School to Community Connection
March 27, 2002

Issue 21

A New Teaching Approach at HJH

It could have been an important city meeting: Richard Spitler, Healdsburg's Planning Director, discussing zoning and how cities are developed with a rapt audience of one hundred plus. Instead, this conversation happened last week at Healdsburg Junior High as a part of the seventh grade TEAM program.

Mr. Spitler's talk was followed by a slide show by Susan Arbios, past president of the Healdsburg Museum. In her presentation, Ms.Arbios introduced students to all types of architecture found in Healdsburg from Victorian to neo-classical to Craftsman.

The following day, students and teachers were planning to take a neighborhood historical homes walk led by Healdsburg museum docents. Students would carry clipboards to take notes about their observations.

These two events are kicking off the TEAM students' fourth and final project for the year. Between now and May, students will learn the concepts of architecture, become familiar with American architects, study architecture in ancient civilizations, and work on a Design Team to design a house within given guidelines in addition to their regular studies. Within the project, students will complete math related to home design, conduct research using print and technology, write a report, and participate in a competition that will require them to cooperatively engineer a pyramid with structural integrity.

TEAM is a group of more than one hundred students who work together and share four teachers. Each quarter, they participate in a project that brings relevance to their studies and a chance to apply what they are learning. Students chose the program or were enrolled by parents who believed that their child would flourish in a smaller program within the larger junior high.

The students and teachers in this program are to be congratulated for their hard work this first year. The TEAM program shows how capable our young people are and how much they learn when involved and challenged.

This article contributed by Laurie Leach.