Young Authors Conference, by Leslie Prechtel, Head Librarian

Young Authors Conference is a marvelous event that began 27 years ago at Collegiate. Over the years, students from Kindergarten through Fourth grade have met numerous authors of children’s books, including Thatcher Hurd, Steven Kellogg, Ruth Heller, John Erickson, as well as Bill and Carol Wallace, to name a few. The teachers and librarians spend months preparing the students to meet the author. Each student creates his own book because in order to attend Young Authors Conference you must be an author yourself. On the day of the conference, students spend the morning listening to the author talk about the process of writing and publishing. In the afternoon students participate in five different activities that relate to the author’s books. These activities include a reception where they meet with the author to have their book signed, a craft project, and some kind of activity in the gym. Each year the Friends of the Library volunteers help ensure that all of the afternoon’s activities run smoothly.

 

Read and Romp Day, by Kathy Wagner

Early Childhood Read and Romp Day started in 1999 and has become a greatly anticipated event each year.  This activity is a collaborative effort between the Early Childhood library and physical education department.  Students spend part of a day in the gymnasiums rotating to ten different stations where they are read a short picture book by a volunteer and participate in a quick physical activity that coincides with the story.  Activities might include a relay, obstacle course, dance, cooperative game, or creative or problem solving activity.  Over the years, 150 different books have been enjoyed by students, teachers, administration, parents, and grandparents who have been a part of this very special event.  Perhaps you were once part of dancing like a jungle animal for Giraffe’s Can’t Dance, participating in a ring toss for The Midnight Unicorn, wrapping a friend in toilet paper for Ten Little Mummies, or learning sign language while listening to Can’t You Sleep Little Bear.

Dr.Seuss Celebrations, by "Dr. Seussan" Pangrac!

Hooray for Dr. Seuss! 

“It’s coming. It’s coming.” We all heard them say.
Our favorite of favorites. “It’s Dr. Seuss Day!”

It happens on March 2^nd and I’m telling the truth
Everyone looks forward from 2 to grade twoth.

It started with reading—Mrs. Mattix led the way
It just so happens that is her birthday;

Then all early childhood joined the fun
Why, Mrs. Wagner even lead the group in a run!

They’d meet on the track—those smart little cats
And the leader? You guessed it. The Cat in the Hat;

But that Cat looks familiar. It’s Mr. Wagner, I bet
He stays out in front and he’s not been caught yet.

In other parts of the school, more fun is in store
First and second graders are reading much more;

They love the Seuss language and the lessons he teaches
From the Sams and the Hortons to the Grinches and Sneeches.

Kindergarten students get to visit first grade
Where first grade students read a book that Seuss made.

First and second grade kiddos love the way the words run
But Mr. Geisel tucked in life’s lessons along with the fun.

And every other year a breakfast is served
Of ham and green eggs so his memory’s preserved.

As these traditions continue, we all say, “Hooray!”
For the love and the lessons of Dr. Seuss Day. 

The 5th Grade Space Simulation, and Battle of the Books

The 5th Grace Space Simulation, by Brooke Finan

Beginning during the 2000-2001 school year, fifth graders at Collegiate were immersed in a Mars Space Simulation. The purpose of the Mars unit was to give a real-life experience of what it would be like to travel to the red planet. All students participated as either astronauts or members of Mission Control, and they were assigned jobs used by NASA in real space missions, such as Flight Commander, Pilot, Mars Terrain Specialist Geologist, Biologist, as well as Mission Control positions such as Public Affairs Officer or CAPCOM. All students played a critical role in the overall experience and spent weeks preparing through various assignments related to their position. Over the years, the Mission to Mars unit has grown to include a scuba diving activity (to help simulate the weightlessness that astronauts would experience). The Mars Simulation “launch” day started with a traditional astronauts’ breakfast for the students and their parents, followed by four one-hour missions to Mars (one for each science class), attended by parents. Each mission consisted of a successful launch and landing in the Orion Space Capsule simulator, followed by a simulated space walk and presentation by the students. The Mission to Mars has become a fifth grade tradition and is a much-anticipated highlight of the school year. 

