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Laura Jeffrey Academy

Learning Programs
Learning Programs
STEM-Focused Learning
Special Education
Testing & Assessments
Life at LJA
Student Life
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Meals
Activities and Athletics
After School Care
High School Transition Options
Newsletters
Calendar & Events
About Us
About LJA
Who was Laura Jeffrey?
Teachers & Staff
Board of Directors
FAQs
Educator-Led Staff Structure
Educational Design
Policies
Safe School
LJA Recognition and Reporting
World's Best Workforce
Support Us
Blog
Contact
Search
Interested in LJA?
Beat the January Doldrums with LJA J-Term
January 24, 2023
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Beat the January Doldrums with LJA J-Term
Website Maintenance Account
January 24, 2023

Beat the January Doldrums with LJA J-Term

Website Maintenance Account
January 24, 2023

Beat the January Doldrums with LJA J-Term

It’s cold, snowy, and the sun sets before 5 p.m. Welcome to January! We know students sometimes find it difficult to settle back into routines after holidays and winter breaks.

At Laura Jeffrey Academy, we believe all students should have agency in learning. Enter J-Term – a 4-week term in January designed to reinvigorate learning. Students and teachers make proposals for classes, and ultimately students select the activities that most interest them. 

What Are the J-Term Classes?

The classes in January look a little different every year, because they’re proposed and designed by our scholars and teachers. Here are a few of the popular options that students have attended in the past:

  • Outdoor Winter Survival

    • This introductory class on self-reliance teaches practical tips and strategies that every Minnesotan should know. Students will learn winter emergency priorities, including fire-making and how to make an emergency shelter, and setting up an outdoor emergency kit. Students participate in interactive scenarios and practice their skills in a safe setting. 

  • Theatre Programming

    • This popular option looks different every year. Students take a deeper dive into the aspect of theatre that interests them, which may include understanding theatre roles from acting to stage management to set design. Students learn technical and organizational skills while also exercising their creativity.

  • Urban Boatbuilders

    • We partner with Urban Boatbuilders to bring experiential learning to LJA. In this course, students explore hands-on woodworking while developing their problem-solving, organizational and leadership skills (plus, woodworking is an excellent exercise in patience and delayed gratification!). 

  • Needle Arts

    • Knitting, cross stitching, crocheting, embroidery: you name it, our students are interested in it. Students explore hands-on needle arts crafting while also learning about the history of needle arts and the value of repairing over replacing. 

Is Regular Learning Out the Window?

J-Term isn’t tossing out all traditional subjects but viewing learning through another lens. For example, language arts programming may switch to a book club. Mathematics education may switch to financial literacy. By exploring traditional subjects in a new way, students are reminded to draw connections between their learning and real-world experiences.

J-Term programming gives students a taste of what college programming may be like as they explore new subjects and learn to connect fun activities with higher-level thinking. In addition, the break from everyday routine reinvigorates scholars and staff as they explore new teaching styles and materials. 

Tagged: LJA Experience, STEM curriculum, middle school curriculum, J-Term

Newer PostWhy Start Middle School in 5th Grade?
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Laura Jeffrey Academy, 1550 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105, United States651-414-6000info@laurajeffreyacademy.org

SCHOOL HOURS: 8:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

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