Edith Slocum first graders were encouraged to be opinionated during an assignment in which they compared and contrasted their school playgrounds.

In their Writing Workshop class, the students have been studying the writing of reviews and opinions. With a clipboard and checklist of playground features, the students took to the older students’ playground and the school’s older playground and were instructed to compare and contrast the two. They looked at features such as the slide, monkey bars, the substrate under the equipment, etc.

After the classes examined the playgrounds, they went back to class to write their opinion on which playground’s features were best and why and to discuss with their classmates whether they agree or lightly disagree with their peers’ assessments.

Teacher Terry-Lynn Guastella said the assignment served an important purpose. She said being able to write an opinion is “a skill to be used the rest of their lives.”

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Date Added: 5/10/2023

Throughout the week leading up to Earth Day on April 22, Edith Slocum Elementary School students participated in activities to celebrate the planet.

Dina Pinelli’s class did yoga with interspersed moments of gratitude. While moving through their poses, they concentrated on the wind and the trees and reflected on the gifts given to them by Mother Earth. The class participates in yoga once a week for heart health.

During library, first grade students planted marigold, poppy, sunflower and zinnia seeds in 3D pots, printed on the school’s 3D printer. Prior to planting the flowers, Ms. Barry read “Michael Recycle” and discussed why recycling is so important.

Ms. Brennan’s class also talked and wrote on cutout hearts about what they can do to make the planet a better place. The hearts were then connected to a decorated globe to create a colorful Earth Day mobile.

“This [recycling] is something we should do all year,” Ms. Barry told the students. “Take care of the earth, and it will take care of you.”

Date Added: 4/27/2023