Second graders motivated to improve reading, research skills, thanks to penguins
Second graders find penguins appealing. So it was easy
for Trumbauersville teachers to show students how to
research information with penguins as the subject matter.
After library research,
PowerPoint writing and
coin collecting, students
and teachers celebrated
with Penguin Day. They
discovered that tracing
their sneakers on black
paper made a pretty accurate template for a penguin
body. They also counted
the coins they donated
throughout the project. The
money, $108.84, will go to the World Wildlife Federation to help save penguins and other animals.
Ashley explained how teachers read Mr. Popper’s
Penguins to students. Ashley said students have been
improving their reading ability with many reading strategies.
Willow said she researched Gallapogos and Isabella Island penguins. She
said she didn’t know what the foot-high
penguins looked like before she started.
Jeremy said he found as many facts as
he could about the King Penguins of
South Georgia Island. He and Gavin
said the facts they liked best showed
how the males and females take turns
fishing and incubating their babies.
Melanie said she was happy the
classes raised
money to help shelter penguins that don’t have
a home. She learned that rocktop penguins got
their name because they jump over rocks and
creeks.
Students in all three second grade classes,
with teachers Bethanne Giampa, Joyce
Tomlinson and Nancy Rodenberger, wore
black and white for Penguin Day. They made
beaks out of orange paper and strapped them on
their noses to get into the proper mood.
UBCTS Veterinary Tech students shine at Pennsylvania Farm Show
Upper Bucks County Technical School Animal Technology
students have been going to the Pennsylvania State Farm Show
in Harrisburg for 32 years, since teacher Mary Miller-Ettwein
started teaching at the school. It is the only school the state hires
to work at the Farm Show, so it’s a prestigious honor.
This year’s event ran Jan. 7 to 14. QCHS students Colleen
George, Justin Marlin, Laura McChesney and Samantha Murphy
joined the UBCTS group that
worked at the event.
Second and third year students can apply to participate.
They choose a lamb, goat or
pig, which they raise, show and
sell at the culmination of the
Farm Show. From September
through December, they raise
the animals for market, which
means they raise them for their
meat. The students must exercise and feed the animals so
they produce the best possible muscling and size to do well in
the show. It’s a one way trip for the animals, which can be hard
on the trainer’s heart.
On a recent, brisk morning at UBCTS, Samantha, a junior
second year tech school student, explained what happened at the
Farm Show. Students arrived on Friday and worked through all
five days. They got up at 1 a.m. to set up pens and corral the
pigs to get ready for the public audience and judges. Students
showed goats on Saturday,
lambs Sunday and pigs
Monday. The work was
physically demanding.
“It was worth it,” Samantha said. “Stephanie Sullivan from Pennridge and I
worked to keep the pigs in
the holding pen. Some of
the pigs were fighting and
we had to jump in to stop them! The pigs ran around the pen and
the bigger pigs were harder to control. Some of the more energetic pigs jumped up on us. We had to hold back some 200-plus
pound pigs. It was a good learning experience. The bigger the
pigs, the more money they bring
at auction for their meat. It was
really fun.”
Students at UBCTS also run a
licensed kennel, where they operate a doggy day care. MillerEttwein and her students take in
about 20 dogs a day. They also whelp dogs when the opportunity
arises.
The animal technology program has three main buildings at
UBCTS: A building with classroom and small animal cages; the
kennel feed building outside; and the bam, which houses the
sheep, goats and pigs. Students are assigned to crews, with a student foreman. In the classroom, students take animal science theory classes for 50 minutes a day. They do lots of cleaning as they
care for the animals as well as feed them and provide health care.
Everyone is assigned a job.
Graduates can opt to work in one of the 63 vet clinics in the
area, in pet care facilities, for pet supply companies or in animal
research. Many students establish careers in veterinary clinics,
kennels, and the SPCA.
“Dog Day Care business is huge these days,” Miller-Ettwein
said.
Many students go on to college, including Delaware Valley, Gwynedd
Mercy and Lehigh Carbon Community
College. They can major in five or six
different areas in college, based on their
experience at the tech school. One
popular major is Veterinary Technician,
which equates to an RN Nurse for animals.
“I want to be either a veterinary
nurse or a vet,” Samantha said.
Tohickon Valley kindergarteners learn how to light up gym for class next year
Tohickon Valley kindergarteners are properly excited to
take physical education next year when they reach first
grade. About 60 parents and children from AM and PM
Kindergarten spent a recent evening in the Tohickon Valley gym learning the ropes.
The goal was to encourage family fitness with developmentally appropriate games, dances and skill challenges.
Parents and children began the night by rotating though
stations. Physical Education teacher Kim Rogers and Kindergarten teacher Beth Davco encouraged parents to participate at each station with their children.
Stations included badminton; jump rope; dribbling with
playground ball; scoop and wiffleball passing; foxtail (kite
ball) throwing; beach ball pass (volleyball); hula hoop,
bowling; jump rope sticks; tennis hits; bean bag throwing;
bucket walkers for balance; Koosh ball basket toss; hopscotch; and group juggling with scarves.
“It was exciting to have many families participate and
learn about activities that they can do at home to develop
motor skills and concepts with their children,” Mrs. Rogers
said. “Simple, inexpensive ideas were highlighted to give parents an
opportunity to consider doing some of these activities with their children to promote fitness and health.”
Everyone joined in for group games as well, including the Freeze
Dance song and “lslands,” during which students practiced their locomotor skills while moving around hoops. With a bean bag dance, students practiced
throwing
skills, catching
skills and balance. The
night ended
with a “bear
hunt,” and
balloon dance,
which children
encouraged
creativity, self
confidence and
endurance.