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Middle School Seminar

During the week of January 7th – 10^th, all BCD middle school students participated in the BCD Seminar. The BCD Seminar is modeled after the Aspen Institute Seminar and is intended as an opportunity for BCD students to stretch their intellectual thinking. With over 60 years of experience, the Aspen Institute Seminar is designed to help people of all ages and walks of life to reflect upon the most important questions facing us as human beings and as leaders.

Each night, BCD students were assigned texts by various authors, both ancient (including Aristotle) and current (including J.K. Rowling). The texts were used to prompt students to think about complex human issues such as: Is goodness something that is in humans or is it something that needs to be taught and learned? Is it something we as humans are born with or must choose to act on? In-school discussion were then led by guest moderators, Todd Breyfogle, Director of Seminars for the Aspen Institute, and Allyson Sudbourough, Teacher Effectiveness Coach for Denver Public Schools.

As you can see, the texts present some really big concepts. Students were advised that while the texts are difficult, to not be discouraged because Seminar is intended to be a laboratory in which—together—they will try to figure out what the texts say and mean, both on their own terms and for us as humans today. They were also reminded that seminar discussions thrive on questions. So, very often it is the seemingly simplest questions that can provoke the most meaningful discussions.

Students began the seminar by examining the painting of “Icarus” who is seen plunging into the water after his wings have melted. The bystanders seem unfazed by Icarus’ fall and do not appear to be making any effort to rescue him. An open discussion of human nature then began on whether or not Icarus should be saved. The conversations remained lively from there on out.

Moderator Todd Breyfogle shared that his discussion of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (on friendship) with the BCD 7th grade students was one of the best he had ever had, with students OR adults! This is quite a compliment coming from the Director of Seminars at the Aspen Institute. There seemed to be a sense of pride in our students as they realized they could read, understand, and discuss Aristotle. Another thing our moderators and Mr. Welch noticed was how BCD students appreciated the opportunity to discuss big topics that do not necessarily have a right or wrong answer are not designed to lead to any particular conclusion, by rather serves to stretch themselves intellectually and challenge them personally.

“BCD students are remarkably capable. They devoured a dense selection from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and were ready to engage in conversation, armed with questions and opinions. It was one of the best conversations I’ve had on Aristotle’s understanding of friendship, whether with adults or younger people.”

–Todd Breyfogle, PhD, Managing Director, Seminars, The Aspen Institute

At the end of the week, students created personal mission statements or wrote letters to their future selves about some of the important things they had learned about themselves from the process.

We hope the seminar experience of deep learning through community discussion will remain a meaningful touchstone for these students for many years to come. We would also like to extend special thanks to alumni parent former board member, Jay Orris of Peak to Peak Management, for bringing this opportunity to BCD many years ago and for his ongoing support of the program.

Personal experience statement by Mills, 7^th grade.

I thought the Middle School Seminar would be an interesting way to learn about morals and ethics, but also learn about my classmates’ opinions and ideology. I ended up learning those things in addition to learning about human inclinations when someone is in trouble. It was interesting to hear what my classmates thought about whether humans are by nature good or bad. We read a very moving autobiographical piece by George Orwell, called “Shooting an Elephant”. It ignited an hour-long conversation about whether shooting the elephant in the story was morally right, even if Orwell feared for his life if he didn’t kill the elephant. We also discussed a painting portraying Icarus flailing and drowning in the Aegean Sea, as onlookers refused to help. This initiated a conversation about whether humans are born good or bad, or whether it’s a learned behavior. I found this conversation interesting and was intrigued by my classmates’ thoughts.

I was positively impacted by the experience of sharing our thoughts. The Middle School Seminar was inspiring and gave me lasting insights into my peers, human nature, history and the world as a whole.

Texted used in 2020 BCD Seminar

6th grade: Risk and Reflection

Session 1: What is our nature?

Intro, Painting (Icarus)
Plato, “Ring of Gyges” (shortened version)

Session 2: What is success?

Ayyappa Paniker, "Horse Play" (Poem)
Sandra Cisneros “Eleven”

Session 3: What is resilience?

J.K. Rowling "The Fringe Benefits of Failure"
“An Unlucky Man?” A Tale from Nigeria

7th grade: Commitment and Community

Session 1: What is our nature?

Intro, Painting (Icarus)
Mencius, On Human Nature (short excerpt)

Session 2: What do we commit to?

“Story of Fire” A Sufi Tale
George Orwell “Shooting an Elephant”

Session 3: How do we live together?

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (on Friendship)
Luther Standing Bear, “Indian Wisdom”

8th grade: Courage and Purpose

Session 1: What is our nature?

