<![CDATA[The New Classical Academy

<![CDATA[The New Classical Academy - Blog]]>Tue, 22 May 2012 07:13:07 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Our First Yard Sale, in Pictures ]]>Sun, 06 May 2012 21:58:08 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/05/our-first-yard-sale-in-pictures.htmlThanks to everyone who gathered and schlepped donations to school, to everyone who volunteered their time to store, transport, sort, tag, set up, and sell, and to Anna and Billy Mills (who managed so many little details and allowed a posse of folks to descend upon their tidy home), our first TNCA yard sale this weekend raised $820 for our school--and was also a really fun time.

FRIDAY: Holy cow; look at all these piles!

And then there was the garage....

The middle schoolers came to help sort and set up. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but they got to work, all right.

They shopped a little, too, of course. Our first official sale of the day:

Back to work.

Some of the items were kind of a mystery.

We were ready. Yes, there was some waiting around; but we were ready.

And pretty soon: Shoppers. Sales.

Boys having fun manning the register.

Working on a banner.

SATURDAY: The rain came. Thumbs down, and boo!

But the diehard shoppers came, too, and bought.

Checking out the snow globes.

It was a real family affair. But not just individual families: more like one big extended TNCA family. Awesome.

Nice work, team. YAY for all of us.

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Week of April 9]]>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:29:24 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/04/tnca-trivia-week-of-april-9.htmlQ: What event did the running of the marathon commemorate?

A: The victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.

Thanks to our friends at the Asheville JCC for sponsoring this question!

Asheville folks, don't forget about the Falafel 5K this coming Sunday. It's part of the family-friendly, community-wide Celebration Israel festival, and a great race to run, walk, or cheer on from the sidelines. (Please give an extra whoop of encouragement to our runners in their orange TNCA tees!)

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia Roundup]]>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:01:49 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/04/tnca-trivia-roundup.html

Q: Which four planets in the solar system are known as the "gas giants"?

A: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Look at these gorgeous planets our 1-2 class painted!

Q: Which American philosopher said, "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude"?

A: Henry David Thoreau.

Here's a preschooler enjoying her solitude as she considers a box of Legos. It's so nice to see how respectful these kids are of each other. Even in close quarters, those who need quiet time can still find it.

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Week of March 6]]>Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:46:35 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/03/tnca-trivia-week-of-march-6.htmlQ: The holiday known as Purim celebrates the Jews' escape from destruction in ancient Persia. What is the name of the Persian ruler in this Biblical story?

A: It was King Ahasuerus, also known as Artaxerxes, and not to be confused with Xerxes, who ruled Persia during the time that the Purim story takes place.

Thanks so much to our friends at the Asheville JCC for sponsoring this week's question!

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Weeks of February 20 and 27]]>Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:36:21 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/03/tnca-trivia-weeks-of-february-20-and-27.htmlStudents in our 3-5th grade classroom supplied these two trivia questions, based on their geography and American history units this session.

Q: The Jordan River connects which two bodies of water?

A: The Jordan River connects the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. (It's also the lowest river in the world!)

Q: Which war is considered the bloodiest in American history?

A: The Civil War, which claimed over 620,000 lives, is considered the bloodiest war in American history. Interestingly, well over half the deaths were from disease, primarily intestinal disorders like typhoid fever and dysentery.
]]><![CDATA[Playground Magic]]>Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:27:12 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/02/playground-magic.htmlIt's always amazing to witness the variety of games, activities, and stories our students create when they're out on the playground, and so interesting to see the way topics and themes from our (indoor) curriculum weave themselves into their play.

They bake chocolate bread with mud and sunshine. They grind rocks against each other to make crystals and then sell them, each priced according to the value of its specific power.

Sometimes, they barter: bread for crystals, pine cones for bamboo.

They are archaeologists digging for pottery, miners digging for gold, American Indians tracking buffalo, pioneers cooking dinner over the fire. They are explorers, nurses, and engineers; they are slaves, gods, and spies.

They invent, revise, negotiate, and collaborate. They get serious....

And they get silly.

They inhabit the playground with their bodies and their brains, their wishes and their fears. Each day, anew, they bring that plain plot of land to life. Magic.

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Week of February 6]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:23:49 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/02/tnca-trivia-week-of-february-3.htmlQ: What flower is named for the mythological Greek youth who fell in love with is own reflection in a pool of water?

A: The narcissus flower. According to myth, Narcissus eventually died because he could not pull himself away, and the gods turned his remains into a flowering plant.

Thanks so much to Blossoms at Biltmore Park for sponsoring this week's trivia question!

These days, TNCA students are immersed in the study of ancient Greece. They love this unit; in particular, they're drawn to the drama of the divine soap opera otherwise known as Greek mythology.

The first and second graders made gorgeous paintings of their favorite gods. Here is Ares, god of war. Note that his name, as well as the artist's, are written in Greek!

Fifth graders made business cards. (Zeus will "water your garden" and "control your universe." Dionysus is available for party planning.) So much fun!

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Week of January 30]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:23:21 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/02/tnca-trivia-week-of-january-30.htmlQ: What two continents are separated by the Suez Canal?

A: Asia and Africa.

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Week of January 23]]>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:55:18 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/01/tnca-trivia-week-of-january-24.htmlQ: What events were included in the original Olympic pentathlon?

A: Discus, javelin, long jump, running, and wrestling.

A new Olympic sport? TNCA students having some fun on an unusually balmy January day.

]]><![CDATA[TNCA Trivia, Weeks of January 9 and 16]]>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:15:39 -0500http://newclassicbeta.weebly.com/2/post/2012/01/tnca-trivia-weeks-of-january-9-and-16.html[Special fungus edition!]

Q. What does a mycologist study?

A. Mushrooms and other fungi.

Q. Are fungi more closely related to plants or to animals?

A. Despite appearances, fungi are in fact more closely related to animals than to plants. One major similarity: Neither animals nor fungi produce their own food. ]]>