'FOCUS On Our Schools'

Students at Pleasant Valley join the dance ensemble ‘Ginga Brasileira’ during a cultural arts presentation. (L-r) Samantha Kasheta, Kayla Brown and Ashley Rambo.

Pleasant Valley and Orchard Hill host Afro-Brazilian music and dance ensemble

The South Windsor Arts in Education Council sponsored the performance of “Ginga Brasileira,” a professional dance ensemble. The program included demonstrations of the Afro-Brazilian art and dance forms of Capoeira, which is a unique blend of self-defense, dance, music and gymnastics. A stick dance originating in Brazil and the Samba, the national dance of Brazil, were part of the program. The performers wore colorful costumes, played Afro-Brazilian instruments, sang, danced and encouraged active audience participation.

Timothy Edwards Middle School students participate in hunger banquet

Timothy Edwards students have a better understanding of world hunger after participating in the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. Oxfam is a British charity organization working to eliminate world hunger. Students were randomly assigned an income group based on world percentages of upper, middle and lower income levels. Students were then served a breakfast reflecting the three income levels. The low income level received a bowl of puffed rice and water, the middle income group received graham crackers and a cup of water, the upper income group received pop tarts, munchkins, fresh fruit, cheese, juice and a water bottle. The disparity between the groups was very clear. The simulation gave the students a better understanding of the differences between the income levels in the world.

Community service important at Eli Terry School

Kindness and caring for others is a part of Eli Terry’s commitment to community service. Once a month, the students in Amy Graney and Lisa Bowden’s classes create cards that are given to a charity who then distributes them to people in need of encouragement, or just to bring a smile to someone’s face. Caroline Alexander’s fourth-graders and Melissa Shepler’s second-graders collected toys for needy children throughout the area. The students worked collaboratively to make posters, write announcements reminding students to bring in toys and counted more than 220 toys which were brought into school.

New school recipes

The Food Service Department is introducing some new recipes as part of the winter school menus. If children are not familiar with eating beans and lentils, the department suggests that families begin to introduce these items at home. Most children enjoy chili with beans, which is a good place to begin. Another excellent cold weather meal might include winter vegetable or lentil soup, which is hardy and filling. For some recipe ideas that use vegetables, legumes and fruits go to: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.com.

Buddies Club, Wapping students collaborate

Members of the South Windsor High School Buddies Club, formerly known as the YES Club (Young Educators Society), shared some learning time with Wapping School’s first- and second-graders. The Buddies Club is a group of students who are considering education as a possible career choice. This year there are 43 members who will have an opportunity to explore a variety of colleges where they can major in education, as well as work with students at Wapping School. Members of the Buddies Club recently introduced “alphabet yoga” to the first- and second-graders. The children were encouraged to spell out simple words using body movement. The high school Buddies Club is student directed and is overseen by faculty advisors Michele Brown-Quinn and Ann Wolff. 

‘FOCUS On Our Schools’ online

Both current and back issues of “FOCUS On Our Schools” is available on the school website. Go to www.southwindsorschools.org, click on “Parents” and scroll down to “South Windsor FOCUS.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:

ReminderNews is proud to begin featuring ‘FOCUS.’ News and photos from South Windsor Public Schools compiled by Judy Kuehnel will be included in the South Windsor ReminderNews twice a month.