Learning Science by Exploring

Students exploring science at the RL Stevens "Build It Science Festival"

The R.L. Stevens CalSERVES after school program would like to say a special thanks to the Lawrence Hall of Science for supporting our students’ learning with the “Build-It” science festival. The instructor and festival coordinator, Jeff, did a fantastic job explaining each station to volunteers, and also kept students engaged.

The activities included constructing an arch out of wooden blocks, recognizing patterns, making a pop-up book, making structures out of newspaper, and making 3-dimensional shapes. Each class had an hour to explore the stations at the fair. Jeff emphasized that the goal of the festival was not to teach students facts, but instead to encourage exploration and creativity. CalSERVES staff and students appreciated this approach, as it led to a successful and enjoyable event.

This event also relied heavily on adult support, and would not have been possible without the generosity and involvement of our parents and volunteers. Thanks to everyone who came out and helped!

by Tyler Rockey, VIP Fellow at RL Stevens Elementary

Wright’s After School Learns Proper Tooth Care

Gabrielle O'Neill, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow at Wright Charter

On Friday, May 20th Wright Charter’s after school program learned the importance of proper tooth care.  The presentation was organized by one of our long-term volunteers, Ms. Heather Carruth.  Heather is currently studying dental hygiene, so it was only natural for her to plan the presentation.

During the presentation, students learned about proper brushing and flossing, fruits and vegetables that help teeth stay strong and the effects of improper tooth care. The presentation was very engaging because the students had the chance to participate in some tooth care activities and our students love to participate. 

At the end of the presentation, students received free goody bags that were donated by Heather’s dental hygienist program.  The students were very excited about the free goodies that they could hardly contain themselves! It was great to see them so excited about teeth.

An article about this topic appeared in the Press Democrat. Read the article Ambassador of Smiles that appeared in the June 5, 2011 Sunday addition of the paper.

Fawn Wildlife Rescue Presentation

Gabrielle O'Neill, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow, Wright Elementary School

On Wednesday, May 4th a member of the Fawn Wildlife Rescue Center of Sonoma gave a presentation to the 7th and 8th grade student's. During the presentation, the students learned the importance of the local wildlife as well as teaching others how to prevent injury or harm towards wildlife.

The presenter brought in taxidermy animals for educational purposes so that the students could get a closer look at some of the local wildlife. In addition to this, the presenter taught the student's about the rescue center's specialization in rehabilitating ill, injured and orphaned black tail fawns.

The student's loved having the opportunity to see all the different animals and they were even more excited to learn that they could help protect Sonoma's wildlife making this presentation a success.

Canine Companions Visits Wright

Gabrielle O'Neil, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow at Wright Charter School 

In April, Canine Companions for Independence visited Wright Charter’s After School Program. The students gathered outside on the playground for the presentation where they learned about the different types of dogs that are trained, the families that the dogs go home with, and the tasks that each canine is trained to perform as an assistance dog. At the end of the presentation the students got to line up and pet the service dog that was brought in that day. Smiles grew from ear-to-ear throughout the crowd, making this presentation a great success!

News from Meadow View

Tutoring Testimonial
Ms. Webb, Literacy Tutoring Specialist

“When I first tutored Javier, a first grader, he was using level one readers and he often didn’t speak to me in fully developed sentences. He and I spent about five to ten minutes daily reviewing his sight words. During that time, he and I would alternate turns coming up with silly or serious sentences involving the respective words. [Now on level six, Javier’s growth is seen in reading comprehension and in communication skills.] I think the activity increased his comfort level with language and it was a traceable method for him to see his growth. The stack we have is broken up in groups of about fifteen words, so Javier is passes one level by correctly identifying the words in the current section. It is an empowering activity and can add a little fun to every lesson.”


Graffiti Education Presentation
Mr. Sparks, Fourth Grade Mentor

“Graffiti is done without permission and is not art.” This was the core message Georgia Pedgriff, of the Santa Rosa Police Department spread to the upper grader students at Meadow View Elementary. The kids played an exciting trivia game that taught them the negative impacts that graffiti has in our community. The students walked away in support of eliminating graffiti by reporting known tags and helping to clean up existing ones within 24-48 hours. The overlying message was to keep our school campus and community a safe, clean environment.


