The Progression of Being a Lower School Naturalist
by Lisa Preston, lower school naturalist
Each grade level in Lower school finished the year with a culminating journey, applying what they have learned to a final experience in the natural world.
Kindergarten went to Warner Park to walk in Vaughn's Creek to investigate what lives in the water and under the rocks, then drew a map of the creek, coloring it with natural paint they made using the creek gravel around them.
First grade went to Beaman Park to note the many wildflowers near the trail and to take time to explore in Henry's Creek.
Second grade went to the USN Wetland to investigate life in the water and to view the nesting osprey pair on top of the light post, a perfect ending to their animal and bird studies this year.
Third grade explored in canoes at Lake Woodhaven and Hall Springs to see the effects that water has on land over time and the many creatures that thrive in that environment.
Fourth graders paddled their own kayaks 5.5 miles on the Duck River, one of the most diverse rivers in North America, home to more than fifty species of freshwater mussels. Finally, they climbed trees on the front lawn to celebrate the trees of Tennessee and the gift they give us every day.
It has been a year full of discovery along the way.
Aliza Ahmed '26, Uma Ehrig '26, Victor Peng '26, Ruchika Ramachandran '27, and Yvonne Wang '27 participated in the Asian Educators Alliance conference this year in Atlanta, Georgia.
Anna Brook '30, Claire Yu '30, Clio Cherry-Pulay '29, and Liam Mooney '28 took him the championship during the 4th annual USN Middle School Quiz Bowl Championships. Two teams will travel to Chicago to compete in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments Middle School National Championships on Saturday, May 10.
Cpl. Robert Gibson joined University School of Nashville in November as a School Resource Officer, a certified police officer who is primarily assigned to a school and provides safety and security-related functions, including emergency response, safety training, traffic direction, and patrol functions.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.