Our PTO Dollars at Work in the classrooms:
All Students: Coming up (rescheduled): Tuesday, December 13th, during school: (Students & Teachers only) New England Percussion Ensemble has been formally invited to our own Zervas Gymnasium for an interactive-audience performance Language of the Ancients. Drawing from prehistoric roots and diverse ethnic cultures this ensemble’s electrifying and energetic program is a blend of information, performance, and hands-on audience participation. The melodic, rhythmic and tonal possibilities of a wide variety of percussion instruments are explored. Topics from multicultural subjects are woven into the program. After experiencing this program, our students will never again see a drum as ‘just a drum’.
Did your First Grader insist on digging some bugs out of the dirt this morning to take to school? Mine did – never mind the pouring rain. After a visit from Brandeis University Biologist/professor Dr. Olson on Wednesday, October 26th, your child may be able to identify insects from spiders, millipedes, centipedes and isopods… and digging in the dirt will take on a whole new dimension. Each child was thoroughly engaged in learning about bugs, digging up their own specimens from the wiggling dirt brought in to the classroom. Dr Olson, also a butterfly/moth farmer, cut open a few live cocoons, to demonstrate the live, moving pupae transforming inside… then shared with the class a small sample of his very own butterfly collection. Spiders were let out of their containers allowed to yo-yo freely on their silks. There was such enthusiasm, in fact, that one wondered if the day should be spent in this subject area alone!
In an upcoming Zervas Email, we will post a calendar of workshops and presentations that you, through your donations to the PTO, are offering your children & all Zervas students, to enhance the current school curricula; to introduce new perspectives that the curricula might not explore; to excite & inspire our children to learn. Upon occasion we will alert your Room Parents when volunteers are needed for specific workshops…if you would be interested in assisting, please contact Liz Beckett or Elizabeth Graham at lizbloodworth@me.com, and egrahall@msn.com. Thank you.
