For those who’ve been wondering — our remote learning program is, by necessity, quite different than the in-school PCS learning experience that we’ve worked so hard to build over the past 8 years, and yet in many ways it’s very much the same.

Thank you, Upper Primary, for organizing and leading such a beautiful, heartwarming and community-building All-School Meeting via Zoom. We are so grateful that you seized this opportunity to bring us together again and remind us just how very much we need and love each other.

Over the past two and a half weeks, as we’ve coped with the rapidly-changing realities of life during the COVID-19 crisis, we have witnessed tremendous resilience, determination, flexibility and compassion in our PCS community. And, the spirit of care and connection fostered by our collective efforts to carry on in the face of profound challenge and uncertainty is helping us realize just how much community matters to learning at PCS.

What happens when you combine learner-centered, project-based learning with a trimester-long Integrated Unit on the human body? Learning comes to life, of course!

Upper Primary student, Lea Rodger, organized and led a “Fight for the Climate” rally in downtown Riverhead this past weekend to make a stand for our planet. More than fifty people joined her with signs and songs to raise they’re voices for our one planet.

When students at PCS reach Upper Primary they are ready to take the lead in their learning, pave their own way, and make their ideas come to life. For a teacher, letting go and letting students lead can be uncomfortable, but Shannon Timoney, PCS’s Upper Primary facilitator, believes this is when the best learning happens: when we’re uncomfortable, when we let go, dive in, ask hard questions and let the answers surprise us.

Our end of unit Celebrations of Learning give us a chance to observe a trimester’s worth of shared study in panorama: noting threads, perspectives, connections, and evolving understandings around a common topic. This Integrated Study Unit — Civics: Communities and Citizens in Action — challenged students to discover how citizens organize and act to achieve community goals.

During the Celebration of Learning culminating the “Civics: Communities and Citizens in Action” Unit, Upper Primary students documented their research about structural racism, the civic activism it has inspired, and the persistence of injustice in our democracy.

During this trimester’s Integrated Unit “Civics: Communities and Citizens in Action,” Kindergarten used storytelling to figure through the concepts of fairness and equity and to think about how communities and citizens work together to understand and achieve fairness for all.

Kindergarten is a magical and monumental time at PCS. Children are growing into their backpacks and the longer days and the school routines and their independence. It’s exciting to celebrate their bravery and accomplishments, but it’s also an honor to hold space for their sweet littleness. There’s an ebb and flow of venturing out and seeking shelter that is at the heart of this time of tremendous social, emotional and cognitive development, and we can think of no one more uniquely suited to working alongside Kindergarten students than Paola Flórez.

Val Gatz is a people person. Big people, little people, lots of people, one person – Mrs. Gatz loves being with people: talking with them, drawing them in, listening to their stories, making them feel at ease, and enjoying their company. A community-maker a heart, Mrs. Gatz brings people together in a way that honors their individuality and unites them in their commonality. At PCS, she creates a family culture in the Early Childhood classroom that she co-facilitates.

It’s hard to believe, but Upper Primary’s afternoon at The Watermill Center with dancer Alice Heyward was even more magical than it looks. Alice lead students through a movement workshop ….

What to do when our annual all-school Halloween pumpkin and apple picking trip to the Milk Pail is postponed due to a rainy forecast? An impromptu, surprise all-school MAKER HALLOWEEN PARADE of course!

Learning to read is such a monumental transition for students, and being a part of this educational milestone is what draws Ashley Russo to the Lower Primary classroom. “I love teaching kids to read!” she says. “It’s so amazing as they make progress and can turn letters and words into stories. It opens a door for them.” 

Music Facilitator Ms. Jeanne Woelker and PCS students treated us to our first Music Share of the school year during this morning’s First Friday Community Gathering.

What an afternoon for the school-wide “Civics: Citizens and Communities in Action” integrated Unit! PCS welcomed local community members to both the Upper and Middle Primary classes to work with students in their areas of focus.

In an effort to see how they can best channel their desire to help threatened wildlife into effective action, Middle Primary contacted Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, a local not-for-profit passionately dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick and injured native turtles. We were so lucky to have Karen, the executive director, and John visit the MP classroom to talk about the issues impacting native turtles and ways to help.

We were so fortunate to welcome Dennis Gaboury and Tinashe Basa – the Founder and Director of Zimkids Orphan Trust – back to PCS for their 7th annual visit and Skype session with Zimkids at the Center in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe!

The Hon. Laura Jens-Smith, Riverhead Town Supervisor, visited the MP classroom this week to talk with these concerned citizens. She answered their (many) questions, including queries about her motivation for serving as Supervisor, her goals for the remainder of her term, how zoning for development is determined, and the town’s climate action plan.

Meghan Hillen joined PCS this fall as the Middle Primary facilitator, bringing with her 18 years of teaching experience in third and fourth grade classrooms, extensive experience writing Math and Cultural History curriculum that emphasizes integrated, project-based learning, and an abiding interest in community building and social justice. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome her aboard!