We have had the pleasure of hosting some of our students over the past two weeks for Summer Success Academy. These students have been enjoying hands-on activities across a wide variety of disciplines. Our local library has been visiting each week and has taught the two classes about oceans. In addition to reading texts about oceans, students made jellyfish, oceans in a bottle, and telescopes and have studied hurricanes and wind currents.
Students have also had a weekly visit from our Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics (STEAM) educator, Mrs. Cauley, who challenged students to create a circle using only Pringles, program robots, and this week helped students create home made window clings and cup stickers.
Mrs. Lambert's parents even visited all the way from Punxsutawney, PA to teach students the art of making homemade ice cream. Students worked with Mr. Jeff Curtis and Mrs. Kim Curtis throughout the day to make 6-3s a type of ice cream that doesn't need to be cooked, made with three different types of fruit. Students helped read the recipe, measure by adding fractions, juice the fruit, and learned how salt is used to actually melt the ice but make the temperature colder. In addition to the fruity 6-3s ice cream, Mr. Curtis had chocolate, vanilla, and cheesecake ice cream for students to sample.
The Seneca Rocks Discovery Center also sent visitors and taught our students about edible plants and medicinal herbs that can be harvested locally.
We have also had the luxury of welcoming some of our very own retired educators, Mrs. Paula Mitchell and Mrs. Jane Conrad who have studied water displacement and earthquakes with our students. Mrs. Mitchell brought marshmallows and toothpicks and challenged students to make a structure that would withstand a JELLO earthquake!
Finally, upcoming 4th and 5th graders have been working to create a special project they will get to take home and enjoy with their families. Stay tuned for pictures of those projects in a future post!
All of these hands-on activities are taking place in the afternoon, while students focus on critical math and reading skills in the mornings. The past two weeks have been exhilarating and we are so thankful to provide this experience for our learners this summer!