September 2017
STEAM Lab
River Edge School's students are learning in the "STEAM Labs!" According to educationcloset.com, "STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!
Above, students in Mrs. Poole's Kindergarten class at Roosevelt visited the STEAM Lab in early September to conduct an experiment with the Liberty Science Center team. Pictured at left, students from Mrs. Auriemma's Kindergarten class at New Bridge Center participated in the same Liberty Center STEAM Lab activity.
In both labs, students counted how many eye dropper squeezes it took for the "rain" to get through the "cloud." The clouds consisted of shaving cream, toilet paper, paper towels and paper. The strongest cloud was the paper!
Above, students in Mrs. Poole's Kindergarten class at Roosevelt visited the STEAM Lab in early September to conduct an experiment with the Liberty Science Center team. Pictured at left, students from Mrs. Auriemma's Kindergarten class at New Bridge Center participated in the same Liberty Center STEAM Lab activity.
In both labs, students counted how many eye dropper squeezes it took for the "rain" to get through the "cloud." The clouds consisted of shaving cream, toilet paper, paper towels and paper. The strongest cloud was the paper!
Integrated Approach to Learning:
S: Physical and Social SCIENCES
T: Incorporation of TECHNOLOGY
E: Principles of ENGINEERING and Design
A: English Language ARTS
M: Application of MATHEMATICS
S: Physical and Social SCIENCES
T: Incorporation of TECHNOLOGY
E: Principles of ENGINEERING and Design
A: English Language ARTS
M: Application of MATHEMATICS
Capstone CREATE Classes Win Grants
BCUA 2017 Environmental Awareness Challenge Grant Check Ceremony at Bergen Community College. In the photo are (l. to r.) Dr. Tova Ben-Dov, River Edge Schools Superintendent, Mrs. Nancy Hafers, CREATE Teacher, BCUA Chairman Ronald Phillips, Bergen County Freeholder, Germaine M. Ortiz, Bergen County Freeholder Chairwoman, Tracy Silna Zur.
Two years ago, a new integrated CREATE class was piloted by Mrs. Hafers, unifying all CREATE disciplines - ELA, Math and Science - into one class. This group was tasked with a challenge - enhance our recycling efforts at both schools. It was a precursor, in part, to the new Odyssey of the Mind program but instead made the problem a real one and focused the challenge locally on our own school community, town and state. It also infused a service minded purpose into the problem: to leave River Edge Schools a better place than when they arrived. Lastly, it encouraged the students to think beyond their time here and united them in a common cause that would outlast their tenure at Cherry Hill or Roosevelt. The objective was that their suggestions and ideas would be implemented and continue as a legacy of their graduating class.
During the first year, the students were visited by Dr. BenDov, our mayor and head of River Edge's DPW who provided valuable insight and further grounded them in their purpose. The groups made observations of current issues and problems and developed their own solutions, which ranged from the simple: improved signs on the recycling containers, to writing a play for the younger grades to teach them about recycling in a fun and inventive way. Mrs. Hafers wrote and applied for two grants from BCUA (Bergen County Utilities Authority) based on the students’ observations that if we did in fact increase our recycling rates among the student body, we would need additional recycling bins to handle the increased volume. We won one for each school. That money enabled us to purchase additional recycling bins and cans on casters to be used in the lunch rooms and to be placed in some of the hallways where there were none. The group shared their presentations, pitched their ideas and explained their recommendations to school administrators parents and their 6th grade peers. Since the class met during cycle 3, not many of their recommendations were able to be implemented before they left
Last year, 2016-2017, we decided to continue the recycling effort again, primarily because of its huge scope and wealth of possibilities. We also wanted the prior year’s work not to be lost. Our teams began in December with our first phase - reviewing the prior year's team presentations, and choosing which initiatives they felt should be implemented. The students completed this piece and finished any plans and instructions necessary to move these ideas forward. They actually held the recycling carnival during recess this spring, put better signs on all our recycling containers, completed the recycling slips to reward students for "green behavior", and built a bottle garden that germinated plants for a garden club.
