Kiwanis K-Kids is Kiwanis International's student-led service and leadership program for elementary school kids (ages 6-11), empowering them to develop leadership skills through community service, build character and foster a passion for helping others in their school and community. It's the youngest club in the Kiwanis family and teaches valuable lessons in teamwork, responsibility and making a positive impact.
The story is about a slow tortoise and a fast hedgehog. The hedgehog boasts that he is the fastest and teases the tortoise for being slow. The tortoise calmly accepts a race challenge. The hedgehog runs quickly but becomes careless and overconfident. The tortoise moves slowly and steadily without giving up. In the end, the tortoise wins the race. The moral of the story? Slow and steady effort is better than rushing and bragging.
Each student had a reading role and using a short script, students read their parts aloud. There’s no props, sets or acting required, because their voices are doing “the acting.” All were tasked with providing constructive criticism on how their peers’ reading was, because, as Mrs. Bernice pointed out: “Constructive criticism is meant to make you better at what you do.”
Reader’s Theater help young students improve their reading fluency, expression, confidence and comprehension. Plus: Added bonuses are students learn important teamwork and listening skills!
Christopher Tuthill's construction students are assisting the Otisville Elementary Drama Club with the design and building of backgrounds and props for its forthcoming performances of "Seussical JR." It's another great example of inter-school cooperation and assistance!
Do you remember what they are? We’ll help:
The four layers of the Earth are:
1. Crust: The thin outer layer where we live. It includes land and the ocean floor.
2. Mantle: The thick layer beneath the crust. It’s very hot and made of slowly moving rock.
3. Outer core: A layer of melted (liquid) iron and nickel. It helps create Earth’s magnetic field.
4. Inner core: The very hot, solid center of the Earth, also made mostly of iron and nickel.
Students used made clay to make Earth models, using yellow, orange, red and blue clay colors to mimic those four layers, with green mixed with the blue to show land masses. The inner core was a yellow ball; followed by orange to represent the outer core; red for the mantle and blue with green (where appropriate) for the crust. Using fishing line, students cut their Earth models in half so they could see the four layers.
Next up: Lessons on the characteristics of those four layers!
'YARN SNOWBALL’ FUN!
Tom Uhrig and Stephanie Giuffre’s Otisville third-grade physical education students are having a blast perfecting their throwing skills for when enough snow returns for outdoor snowball throwing!
Using soft white “yarn” snowballs makes this a fun seasonal activity because it captures the fun of winter play indoors!
Students are learning important overhand and/or underhand throwing skills along with practicing aim, accuracy and force control. There’s also eye-hand coordination and spatial awareness skills in addition to decision-making and strategy skills on where and where to throw; sportsmanship; cooperation and teamwork skills; and the fitness components of building upper body strength, agility and movement. Whew! That’s a lot of learning packed into a little, white yarn ball! Take a peek!
THANK YOU to the Otisville PTO for again sponsoring wonderful enrichment assemblies today, Jan. 13, for all K-5 students on a fan favorite topic: DINOSAURS!
Dinosaur Rocks visited the school, bringing authentic dinosaur artifacts which mesmerized students. Students journeyed through time to learn about life-sized dinosaurs and learned about dinosaur secrets of the past!
Dinosaur Rocks, a nationally acclaimed travel exhibit of authentic dinosaur fossils, offers school assemblies that are interactive, educational programs designed to bring science—especially paleontology and earth science— to life for students in a fun, memorable way. They’re often used in elementary and early middle-school settings as part of science weeks, curriculum enrichment, or special school events.
Her students also recently examined the patterns that exist are multiples. For example, if students looked at the multiples of 2, 3, and 6 on one chart, they can notice the pattern that every multiple of 6 is also a multiple of 2 and 3. They’ve been associating multiples with skip counting and practicing their skip counting skills.
Students learned factors are the two numbers that multiply together to get a product. They’ve practiced identifying all of the factors of a product and determining whether a number is prime or composite.
A prime number only has two factors (1 and itself), while a composite number has more than 2 factors.
Not only are they building fundamental motor skills, activities like this support healthy physical development, develop better brain-body connections and build confidence, a sense of accomplishment and willingness to try even more fun things in physical education class! Activities like these can help to establish lifelong healthy physical activity habits, too!
DID YOU KNOW that during concert seasons, our elementary buildings always host special "pre-show" performances for students, faculty and staff, usually the day before or day of a concert. It's a great way to have a final rehearsal; share a chorus' or band's musical talents with peers, faculty and staff; and show younger students what they will be doing soon! Take a peek at yesterday's student performance at Otisville; these singers are ready for tonight's show!
Tom Uhrig’s Otisville third-grade physical education students recently completed a Yoga Unit, where they focused different stretches and balances to improve flexibility, one of the four components of fitness that are tested.
