Memory Jars

We have been hard at work on our greatest goal of the moment: bringing our Benchmark community back to campus safely. We are pleased to share our plan for reopening Benchmark School.

We’re pleased to be able to share an update on our progress toward a safe and educationally robust reopening this fall. 

On June 9, we were thrilled and honored to graduate our Class of 2020. Check out the photos!

Objects can be powerful triggers of memory. Sixth graders are rounding off their year by considering the role of memory in helping to create the person they are.

The Mattaliano/Sperling class listened to a podcast called "Six Minutes" throughout the school year and continued right into their time of online learning. This week, they got to learn all about how the podcast is made from the creators themselves.

We're delighted to announce the appointment of Megan Wonderland to the position of Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at Benchmark.

Edward Bloor, the award-winning author of many young adult novels, popped into a very exciting class gathering this week! The Powell/Brodo seventh grade language arts class just read his novel Tangerine, and were thrilled to have the chance to speak with Mr. Bloor about the book.  

In a powerful example of collaboration between teachers across curriculum areas, students in Ms. Scott and Mrs. Causey’s language arts class created “activist art.”

We've loaned our 3D printer to a local volunteer group, PPE Fab Crew, who are dedicated to creating equipment for Philadelphia-area hospitals in need.

It’s not easy to start a new job in the midst of a pandemic, but Bandana Jha loves turning challenges into successes. As of March 30, Ms. Jha steps into the role of Chief Financial Officer.

March 2 was Read Across America Day, which also coincides with a celebration of Dr. Seuss.  As she has for the past fifteen years, Mrs. Spirokostas's class has dedicated this week to honoring the works of Dr. Seuss.

We are closely monitoring the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. While the present information suggests a low public health risk, we have a team of administrators and staff in communication with one another on a daily basis to assess the situation.

Sixth graders asked: “How might we motivate students and teachers to bring their own reusable water bottles to the dining hall?”

Sixth grade memoirs are on display in the Writer's Gallery. Visual art complements the written work, and the art stands have a special creation story of their own.

In this issue of Benchmark Magazine, we explore arts integration—an instructional approach where the visual and performing arts are included across the curriculum—as an important articulation of our larger focus on innovation in instruction.

My days at Benchmark begin with a front row witness of our children’s entry into their schoolhouse. Through this ritual I have come to see that each child has a unique “signature” as they take these first steps across the bridge from home to school.

Students in Mrs. Arabia's class have been learning about kindness and inclusivity. When our music teacher Mrs. Veacock shared the song "Yay, People" from City Love with the students, they liked it so much that they convinced Mrs. Veacock that they should make a video as a surprise.

What might you need to survive in a hunter-gatherer society? As a follow-on activity to Nicole Scali’s sixth grade social studies lesson on the Stone Age, she asked her students to create functional hunter-gatherer baskets using only glue, 80 strips of paper, brushes, and a plan.