Battle of the Books, by Leslie Prechtel

About 20 years ago Suzanne Reed, Head Librarian at the time, proclaimed February “Read For Your Life” month. Several events were planned for students from Pre-School through 8^th grade. They included Turn Off the television, Turn On to reading (TOTO) week and Guest Reader Day.  Ten years ago we changed Guest Reader Day to Battle of the Books. Battle of the Books is a national program in which students answer questions relating to a given list of books. The national program is run similarly to a spelling bee. Our Battle of the Books pits each Middle School advising group against other advising groups in their grade level, so students compete in a group rather than individually. In May, right before the end of the school year, students receive a Summer Reading list created by the Head Librarian. This list represents the beginning of the Battle of the Books list. In January, the Head Librarian compiles the final list by adding titles that students read as part of the curriculum, most popular Accelerated Reader books, and books from the Summer Reading list for a total of 55 books. On the day of the “Battle,” groups earn points by providing the correct title and author to specific questions about the books on the list. The victorious group earns a trophy and a bagel or donut party.

Mentor Day, by Kevin Mykel

Sage Farha ('13) with her mentor, Claire Vanderpool ('83)  

The mission of Wichita Collegiate School is to prepare our young men and women for success both in college and in life. A critical part of this process is assisting our students as they explore career possibilities. One long-term approach to fulfilling this mission involves pairing each senior with a mentor in a field the student is considering as a career. While WCS had long provided mentoring opportunities to students on an informal basis, the school deepened its commitment in 1989, by sponsoring the first Mentor Luncheon. (The event has since been changed to a breakfast.)

At the Mentor Breakfast, seniors are paired with professionals from the Wichita area. The Wichita Collegiate School Alumni Association spends many hours recruiting mentors in the students’ areas of interest. Businessmen, artists, engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, musicians, and a host of other professionals have volunteered their time and wisdom to spend a day or more with a senior providing valuable knowledge about their career field. Many of our seniors have established long-term relationships with their mentors that produced internship opportunities and even employment after college.

The WCS Alumni Association funds the program, including the Mentor Breakfast, by sponsoring the Spartan Golf Tournament during Homecoming.

Enjoy these photos from past Mentor Days!  If you have great memories and/or photos from Mentor Day at WCS, please post them here and share them with us!

The Kentucky Derby and the Pancake Race, by Kathy Wagner

The Kentucky Derby and Pancake Race are two traditions that resulted from activities in Early Childhood Physical Education that were meant to educate children about special events held in our country and state. 

Starting in the late 1990s, children in PE mounted stick horses to gallop around the quadrangle or gym.  Over the years, this tradition has become more elaborate, with a grandstand, fancy hats, lemonade mint juleps, homemade binoculars, the traditional trumpet call, red roses for the winning horse and jockey, and the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home.”  In recent years, each class has chosen a horse running in the real Kentucky Derby, with roses going to the class that chooses the winner.

The International Pancake Race between Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England, has been going on for 63 years.  Since students seemed unfamiliar with this event, a race was held in PE in the late 1990s to help students understand how and why the race is run.  Students dressed in scarves and aprons, carried a frying pan, and flipped a real pancake at the start and finish of the race.  Pictures were taken and posted outside each classroom.  Over the years, this has become an annual event that students in early childhood look forward to each year.

Do YOU have favorite memories or photos from past Kentucky Derby or Pancake Day activities?  Please feel free to post them here!

International Day and the Wax Museum, by Belinda Mould

International Day

International Day has been a part of  Wichita Collegiate since its early  beginnings. All of our divisions have celebrated  International Day in their own special way. The early years included special guest speakers from a foreign country, students researching their ancestral home or a country they wanted to learn more about,  pen pals from other countries, enjoying an authentic meal from a foreign country, and many other activities.  

In the late '80s, third grade began celebrating International Day.  Our theme was "Taking a Trip Around the World."  It started with the Open Court Basal, Cities Around the World.  By the end of third grade, students had an amazing geography background and an appreciation of different cultures.  After reading many different non-fiction and fiction books about different countries students would pick a specific country to do research on over a month's time. Students might share their information with posters, maps, photographs, travel brochures, music, food, and many more creative ideas. Our goal was for our students to leave third grade with an appreciation of different cultures using all of their senses.

