In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, students in Kathryn Minerva’s class at Edith Slocum Elementary School wrote acrostic poems to win their pot of gold.

An acrostic poem uses the first letter of each line to spell out a word, name or phrase when read vertically. The students were instructed to choose either the word “rainbow” or “pot of gold” to start their poems. Working in groups, the students then wrote words or phrases to complete each line of their poems, which are now hanging in the hallway for everyone to enjoy reading.

Date Added: 3/17/2023

In recognition of Black History Month and Music in Our Schools Month, Edith Slocum Elementary School teacher Justin Shah’s music classes studied Black American song artists. In particular, the students studied the music and life of musician Louis Armstrong and listened closely to his iconic “It’s a Wonderful World.”

In addition to talking about what is wonderful in today’s world, the students learned American Sign Language to Armstrong’s lyrics, and by the end of class, were able to use ASL to interpret the entire song.

Date Added: 3/13/2023

In recognition of Black History Month and Music in Our Schools Month, Edith Slocum Elementary School teacher Justin Shah’s music classes studied Black American song artists. In particular, the students studied the music and life of musician Louis Armstrong and listened closely to his iconic “It’s a Wonderful World.”

In addition to talking about what is wonderful in today’s world, the students learned American Sign Language to Armstrong’s lyrics, and by the end of class, were able to use ASL to interpret the entire song.

Date Added: 3/10/2023

To kick off the school’s annual Pick a Reading Partner event, Edith Slocum Elementary School students celebrated Dr. Suess’ birthday on March 2 and Read Across America Day by wearing red and white clothing and Seuss attire. The day was filled with literacy activities to celebrate the power of reading.

Sponsored by the New York State PTA, PARP is a program that asks a partner to read with a child for 20 minutes or more each day, because studies show that students who read at home are better prepared to succeed educationally. This year’s Edith Slocum PARP theme is Dive into Reading.

In Erin Mackin’s fourth grade class, students read a Dr. Seuss book with a partner. The student groups then discussed the story’s structure (setting, theme, problem-solving, etc.) the characters’ traits and evidence to support their thinking.

Students who visited the library took time to read “The Cat in the Hat” with library media specialist Laura Barry. The library also showcased many of Dr. Seuss’ most wide-read books for students to check out.

Kindergarten students in Elizabeth Jonas’ class also read “The Cat in the Hat,” and then wrote an answer to the question, “What would I do if the Cat in the Hat came to my house.” The students also participated in a directed drawing of a Seuss figure to help develop their listening and directional skills.

Date Added: 3/3/2023

Visitors who walked down the halls of Edward J. Bosti, Cherokee Street, Helen B. Duffield, Idle Hour, John Pearl and Edith Slocum elementary schools this February will have noticed the array of research projects and artwork that celebrates the contributions of black Americans to this nation’s history. Throughout the month, students learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his iconic “I Have a Dream Speech,” as well as the accomplishments of black authors, artists, musicians, business owners, writers and more.

At Idle Hour Elementary School, fifth grade students spent the month researching the contributions of black Americans. In their reports, the students included an in-depth biography of the person they studied, including Thurgood Marshall, Sojourner Truth, Ruby Bridges, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington and others. The reports and a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was placed in the hallway for all students to learn from.

John Pearl Elementary School students celebrated Black History Month through art.

After reading about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s and other black Americans’ accomplishments, the students put together individually decorated pieces of a colorful “I Have a Dream” mural, which included similar quotes to the civil rights leader’s teachings about kindness, family, togetherness and love of oneself and others.

Date Added: 2/24/2023