students will dive further into annotations and also be introduced to a few advanced phonics concepts.
After classes, temperatures soared to 85°F. We made sure to take extra water breaks and gravitate toward the shade when necessary. Our first day of afternoon activities was a huge success. We got to see the creative and competitive sides of our students as they engaged in jewelry making, basketball, tennis, drawing, music, golf and fitness. To escape the heat we wrapped up early, allowing students to cool off with a plethora of water slides on the green. The fun didn’t end there… After dinner we got back together on the green for snow cones, cotton candy, and games!
Sunday 7/3/22
Welcome to Forman Summer!
Day one of Forman Summer is officially in the books! The weather was welcoming to the 54 students traveling from 16 states and 7 countries. As the students rolled onto campus throughout the day, the smiling faces began to grow and laughter filled the student center, dorms, gymnasium, and campus green.
Our new Forman Summer students shared a lovely lunch outside and had the opportunity to meet their house parents, teachers, activity leaders, and administrators for the month as we broke the ice with games and conversation. Students also learned some of the ground rules and structure of the next four weeks while signing up for the afternoon activities they’d like to participate in during week one.
To end the beautiful day we got to spoil ourselves with a cold catered treat from our local ice cream truck while students continued to get to know each other and relax on the green.
Continue to check in on our Photo Gallery for images from this afternoon and the rest of our time here at Forman Summer. The Forman Faculty and Staff are extremely excited to begin this summer experience - we hope you all are, too!
Day one of Forman Summer is officially in the books! The weather was welcoming to the 54 students traveling from 16 states and 7 countries. As the students rolled onto campus throughout the day, the smiling faces began to grow and laughter filled the student center, dorms, gymnasium, and campus green.
Our new Forman Summer students shared a lovely lunch outside and had the opportunity to meet their house parents, teachers, activity leaders, and administrators for the month as we broke the ice with games and conversation. Students also learned some of the ground rules and structure of the next four weeks while signing up for the afternoon activities they’d like to participate in during week one.
To end the beautiful day we got to spoil ourselves with a cold catered treat from our local ice cream truck while students continued to get to know each other and relax on the green.
Continue to check in on our Photo Gallery for images from this afternoon and the rest of our time here at Forman Summer. The Forman Faculty and Staff are extremely excited to begin this summer experience - we hope you all are, too!
Welcome Summer Program Families!
We look forward to welcoming your child to the Forman Summer Program in just a few short weeks! Within this letter, you will find pertinent information to help prepare you and your child for our program.
Forman Summer Program Dean of Academics Brittany Bloom is communicating with families to discuss class placements and schedules. In the meantime, if you haven’t done so already, please review the roommate questionnaire and suggested packing list to help both you and your child prepare for the Forman Summer Program experience.
COVID-19 Information
We are not requiring pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for the Forman Summer Program. However, we suggest families take it upon themselves to test prior to arrival, especially if your child is experiencing any possible symptoms. This is suggested in order to avoid any complications in the case your child starts to experience symptoms and tests positive once on campus. For any student who tests positive, they will need to leave campus within 24 hours and complete a full 10-day isolation period at home. If you would not be able to pick up your child within 24 hours of their positive test, please make sure you have a local guardian who would be able to do so. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Health Center or call 860.567.1821.
If you do complete COVID testing prior to arrival and your child tests positive, please contact the Student Health Center for further instructions.
Travel Information
If you are flying into Connecticut to join us, below are possible options for your air travel:
We have also prepared a Hotel and Livery Service List to facilitate your planning.
Opening Day — July 3rd
Please arrive at Malcolm G. Chace Student Center between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 3rd. You are welcome to help move your child into their dorm room. We ask families to leave campus by 11:45 a.m. to allow students to start their activities.
On Opening Day, your child will learn more about their fellow peers and our program. Students will have tours, meet their dorm-mates, and have lunch. We will introduce faculty and staff members, go over expectations and goals, review our Weekday Daily Schedule, and play many team-building games.
We will be keeping a daily blog on our Summer Program website at www.formansummer.org. This is where we will post all the daily updates and photos. In addition, you will also find the Orientation schedule, packing list, and a weekday daily schedule.
The first weekend of the Summer Program is closed to visitors, as this is a time for students to continue to get acclimated at Forman and immerse themselves in our weekend activities. Families are welcome to visit on July 17th and July 24th.
Graduation — July 29th
Forman Summer Program Graduation will take place on July 29th at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will run for approximately one hour. Students will move out of their dorms and leave campus immediately thereafter. More specific information will be released at a later date; however, we wanted to share the date and time for your planning purposes.
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
John Strawson
Director of the Forman Summer Program
john.strawson@formanschool.org
860.567.6215
Forman Summer Program
12 Norfolk Road
Litchfield, CT 06759
www.formansummer.org
Forman Summer Program Dean of Academics Brittany Bloom is communicating with families to discuss class placements and schedules. In the meantime, if you haven’t done so already, please review the roommate questionnaire and suggested packing list to help both you and your child prepare for the Forman Summer Program experience.
COVID-19 Information
We are not requiring pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for the Forman Summer Program. However, we suggest families take it upon themselves to test prior to arrival, especially if your child is experiencing any possible symptoms. This is suggested in order to avoid any complications in the case your child starts to experience symptoms and tests positive once on campus. For any student who tests positive, they will need to leave campus within 24 hours and complete a full 10-day isolation period at home. If you would not be able to pick up your child within 24 hours of their positive test, please make sure you have a local guardian who would be able to do so. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Health Center or call 860.567.1821.
If you do complete COVID testing prior to arrival and your child tests positive, please contact the Student Health Center for further instructions.
Travel Information
If you are flying into Connecticut to join us, below are possible options for your air travel:
- Bradley International Airport (39.2 miles, 55 minutes)
- Laguardia Airport (94.3 miles, 1 hour and 45 minutes)
- JFK International Airport (100 miles, 1 hour and 50 minutes)
- Logan International Airport (134.3 miles, 2 hours and 20 minutes)
We have also prepared a Hotel and Livery Service List to facilitate your planning.
Opening Day — July 3rd
Please arrive at Malcolm G. Chace Student Center between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 3rd. You are welcome to help move your child into their dorm room. We ask families to leave campus by 11:45 a.m. to allow students to start their activities.
On Opening Day, your child will learn more about their fellow peers and our program. Students will have tours, meet their dorm-mates, and have lunch. We will introduce faculty and staff members, go over expectations and goals, review our Weekday Daily Schedule, and play many team-building games.
We will be keeping a daily blog on our Summer Program website at www.formansummer.org. This is where we will post all the daily updates and photos. In addition, you will also find the Orientation schedule, packing list, and a weekday daily schedule.
The first weekend of the Summer Program is closed to visitors, as this is a time for students to continue to get acclimated at Forman and immerse themselves in our weekend activities. Families are welcome to visit on July 17th and July 24th.
Graduation — July 29th
Forman Summer Program Graduation will take place on July 29th at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will run for approximately one hour. Students will move out of their dorms and leave campus immediately thereafter. More specific information will be released at a later date; however, we wanted to share the date and time for your planning purposes.
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
John Strawson
Director of the Forman Summer Program
john.strawson@formanschool.org
860.567.6215
Forman Summer Program
12 Norfolk Road
Litchfield, CT 06759
www.formansummer.org
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