At Piedmont we are big proponents of experiential learning. from recreating (safely) wars and revolutions in individuals and socieities classes, to walking field trips of Uptown historic and modern business sites,  Piedmont students learn by doing. In math they don't just study prisms, they build them, blow them up and go inside. In science, they don't just study heat and geothermal activity on the earth, they make smores to exerience it. 

Here are a few recent examples of special events our teachers created for their students:

Thanks to Ms. Styles and Mr. Reddig, the 8th graders spent the days before Winter break learning about a topic that will help them for the rest of their lives. The teachers arranged a two day participatory experiential lesson in finance from the experts at Wells Fargo.  Students learned about timelines, what you can and can't control,  how quickly money goes when you are an adult, and how to guard yourself from unexpectd setbacks. 

Thanks to Ms. Swift and 6th grade math team for inviting in a Piedmont parent and finance expert to be a guest speaker to 6th graders. Money math in real life, and a good lesson about the way debt can spiral out of control. Here are a few photos from that event. 

Thanks to Mr. Chandler, Ms. Hash, and Ms Tapia for the Titanic in the Gym event where 6th graders used their knowledge of math and reading to stay afloat. I heard only a few survived but everyone enjoyed the chance to compete and cooperate in the multi-class  simulation!

Thanks to Ms. Kryszak and the 6th grade team for organizing a trip to see the new release film of the summer reading blockbuster novel Wonder.  Students enjoyed seeing the book come to life on the big screen almost as much as the popcorn and having the theater to ourselves! They were able to cheer for the heros and boo the villains together and also learn a little about the importance of empathy for those who are different from ourselves.

Thanks to Mr. Carpenter, students were able to go with their Career and Technical Education classmates to the 2017 Geek Fest. Students loved being on a college campus. They attended lectures on Minecraft and Movie Making, toured a high tech automotive center, and particpated in hands on tech sessions like:

I don't have photos of this year's leadership trip to Queen's University, or drama's trip to see the high school play, so please understand this is only a small slice of the work teachers here to do make learning real every day.

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Genius Hour, Passion Project, 20 percent time...whatever you call it it's about the Love of Learning. At Piedmont we call it LOL and it happens every spring.
For the 4th year in a row, 6th graders showcased the information and skills they gleaned from their 6th block independent study time to their classmates, families, and teachers and once again we were amazed at the talent, dedication, creativity and diversity of interests of our class.
Thank you to the sixth grade teachers who each year braves the messiness that comes with student-driven learning. Thank you to the sixth grade students who shared with open arms just a little of what they love. You can tell it was all worth it when you see the proud and happy smiles in this video.

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Thanks to a Donors Choose grant and your community support , the new Piedmont Healthy Living club is offering a special Friday perk. Starting today, the club now serves delicious and healthy smoothies to staff. The club was founded by Health Teacher Garrison Cherry in conjunction with School Nurse Gina Mallay.

​ Mr Cherry says, "Students came up with recipes, tested them out during clubs, researched the nutritional benefits, and run the whole operation."

Thank you so much to Mr Cherry and Nurse Mallay for your passion for keeping Piedmont healthy and teaching students good nutrition in a fun way! Students, we are so proud of you and appreciative! 

The project will continue to develop throughout the year and donations are accepted. #piedmontyouknow #cltfoodie #clthealth #schoolhealth #healthybreakfast #smoothie #drinkyourgreens💚 #nced @cmsschools

The inspiration of Community and Service is the belief that each student can contribute to the community and will ask themselves, “How can I make a difference?”  To fulfill the MYP IB requirement, 8th grade students are required to complete a Community Project. 
 
The Community Project is an ongoing community service activity where students focus on one area of interest in which they can make a positive impact. Students should choose an area of society in which they have a particular passion to make a difference.  Through this MYP community project, students experience the responsibility of completing a significant piece of work over an extended period of time, as well as the need to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work—key skills that prepare students for success in further study, the workplace and the community.

Piedmont Middle School - an IB world school- is a place where students are challenged to display a sense of social responsibility and global awareness  - from the Piedmont IB Community And Service MYP Project page, Karen Gorman and Ronny Reddig, lead teachers.
 
Using the design cycle, the IB Community Project allows students to :

• identify a need within the community where they would love to make a difference
• investigate and create an action plan on how they can contribute
• make a connection to the IB global context
• create a process journal that documents and reflects upon their experience
• meet with teacher/mentors to review project
• execute their action plan
• present their service project 

The aims of the MYP projects are to encourage and enable students to:
 
• participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context
• generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation
• demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time
• communicate effectively in a variety of situations
• demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning
• appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments
 
MYP Objectives
 
Students must address all strands of all four objectives in the MYP community project.
 
Objective A: Investigating

1. Define a goal to address a need within a community, based on personal interests
2. Identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge relevant to the project
3. Demonstrate research skills

 
Objective B: Planning

1. Develop a proposal for action to serve the need in the community
2. Plan and record the development process of the project
3. Demonstrate self-management skills

 
Objective C: Taking Action

1. Demonstrate service as action as a result of the project
2. Demonstrate thinking skills
3. Demonstrate communication and social skills

 
Objective D: Reflecting

1. Evaluate the quality of the service as action against the proposal
2. Reflect on how completing the project has extended their knowledge and understanding of service learning
3. Reflect on their development of IB Approaches to Learning skills

MYP Community Project: Global Context
 
The global context chosen by the students provides a context for inquiry and research in the project. Students choose only one global context to define their goal.
 
IDENTITIES
AND RELATIONSHIPS
Students will explore identity; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; what it means to be human.
- Laughter therapy campaign in children’s hospital or elder care home
- Tutoring classes providing additional or special instruction to primary school students
- Researching the effects of cola drinks on digestion and developing a campaign to promote healthy choices available from school vending machines

ORIENTATION 
IN 
SPACE AND TIME
Students will explore personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations from personal, local and global perspectives.
- Joining a museum or historical society in the community to contribute to maintaining, restoring, and recovering local history
- Making a plan for wheelchair accessibility
- Seeking to improve the facilities for young people by producing an article for the school magazine summarizing the problem and possible solutions

PERSONAL 
AND
 CULTURAL EXPRESSION
Students will explore the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
- Improving the environment in the local hospital by designing and creating a series of pictures to hang in the corridors
- Performing a theatre play to raise awareness on bullying
- Promoting intercultural understanding through a graffiti contest

SCIENTIFIC 
AND 
TECHNICAL INNOVATION
Students will explore the natural world and its laws; the interaction between people and the natural world; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs.
- Helping a local community make an efficient, low-cost use of energy-powered devices
- Developing a program to promote the use of wind energy for domestic devices
- Campaigning to reduce paper use and to promote recycling
- Campaigning to reduce water, electricity or fuel waste
 

GLOBALIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Students will explore the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the relationship between local and global processes; how local experiences mediate the global; the opportunities and tensions provided by world-interconnectedness; the impact of decision-making on humankind and the environment.
- Campaigning to raise awareness and reduce plastic straw waste use
- Passing a plan to local authorities for tree planting in an area in need of re-greening
- Creating a school or community garden
 

FAIRNESS 
AND DEVELOPMENT
Students will explore rights and responsibilities; the relationship between communities; sharing finite resources with other people and with other living things; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
- Campaigning for fair-trade awareness
- Contributing to educational opportunities, for example, supporting a local non-governmental organization that works on literacy in our town
- Addressing the concerns of immigrants and migrant populations
​

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