By Leila Ternes
The Stettler Elementary School Grade 3 classes are participating in Scholastic Book Clubs “Classrooms Care.”
The program is designed to teach children the joys and importance of reading and giving. From now until the end of May, the students are challenged to read 100 books per class and in turn, Scholastic Book Clubs will donate 100 books per class (for a total donation of up to 100,000 new books) to disadvantaged children countrywide.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to encourage students to read and to show them that they can make a difference in the lives of others. This concept ties in very well with the “7 Habits — Leader in Me” lessons that the students have been learning this year.
We’re in our fifth year of having a school-wide activity for each grade enabling our 500 students to work with their classmates and other students in their grade. Each grade has a designated time and proceeds to the gym for opening ceremonies, seven activities, plus teacher challenges and a closing ceremony. Over the two days, each grade does activities for an hour and half. Our two physical education specialists incorporate a theme, fitness activities and life strategies into each session.
This year, more emphasis was put on the seven habits.
Events included rafting, boot/shirt relay, obstacle course, chicken toss, and dancing. Children reported that their favourite thing about the event was Mrs. Poapst’s duck costume (especially the toilet paper)! These activities present opportunities for learning, listening, synergizing, thinking win-win, leadership, and many other important life lessons.
Being a school-wide event, our teachers need help and, as always, the physical education teachers just needed to ask and our staff and community are willing to “lend a hand” ... another point we stressed at our Duck Dynasty Olympics.
Students from the Grade 5 Science Fair Club proudly demonstrated their projects at the 15th annual Grade 5 Stettler Elementary School science fair on Friday.
Grade 5 science teacher Rob Howell said, “We are pleased with the quality of the projects our students have prepared. They have been busily working on them since November.
The students have learned and applied the scientific method, and used technology to produce a wide variety of different projects.”
Howell and fellow science teachers Bonnie Lynn, Stefan Olafson and Carmen Fox have assisted the students during club time. “We met as a club twice a week over a 12-week period,” Howell said.
The top 10 projects will be selected to compete in the Grade 5 and 6 category of the Central Alberta regional science fair April 11 and 12, at the Bower Place Mall in Red Deer. “Our school has enjoyed success at this competition of the best grades 5 and 6 projects in central Alberta, including two first-place finishes in the past five years,” Howell said. “We look forward to this excellent competition again this year.”
Please remember that Thursday and Friday this week, there’s no school because of a teachers’ conference.