Students learned yoga is an activity that we can do no matter what one’s age is. They now know it’s important to constantly work on physical flexibility because as they get older, they’ll find they may become less flexible. Throughout the unit, students learned different stretches and balances. To mark the conclusion of their yoga work, students (in groups) created a yoga sequence which they performed for the class featuring different poses they learned.
Yoga began in ancient India thousands of years ago as a spiritual practice to unite mind, body, and breath. Early teachings were written in sacred texts and later organized by the teacher Patanjali. Over time, yoga included physical postures and breathing exercises. In the modern era, it spread around the world and is often practiced for health and relaxation.
Students predicted which cookie would dissolve into the milk first. They then started a timer and carefully recorded their observations. After testing an Oreo, a Chewy Chips Ahoy and a regular Chips Ahoy, they discovered that the regular Chips Ahoy dissolved the fastest. Why? Because cookies that are dry and crumbly dissolve faster in milk than cookies that are soft and chewy!
The most important things in life are often unseen, but they are real if you believe.”
Sheri Jennings’ Otisville kindergartens are thrilled to show their “tickets” to ride The Polar Express...as well as their "Polar Express bells!"
In "The Polar Express," the ticket and the bell are iconic pieces of the book and movie's plots because they represent belief, faith and the transition from doubt to belief, especially about Christmas and magic.
While these little ones simply love the book's and movie's story lines, we know there’s much more symbolism involved. Do you remember? The ticket first seems like a normal train ticket, but symbolically it means a readiness to believe! When the boy finally reads the ticket’s punch spelling “BELIEVE,” it reinforces the idea that belief isn’t something you can always see or hold onto — it’s something you choose.
The bell is considered the most powerful symbol in both the book and the movie because only those who genuinely believe in Santa can hear the bell ring. Even when the boy grows older and others can’t hear it, the bell still rings for him and his sister, showing that belief can endure.
YUM! It was Gingerbread Day for Cynthia Muccari’s Otisville second and third-graders yesterday, Dec. 18…and the day did not disappoint!
To begin the day, students created their own Gingerbread houses with milk cartons, frosting and all kinds of candy with the help of trusty, little milk cartons.
Later, students colored their own Gingerbread man to represent Germany, which is part of their “Holidays around the World” Social Studies unit. As part of this, they were tasked with writing some things they learned about Germany.
Lastly, students joined in on Third-Grade Teacher Bryon Imbarrato's “Gingerbread Math Mystery,” where everyone had to figure out who took Acting Principal Nikachi Griffin's batches of Gingerbread cookies! They watched testimonies of special area teachers and Principal Julia Downey and listened for clues to try and solve the case. Added in was special math fun which included arrays, number bonds, and tape diagrams of Gingerbread men to represent batches. Students had to use their multiplication or repeated addition skills throughout the activity. What a fun, seasonal and tasty way to reinforce important math and social studies work!
Hanukkah gelt is money given as a gift during Hanukkah, most commonly to children, often to encourage learning and charity. Today, it usually means chocolate coins wrapped in gold or silver foil, though some families still give actual money. Coins connect to themes of giving, gratitude and freedom, and they’re practical for games like dreidel.
HOLY MOLY! Look who was causing mayhem, mischief and giggles at Whoville…rather, Otisville this morning, Dec. 17! THE GRINCH himself!
No one could say to him: “You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch” because his heart had already grown three sizes!
KUDOS to the Intermediate School “Route 6” K-Kids and Otisville K-Kids clubs, who joined forces in November in a service project supporting Wreaths Across America at the Orange County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Goshen with a collective donation!
The mission of Wreaths Across America is to “remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach future generations the value of freedom.”
Students from both clubs raised $1,842 and sponsored a total of 107 wreaths! Along with community members, they volunteered to honor every veteran by helping to place over 4,000 Remembrance Wreaths on the grave sites of local veterans. THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the success of this initiative.
K-Kids is a global student-led program that provides members with learning and experiences to build character, improve communities and gain leadership skills through service. We appreciate the ongoing support of our Minisink Kiwanis partners to work with our students.
After their discussions, students created beautiful paper poinsettias. They have been hung in the third-grade hallway for everyone to admire!
Poinsettias naturally turn red and bloom in December, right around Christmas, making them a perfect seasonal symbol. (There are other colors, too,) The flower is a symbol of humility, faith and miracles at Christmas. Poinsettias became widely used in churches, nativity scenes and holiday celebrations throughout Mexico, eventually spreading worldwide.
“Keeping the beat” is an important foundational skill which paves the way later for rhythm and tempo. Before students can read rhythms, clap patterns, or play instruments accurately, they need to feel a steady beat. This activity also supports coordination and body control. And, this activity helps strengthens the connection between hearing something and physically responding to it in addition to enhancing listen and focusing skills.
