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| These are the projects that the valuable and diverse projects Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation is supporting at OJR, in the classrooms and beyond! CURRENT PROJECTS FOR 2013 12/13/2011 Sassy is Home for the Holidays at North Coventry  It all began when the OJR Education Foundation was planning the 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off. The high school art students have been helping to raise money for the EF by making paper Mache animals for the auction. In 2010 they made a ‘donkey’ and this year they created another barnyard animal, a gorgeous ‘Guernsey cow’. She created a stir when she arrived at French Creek Golf Club and she continues to garner attention wherever she resides. Two elementary school principals, Dr. Susan Lloyd (North Coventry) and Mrs. Janet Wolff (West Vincent) decided to combine their bids at the cook-off so both school communities could share Sassy. Her first home was West Vincent ES and she has recently moved to North Coventry.According to Dr. Lloyd, the plan is for Sassy to become part of our school wide positive behavior support program. However, she arrived at North Coventry ahead of schedule so at the moment we have signs around the school that are questions that students have been asking about our cow. Such as . . . Why is there a cow in the lobby of our school? What is her name? Where did she come from? Does she have any friends? Does she know Wally Wildcat? (Wally is the new school mascot.) The staff has been told not to tell the children anything about the cow and to just promote inquiry so as to build the suspense surrounding the mystery cow. This will allow the committee time to develop a plan. In the meantime, I see that the adults are having a grand time decorating her and coming up with their own creative wonderings about our cow. Kindergarten thinks the cow is one of Santa’s helpers and that her eyes are really cameras. 1st Grade thinks that the cow belongs to Mrs. Bealer because her room is decorated with cows. 6th Grade thinks we are having a rodeo. Chris Ficca thinks that the cow has come back to haunt John Sands for the time he kissed the cow and got his picture in the Mercury. So as you can see, Sassy was meant to reside at North Coventry! Update: Rumor has it the Sassy’s adopted name is going to be Best-y (like Bessie) because she is the “best” friend of Wally Wildcat and that she is going to be the lead in to our guidance lessons on friendship. The committee will roll out their plan after the holiday.  10/03/2011 OJR Education Foundation Supports Eagle Scout Community Proj The Education Foundation and East Coventry PTA supported the project with funding for the materials. The greenhouse and the walkway to it were built by Mark Wolff of Macungie PA. According to Mark, ‘becoming an Eagle Scout has been a lifelong dream of mine.’ He started the project in the spring and completed it in the summer. The Education Foundation is pleased that we are able to enrich the East Coventry community while enabling Mark to achieve Eagle Scout status. 03/23/2011 Incorporating Literacy & Math Skills in Physical Education At West Vincent the students are using the letter balls in their physical education classes. Students run and spell a variety of different words while practicing their locomotor movements during a relay activity. Students concentrated on spelling constant-vowel-constant words (for example rat, can, cut) and constant-vowel-constant-silent e (for example like, pike). In the younger grades, students practiced writing the letter they rolled on their white board after returning to their relay line. Students were enthusiastic and engaged with both their mind and body! Students are using the soccer ball and number plates during their physical education classes to incorporate spelling. Each student practiced the key points to the soccer overhead throw in while aiming at plates that had letters written on them. Students work in groups of two while creating a sentence out of the letters they strike with the ball. Students followed directions phenomenally well while making sentences that were insightful and creative! The students are using the volleyball underhand serve to learn/review the multiplication table. Students were placed in groups of two. One partner from each pairing stood on opposite sides of the volleyball net with a hula hoop located in front of them. Each student took turns practicing the underhand serve while attempting to land the ball into the opposing hoop. Points were awarded for each successful serve over the net and strike into the hoop that correlated to the multiplication table that the students were learning. Students are using the bean bags during their physical education classes to incorporate problem solving skills. Students either jump or hop to a set point while retrieving a bean bag with a particular number on it. Students use the number bean bags to solve the number line given. Students are reviewing math skills while learning the differences between the jump and hop during a jump roping lesson. Students were extremely eager and active with not only their body but also their mind! 11/19/2010 Incorporating Literacy Skills in Physical Education Mark Hineman, physical education teacher at West Vincent Elementary School uses a variety of manipulative materials purchased with a grant from the Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation to reinforce basic skills. Using letter balls, students run and spell a variety of different words while practicing their loco-motor movements during a relay activity. Students concentrated on spelling constant-vowel-constant words (for example rat, can, cut) and constant-vowel-constant-silent e (for example like, pike). In the younger grades, students practiced writing the letter they rolled on their white board after returning to their relay line. Students were enthusiastic and engaged with both their mind and body! Mr. Hineman is planning to incorporate math skills in physical education classes in the future. 10/18/2010 Education with ELMO Projector to enable teachers in North Coventry to model, instruct and evaluate student work samples in a variety of curriculum areas. 09/30/2010 Demonstration Replay Various digital recording devices were purchased for the high school Family and Consumer Science program at the high school. This equipment will allow all students access to teacher demonstrations up close and repeated as often as needed to ensure success. 09/28/2010 Garden Literacy Funds are being provided to North Coventry Elementary School for expansion of the school gardening program that was supported by the Education Foundation during the 2008-2009 and 2009 – 2010 school years. The program includes garden and food literacy delivered during the summer library program, monthly preschool story times, and special garden/food programs for families and children throughout the year. 09/23/2010 Incorporating Math Skills Through the use of movement West Vincent PE teacher is using a variety of manipulative materials to enhance the physical education curriculum while emphasizing literacy and math skills for each grade level (K-6). 09/23/2010 Educating the Whole Child: Involvement of the Paraprofession The Education Foundation is providing funds for the Character Education Program at East Vincent Elementary School. This staff development program is for paraprofessionals and focuses on character education and how it relates to child development and behavioral expectations. 09/17/2010 Literacy Circle Library Multiple copies of a variety of titles from French literature were purchased. These books will be used in literary circles in upper level French courses in the high school. 09/08/2010 Lighting a Fuse under Students’ Creativity It fires up the imagination of eighth grade students who use Coefficient of Expansion (COE) glass to fuse flat and slumped art glass shapes. Students defrost those famous chemistry lab connections into the coolest glass materials and produce a body of kiln-fired glasswork. The sensational works of local, glass-sylvania artists ultimately scorch the minds of these lively youths. Exposure to the artists’ works unfreezes artistic ideas. It lights the fuse for the production of marvelously cut and layered glass that glow with a display of sizzling colors. The Education Foundation is providing funds for materials for the project. |
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