WOS and Cottage Lane Classes Promote Acts of Kindness
When William O. Schaefer’s Special Education co-teacher Heidi Hill was researching blogs in the district, she ran across a link on a Cottage Lane blog about Christine and her dog Jessie who will walk the 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail over 6 grueling months to inspire others to make a difference. Christine is part of a community to inspire others to practice kindness. Anyone can dedicate miles for Christine and Jessie just by paying it forward. Ms. Hill felt the best way to help our children learn more about the word of the month at Schaefer is by practicing kind acts toward others. Ms. Hill read books about filling people's buckets by doing kind acts to the children in her classes along with teachers Art Gunther and Carole De Visser. She encouraged the children to notice when individuals in their classes did kind acts for them. The children then completed "Tickets of Kindness" when they noticed someone doing something kind for them. In addition, she coordinated an effort for both classes to donate items for Hi Tor Animal Shelter, the only local animal shelter, which is in jeopardy of losing funding. Ms. Hill then connected with Anne O'Brien at Cottage Lane whose students also decided to take up a collection. The culmination of the project for each class was when Christine Baker from Walk 4 Good (www.walk4good.com) and her dog Jessie paid the classes a visit. The children at WOS formulated interview questions for Ms. Baker about her hike, and of course, her dog. Ms. Hill's students will be continuing to focus on kindness during the month of March by reading books at home about kindness with their families, as well as completing a kindness journal for homework to share with their classmates.
To sponsor Christine in her Appalachian trek, simply go to the website http://www.walk4good.org/ under the DEDICATE tab and dedicate a mile to someone and then type in how you will "pay it forward" by doing an act of kindness.
February 1, 2012
Barbara Bandura, our Library Media Specialist, is teaching our first grade students the features of Microsoft Word. Students were in the lab working collaboratively with a partner as they learned to keyboard. They typed their names and then learned how to highlight text and change the font color, size and theme. Next, the children will be learning how to insert clip art, eventually using what they learned to work in PowerPoint.
On Monday, January 23rd, the students at William O. Schaefer School shared in the celebration of Chinese New Year! In relevance to the theme of the month, "Diversity," students learned about the importance of sharing some of the various traditions of our cultures and backgrounds. Chinese New Year is considered the biggest holiday celebrated among Chinese people. It is a time when families and friends get together to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. The Kindergarten students at WOS participated in fun little parade around the building. Art teacher, Mrs. Piteo, prepared the children by sharing an Ancient Chinese Myth about the origin of this holiday and had students decorate their very own masks based on the style of Chinese Opera Masks. Glitter and red streamers were added for good luck. GUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
W.O.S. Kindergarten Art and Music Showcase
On Thursday, January 19, 2012, three kindergarten classes presented an Art and Music Showcase for their parents and special guests. The students in Ms. Coughlin, Ms. Ferzola and Ms. Graham classes, prepared music and art work to the story of “My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss. Mrs. Piteo, the art teacher, had students create their own pictures to recreate and tell the story. Mrs. Fox, the music teacher, had the students add sounds from musical instruments: hand and finger drums, maracas, castanets, triangles, finger cymbals, glockenspiels and xylophones. The students then recorded the story, which was added to the instruments and art work. Their work was shown in a PowerPoint presentation. The students sang “The Rainbow Song” and used colored scarves to illustrate the colors of the rainbow.
WOS Students Exceed Last Year's Covered Cupboard Project
For the tenth straight year, students attending William O. Schaefer Elementary school have helped the Meals on Wheels Program with their Covered Cupboards initiative. Each year students pack up, wrap, and decorate a shoebox filled with non-perishable food items which is delivered to Rockland's elderly and homebound so that during the winter months, if a hot meal delivery is hampered by weather or any other emergency, recipients will not go hungry. The Meals on Wheels Program relies on many volunteers to cook and deliver meals to the elderly in the community. A bad winter's day or other emergency might not allow safe delivery to some or all recipients. This year was especially important in that Jim Burton, Assistant Executive Director, stated they did not have enough “Cupboards” for all the Meals on Wheels recipients. He was thrilled to hear that WOS had volunteered for the tenth year to help solve this problem in our community.
WOS Principal Nora Polansky explained to the assembly of students that their "participation in the Covered Cupboards project went hand in hand with their word of the month……GENEROSITY."
On the day of the assembly Meals on Wheels staff members Marissa Moscatello, Volunteer Coordinator and Jim Burton, Assistant Executive Director along with Greg Carino, who for the last ten years has counted, loaded and driven the cupboards to Meals on Wheels for distribution, thanked the students for their commitment and "generosity".
On final count 321 cupboards were collected which broke last year's record.
story and photos by BJ Greco
We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
October 27, 2011
Our first grade classes have all recently completed our writers workshop unit. In an effort to celebrate the children and all of their hard work, we organized a first grade author’s celebration. We decided that a fun way to mix the classes up is to have the children meet with the children from their kindergarten class and share their work with them. We felt that this would be a great opportunity for the children to see their old friends as well as to offer an opportunity to share their work with many children beyond their current classmates. They even had a SURPRISE visit from their kindergarten teachers. The teachers were thrilled to see how the children have progressed as writers.
October 5, 2011
Today our first graders and their families participated in our annual Health Walk. This is a great way to send a message to the children about the importance of walking. Many recent studies of young people indicate declining participation in physical activity. It is important to get children into the habit of walking at an early age. The best way to get them walking is to integrate it into their lifestyles. Even if you walk once or twice a week, the benefits to your children (and you) will be enormous.
Walking affects not only your physical health, but your mental health as well. It has been shown to improve self esteem, ease the symptoms of anxiety, and improve mood. A gentle walk in the fresh air and sunshine is relaxing and it makes you feel good. What else could you ask for?
"Of all exercises walking is the best." Thomas Jefferson
As teacher's of tomorrows citizens, we understand the unique role we play in shaping students' knowledge and understanding of the values that all Americans share. On September 9, 2011 we gathered outside as a school community to have a moment of silence for the people who died on September 11th. We said the Pledge of Allegiance and listened to some music to remind us of the heroes of 9/11 and how people came together as a community to help one another.
September 16, 2011
The children were surprised when they had a SURPRISE visit from Zee. He visited children on the playground, in the lunchroom, and in their classrooms. What a great time!