In the spring of 1990 we had our first International Day Assembly.  After a few years  this assembly became a Thursday evening performance as  well as a Friday morning assembly.  It was such a magical eveningI  The students would parade into the Rounds with their gorgeous costumes and stirring music.  Thanks to the help of our music teacher and P.E. coach, the students would learn songs and dances to add to the magic.  Each student would memorize a short paragraph about their country and share with their audience.  It might be about a favorite holiday, place, tradition. fairy tale, inventor, famous person. or animal.  Every year we would choose a different theme.  Not one year was ever been the same.  For me, this is one of my favorite traditions shared in third grade!

Wax Museum

What do Princess Diana, Thomas Edison, and Michael Jordon have in common? In any given year they are part of our wax museum. 

The Wax Museum has become a very important part of the third grade experience over the past decade. It became our January book report. The students choose a biography or autobiography to read. We tell them, ”Imagine that the person you read about walked into our classroom and introduced himself or herself. What would he or she say? You will prepare a short presentation as if you are the subject of your biography.” 

Students are given questions to answer that are then put in paragraph form, written on note cards, and memorized.  They are given a timeline so they have a few days to practice their speeches with their very supportive classroom audience. Parents help create the students amazing costumes. The first several years of our museum we shared  in our long hallway upstairs. As our classes grew the hallway became too warm and crowded. Last year we moved our museum to the MPR. This worked out great!

Of course, third grade teachers knew we could make it even better.  We decided to move our museum to the Rounds Fine Arts Center. We shared the museum at night with the parents, family and friends, and the next morning with our Lower School friends. Wow! What a transition! We covered aerobic step benches with black fleece, bought 21 spot lights, used red velvet ribbon to separate our “Famous Wax Museum Artists” from their audience. The Rounds really looked like a magical wax museum!

The very best part was our amazing students and how they come alive as the famous people they portray. Many could not believe these were our very talented third graders who worked to make their parts seem so real.

Early Childhood Pioneer Day, by Kathy Wagner

Early Childhood Pioneer Day is an event that has been going on since the 1980s. In an effort to celebrate Kansas’ birthday on January 29, students have gathered in various places to learn about the pioneer way of life.  Over the years, there has been a teepee in the quadrangle, a horse and carriage in the parking lot, and various farm animals throughout the campus.  When the multipurpose room was built, the entire event was moved to that location and activities were added. Roping sawhorse calves, grinding corn, making butter, eating cornbread muffins, playing pioneer games, cleaning clothes on a washboard, peeling and eating apples, watching a spinner or quilter, listening to a real cowboy, singing pioneer songs, and scatter square dancing, all became annual experiences.  As the event moved to the south gym in the 2000s, students continued to learn from many individuals who were willing to share their expertise about the pioneer days.

Enjoy these scenes from past Pioneer Days!

Collegiate Cares -- A Day of Service in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Sherri Newlin

The first MLK Collegiate Cares Day was in 2010. The day was originally started by the Focus on Diversity parent organization with Bunny Hill as the sponsor. MLK Day seemed like a perfect day for a family community service opportunity. The FODC group called it "Collegiate Cares - A Day On, Not a Day Off."  For four years, WCS students, teachers, and families joined forces with the United Way to help many local organizations and individuals.  Over the years, volunteers have assembled layette kits for new moms and babies, care packages for the homeless and the military, information cards and ribbons for local organizations, and gifts to be delivered to Meals on Wheels recipients. Bunny Hill loves this day, "seeing the kids and parents working together, and knowing that Collegiate families are always generous and do, indeed care!"

This year, we are not having organized projects at school due to a change in the United Way program, but we are encouraging families to use their "day on" in a way that will make someone else's life better. Each act of service matters to our community.  If families will send us photos and descriptions of their activities, we will feature them on our Facebook page and in the Connections.

Do you have favorite memories from Collegiate Cares?  If so, please post your memories and photos on this blog for all to enjoy!