April 2012
CGI Math Workshop, Saturday, May 5
UCLA Lab School presents “Preparing Our Children to Be Mathematically Competitive: A look at current research and best practices on children's mathematical thinking through the lens of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI),” Saturday, May 5, 2012, 8:30 a.m. – Noon. Keynote speakers will be Megan Franke, UCLA Education Professor and CGI math expert, and Jim Stigler, UCLA Psychology Professor and Director of the TIMSS Video Studies. Sessions will be led by UCLA Lab School teachers who use CGI in their classrooms. Topics include introduction strategies and problem types for first timers to CGI, warm-ups to get your students going, and building a CGI community.
March 2012
The Rainbow Juice Connection: A delicious blend of math, science and teamwork
A juice and smoothie bar created by Early Childhood students started with an investigation of fruit. Soon it had them learning about measuring, graphing, voting and working together on a tasty project.
Alumnus David Horacio Hernandez is a White House Champion of Change
David Horacio Hernandez, UCLA Lab School class of 2002, was recognized by the White House Champions of Change program for “outstanding leadership and service to the community.”
February 2012
Author Laurie David Offers Recipe for Family Dinner Success
The producer of the Academy Award-winning film An Inconvenient Truth is on a self-described mission to preserve an endangered aspect of American life – the family dinner. She launched this year’s Speakers Series with a lively discussion of why dinnertime matters, and what we can do to make it a healthy and fun family ritual.
We’re Celebrating Reading Aloud Together!
The Gonda Family Library and the FSA are hosting a school-wide celebration of the joys and benefits of reading aloud. Reading aloud to children every day helps them to be informed, self-assured, curious and inspired. It also strengthens family bonds and associates reading with pleasure. The Family Read-Aloud Celebration web page offers information to help families start or renew a reading routine. Help build the list of 100 favorite read-aloud titles, then finish the celebration by attending the pizza party on March 2!
Schoolyard Habitat Grant Protects Wildlife and Provides Learning
Children, teachers, parents and friends joined volunteers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission to plant 2,000 native plants along a portion of Stone Canyon Creek (aka The Gully), part of the Ballona Creek watershed. The new plants were provided by a $7,374 Schoolyard Habitat grant, which supports UCLA Lab School’s ongoing efforts to help restore the ecosystem around the creek and create an outdoor classroom for hands-on learning.
December 2011
UCLA Lab School Speakers Series 2011-2012
This year we have a line-up of experts guaranteed to inspire, enlighten, and inform! Join us for these engaging discussions about the latest research and issues related to children’s education, health and wellbeing.
October 2011
UCLA Lab School Speakers Series Hosts The Family Dinner, with Laurie David
Join us on Thursday, December 1, 8:30-10:30 a.m., for a fun and interactive discussion with author, environmentalist and producer Laurie David. She’ll talk about how mealtime can nourish your family—mind, body and spirit—and lay the groundwork for children to become happy, successful adults.
Cool Tools is Featured in Santa Monica Daily Press
The Santa Monica Daily Press featured an article on Cool Tools, part
of the safe school system developed at UCLA Lab School, and its use in
elementary schools in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.
September 2011
Participants in Coastal Cleanup Day Help Create a Sea Change
UCLA Lab School students, parents and faculty worked with environmental group Heal the Bay on Coastal Cleanup Day.
Teachers Receive Grant for Peer Coaching Project Focused on Social Justice
A team of UCLA Lab School teachers recently received a $30,000 grant from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies to explore innovative ways to address concepts of social justice in the classroom and the community.
August 2011
SPASES Project Team Wins Best Design Paper at International Conference
A team from CONNECT and UCLA Lab School won Best Design Paper at the International Conference for Computer Supported Collaborative Learning hosted by the University of Hong Kong in July. The project they reported on, SPASES (Semiotic Pivots and Activity Spaces for Elementary Science), combines pretend play and the technology of augmented reality to help young children learn science.
A Visit with Art Educator Malcolm Wray Gets Teachers and Students Inspired
Working with visiting art educator Malcolm Wray, teachers and students learned techniques for creating collaborative murals on subjects as diverse as plant life, the history of transporation and ancient Greek mythology. “The visual arts give children another language, another means of expressing ideas and understanding the concepts they’re studying,” said Principal Norma Silva.
June 2011
Summer Reading
Check out Mrs. Kantor’s list for great summer reading!
Culmination 2011
Friends, families, teachers and staff gathered in the Redwood Forest on June 16 to celebrate Culmination 2011 with Upper students.
May 2011
Celebrating a Jog-a-Thon Participation Record!
This year we achieved the highest level of community participation in
Jog-a-thon history — 99%! This is a wonderful demonstration of the
community’s commitment to children.
The New ABCs of Learning, with Susan Kaiser Greenland
May 17
Join us for an introduction to the practice of mindfulness for children and young adults and its applications at home, in schools and in the caring professions. Speaker Susan Kaiser Greenland, founder of the Inner Kids program, will present age-appropriate and secular activities that help children from pre-kindergarten through young adult incorporate the new ABCs—attention, balance, and compassion—into their daily lives.
April 2011
Students Imagine the Future of Work
A UCLA Magazine article features work by students from Early Childhood, Primary and Intermediate. Imagining the workplace of 2030, some see flying motorcycles, holograms and solar-powered moving sidewalks.
