Students learning where they are

Each year the kindergarten students at McNear Elementary School spend the school year investigating a question.|

Each year the kindergarten students at McNear Elementary School spend the school year investigating a question. Last year it was, “How do we use water?” This year it is, “Where am I in the world?” They began by discovering that they are... at school. They spent a good amount of time recently walking around their classroom, inside and out, and noticing details that led to making a classroom model. “It really is so adorable, and impressively accurate. The young students use it as a doll house now that this portion of the ongoing lesson is complete. They even made little dolls of themselves,” shared principal Sheila Garvey. Next they are going to begin exploring the neighborhood and community. The young students plan to visit the Post Office and the fire station, as they spend time around Petaluma in the coming months.

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Grant Elementary School students set sail. The fifth-grade Shamrock students in Mrs. Ihrig’s class had the opportunity to sail aboard the 1891 scow schooner Alma and the Chinese Junk fishing boat Grace Quan that were headed up the Petaluma River for River Heritage Days. The trip ties in to their curriculum about early explorers and the first contact with the tribal groups of America. Mrs. Ihrig is a prior teacher leader with “Teaching American History,” whose purpose is to help deepen children’s understanding of American History. Through her connection with this program, the National Park Service and the Maritime Museum, Grant students were able to experience this unique voyage.

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Over at McKinley Elementary Mr. D-Z’s student botanists were hard at work categorizing venation patterns among leaves they had collected last Thursday as part of their class assignment. Students learned and applied the three categories: palmate, pinnate, and parallel. These young scientists-in-training also discussed the transport tissue in vascular plants, the xylem and phloem. Mr. D-Z was able to relate the lesson back to the similarities in the transport systems between plants and animals. The level of discourse in this fifth-grade class is “off the charts,” said principal Matthew Harris.

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Kenilworth Junior High School students in Colin Caldwell’s seventh-grade class embraced their latest lesson on the Fall of Roman Empire in a new and creative way. The students acted out all the reasons the Roman Empire collapsed, with each student having a part in the production. Costumes helped bring the lesson to life and engaged students in an entirely new way.

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The Harvest Fair at Valley Vista Elementary School is fast approaching. On Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., students and the community at large is invited to help Valley Vista Vikings celebrate the fall season. “Come dressed in your Halloween costumes and bring your appetite,” advised principal Emily Kleinholz. “We will have a taco truck on-site with food available for purchase.” In addition to a great dinner, there will be harvest games and activities including a scarecrow hoola-hoop toss, find a needle in the haystack, apple eating contest, face painting, potato sack races, decorate a pumpkin and much more for all ages to enjoy. If you want a little something sweet, Kleinholz suggests you plan to visit the bake sale booth, with all proceeds from the sales of the baked treats going back to the school. 

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Work on remodeling the front of the Petaluma Wildlife Museum on the Petaluma High School campus continues. Local sign fabricator, Kresky Signs, installed the site’s new sign. Petaluma High School teacher, Kim Arntz says a thanks also goes to the agricultural shop students for making and painting the letters. Other improvements include moving ahead with plans to remodel the tide pool area into an outdoor classroom with museum alum Ben Reich and Craig Machado lending their construction expertise to the project with design assistance from board members. This exciting undertaking has also been supported by members of Kiwanis Club of Petaluma, who have donated time to the project, and Cal West Rents for working with the team.

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River Montessori School is hosting an open house today, Thursday, Oct, 23, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at its campus. The staff invites all to come learn what a free, public Montessori education is all about at River Montessori (children are welcome to attend). River Montessori also holds monthly meetings for parents of prospective students. The next meeting takes place on Nov. 12. Contact Christina Isetta at River Montessori for more details.

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(Maureen Highland is a Petaluma mother and interim executive director for the Petaluma Educational Foundation. She can be reached at schools@argus courier.com)

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