Save the Date: Spring Learning Showcase - Mar. 9

Willowwind's much anticipated annual Spring Learning Showcase (formerly known as Community Night) is just around the corner.  Each spring, our preschool - 6th grade community gathers to celebrate the unique learning happening in each classroom.  We are thrilled to announce a new venue and learning partnership for this event – The Iowa Children’s Museum (ICM)!  You may have been to the museum before, but never like this.  Our K-6 students will exhibit their work in the playful learning environment of the ICM, including using the science-themed exhibits to demonstrate their knowledge.  Our Preschool friends are invited to attend the evening event to see K-6 projects and share in the fun after demonstrating their own works to families during the school day (more Preschool specific information to follow in PreK newsletters).  Read carefully below for information regarding the changed location and expanded audience for the event.

Spring Learning Showcase

Who:  Willowwind Friends in Grades PreK-6

What:  Classes present culminating projects highlighting Science and Social Studies project-based learning.

When:  Thursday, March 9, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Where:  The Iowa Children’s Museum

Why:  To share our love of learning with you!

Schedule of Events

6:00 - 6:15 Welcome to the Iowa Children’s Museum. Check in at the front desk and find your presentation spot. Once you’re settled in, you may explore in the museum until presentations begin at 6:15. Please reserve museum play for before and after Showcase Presentation times.  From 6:15 - 7:30, our students will be thrilled to have you as an attentive audience and will keep you engaged in their amazing projects! Preschool families are welcome to join us at any time to see the work our older friends are sharing.

6:15 - 7:00 K-2 Showcase – Explore the learning happening in our K-2 Classrooms.

• Kindergarten will present a timeline of Kindness in the Celebration Room on the Upper Level. Visitors will walk away with an opportunity to spread Willowwind Kindness throughout our community through Random Acts of Kindness.
• First and Second Grade will serve as exhibit guides in Notion of Motion, helping our families learn all about balls, ramps, forces, and motion (Lower Level).

6:45 - 7:30 3-6 Showcase – Discover how our 3-6 graders are growing through their project-based learning experiences.

• Third and Fourth Grade will share their innovative thinking in the Blue Room, the home of the ICM’s Imagination Playground. Each learner will present his or her Invention Convention research and product prototype (Upper Level).
• Fifth and Sixth Grade will present the results of their independent Willowwind Science Fair experiments in Take Flight, the aeronautics gallery that celebrates science, technology, engineering, and math (Lower Level).

7:30 - 8:00 Parent Supervised Play. Celebrate our learning achievements by playing and learning together! Please enjoy this time to play with your child as we enjoy the unique learning environment that the ICM offers.

This evening is an incredibly important event as it allows students to accept challenges and take risks as they perform and work on public speaking and presenting skills. Your role as an audience member is crucial in providing all Willowwind students with a real-life, authentic experience in speaking and sharing to a large group.  All Willowwind students are expected to participate and are looking forward to having you as a part of this event.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our students’ growth as scientists, thinkers, inventors, and agents of kindness. We are so excited to share our work with you!