This week, the Middle School sang The Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston. To get it right we practiced all week and more. We performed it in front of the entire school at the peace ceremony. We also did the Trik-a-thon where we helped little kids learn how to ride a bike, and raised money for St.Jude’s Hospital. We spent 2 hours running around with the primary. It was tons of fun. We also worked on our passion projects all week. The projects are starting to take shape, and it is really cool to see. The first two days of the week we weren’t at school because we were driving back from the trip on Monday and everyone stayed on Tuesday because they were tired of the field trip last week. – Gabe M.

Day 1

We had a beautiful morning learning about Beach Ecology, stomping through a Salt Marsh, and enjoying a nutrient-rich facemask made from fresh marsh mud. The students were fascinated by the diverse plant and animal life that call the beach home (many of them have a collection of shells already!) and had a blast getting up close and personal with the marsh ecosystem.

After lunch, the students learned about Coastal Geology before enjoying an afternoon of games. It was wonderful to see them having fun in this new environment In the evening we learned about Sea Turtles before getting to meet a baby loggerhead named “Little Man” who lived at the center.

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Day 2

This morning was quite eventful as we had the adventure of getting stuck in a rainstorm while we were at the beach. Some headed back quickly, while others of us managed to make the most of it and had a lot of fun playing in the rain (no thunder or lightning, of course). After lunch, the weather cleared up, and we went on a hike in the Maritime forest. The students enjoyed exploring and observing the different plants and climbing a huge “grandfather” Live Oak they saw along the way.

In the afternoon, some of the students took part in a fish dissection activity while others rested. It was great to see how engaged they were in learning during our variety of sessions. Later in the evening, we went mini golfing, which was followed by a Night Walk on the beach. Where we learned about the nightlife of ghost crabs and bioluminescent zooplankton.

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Day 3

 It was a day filled with amazing animal encounters, and the students were all buzzing with excitement. We started our day with an Ornithology class at a nearby lake, where the students got to observe various birds in their natural habitat. But the highlight of the morning was spotting a baby alligator from a safe distance. Although the mosquitoes were a bit of a nuisance, the students didn’t let that dampen their spirits.

In the afternoon, we visited the Turtle Hospital, where we got to meet several sea turtles recovering from various injuries and illnesses. It was heartwarming to see the students’ newfound appreciation for these amazing creatures, and I am sure they left with a greater understanding of the importance of conservation efforts. After lunch, the students learned how to use a compass to follow a map on a scavenger hunt, which was a great opportunity for them to practice their orienteering skills.

The day’s highlight was undoubtedly the Herpetology class, where the students had the chance to interact with a variety of animals, including Cici, the sweetest ball python, a gopher tortoise, an American Toad named Trevor, and even a baby alligator named Bob. The students were so engaged that the counselor took them back to the lab to observe mealtime for the animals.

At night, we ventured from Jekyll Island to St.Simon’s Island, where we rode a trolley and listen to local ghost lore. While some kiddos definitely got the shivers, the evening ended in giggles.

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Day 4

Today, we ventured to St. Simons Island where we had a fantastic time. We started our day with a delicious breakfast of bagels at a local restaurant and then spent the morning swimming at the beach. The water was perfect, and everyone had a great time splashing around and playing games.

After working up an appetite, we headed for lunch to “The Porch,” a yummy Nashville hot chicken place. The food was amazing, the lawn games were a hit, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. We then spent the afternoon strolling around St. Simon’s, and to our surprise, it was Founder’s Day! We got to witness a lot of local culture and festivities while we wandered the shops, which was an added bonus.

At 6 pm, we headed to Driftwood Beach to ride horses. It was a unique experience, and my personal favorite part was watching a dolphin swim along the shore beside us. We have seen many pods over the last couple of days, and it’s been an incredible experience. Finally, we grabbed a late-night Dairy Queen dinner, the only restaurant still open, and headed back to camp for a fire.

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Day 5

Our day started with a delicious breakfast from Dulce Dough on St.Simon’s before we embarked on our marsh kayaking adventure. We were all impressed to learn about cluster oysters and their role in filtering water, and we were lucky enough to see a dolphin and a mink during our paddle. It was a fantastic experience, even if our arms were a little sore by the end of it!

