The auditorium filled with families, students and staff as snow fell outside. Pagosa Peak Open School K-3 community members braved the weather to celebrate their students’ first projects of the year with the school’s Showcase Night last Thursday.
“As a project-based learning school, we celebrate the process of student work,” Angela Reali-Crossland said. “Tonight you will see evidence of our school values where students worked together to better support and understand their community, take academic risks as lifelong learners, and grow into whole and healthy humans.”
Kindergarten students had completed their “Joy of Toys” project with presentations on their own toys they created; as well as a mini-golf green that was shared at the library’s Lanes and Links fundraiser during the weekend. Students wrote about the attributes of their toy, interviewed other students about play, and then presented their writing and products during the Showcase Night.
The first-second grade class also presented during the night with their “Tools of the Trade” project. Students visited a local farm, invited in Johnathan Dobson from Dobson solar, and interviewed parents and staff about their own tools of their trade. Students then dressed up and discussed the tools of the trade from a variety of jobs. In addition, the students worked on a collaborative mural with middle school students: a giant butterfly now decorates the lobby where students took pictures with their family members.
The third grade finished their “Learning Challenges Near and Far” project with posters and video presentations on schools around the world. Students are also working on their own PPOS promotional video for the community.
The Showcase Night also highlighted the first writing products of PPOS’s new writing curriculum, “Writing by Design.” Every student in the school wrote a personal narrative and created a self-portrait, which were shared gallery-style and encouraged families to get to know all PPOS students on a personal level.
Students were excited to share their learning with the PPOS community, and families were happy to see the work of their students.
“Lachlan was so enthusiastic to share,” said kindergarten parent, Laura Moore.
PPOS will be hosting their next Showcase Night on Nov. 17, 5-7 p.m. The next showcase will feature the first projects of the upper-grades: 4-8. Pagosa Peak Open School is a free, public, K-8 charter school with a focus on project-based learning.
First and second-graders present on “Tools of the Trade” at the first PPOS Showcase Night.
Kindergartner Jacquelyn created a GI Joe for her “Joy of Toys” project to share during the first PPOS Showcase Night.
All PPOS students were represented through writing and self-portrait work during the first PPOS Showcase Night.