 ELEMENTARY NEWS 
If you put a bunch of "Wilde Dads" together during Fall Festival , expect A-Maze-ing results! The Thornwilde Elementary father's program, called "Wilde Dads" was established last year to offer father's an opportunity to volunteer at the school, participate in their children's educational experience, and build a stronger community. And BUILD they did! They designed and built a 3,828 square foot maze for the school's Fall Festival fundraiser out of 234 wood shipping pallets and 84 bales of straw! All the pallets were graciously loaned and delivered to the school at no cost by Westside Pallet Company of Hebron. It took 3 days to build with over 100 volunteer hours invested in the construction but the maze was a hit among Festival attendees. Almost 750 people paid to navigate the maze and solve a word puzzle along the way. Students had to find and unscramble all the letters found within the maze for a prize entry. Of course, the puzzle solution was "Wildcats Rule!" So do our "Wilde Dads" who also help with lunch duty, field day, summer check-ins, science nights, and the outdoor classroom. Our amazing Thornwilde Dads definitely know that Together Everyone Succeeds!  
 Goodridge Elementary 4th and 5th Graders Get Visit from KY History Mobile
The exhibit sponsored by the Kentucky Historical Society visually engaged the student and artifacts allowed them to touch the past and interactive components let them step into the historical figures'* shoes, choose what they would do if faced with the same situations and see the consequences of their choices. The entire experience is designed to improve student learning and critical thinking skills.
"Torn Within and Threatened Without: Kentuckians in the Civil War Era" was the theme of this display and students were "introduced" to 8 different people and the issues they faced. The people were:
* Henry Clay and John J. Crittenden, Kentucky politicians who try to compromise and avoid war over slavery.
* Ben Buckner, a slave-owning Union officer who fights for the Union but feels betrayed by President Abraham Lincoln, and his own slave, Jim.
* Henry Lane Stone, a young Kentuckian who is trying to decide which army to join.
* Elijah Marrs, a slave who is choosing whether to join the Union Army.
* Ellen Wallace, a slave-owning woman trying to adjust to a changing world.
* John Marshall Harlan, a Supreme Court Justice ruling on civil rights in the post-war period.
Along with the visit, came curriculum for teachers to utilize to further their student's learning on the subject both pre and post visit.
Elementary Video Ad Check out this video advertisement created by 5th graders at Erpenbeck Elementary. It's about their WaterStep project. It involves donating shoes to help get clean drinking water to 875 million people around the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. Watch it here. |
