New Berlin Elementary recently hosted its 'Learning Under the Big Top Family Night,' an annual event for students, teachers and parents, promoting a creative and fun way to encourage reading, writing, math and science.
Students enjoyed several circus-based learning stations that tie in with the school’s 2010 theme "Come one, Come all, to the Greatest School on Earth: New Berlin Elementary."
At the reading station, students received lessons in following written directions using a recipe for a circus mix. While at the writing station, students decorated their very own writing idea jar with circus stickers and filled the jar with story starters so they can practice writing at home.
Students solved grade-based math problems using a giant bean bag game during their visit at the math station. Just like at a carnival, those who answered correctly won a prize.
The science station provided students with the opportunity to do circus activities and experiments involving their five senses, as well as a science scavenger hunt.
Students who completed all the learning stations received a no homework pass and free cotton candy. Students and their families also enjoyed free balloon animals and a tasty circus dinner of a hot dog, chips and a drink, with sales benefitting the fifth-grade Safety Patrol’s trip to Washington, D.C.
Other events around the school included a Book Walk, where students could win free books, and Maggie the Reading Dog and her friends from “Pawsitive Pets” were available for story time.
One of the favorite events of the evening was the annual display of Literacy Pumpkins, which each class had created based on a favorite book. Students voted for their favorite and the following pumpkins were chosen: first place - The Pout Pout Fish from Mrs. Truett’s kindergarteners; second place - Happy Birthday Bad Kitty by Mrs. Breidenstein’s second-grade class; and third place - Strega Nona by Ms. Meide’s and Ms. Page’s fourth-graders.
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