Intro, Painting (Icarus)
Chuang Tzu, “Woodcarver”

Session 2: What gives us Purpose?

“Seneca: On the Shortness of Life” Translated by John W. Basore
Chimamanda Adichie, “Danger of a Single Story”

Session 3: What gives us Courage?

“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” Ursula K. Le Guin
Constantine P. Cavafy, “Ithaca” (poem)

BCD's partners with Positive Coaching Alliance to Enhance the Athletics program

BCD partners with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) for all our athletic coach training becuase we believe their values align well with ours. The Positive Coaching Alliance mission is to transform the youth sports culture into a Development Zone® where all youth and high school athletes have a positive, character-building experience that results in Better Athletes. Better People.

The Big Picture in Youth Sports

A Second-Goal Parent recognizes that there is a Little Picture and a Big Picture in youth sports. The Little Picture concerns things like whether the child is playing the right position, the team is winning, etc. The Big Picture, which often gets drowned out by the Little Pictures, is about what the child is learning from youth sports.

There are two broad goals in youth sports: striving to win and building character so kids develop into successful, contributing members of society. As important as winning may seem, Second-Goal Parents let coaches and athletes worry about the first goal of scoreboard results. Second-Goal Parents have a much more important role to play: ensuring their children take away from sports lessons that will help them be successful in life. That is the Big Picture.

Endless Procession of Teachable Moments

If you embrace your role as a Second-Goal Parent, it will transform the way you see youth sports. It will help you seize the endless procession of teachable moments that will come your way again and again when you are looking for them.

What might have seemed like a disappointing loss or a failure by your child becomes an opportunity to reinforce resiliency. A tough competition in forbiddingly hot, cold, or nasty weather can prompt a conversation with your child about learning to enjoy challenges. Whether your child succeeds or fails on the playing field, you will be able to use the experiences to reinforce the kind of person you want him or her to be.

A Second-Goal Parent focuses relentlessly on the Big Picture – helping their child take away the lessons that will help them be successful, contributing members of society. And, in the process a Second-Goal Parent is able to better enjoy their child’s youth sports experience, which will end all too quickly.

Boulder Country Day School is proud to partner with Positive Coaching Alliance for our athletic coaching training and we are excited to welcome PCA on campus to present to parents.

Second-Goal Parent Workshop - presented by Positive Coaching Alliance

Wednesday, November 6th from 6:00pm - 7:00pm

This event is free and open to the public, see please feel free to bring a friend. Register here.

Climbing walls at Outdoor Ed...and beyond

When I was walking through the woods during our Outdoor Ed trip, I could hear the indistinct shouts that Middle Schoolers make when they are outside and allowed to use "outside voices". I was heading towards the climbing wall, a triangular pyramid 25 feet in the air. This climbing wall was one of the many activities available for our Middle School students at Outdoor Education at the foot of the Rocky Mountain National forest. Students also had the opportunity to do other activities, including archery, mountain formation, and team building activities.

8th Graders Travel to Washington, DC

The BCD travel program hosted another successful trip last week with our eighth-grade trip to Washington DC. We traveled in conjunction with our travel partner, WorldStrides, who planned an extraordinary trip. In addition to visiting many of the memorials in our nation’s capital, the students became co-trip leaders who learned about and presented information on the memorials. As we returned Saturday, the students were tired and inspired by a trip that built memories for a lifetime.

For those interested in a more complete write up of the trip please see the linked travelogue.

2019 Washington Travelogue

8th Graders Present their Capstone Projects

Eighth grader, Chase Lewis, and his dog whom he trained as an emotional support dog for his Capstone project, gave his final presentation to the community on May 3rd. All BCD 8th graders complete a year-long, research-based project that allows them to investigate a passion of theirs through mentorship and community service as part of the International Baccalaureate middle years program. This year’s projects included such topics as raising funds for Native American scholarships, building a guitar, and stage makeup.

BCD Travel Program Headed to Santa Fe and Denver in April

The BCD travel program creates trips tied to curriculum that enhance our IB education and allow BCD students to discover and embrace their excellence and expand their horizons through unique experiences. This April we have two great trips running.

Time is of the Essence: A Parent's Perspective on Preschool through 8th Grade

“I wish I had been here from the beginning”, said my older son half-way through 7^th grade at BCD a couple of years ago. When I asked him why, he gave me several reasons: The teachers, the students, the community, the opportunities to explore new interest areas, the leadership opportunities, the service projects, the trips, and last but not least “I am finally getting how to balance academics and the rest of my interests- and I don’t have to choose one or the other- I can just be me”. I liked his answers and with our second son saying to me just the other day that he too wishes he had been at BCD “for more time than I will have here in middle school”, I decided to see how much their comments may be more than a personal story. As a trained education researcher, looking further, deeper and more closely is what I am passionate about; -and when personal experience matches with solid data, I am calling that a “Great Day!”