In phase two, these students were able to begin their own research, discovery and brainstorming. They were challenged to reach far and push us into uncharted waters with new ideas and concepts. Their mandate was to generate innovative and radical ideas to really propel our recycling efforts forward.
At Roosevelt School, one of our groups wanted to encourage students to use refillable water bottles and reduce the use of disposable “Poland Springs” type bottles. They realized that in order for that effort to be successful, we would need more water fountains with the bottle fillers. The school has installed these as older fountains break but none were currently scheduled to be installed. Another group worked on an original piece of art using bottle caps. They coordinated the entire project from morning announcements, scheduling time with Ms. Attardi for lunch sessions, coming up with an original design and running the bottle cap collection. The entire school collected caps to make a beautiful picture which the class hoped will continue to inspire the school in their recycling efforts. They asked to hang the picture in the front hallway of the school. We again utilized the grant program sponsored by the Bergen County Utilities program (BCUA) and submitted a grant proposal for the money to purchase an Elkay water fountain with bottle filler and for materials for the bottle cap picture. The Capstone class was thrilled to win a grant again and supply the funds to replace an older style fountain up in the 6th grade wing. Mr. Henzel and the PTO worked together to approve funds for the fountain installation! Thank you PTO for the money!!!
At Cherry Hill, our students proposed 2 ideas that we submitted for a BCUA grant: 1) contracting with an “upcycle” company called Terracycle, which collects waste streams that normally get thrown into regular trash, like potato chip bags, juice boxes, glue sticks, etc and 2) buying a batch of wristbands with the REcycle logo on it, to sell as a fundraiser. The CHS class was excited to also win a grant so that we could experiment with this upcycle concept on a small scale and see whether we could implement it school wide next year. The students also held a Logo contest and two entries were selected. These will appear on all recycling posters going forward. The students planned to use the money raised from the sale of the bracelets to bring in appropriate speakers or educational presentations about recycling to the younger grades.
Terracycle will be a pilot for the fall of 2017 and the cost is mostly for the the boxes and postage to send these collected materials back to Terracycle. After a group discussion about which items most commonly used in our school could be options for our pilot, the students voted on the 5 waste streams to pursue, before they graduated last June. We will be implementing this collection process late fall and will communicate with the school community to explain and implement this new process. Stay tuned...
This fall in 2017, our new Capstone class has moved on to solving a different problem facing Roosevelt and Cherry Hill Schools - one that they feel is important and of their own choosing. Our recycling efforts are not over, though, as we just started a grand new recycling club this year, for 3rd and 4th graders. It is our hope that they will become recycling ambassadors and continue this important work year round. A lot of great brainstorming and work went into the ideas generated by two Capstone classes and we would like to see those all come to fruition. We are looking to these students to continue the work and bring new fresh ideas, as well as spreading the green message to all grades and all students.
During the first year, the students were visited by Dr. BenDov, our mayor and head of River Edge's DPW who provided valuable insight and further grounded them in their purpose. The groups made observations of current issues and problems and developed their own solutions, which ranged from the simple: improved signs on the recycling containers, to writing a play for the younger grades to teach them about recycling in a fun and inventive way. Mrs. Hafers wrote and applied for two grants from BCUA (Bergen County Utilities Authority) based on the students’ observations that if we did in fact increase our recycling rates among the student body, we would need additional recycling bins to handle the increased volume. We won one for each school. That money enabled us to purchase additional recycling bins and cans on casters to be used in the lunch rooms and to be placed in some of the hallways where there were none. The group shared their presentations, pitched their ideas and explained their recommendations to school administrators parents and their 6th grade peers. Since the class met during cycle 3, not many of their recommendations were able to be implemented before they left
Last year, 2016-2017, we decided to continue the recycling effort again, primarily because of its huge scope and wealth of possibilities. We also wanted the prior year’s work not to be lost. Our teams began in December with our first phase - reviewing the prior year's team presentations, and choosing which initiatives they felt should be implemented. The students completed this piece and finished any plans and instructions necessary to move these ideas forward. They actually held the recycling carnival during recess this spring, put better signs on all our recycling containers, completed the recycling slips to reward students for "green behavior", and built a bottle garden that germinated plants for a garden club.