After a quick bite at Zaxby’s, we boarded the Lynx, a boat that was modeled after the U.S.S. Constitution. This particular boat and captain helped train the pirates on the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies, which was pretty exciting. To our surprise, the kids were adopted as part of the crew, and Shrey even got to drive the boat out of the harbor! It was an unforgettable experience for all of us. The trip even ended with the firing of the cannon (which, for safety reasons, was loaded with bread to feed the fish, and not a real cannonball).

We ended our day with a wonderful final meal at The Wharf, an oceanfront restaurant here on Jekyll. We had a leisurely celebratory meal and enjoyed each other’s company.

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Digital media and technology are evolving at a dizzying pace, both unlocking extraordinary opportunities and posing real risks for young people. Students are using the immense power of the internet and mobile technology to explore, connect, create, and learn in ways never before imagined, both in and out of the classroom. At the same time, tech use can bring up ethical challenges such as cyberbullying and misinformation and health issues related to media balance and social and emotional well-being.

We see these as teachable moments. We believe that digital citizenship skills have become essential for students in the 21st century. That’s why we are committed to teaching our students how to be digital learners, leaders, and citizens. We believe teaching these skills goes hand in hand with the Montessori philosophy of educating the whole child. In a world where technology and information are everywhere, Maria Montessori would see the value in teaching kids to become safe and responsible digital citizens.

Joseph S. Bruno Montessori Academy has just been recertified as a Common Sense School, an honor that recognizes our efforts in teaching digital citizenship to young people and engaging the entire school community in this important discussion. The recognition acknowledges our school’s commitment to helping students build skills that are essential for their well-being today—and for the opportunities, they’ll have tomorrow.

This honor is provided by Common Sense Education, part of a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.

We are one of the more than 80,000 schools across the country that use Common Sense Education’s groundbreaking educational resources. As a result, our students are better equipped to navigate the digital world and use devices for learning.

To learn more about Common Sense Education, visit www.commonsense.org/education

Here are a few tips in the form of short videos about children using technology and some of the games they may be playing at home.

On behalf of the school community, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all the parent volunteers who presented their careers on S.T.E.A.M. Day 2023. Your passion and love for your professions inspired our students and teachers alike, and we are so grateful for the time and effort you put into sharing your knowledge and expertise with us. Your informative and engaging presentations helped our students see the exciting possibilities in their futures. Thank you again for your invaluable contribution to our S.T.E.A.M. Day and for helping to make it a success.

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We enjoyed watching the Birmingham Squadron defeat the Santa Cruz Warriors!

Last week was another excellent time. Reading Montessori’s claims about “normalization” seemed too good to be true, but here we are in March, and the kids really are getting the hang of running the classroom by themselves. Morning meeting has become a time that I can sit back and enjoy their growth. I have loved listening to their conversations on collaboration and leadership. Many of our students put these discussions into real world practice when they led the 6th graders in “Move Up Day” on Tuesday.

Beyond Move Up Day, the kids also enjoyed a visit from author Anita Saxena, whose books can be purchased in the JBMA library. They also worked to support each other in math, and collaborated for their culture presentations due on next Wednesday. In these presentations, the students have been pushing themselves past basic research, and into making analytical claims based on their findings. It is excellent watching them come together to discuss the important and serious matters that surround the Civil War.

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Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day!

The Middle School students shared their Italian Carnival presentations with the Bruno students this week.  Carnival is celebrated in many western countries, each with its unique traditions. The celebrations begin in January and last until the Tuesday before the Christian Lent. 

Mrs. Carmen suggested 3 Italian cities, Ivrea, Venice, and Viareggio, for research. Our research included each city’s history, fashion, food, and special events.  Surprisingly, each of the Italian city’s celebrations was different and unique.  Mrs. Hallie directed our research, and we created a Slides presentation. It was a great learning experience for us and the students we presented it to

Making Masks with the kids in Lower Elementary was a great experience. Everyone in the Middle School got the opportunity to teach about Carnival masks and their history. We got to know all of the kids and I’m sure they got to know us too. We helped them decorate and color their own masks, which are currently hanging up in the foreign language room. It was very fun and the middle would love to spend more time with your children in the future.

Greetings Families! This week has been pretty awesome. The kids are getting back into the groove and working hard.

This week we have been studying the behaviors of gases, memorizing poetry, and looking at the development of the Constitution’s idea of freedom. Also, we have been discussing our Spring trip, and are almost ready to solidify the location.

Thank you all for supporting your child’s reading habits at home! It has been fun to listen to them when they are excited about what has happened in their books!

Below are some pictures of the students solidifying the memorization of their weekly poems.

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