IN Norwin Spring 2020 | Page 32

S unset Valley Elementary School held its annual STEM day this winter. At STEM day, students learned about STEM careers through visits and presentations from parents and community members who work in STEM fields and who have a passion for sharing their knowledge, skills, and abilities with students. Overall, it was tremendous success. A special thank you to the parents and high school/middle school students who volunteered to teach us about STEM education. Also, special thanks to Sunset Valley Lead STEM teachers Mrs. Houston and Mrs. Shavel for organizing the event. In the photo, pharmacist Brian Bobby speaks to students. Joining him are, from left to right, Aubree Bobby, Savannah Mazur, and Austin Bobby. American Heart Month at Stewartsville Gets Students’ Hearts Pumping E Stewartsville kindergarten students Caleb Schilke, Ashley Chrise, Ella Mosqueda, Maggie Howard, Kennedy Stanley, and Fallyn Hanscom from Mrs. Kelly Buscemi’s class. ach February, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute celebrates American Heart Month by motivating Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease. Research shows that people are more successful at meeting personal health goals when they join forces with others. To participate in American Heart Month, students at Stewartsville Elementary School enjoyed interactive stations in the gym and got their hearts pumping through a variety of fitness activities. Students enjoyed the Heart Pump Station, the Blood Vessel Station, the Lung Power Station and the Chambers of the Heart Station. Each class participated in stations for thirty minutes. Students wore red to celebrate the event. Hahntown Third-Grade Students Improve Reading Skills at “Restaurant Retell” E arlier this school year, third-grade students at Hahntown Elementary participated in a “Restaurant Retell.” Mrs. Maria Hanley and Mrs. Courtney Schultz transformed their classrooms into a themed environment called “Rosie Retells Redroof Restaurant.” The boys and girls were instantly excited with even the smallest changes, such as tablecloths, menus, and a restaurant sign. During Restaurant Retell, the students were engaged in activities that required them to practice an important reading skill, which is retelling. The students created a retelling “sandwich” to use as a visual aid to assist them with including the necessary parts of a good story retell. Pairs took turns choosing books from the “Book Buffet” line. They read their book with a partner, and then retold it using their retelling sandwich. Then, each student was given a menu with the “Daily Specials,” which included three different reading passages. Once they “placed their order,” they went back to their seats, read their passage, and used a graphic organizer to retell what they had read. Finally, each group received a menu that had various snack options. Students then enjoyed their snack and reflected on the fun they had during restaurant retell. 30 NORWIN From left to right: Tyler Berdar, Luca Amoroso, and Mia Telli