Project-based learning is a comprehensive instructional approach to engage students in sustained, cooperative investigation (Bransford & Stein, 1993).

Within its framework students collaborate, working together to make sense of what is going on. Project-based instruction differs from inquiry-based activity — activity most of us have experienced during our own schooling by its emphasis on cooperative learning. Inquiry is traditionally thought of as an individually done, somewhat isolated activity. Additionally, project-based instruction differs from traditional inquiry by its emphasis on students’ own artifact construction to represent what is being learned.

Students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by

• asking and refining questions
• debating ideas
• making predictions
• designing plans and/or experiments
• collecting and analyzing data
• drawing conclusions
• communicating their ideas and findings to others
• asking new questions

creating artifacts (Blumenfeld et al., 1991).

There are two essential components of projects:

I. A driving question or problem that serves to organize and drive activities, which taken as a whole amount to a meaningful project

II. Culminating product(s) or multiple representations as a series of artifacts, personal communication (Krajcik), or consequential task that meaningfully addresses the driving question. (Brown & Campione,1994).

From the Houghton Mifflin’s Project-Based Learning Space

Co-chair Cecily Harrison | gogreen@losfelizarts.org

Earth Day was April 22 this year, and we randomly asked LFCSA students what they were planning on doing for Earth Day. Some responded that they would “help something grow,” or “plant a tree.” The Green Team encourages everyone to discuss with their children how they can strive to make a difference.

A new development at LFCSA for which the Green Team is grateful is our regular lunch recycling volunteers. These are parents who help the children with the concept of recycling by assessing their finished lunch meals and containers and sorting what can be recycled into our blue recycling bins. A huge thanks goes to Sherrell Cuneo (Mondays), Susan Fink (Tuesdays), Betina Papadeas (Wednesdays), Jennifer Del Barrio (Thursdays), and Kirsten Dickerson (Fridays). According to Green Team co-chair Sherrell Cuneo, students are ready to take on a zero waste lunch policy. Congratulations to the Green Team lunchtime volunteers, as well as to all the students of LFCSA who are quickly becoming professional recyclers! Fliers went out to parents regarding a fundraiser for lunchbox “systems,” which we encourage parents to use, and be on the lookout for the Green Team’s classroom presentations educating on the benefits of reusable and/or recyclable lunch materials.

A big thanks goes to Ms. Dovico, who gave us great ideas and volunteered her second grade class to be “Recycling Raccoons,” and even incorporated recycling into a math lesson.

Our goal is to transition LFCSA into being a zero waste campus, similar to many other campuses in California and the nation. Please contact gogreen@losfelizarts.org with all of your school-related recycling questions.

As anticipated, we are sold out. We will not be accepting walk-ins at the door. We look forward to seeing those of you who purchased your tickets in time tomorrow night. We hope to see the rest of you at next year’s Big Night Out!

More and more, one has to recognize the need for doing things differently in terms of energy and waste. Educating our children about recycling, reusing, and renewing will introduce them to a completely different and creative way of sustainable life.

Have you noticed those two blue 50-gallon rolling recycling bins in the auditorium? These aid in transporting lunchtime recycled waste to the main recycling bin in the parking lot. The Green Team purchased those with profits from tote bag sales. Our next step is to recruit lunch volunteers to help the kids recycle properly and show them how to identify recyclable items and dispose of them correctly.

In February, members of the Green Team attended lunches for an assessment of waste, and we were happy to see that some children were bringing lunches that produced relatively little waste. We are also in the process of establishing a recycling system for festivals and other events on campus (if it has a code, it’s not trash!).

In addition, The Green Team is preparing a No Waste Lunch demonstration for each classroom. In the future, we would like to have a sustainable lunch container (lunchbox) fundraiser, featuring a product such as “Laptop Lunches” or “To-Go-Ware” that leaves no waste and gets packed back up when lunch is over.

Also on our agenda is looking into supplying trays and silverware for the hot lunches, rather than disposable cartons, utensils, etc.

