Bennett Day Fun Festival: A Musical Project-Based Learning Journey in 1st Grade
“In the end, designing Bennett Day Fun Festival wasn’t really about learning how to run a music festival. It was about working together to achieve developmental milestones in a meaningful and authentic fashion, and, of course, making a little music along the way.” Posted: September 24, 2020Written by: Ms. Camacho and Ms. Washington
Failing Grades: How to Motivate Students to Learn Without Keeping Score
Students need to learn by doing — through problem-solving, project-based learning and being creative. Parents, myself included, need to let go of a system we grew up with and recognize how we experienced school will not prepare students for now, or much less 2040, when two thirds of the jobs that will exist then do…
Demo Night: How Project-Based Learning Comes to Life at Bennett Day Upper School
At our Trimester 2 Demo Night, attendees explored and asked questions about 5 unique small group projects that dug deeply into migration in an effort to determine how we, as citizens, can make lives better for people around the world who either choose to or are forced to migrate from their home.
Junior Kindergarteners Channel NPR with Podcast on the Human Body
Inspired by the children’s doctor-themed dramatic play and the Bennett Day “Get Wellthy” Challenge, Mr. Nearpass and Ms. Simmons’ kindergarten classroom spent three months researching the body and medical professions to better understand how to keep themselves healthy.
Student Innovation Through Bennett Labs: Creating Apps, Books, and 21st Century Learning at Bennett Day School
By Frances Judd, Special Projects Coordinator & Early Childhood Tinkering and Engineering Sciences Lab Teacher I love sharing these photos of enthusiastic and engaged learners at Bennett Day School as they participate in Bennett Labs projects:
Building Bennett Day School: An Interview with CEO Cameron Smith
After the birth of his first son in 2010, Bennett Day School Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cameron Smith, came face-to-face with the shortage of options for progressive, independent schooling in Chicago. Though his heartfelt reasons as to “why” he founded the school are well-documented, we sat down with Cameron to discuss the “how” behind his motivational journey in creating…
Decision Time: Our Top 3 Tips for Choosing a Best-Fit School
No parent takes school-fit decisions lightly, and Chicago families are reporting more and more that the dizzying array of PK-12 options in the city can feel stressful.
For Students Highly-Committed to Extracurriculars, Bennett Day Upper School Provides an Ideal Experience
Most high schools expect their students to sit through regimented class periods beginning strictly at 8am (or even earlier), participate in their after-school activities that can sometimes go well into the late evening hours, and then somehow manage to thoughtfully complete hours of homework and get a good night’s rest—all to do it again the…
“Gaga for a Gaga Pit!” Guest Blog By Tinkering & Engineering Sciences Teacher, Zak Thompson, on STEM & Design Thinking
“Engineers solve problems.” These words are mounted on our front wall, serving as the mantra of the Tinkering & Engineering Sciences (TES) Lab. It is important for the students to remember as we are deep in circuits, robots, and 3D printing that our mission of advancing creativity and innovation does not happen in a vacuum….
