VanDamme Academy

From Miss VanDamme:

My 8th graders just finished reading the haunting narrative poem "Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil," by Keats. In it, a young woman's lover is murdered by her brothers because they think him too low for her, the lover's spirit comes to her by night to tell her where he is buried, and she goes to the grave, severs his head, takes it home, puts it in a pot of basil, and waters the plant with her tears.
This haunting story has been captured countless times in art, and my eigth graders were disappointed in every rendering. Putting a skull on the pot was too "on the nose," her face was not sufficiently sad, the colors were too bright and vibrant, etc.
So I asked them to paint their own picture - in their minds - and then describe it to me. Here are some highlights.
"Her head rests on the pot, her face touching the damp soil, and her hair draped carelessly over her shoulder, parts of it resting in the dirt."
"It looks like her body is growing into the pot, as if she is pressing herself into the dirt. Her tears and hair are being drawn into the plant as if her body is dissolving into it."
"No description can emphasize the graveness of this setting, for no pain is stronger than lost love." (From a 13-year-old boy, by the way.)

Today was "Mixed-Up Monday," where teachers switched identities and lesson plans throughout the whole day. Our head of school, Mr. Steele, became the kindergarten teacher, and our kindergarten teacher, Miss Beach, became the head of school. The beloved Mr. Lewis became.... the pregnant Mrs. Steele? A fun time was had by all.

VanDamme Academy, a K-8 private school in Orange County, California, is seeking a junior high language arts teacher.

This position would consist of teaching vocabulary and writing to 6th through 8th graders, and may also include teaching grammar, science, or independent study. In addition to teaching classes, the person who fills this position would act as a homeroom teacher and manage the non-academic affairs of the 7th grade students.

Applicants should be college graduates with prior experience working with children. However, this experience need not be in the classroom, and no traditional teaching credential is required. More than credentials, we value subject-specific, rigorous academic training and a willingness to take independent responsibility for curriculum. Some knowledge of Latin and/or Greek is also valued for this position. Applicants may be interested in looking at our website https://www.vandammeacademy.com and learning more about our school culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv2TWkmTIlE before applying.

Salary is negotiable based on experience. A signing bonus is also available for those who can start in October 2021. Anyone interested should send a resume and cover letter to Lisa VanDamme at [email protected].

The Annual Yearbook Cover Contest has begun. This year we received a record number of submissions.... 42!
Here is just a small selection of what was submitted this year.

Class color day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the VDA kindergarteners!

Classroom Pet Spotlight!

In observance of Valentine's Day, Miss VanDamme and Mrs. Steele made literary cards with their literature classes.

A sneak peek at what some of our classes are up to...

-The kindergarteners just finished The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad by Thornton W. Burgess during read aloud.
-The 2nd graders are studying maps of Qatar and Kuwait in geography.
-In science class, the 4th graders did experiments about density, pressure, and gravity--and they also watched the SN9 fly!
-In literature, the 8th graders just finished reading Boule de Suif, a short story by Guy de Maupassant.

Student highlights from last week at VanDamme Academy:

“I liked starting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” - 2nd Grader
"The highlight of my week was getting to bring in my graphing calculator to graph equations." - 6th Grader
"I liked doing experiments in science." -4th grader

Recent quotes from students about what they have enjoyed at school:

8th grader: “Learning about Babylon’s sexagesimal system”
6th grader: "My highlight was reading The Count of Monte Cristo and hating Danglars who is responsible for getting Dantés imprisoned."
4th grader: "I liked taking the geography test on Italy and Greece."
3rd grader: "I loved everything about science class this week."