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Our students and faculty alike are excited to be celebrating the third year of U.N.I.T.Y. at Norfolk Collegiate School. Building on the previous years’ successful exploration of China and Afghanistan, this current school year we focused on the scientific, mathematical and creative concept of Inventions.
 The U.N.I.T.Y. theme taught students to learn creative problem-solving methods while also developing team-building skills by working in groups of multiple ages and abilities. Students learned to examine problems and identify the real challenges without limiting their solutions or success. The yearlong exploration of inventions increased students’ confidence in taking on new endeavors.
Each division explored the topic throughout the year, building up to the U.N.I.T.Y. Day celebration on Wednesday, February 15. Each classroom in the lower school reported on a specific invention. These reports were broadcast on the WNCS School News. Lower school faculty and staff also joined in on the fun by reporting on their favorite invention on the WNCS News. In the middle school each advisory group selected an invention to research. Inventions ranged from gum to aviation, and Playdough to snow cones. Each advisory reported their findings during assemblies, using a variety of presentation styles including imaginative live skits, time lines and unique videos. The Upper School celebrated the U.N.I.T.Y. theme throughout the year as they discussed a quote about inventions each week in advisory.
 In February, the K-12 student body collaborated to further their investigative studies during the U.N.I.T.Y. Day celebration. The juniors and seniors traveled to the lower school, where they worked with their yearlong partnership classrooms. Lower and upper school students worked together to explore the power of inventions and the possibilities of teamwork. The students invented new flavors, new languages, and new ways of thinking. The ideas were limitless regarding the inventions they would create and the educational challenges they would solve together. The fifth grade teamed up with the seventh and ninth graders for activities that used their problem-solving skills and tested their knowledge in a SMART Board Jeopardy game. Each student also challenged his or her own resourcefulness in the following activities: Invent a Game, Chopped! Cooking, Build a Bridge, and Grab Bag Inventions.
The sixth, eighth, and tenth grades broke up into groups and were asked to solve a problem surrounding the mystery of Moby Dick. Teams worked to create, build, and demonstrate their solutions. Timed challenges for teams included curating a museum display table depicting a scene from the novel, creating a video, and carving a scrimshaw.
At the end of a successful and inventive day, students in the upper school gymnasium and in the lower school cafeteria shared a blue and white relay via Skype.
 U.N.I.T.Y., a kindergarten through twelfth grade program, is designed to broaden students’ exposure to diverse ideas and topics in a cross-curricular format. Building on the “Conversation Series,” U.N.I.T.Y. stands for Understanding New Ideas Throughout the Year. “The NCS U.N.I.T.Y. program fosters community building and innovative thinking,” said Headmaster Scott Kennedy. “Our students have extended exposure to a single concept, allowing them to explore topics indepth that can’t be found in a single classroom experience. The school-wide collaboration results in a better learning experience and one that all members of our community are excited about.” |