Upper Elementary

Fourth through eighth grade students recently attended a field trip to City Springs Theater, where they experienced the moving production of Come From Away. This powerful, true story highlights extraordinary acts of compassion, humanity, and community in the aftermath of September 11. Through this meaningful live theatre experience, students were encouraged to reflect, build empathy, and engage in thoughtful conversations that extend far beyond the stage.

Davis students participated in creative, fun, and meaningful Seders this week. The Lower School model Seders, a long-standing tradition, showcased Jewish learning with themes, treats like chocolate-covered Matzah, and the afikoman search. Thanks to teachers and volunteers for making them extra special!

Third graders learned about French artist Henri Matisse and his colorful, patterned still life paintings. They created their own Passover table still life paintings showing patterns, warm and cool colors, and perspective.

Davis' Shrek Jr. featured over 150 talented students from Mechina to 8th grade, delivering four sold-out performances. This annual Broadway-style musical is a highlight, with students shining both on stage and behind the scenes, creating a unique and unforgettable experience.

Get ready, Davis — things are about to get ogre-the-top!
Behind the scenes, our talented student performers, dedicated volunteers, and hardworking tech crew have been putting in the final touches to bring Shrek Jr. to life. From perfecting lines and choreography to fine-tuning lights, sound, and set design, every detail is coming together for our show this Sunday.

Our 5th grade students wrapped up their makerspace rotation with a rapid prototyping challenge. They had one day to build a chariot that could attach to a Sphero robot and successfully navigate a course in the hippodrome. The young engineers demonstrated impressive problem-solving and coding skills during this hands-on STEM project.

Thirty fourth and fifth grade students gathered for a lively discussion after reading Bounce Back by Misako Rocks!. Students learned about manga and anime and explored the unique artistic style commonly seen in graphic novels and comics that originated in Japan. Inspired by the book, they also created their own manga-style characters!

This week in CSE, students explored artificial intelligence through the lens of autonomous vehicles. We learned how self-driving cars use a combination of sensors and machine learning to navigate roads and highways. Students then had the opportunity to experience this concept firsthand using our VEX GO robots. By programming the robot’s “eye” sensor, they taught the robot to move when it detected certain colors and stop when it detected others.

With the knowledge that they learned about simple machines in Computer Science and Engineering, 3rd grade students designed and built interactive carnival games. Skee-Ball games used inclined planes to make rolling marbles into goals a challenge, while Plinko boards were fastened with screws to create unpredictable paths for tokens. In the “Survivor” game, players used pulleys to guide a ball to the top goal without dropping it through obstacles. Pinball machines incorporated a variety of simple machines, including inclined planes, wheels and axles, levers, screws, and wedges, to create a fun and complex challenge. Students across the school loved visiting the carnival and testing out the third graders’ creative and inventive designs.

Our amazing 5th graders at Davis came together during Judaics class to prepare Mishloach Manot for every member of our faculty and staff. Through this special Purim mitzvah, they shared more than just treats, they shared gratitude, kindness, and community. Mishloach Manot reminds us that even small gifts can spread big joy, strengthen our bonds, and show how much we care for one another. We are so proud of our students for bringing the true spirit of Purim to life.