In phase two, these students were able to begin their own research, discovery and brainstorming. They were challenged to reach far and push us into uncharted waters with new ideas and concepts. Their mandate was to generate innovative and radical ideas to really propel our recycling efforts forward.
At Roosevelt School, one of our groups wanted to encourage students to use refillable water bottles and reduce the use of disposable “Poland Springs” type bottles. They realized that in order for that effort to be successful, we would need more water fountains with the bottle fillers. The school has installed these as older fountains break but none were currently scheduled to be installed. Another group worked on an original piece of art using bottle caps. They coordinated the entire project from morning announcements, scheduling time with Ms. Attardi for lunch sessions, coming up with an original design and running the bottle cap collection. The entire school collected caps to make a beautiful picture which the class hoped will continue to inspire the school in their recycling efforts. They asked to hang the picture in the front hallway of the school. We again utilized the grant program sponsored by the Bergen County Utilities program (BCUA) and submitted a grant proposal for the money to purchase an Elkay water fountain with bottle filler and for materials for the bottle cap picture. The Capstone class was thrilled to win a grant again and supply the funds to replace an older style fountain up in the 6th grade wing. Mr. Henzel and the PTO worked together to approve funds for the fountain installation! Thank you PTO for the money!!!
At Cherry Hill, our students proposed 2 ideas that we submitted for a BCUA grant: 1) contracting with an “upcycle” company called Terracycle, which collects waste streams that normally get thrown into regular trash, like potato chip bags, juice boxes, glue sticks, etc and 2) buying a batch of wristbands with the REcycle logo on it, to sell as a fundraiser. The CHS class was excited to also win a grant so that we could experiment with this upcycle concept on a small scale and see whether we could implement it school wide next year. The students also held a Logo contest and two entries were selected. These will appear on all recycling posters going forward. The students planned to use the money raised from the sale of the bracelets to bring in appropriate speakers or educational presentations about recycling to the younger grades.
Terracycle will be a pilot for the fall of 2017 and the cost is mostly for the the boxes and postage to send these collected materials back to Terracycle. After a group discussion about which items most commonly used in our school could be options for our pilot, the students voted on the 5 waste streams to pursue, before they graduated last June. We will be implementing this collection process late fall and will communicate with the school community to explain and implement this new process. Stay tuned...
This fall in 2017, our new Capstone class has moved on to solving a different problem facing Roosevelt and Cherry Hill Schools - one that they feel is important and of their own choosing. Our recycling efforts are not over, though, as we just started a grand new recycling club this year, for 3rd and 4th graders. It is our hope that they will become recycling ambassadors and continue this important work year round. A lot of great brainstorming and work went into the ideas generated by two Capstone classes and we would like to see those all come to fruition. We are looking to these students to continue the work and bring new fresh ideas, as well as spreading the green message to all grades and all students.
Johnny Appleseed Celebration
Did you know that apple trees can live for more than 100 years? John Chapman, known as "Johnny Appleseed," was an American pioneer who introduced apple trees to large parts the American Heartland. Students in Mrs. Poole's Kindergarten class at Roosevelt School celebrated Johnny Appleseed Day on September 26, 2017. Incorporating literature and technology, they read a story by Aliki and watched a short video about John Chapman on BrainPopJr. Colorful apple crafts topped off the day! Happy Johnny Appleseed Day!
Going Gold to Fight Pediatric Cancer
Roosevelt Elementary School worked as a team and raised money for pediatric cancer awareness. First Graders collected money and donated it to Josephine's Garden Fund at Hackensack University Medical Center. A big thank you to Mrs. Puma, for spearheading this great cause to raise money to find a cure. For more information on Josephine's Garden, visit the link below:
https://www.tacklekidscancer.org
https://www.tacklekidscancer.org
Welcome New Teachers!
Please click on a teacher below to introduce yourself to our newest River Edge Teachers!