Green Team
co-chair, Cecily Harrison | gogreen@losfelizarts.org

by Reg Jones

LFCSA is starting a PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and you are invited to join! As you’ll learn from the overview below, there are many benefits of having a school PTA and getting involved. The first meeting is tonight, which will be filled with great information and the candidates for officer positions will be presented.

What is the function of the PTA? The PTA functions as an entity to, first and foremost, bring our community together in an organized fashion to further the progress of the school. We really want to encourage all of our families to join and participate. We have an amazing school, but we are in our infancy, and our growth and success depends on our community. There are other benefits of joining the PTA, such as terrific insurance, as well as health and dental care for those in need. The list goes on.

Why has LFCSA chosen to start a PTA and how will it help the school? Last year, there were presentations by PTA, PTO (Parent Teacher Organization), and a “Friends of LFCSA” option was also considered. Our community listened to the presentations and opted for a PTA. The great benefit of a PTA for our school, instead of the other above-mentioned organizations, is that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. With so many needs in our first couple of years as a school, the blueprint offered by the PTA organization is a welcome relief. It is much like a franchise. Our PTA program offers us a map by which we can find so many elements that will benefit the growth and organization of our school community.

What benefits does membership offer? There are so many values to PTA membership, but the biggest value is the opportunity to participate in making our school community tremendously successful. Our commitment to our school and PTA is directly tied to the long term success of our children.

How much does it cost to join and what does the money pay for? Membership to PTA is $20 per year for an individual, or $30 per family. Part of the dues go to our membership district, state, and national PTA. The balance of the dues will be used to fund our officers’ attendance at PTA seminars and conventions, and most importantly to fund membership for those in our community who would not otherwise be able to join.

When will meetings be? Our first meeting is tonight, November 1st at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. At this meeting we will have an overview of PTA and give the officer nominees an opportunity to introduce themselves. Once officers are elected, the frequency of meetings will be determined. Elections will be held November 8th. Ballots will be sent home in the Thursday packet.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting, and are pleased to be providing yet another way for parents to get involved in the school community.

Plastic is a huge recycling program—and a health hazard. It takes 47 million gallons of oil to produce the plastic water bottles Americans use each year. Did you know that 86% percent don’t get recycled? It would be like taking 100,000 cars off the road and 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere if they did. In addition, trace amounts of petroleum can leach into plastic, which breaks down with increased exposure to heat and cold (dishwashing, microwaving, freezing). Studies have linked the ingestion of plastic to health and fertility issues. Glass is superior, but impractical for many uses, such as schools. If you have to use plastic, try to recycle it, and explain to your child the importance of recycling.

Cloth grocery bags are hip! Ralphs, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Vons, and Gelson’s all sell cloth bags as alternatives to plastic. Stores also offer a discount when you use your own bags. LFCSA is working on designs for our very own cloth bag. Be on the lookout.

LFCSA’s Green Team recycling committee is headed by Cecily Harrison and Sherrell Cuneo, reachable at gogreen@losfelizarts.org.

It’s not too late to get a copy of the lovely 2006-2007 LFCSA yearbook. Order now and make sure your child and your family always has a wonderful way to remember our first year at LFCSA.

The yearbook is available for order online at: www.lulu.com/content/881018. You can preview the entire book at the link, or if you prefer, a hard copy will be available to look at in the main office. All of our beautiful kids from 06-07 are in there, so it really is worth having! The yearbook is printed to order, and the price is $30 with all profits going to the school.

Have YOU asked Grandparents and Uncles if they want to buy a LFCSA DVD yet? For a $25 donation, they get an incredible 83 minute professionally created keepsake of LFCSA’s inaugural year. Every single student is featured at least twice as their class is spotlighted. This priceless DVD is a unique and entertaining opportunity to raise money for your school. Have your cash or check (payable to “Andreas Wenger”) ready and buy copies during drop-off or email safety@losfelizarts.org to arrange for your copies to be mailed.

Share your enthusiasm for LFCSA by involving your family in this touching fundraiser.

Recycling containers are in every classroom and throughout campus. Eligible recyclables are listed on the bins. Throw it in, it all gets sorted by West Hollywood’s recycling service. The Green Team Committee is also developing a compost area in preparation for a “no waste” lunch policy.