Why Choose a PS - 8th Grade School

Boulder Country Day has intentionally chosen to focus on preschool through eighth grade and we believe it is among our greatest assets. We firmly believe that a PS-8 school environment offers distinct advantages during the most critical years of a child’s intellectual, social, and emotional development.

The Aspen Institute Executive Seminar

Thanks to the generosity of Christy and Jay Orris and their commitment to faculty professional development, I recently had the opportunity to attend the Aspen Institute Executive Seminar in Aspen, CO.

Boulder Country Day School teams with I Have a Dream Foundation to compete in First Lego League competition on November 18th

Through an anonymous Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity grant by a BCD parent, Boulder Country Day School and I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County (IHAD) have partnered to form a combined First Lego League® (FLL) team. The grant funds transportation and course expenses for participating IHAD students and brings together students, technology, and BCD’s goal of inspiring students to reach their full potential.

Alumnus' artwork draws financial aid donation

This year's Gala was a huge success. Thank you to all who participated!

BCD Students Attend LEAD Conference in Chicago

Students from the middle school student council joined thousands of other student leaders at a Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD) Conference in Chicago, IL on February 10th – 12th.

Middle School to livestream CU Conference of World Affairs

BCD middle school students will be live streaming several sessions from this year’s CU annual Conference on World Affairs.

Middle School Magic

If our Preschool and Elementary school divisions have been described by some as “magical”, then I can only imagine our middle school can be described as transformational.

8th Grade Capstone Celebration

As part of BCD’s Middle School curriculum, 8th grade students complete a Capstone Project. Capstone Projects are a yearlong experience that encourages students to dive deeply into a subject of personal passion. This experience develops in-depth learning in the presence of an experienced mentor. 8th grade Capstone projects are a culmination of students' BCD experience bringing together the key elements of passion, innovation, and service. It is always exciting to see the range of interests and directions the students take. Student projects this year range from building ovens in Nicaragua, to designing head bands for a cure, to piloting a plane, to stage fighting. On April 22nd, our 8th grade students finished the hard work they have put into their Capstone projects as they presented their work to their families and mentors. Well done, Bulldogs.

To see a complete list of this year's projects, click here.

More on BCD's Middle School curriculum.

BCD's homepage.

Call of the Wild

In 7th grade we have introduced our novel study of The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Students are looking at narrative perspective as we read. By looking at point of view, students gain a greater understanding of plot details that are in (and out) of the story. By examining a certain scene from a different character’s perspective, students see characters in a new light, perhaps gaining empathy or a better understanding a character’s motives. Finally, by analyzing why the story is told from a dog’s point of view, students learn about the Klondike Gold Rush and human behavior from a unique perspective. How different the story would be if told from the perspective of one of the humans!

Exploring Biomedical Engineering in STEM

We are finalizing our unit on Biomedical Engineering with a review of why 3D printing is such an important development in the world of medicine. They are using recent events in medical technologies and our classroom experience with 3D printing to communicate where the impact of 3D printing on the accessibility of prosthetics, surgical operations, and other areas related to health. As they communicate the current state of medicine, they are also catching a glimpse of where medical technologies will be taking us in the future.

Thank you to Bob Radocy, owner of TRS Prosthetics, for coming and speaking to our students.

Model UN broadens world perspective for Middle School students, teaches current events

Middle School students participated today in the annual Model UN exercise. Having done their research and prepared resolutions they came ready to serve as delegates for their assigned countries. As emerging global citizens, students connect current events to the study of delicate international relations and how conflicts are addressed through the United Nations. Gaining an understanding of the domestic and international concerns of a nation, as well as its relationship to its allies and other nations, gives students a greater sense of the complexity of foreign relations and the challenges we all face in the 21^st century.

BCD Spotlight Singers sing National Anthem at CU game

So proud of our Spotlight Singers and Mr. Parker. They did a fabulous job singing the National Anthem at the CU vs. Utah game on January 8th. Well done Bulldogs.

Pumpkin Chuckin'

We are applying what we have learned about simple machines and mechanical advantage to designing and building our own candy-catapulting devices. In preparation for building our own catapults, we have also spent a day celebrating fall by starting a tradition of Pumpkin Chuckin’ at BCD. Seeing how a larger catapult works will help us understand the need to transfer as much potential energy from the machine into kinetic energy in the projectile.