Orange Beach Elementary
This week, third graders are excited about going on a field trip to see “We The People.” In science, third graders are learning about the human body. They are having fun making skeletons and learning all of the names of the bones in their body. In math, third-graders are completing their unit on fractions. In reading, they have been reading stories about people immigrating to America and the cultures they left behind.
Orange Beach Elementary students finished up their Jump Rope for Heart event and raised over $5000 in donations. These donations are sent directly to the American Heart Association. Congratulations to Hudson Wilmott for being the top fundraiser with $285 and Mrs. Brunick's class for being the top fundraising class with $444 in total donations. Mrs. Brunick's class won a pizza party for bringing in the highest percentage of donations! The students truly enjoyed learning the jump roping skills and helping a great cause.
Coach Burgess's classes are finishing up fitness testing. Students are tested on their cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular endurance. The coaches are using a new test in place of the mile run called the "pacer." This test requires students to follow a cadence and run a specific distance in an allotted amount of time. The students must pace themselves because the amount of time they have to reach a certain distance gets shorter and shorter as the test goes on. The coaches administer fitness tests twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Coach Burgess is hoping to see GREAT improvement when testing is finished and the scores are compared.
Mrs. Bryant’s kindergarten through third grade are learning about ecosystems and conservation during the months of April and May at Sea, Sands, and Stars. Grades K-2 will focus on a different animal and ways they can help preserve our world for them and ourselves. Kindergarten will be learning about the Alabama beach mouse and how to be a friend to the gulf. First grade will study birds such as the pelican, blue heron and osprey and learn ways to help their populations survive and grow. Second graders will watch the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly unfold and release them when they reach the adult stage. The third grade will learn about pitcher plants and other living things in our area that are endangered and brainstorm how to implement ways they can make a difference in protecting our world.
Under the instruction of Mrs. Allen, fourth grade students are focusing on severe weather with an emphasis on thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes. Fifth and sixth graders are working on a nature-based photography and writing project. The students have been given an assignment to select and photograph several nature-themed subjects. Each student will narrow their photo submissions to two photos, which will be shared with their classmates. Their classmates will then help select one of the photographs to be printed and matted for a public photo show at the Project Learning Tree Conference held at SSS in April. In addition to the photographs, this project includes a writing portion which will involve teaching the children about using prose and poetry, such as Haiku and Cinquain, as a means to capture their feelings as they relate to their photographs and nature. The unveiling of the students’ photographic creations and accompanying writings will take place during the PLT Conference.
Field trips to Sea, Sand, and Stars continue as schools from Foley Elementary, Rosinton Elementary, Bay Minette Elementary, Rockwell Elementary, Christ the King Catholic School, Robertsdale Elementary, Bayside Academy, Stapleton Elementary, and Gulf Shores Elementary enhance their curriculums with studies in marine science and astronomy.