Oblock Students“ Make” News Center Elementary
Students Excelling in Reading and Math Programs
Oblock Junior High School continues to make advances technologically. The 1:1 iPad initiative at Oblock evolves each and every day. A key component of a successful 1:1 school wide initiative is student created content. This can be done in a multitude of ways. Students at Oblock have constructed their own iBooks, made movies, and are now creating their own newscasts. Oblock Student News originates from Mr. Jason Steele’ s 8th grade Technology Education class. Students are given choices in which they can personalize their learning in his class. Students can study robotics, design items to be 3-D printed, study aquaponics, and new this year, Oblock Student News.
Oblock Student News is entirely student created. Students, with the help of Mr. Steele and Mr. Dziewulski, one of the district’ s Technology Integrators, have made the existing Oblock sound studio into a functional TV studio. With the use of a green screen, student iPads, and some hard work, Francesca, Jessica, Alyssa, and Emma are able to produce an effective newscast for the entire building to see. Announcements are entirely student generated. The four girls prioritize the building’ s news, interview staff and students, edit the newscast using iMovie, and then the newscast is uploaded to YouTube for all of Oblock and the world to see. All of the student work is completed in one class period. It is quite the efficient process and a great use of district technology.
With the change in nine-week grading periods, the newscast crew will shift to another group of students from Mr. Steele’ s class. The transition should be brief, and new editions of Oblock Student News should be coming very soon.
You can see Oblock Student News for yourself on the Plum Borough School District’ s YouTube page at: https:// www. youtube. com / c / PBSDVideos or by clicking on the YouTube button on the top of the district website.
Let’ s hear it for the Black & Gold Booksburgh! Students at Center Elementary have been busy focusing on their school wide reading and math programs this year. The school is continuing their Booksburgh reading program for the third year and, this year, adding Center Math Shooting Stars program.
Students at Center Elementary are striving to reach the goals established during Booksburgh. As of February 1st, the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers have read over 10,845 books! At this rate, students are on track to meet their goal of 20,000 books read for the year. When they do, Center’ s principal, Mr. Knisely, will sport a purple mohawk! Individually, readers have been making great gains up the“ Booksburgh” incline. A total of thirty-three students have already made it into Center’ s Reading Hall of Fame. One student, Geetha Vainavi Malisetty, has already earned over 1,000 AR points. What an incredible accomplishment! Center Elementary is a school of reading champions!
The sky ' s the limit when it comes to math achievement at Center Elementary! The entrance into the school is shining brightly with " Center ' s Math Shooting Stars!" Students in kindergarten through sixth grade are passing math benchmark assessments at the speed of light. Kindergartners are mastering counting and skip counting to 100. First and second graders are passing progressively difficult timed addition and subtraction tests. In third and fourth grade, it is all about mastering multiplication and division facts. Fifth and sixth graders are conquering fraction and decimal computation. Student ' s names are displayed on stars beside their grade level planet when benchmarks are passed. In December, four lucky Math Stars won passes to SkyZone and other space-themed prizes for their hard work. Another raffle will be held this spring along with a Recess Popsicle party if 90 % of Center ' s students earn at least one star. Teachers are " over the moon " with their student ' s success! lum Borough
PLUM BOROUGH SCHOOL NEWS
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