Read the story in UCLA Magazine
January 2011
6th Annual English Learners Symposium: Promoting Academic Achievement Among English Language Learners, February 12
Join us for a lively and informative discussion about issues and strategies related to meeting the needs of English Language Learners. Presentations include effective practices, English Language Development (ELD), dual language instruction, technology integration and more.
November 2010
Stone Canyon Creek offers students a laboratory for learning
Students at UCLA Lab School combined their science learning with conservation efforts recently when they worked with two environmental groups to install 200 native plants along a portion of Stone Canyon Creek that runs through their campus.
Creek restoration project begins with school-wide planting days, Nov. 15 & 16
What can we do to make our environment healthier? UCLA Lab School students of all ages will help address that question on Monday, Nov. 15, and Tuesday, Nov. 16, as they take part in a school-wide planting day.
Learn more
September 2010
Programs for Educators
Created by teachers, for teachers, our professional development programs offer dynamic learning experiences in an inspiring, collaborative environment. Whether you want to visit for a day or engage in a long-term collaboration, we have a program to suit you.
Learn more
Register Now for the Critical Thinking Institute
Our hands-on workshops will help you weave together project-based learning, information literacy and technology to create dynamic instruction in science and social studies.
Learn more
Early Literacy Institute
Help children learn reading and writing skills in the context of engaging literacy activities designed to support a lifetime of learning.
Learn more
July 2010
Summer is a great time to read!
Whether you’ll be travelling to new places, delving into fun projects, or relaxing at home, making time for reading is sure to result in lots of rewards.
Learn more
June 2010
Congratulations to Our Culminating Students!
Upper Culmination 2010 brought together students, teachers, families and friends to “honor the past, celebrate the present, and look toward the future.”
Learn more
Teacher Hasmik Avetisian Presents Mural Work at National Conference
The art murals UCLA Lab School students create have at least one thing in common: they’re all about collaboration. Demonstration teacher Hasmik Avetisian shared methods for creating collaborative murals in a workshop she led at the National Arts Education Conference in Baltimore this year.
Learn more
April 2010
Upper Student is National Winner in Letters About Literature Program
Upper student Lara B. has been selected as a national winner in the Letters About Literature program. Her efforts earned a $10,000 grant for the Gonda Family Library.
Learn more
Cyber Safety Expert Lori Getz, April 28
Join us for Everything You Need to Know About Your Child and the Internet, a lecture and open discussion about the fundamentals of the Internet and how your children are using technology.
Learn more
Drop Everything and Read!
On Monday, April 12, we’re joining families and schools around the country for national D.E.A.R. Day. This special reading celebration is to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority.
Learn more
Author Jules Feiffer Visits, April 11-13
Award-winning cartoonist, author and playwright Jules Feiffer will be the featured speaker at the 2010 Frances Clarke Sayers lecture on Sunday, April 11, at 4 p.m. Mr. Feiffer also will visit UCLA Lab School for a special presentation to students on Monday, April 12, and Tuesday, April 13.
Learn more
March 2010
Young Alumni Are Presenters at International Research Conference
James Crenshaw (’08) and Nina Parks (’08) joined researchers Yasmin Kafai and Deborah Fields in a presentation of their work at the first Digital Media and Learning Conference, held in San Diego on Feb. 18-20.
Learn more
Upper Students Win Honors in 2010 Letters About Literature Contest
Lara B. (Rooms 5&6) and Nial A. (Rooms 3&4) earned high honors in the 2010 Letters About Literature contest, in which young people write to an author whose work has made a difference in their lives. Five students — Ally G., Gracie M., Kennedy M., Tairyn M. and Skylar W. — will receive certificates of achievement for placing among the top 200 letter writers in California.
Learn more
November 2009
Under the Sea: Students travel to Catalina Island to learn about oceanography
Upper I students immersed themselves in a study of oceanography recently when they traveled to Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) for a two-day field trip.
Learn more
October 2009
Inside the Lab: Children and Teachers Build Knowledge of Math
Acorns, pebbles, LEGOs, coins, bottle caps. Primary students count large collections of objects like these to develop number sense and an understanding of mathematical concepts.
Learn more
Making Science with Students, Teachers and UCLA Researchers
It's a late spring afternoon and some busy scientists have gathered to report their findings on experiments they conducted in recent months. An array of carefully planned and organized posters documenting the work are displayed around the room. After a brief meeting the scientists circulate to discuss their projects.
Learn more
Programs for Educators Offered
Educators, join us for a dynamic learning experience in an inspiring, collaborative environment. Whether you would like to visit for a day or engage in a long-term collaboration, we have a professional development program to inspire you and your students.
Learn more
Register for Our Award-Winning Critical Thinking Institute
Our award-winning Critical Thinking Institute has been called life-changing by some participants. Create fun, engaging learning experiences aligned with state and national curriculum standards.
Learn more
Lab School Internship Program Starts
College students interested in teaching careers began working in lab school classrooms last week. They're part of a program to give young adults hands-on experience and guidance related to teaching. The interns are mentored by lab school teachers and, in addition to working with children, attend seminars exploring theories and issues in education. Some participants are enrolled in Education 196, a UCLA course offered to undergraduate students. Others are part of CA Teach, a program administered by the state of California to develop highly qualified science and math teachers to work in schools throughout the state.
