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January 2015

From Improvisation to Composition

January 27, 2015

The third, fourth, and fifth graders have turned into creative, confident composers this winter. We started our journey into the world of composition by learning to improvise short melodies on the xylophone using the C pentatonic scale. I gave the students a four measure rhythmic pattern and they experimented by playing the rhythm on various notes, making up melodic phrases on the spot. 

After sharing their improvisational skills individually, each student worked to create a new melody until they composed a song they loved enough to call their own. I was so impressed by the...Read more

Irish for a Week

January 20, 2015

The Rossman School campus was transformed into an Irish farm last week, with wooden sheep scattered throughout the lawn to greet families as they drove through the parking lot. Meanwhile, traditional Irish music floated through the halls, brightening each morning — and even inspiring a little dancing — as students settled into their classrooms. International Week, a biennial Rossman tradition, had arrived, and this year students would experience Ireland!

A special Monday Morning Gathering kicked off the weeklong celebration. A handful of student volunteers presented fun facts about...Read more

How Pressured Is Your Child?

January 20, 2015

A group of parents recently gathered with the Head of School for the annual meeting of Rossman’s Pat Shipley Book Club. Attendees enjoyed coffee and breakfast while discussing The Pressured Child by Michael Thompson. Michael Thompson has written many highly acclaimed books about raising children, including Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys; Best Friends, Worst Enemies; and Homesick and Happy. In The Pressured Child, Thompson ...Read more

Fourth Graders Serve As Citizen Scientists

January 14, 2015

Did you know that Rossman’s fourth grade students are official citizen scientists? Once again, our fourth graders are contributing to an international science experiment through Journey North.

Each fall, students across the northern hemisphere plant Red Emperor tulip bulbs in Journey North Test Gardens. When the plants emerge and bloom, test gardeners report their observations and data to Journey North. The organization keeps garden observations in a permanent database. Historical data enables Journey North and their...Read more

Rossman Has Heart

January 8, 2015

The American Heart Association has recognized Rossman School for raising the most money of all Missouri schools that participated in the AHA’s Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart fundraisers in 2013-2014.

In February, 150 Rossman students in grades 2 through 6 participated in the events, raising $15,757 for heart research and health education. Rossman has supported Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart for over 25 years, raising more than $150,000. The fundraising effort by the students honors the School’s commitment to character education and the four Rossman rules of kindness, honesty...Read more

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