Snowmen from Mr. Brouillard and Mrs. Stapp's classes.

The cold temperatures on Friday, January 21st were perfect for snowmen, even if they were just made out of paper. 3rd grade students at Science Hall and Negley connected through videoconferencing to compare snowmen they created following directions from their partner class. This activity taught students the importance of detail and step by step instructions in how to writing. They had a great time comparing their snowmen and discovering challenges faced by their partner class while building the snowmen. Thank you to the following students and teachers for participating: from Negley Elementary the classes of Mrs. Stapp and Mrs. Bordeau and from Science Hall Elementary the classes of Miss Voges, Mr. Brouillard, and Miss Crawford. Another thank you goes to the Campus Technologists for facilitating this activity: Amy Bradfield , Michelle McCoy, and Meredith O’Bannion.

The snowman from Mrs. Stapp's class at Negley Elementary.

A very large snowlady from Miss Voges' class at Science Hall Elementary.

 

Anakin Sywalker from Kindergarten and a pirate from 2nd grade.

Kindergarten and second grade students at Science Hall created camouflage for turkeys before the Thanksgiving holiday. After reading the book The Plump and Perky Turkey by Theresa Bateman, the students created disguises for their turkeys. We connected with schools in Lubbock, Texas and Huntington, West Virginia to share our turkey disguises and see the interesting costumes our partner classes created. Our Shining Suns were very creative and did a great job presenting to the other classes. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Newscast anchors from SHSN news.

4th graders from Ms. Mayer and Mrs. Spoon’s classes participated in an exciting videoconference that tested their knowledge of the regions of Texas. The students researched and presented clues about the Coastal Plains Region. The students choose to share their clues using a newscast format; complete with weather, sports, and breaking news. The students then watched presentations from Buda Elementary and a 4th grade class from Killeen, Texas. After some time to discuss the clues and a round of clarifying questions the classes revealed their guesses and mystery regions. All participants were able to correctly guess the regions presented by the classes due to the wonderful presentations. A big thank you goes to Christie Rickert, Distance Learning Specialist for Hays CISD, for creating and moderating the conference. Texas Rocks!

The SHSN reporting team.

6th graders in Mrs. Bandy’s Explorer Art classes participated in a video conference called “Georgia O’Keeffe and the Faraway.”  The program was organized and presented by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas.  Students were introduced to basic art concepts while also discovering O’Keeffe’s connection to the land and the American West. The program encouraged students to examine the work and techniques of one of America’s best known modernists as well as other artists and their particular view of nature.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame offers a wide variety of programs and services.  Check it out.

Leticia explaining the parts of the ecosystem.

Students from Mrs. Orosco, Mrs. Spoon, and Miss Mayer’s class connected with other 4th grade classes in the district to share the amazing ecosystems they created during the month of February. Mrs. Orosco’s classes created ecosystems with hermit crabs, fish, a tree frog, and a lizard. A clawed frog was the main attraction in Mrs. Spoon and Miss Mayer’s classes. During the videoconference the students shared information about their ecosystems and answered questions from other classes. Our students enjoyed being part of a scientific community and enjoyed seeing the ecosystems created by other students.

A slide from a presentation in Mrs. Orosco’s room.