Doherty
May 27, 2021
A Virtual Trip to the Sea
Unit I students in Amy Kulhavik and Joan Claybourn’s classes learned all about life under the sea during a class in which the students participated in a Zoom call with representative Amanda Komarek from the Sea Coast Science Center in New Hampshire. “As we explore the Northeast region of the United States in Unit I, one thing the students wanted to learn about were animals from that area,” said Kulhavik. During their Zoom call, the students were able to see crabs, lobster, and sea stars. The students discussed the habitats needed for several sea animals, as well as the anatomy and eating habits of the animals. “The students had fun learning about some of the sea creatures from the Northeast region and are looking forward to visiting that region of the country in person one day,” said Kulhavik.
A Day to Fly Away
Unit III students took class to new heights in mid-May. As part of their unit on geometrical structures, teachers Bill Schmidt and Dana Pease took students on a field trip to Summit Park in Blue Ash, where students flew kites they recently built in class. Pease said the project was designed to give fifth-graders an opportunity to spend time doing something fun and unique. “We felt that the students needed some time out of the classroom and off campus and the weather was great,” said Pease. “They have worked so hard all year and we wanted to honor their hard work and resilient nature with a symbolically freeing activity.”
A Salad Bowl of Cultures
Unit II students recently used the term, “salad bowl of cultures” to design a project about the Midwest region of the United States. “Each student researched a state and talked about all the states that share the various Native American cultures. We then talked about the cultures that immigrants and African Americans brought to the region,” said Unit II teacher Sherri Linville. “We then discussed the many cultures, sports, and clothing that have come from a number of cultures that exist together in the Midwest region.”
A Worthy Jaunt
As part of their pretend journey of learning across the United States, Doherty kindergarteners learned about the screech owls of Puerto Rico, took in the beauty of lighthouses in the northeast portion of the country, viewed artwork depicting the work of North Carolina artist Romare Bearden, walked through the Everglades of the southeast, and viewed artwork depicting Tex-Mex, a blended cuisine born of the cultures of Texas and Mexico. At all stops, the students discussed history, culture, and customs with their teachers Cyndi Kenyon and Lindsday Pietroski. Their tour focused on the many regions and stories of the U. S. as part of Doherty’s annual multi-weeklong Cultural Connections project, in which all students help to create the different areas of study. Pietroski said kindergarteners studied the Florida Everglades. “When creating the Everglades, the students researched which animals and plant life exist in this biodiverse region of our country,” said Pietroski. “They read books and went on virtual field trips and found many fascinating flora and fauna in this region. The children had so much fun using paper and other materials to create sawgrass, mangrove trees, strangler fig, and panthers. The hall came to life as the students worked together to create a 10-foot alligator and life size manatee!”
Learning the Foundation of Coding in Pre-K
Students in Julie Brackett’s pre-kindergarten for 2-year-olds class participated in a fun game with the programmable learning device, Code and Go, that exposed them to the fundamentals of coding with librarian Jo Schnirring in late May. The young students counted with Schnirring as she programmed a mechanical mouse to move in two steps to find a piece of cheese. “The students learned that some buttons on the device make the mouse move in different directions,” said Brackett. “Their exposure to being able to control the movement of an object using programming teaches them the beginning steps to coding.”
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Five Stingers Sign to Play in College
Five Stingers from the Class of 2024 signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college.
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