Fun Times at Pleasant View

Elementary students at Pleasant View sure know how to party!

Through the course of the 2012-2013 school year, they have had many fun experiences to make their stay at PV “pleasant!”

Once such experience occurred in back in January (January 28th-February 1st), when students celebrated the 100^th day of school.

Each class did a special project to reflect the momentous occasion. Kindergarten and 1^st Grade classes were asked to do a home project with 100 items. They were to create something (anything they wanted) and use 100 items. These projects were to be displayed at the school.

Some projects used 100 crayons to make a picture, some used fruit loops, some used toilet paper tubes, and some used cotton balls (among other things)! The projects were displayed in the hallways for all students to enjoy.

This fun activity helped the kids count to 100, and they also got to use their imagination to be creative and show their interests.

Below are some photos from this fun project:

 

A certain class at PV got to experience a day at the beach at school!

Back in April, 1^st Grade teacher Kelsey Meyer’s class earned a Beach Party in the classroom, thanks to exceptional behavior.

They “brought the warmth of summer into the classroom while it was still cool outside,” Pleasant View secretary Meredith Mickelson said. “It was lots of fun!”

Below are some fun photos from their Beach Party:

And the whole school got to participate in what must have been a really fun experience back in October: Fire Safety Week!

Below are some photos from this event:

First Grade Science Center Visit

Not to be outdone by Middle School students, 1^st Grade students recently had a field trip too!

On Friday, May 3, 2013, our six 1^st Grade classes traveled to the Science Center for a fun day of learning and exploring!

Students got to see the famous T-Rex named Sue, and they got to learn about water flow and energy output. They even got to check out the wall of mazes, where they had to discover what needed to be done to the different pathways to make the ball reach the opposite side of the wall.

Below are photos of this adorable group:

5th Grade Field Trip!

Middle School students sure are getting around town these days!

On Thursday, May 9, 2013, 5^th Grade students from Webster City Middle School attended the Environmental Agriculture Day in Eagle Grove. Iowa State University puts on this event, along with New Cooperative.

“This is a great trip for our students to learn some really good information that affects them every day,” teacher Kelly Johnson said.

She’s not the only teacher to think so.

“Environmental Agriculture Day is always full of great information for our 5^th Grade students,” teacher Rochelle Sadler said. “They learn so much about the various aspects of how our state’s agriculture helps the world, as well as ways to be safe in today’s society in terms of chemicals and the sun.”

Stations are set up on the Wright County Fair Grounds. These stations are interactive for students to learn where our food comes from.

One of the stations was called Sun Safety.

“Sun Safety was the best because we got a bracelet,” student Hannah D. said. “It has two beads and when you’re in the sunlight, the beads change from white to a bright color. The UV rays hits the beads to change the color.”

Another station was about water.

“Why Water was fun,” student Lincoln L. said. “The water table was a good way to see how a river flows and what can happen when trash, cards, and other things that don’t belong in the river get into the flow.”

Students also learned that humans eat DNA!

“It’s hard to believe we eat miles of DNA each day,” student Xavier A. said.

“This is a great educational experience for the students,” teacher Megan Wihlm said. “What is common knowledge to most adults, students were hearing for the first time.”

Iowa is known for their sweet corn, but what else did students learn about corn?

“A lot of things we buy in the grocery store are made from corn and soy beans,” student Claire G. said. “Golf tees, socks, and credit cards can all be made from corn and soy beans.”

Below are some more photos from this fun and educational field trip:

And luckily, the weather cooperated this year!

“I’m just happy it didn’t snow,” teacher Christina Moline said. “The kids enjoy having some hands-on learning and realize that Iowa agriculture has a big impact on our world.”

Vocabulary Parade!

Yesterday, some students from Webster City Middle School got to try something new!

The Fifth Grade reading and language teachers tested out a new, fun way to practice vocabulary, memorization and public speaking skills. In their classes, students read a story called Miss Alanieus, in which there is a vocabulary parade.

Since MAPS testing was coming up, these teachers thought that creating a vocabulary parade of their own would be a “fun way for students to learn vocabulary and be creative at the same time,” teacher Kelly Johnson said.

Students had to create a definition, sentence and costume to go with their vocabulary word. They had some time in class to work on their costumes and props, but most of the work was done outside of school.

“At first students were apprehensive and nervous,” Johnson said. “However as the parade drew closer and their costume was created, the excitement started building.”

Aside from the students, there was a nice turnout of parents in the audience as well as staff from the school.

Johnson posted four videos of the parade, and it sure seems students had a fun time learning!

“Overall we felt this experience was great for the students,” Johnson said. “We look forward to doing more of this in the future!”

Teacher Christina Moline added a few more photos from the parade:

 

“It was also nice to see that there have already been many YouTube views of the videos,” Moline said. “I am happy that the kids have a way to share their experience with others who could not be there.”

Moline said the parade was a “great success!”

“We definitely will have a vocabulary parade again,” she said.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!

We have a bug infestation over at Sunset Heights Elementary!

Luckily, it’s the kind of infestation we want.

Certain 2nd Grade teachers began piloting our new FOSS Science curriculum on Monday, April 8, 2013. This new curriculum is research-based, standards-based and supports the reading program with a strong literacy component. FOSS claims it makes science fun and exciting by having students learn while doing. And from the photos and videos the Curriculum Department has received from the principal and teachers of the school, excitement sure does describe what students are feeling about bugs!

Dawn Scholtens, one of our 2nd Grade teachers, said it was a “good call” on this new science curriculum.

“Kids wanted to know if they could vote to do science all day today,” she said. “[I] even got comments from parents that all their child talked about last night was science.”

Scholtens shared a photo of the “first thing” she saw in her room this morning:

This 2nd Grade student is “reading to her vial of science worms,” Scholtens said. “No wonder I love my job!”

Below are some more photos that Chuck Bonjour, principal of Sunset, sent us yesterday afternoon. These students are working with mealworms:

Colette Bertran, another 2nd Grade teacher, shared these two photos below:

These students are “measuring and recording” their observations of their mealworms.