Airplanes - a 5th grade science lesson in building experiments

The fifth graders in Pam Brierre's science class started the year practicing their experiment and data collection skills. They built paper airplanes and then created measurable experiments to test their questions and hypotheses.

Creative Collaboration!

Ms. Quinet's and Ms. King's humanities seniors delved into Gunter Grass's "Tin Drum."  After reading and discussing the novel, groups worked together to research various German artists of the WWII and post-WWII era.  

The students were then able to use Prezi, a user-friendly, on-line collaborative tool.

Digital Photography and Cottage collaborate

AP art student Antoine B. collaborated with Mrs. Nan Hyatt and Mrs. Allison Fresneda to create a set of class portraits.

Latin & Instagram

Middle School Latin students have been using Instagram to capture "real world" examples of Latin in an effort to show how this ancient language and its legacy are all around us. Feel free to follow their discoveries:  #stmlatin2018 and #stmlatin2019.

"Flipped" Classroom Lessons

Pronouns (6th Grade English)

Nominative Case (7th Grade Latin)

 

Substantive Adjectives (8th Grade Latin)

Middle School Latin - Merging an Ancient Language with Modern Technology

The original version of the St. Martin's 7th grade Latin blog (from 2005) was not much more sophisticated than a Roman wax tablet. 

See for yourself: The old version

The present-day version of the blog, however, is bursting with information and resources designed to provide an exciting, twenty-first century approach to the traditional study of an ancient language:

St. Martin's 7th Grade Latin Blog

Here, students can find course documents, homework assignments, reminders, review games, supplemental materials, music, trivia, polls, and much more. This year, Middle School Latin is also experimenting with a "flipped classroom" approach. Homework consists of watching lessons recorded by the teacher and posted to the blog, while class time is dedicated to reinforcement and collaborative practice. In addition, students use Padlet (www.padlet.com) to share etymological discoveries, mnemonic devices for learning vocabulary, and links to other apps/resources that may benefit their classmates. We have only begun to scratch the surface!

Active AIM Language Learning in the Middle School

If you visit a Middle School French or Spanish class this year, you will experience an exciting research-based language program in action.  The AIM Language Learning Program is always in action and so are the students! The AIM Language Learning Program guides students through the process of using French or Spanish in class and encourages no English in the classroom.  The vocabulary has been carefully selected as essential for students during the initial stages of language learning.  Another component of the program is the Gesture Approach, a technique that uses hand signs to help students learn and remember important vocabulary. Teachers gesture every word and grammatical concept for the students to "see" and learn.  This approach engages the students and helps keep them active in the class.  This year is sure to be a wonderful one for French and Spanish students.

If you would like to learn more about AIM Language Learning, please visit http://www.youtube.com/user/aimlanguagechannel or http://aimlanguagelearning.com/

#STMspanish

Students from both Spanish III classes use Instagram to practice their spelling and Spanish lingo.

6th Grade English Blog

The St. Martin's 6th Grade English blog is truly a "digital classroom." Here, students can find course documents, video lessons, homework assignments, reminders, review games, supplemental materials, music, trivia, polls, and much more. It's like having MS-9 online. 

St. Martin's 6th Grade English Blog

Upper School Spanish Students Become Secret Agents

Students from a Spanish III class received the following email on 8/21/2013

Hello Spanish Agents,

Tomorrow before your homeroom you need to arrive to the Spanish Spy Agency (U.S.-24). At that moment you will each receive a secret envelope with the instructions for that days mission. We have been informed that a group of Mexican nationalists will attempt to take vengeance on the Spanish Crown for killing the Aztecs in 1521. Your mission is to prevent this at all cost.  This is a top secret mission. Only one agent can "save the King". Team work is discouraged. Survival of the Spanish Crown is the ultimate goal!!!!!! 

Before your mission, however, I need to make sure that you have the appropriate spyware equipment to complete your task. 

1) Please download the following free app to your smart phone: "QRReader."

2) Scan the following QRcode and reply to this email with the answer (only to me).

Due to the critical importance of this mission I am not able to disclose any more information at the moment...

Be advised that this operation will be time sensitive....

Best of luck, agents. 

Out.

Agent 007-Sanchez

**After receiving a response, students received further instructions. They had to search the Upper School for eleven different QR codes that contained Spanish words. Students had to "unlock" each word and compose a grammatically correct phrase. 

Smartphones To The Rescue

When a strong rainstorm knocked out Internet services yesterday afternoon, students in Mr. Rivet's and Ms. Quinet's history classes simply pulled out their cell phones and continued their research. 

St. Martin's Summer Workshop Brings Innovation and Design to NOLA Schools

St. Martin's Innovation and Design Workshop brought together students from across the city to learn design thinking and apply it to real problems.  St. Martin's teachers Keith Stanton and Ray Scioneaux, StM board member Heidi Gremillion, St. Martin's alum Kevin Quinet, St. Martin's supporter and volunteer Steve Caine, and StM Director of Innovation and Design Garrett Mason partnered with Tulane University to offer this workshop for middle and upper school students.

Read more about the workshop in The Advocate: http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/communitynews/6422360-123/tulane-partners-with-new-orleans

Welcome!

Welcome to St. Martin's latest blog.... STM Innovators!  This is a place for students, teachers, and community members to share their ideas, successes and failures both inside of and outside of the classroom.  We welcome your posts and look forward to collaborating with you.