Nutrition Olympics
Ms. I, Third Grade Mentor and Nutrition Specialist

In the week of April 11th-15th, Meadow View students experienced the combination of nutrition and physical education in the form of “Nutrition Olympics.” What is that exactly? Nutrition Olympics is kid friendly “Olympic” sporting events that involve fruit and vegetables in lieu of balls or pucks to help test their motor skills. Events include the Berry Relay, Apple Toss, Cucumber Javelin, Potato Sack Races, and the particularly popular Pepper Toss.

During the events, the kids learned about different facts of the fruit or vegetable of that station. The variety of events helped keep the kids entertained and engaged while they were educated about the importance of nutrition and making healthy choices. Was it successful? Let’s see what the students said.

“That was so much fun!” –Morelia, 3rd grade

“I don’t want to stop!” –Justin, 5th grade

Tide Pool Fun!

Gabby O'Neill, CalSERVES AmeriCorps VIP at Wright Charter

On January 12th, unexpected squeals of delight came from Wright Charter’s CalSERVES room. Two presenters from the Environmental Discovery Center came to teach the students about tide pools. They brought posters and souvenirs, which the students thoroughly enjoyed, but their favorite part was the live sea creatures! Students got to see and touch several animals including: Sea Stars, a Sea Sponge, Sea Urchin and a Cyton (Sea Slug). Kristina Stanton, one of the presenters, was very pleased with the outcome. “We love coming to teach kids about science. And it’s been great getting to show students some animals from our local tide pools!”

The Environmental Discovery Center is part of the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation. The presentation was one of many free programs offered along with: habitats, life cycles, adaptations, food webs, plant ID and structure, water conservation, etc. All of which Wright Charter’s After School anxiously anticipates!

Our next presentation will be a Martial Arts Group on February 16th.

Firefighters!

Emily Swartzentruber, Promise Fellow at Wright Charter School
  

Last month, the Santa Rosa Fire Department came to speak to our 1st-3rd graders about fire safety. Students learned what to doin case of a fire, what a fireman looks like in all of his gear, and were also able to take a “tour” of the fire truck. A few of our students were even able to try on some of the gear for themselves. The presentation was a success and the students and mentors were sad to see the fire fighters go.

Fire Trivia: Did you know that fire fighters have breathing masks for animals? A small, medium, and large for all different animal sizes!

Awesome Presenters at Roseland

Leah Everett, AmeriCorps Team Leader at Roseland Elementary
 

Roseland has had some amazing presenters come to share unique information with our students. Presenters are such an important part of our program as they expose students to new ideas and allow for topics that might not be a central theme without their support.

Canine Companions for Independence came to Roseland, and their helper Bonnie Lapolla did excellent presentations for our kids. She is so great at accommodating different age groups with information and different approaches to cater to their needs and attention spans. She shared examples of people who needed the dogs for different reasons, various jobs the organization has for people, and let each student pet her dog, OMSI. It was an incredible experience and we truly appreciate their help as we discuss tolerance and acceptance in the coming months.

Julie from Wildlife Fawn Rescue came to present information regarding the natural world to our 4th and 5th graders. For such a potentially generic topic, she kept the kids engaged for the entire hour, giving them a break down of concepts and important facts. The taxidermy animals were also helpful in gaining their attention. We were thrilled to have this organization come to our school and teach the kids about another service provided locally to enhance our community and protect important animals.

We are so thankful that these presenters could come to Roseland to educate our students and enrich our program with the wonderful volunteer efforts our community can offer!

Crocodile Dentist!

Melissa Whitehead, Supervising Teacher at RL Stevens Elementary

  Gerry, a 2nd Grader, takes a turn brushing Snappy's teeth

On Wednesday, December 2nd, RL Stevens After School students got a visit from Snappy, the Crocodile Dentist. This toothy reptile reminded us how important it is to brush and floss each day! Snappy and his partner talked about good dental hygiene and even read a tooth book story. Students were excited to see Snappy and loved the presentation. They even took home healthy teeth kits complete with brushes, floss, timers and toothpaste.