Due to Impending Weather
Jefferson County Schools will be
Dismissing Two Hours Early
from the regular dismissal time
(times vary from school to school)
After-school and evening activities
have been CANCELED for
February 8
Science Fair and Math Field Day Results
OPPORTUNITY LEARNING CENTER STUDENT WINS FIRST PLACE IN MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. POSTER CONTEST
by Gail Woods
Malakye Boyd, a student at Jefferson County Schools' Opportunity Learning Center in Charles Town, won first place in a statewide poster contest honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. His poster was chosen on the state level for the first place award in the grades six through eight and will hang in the Cultural Center in Charleston. This contest is an annual competition to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life.
Malakye was awarded a certificate, a $100 savings bond, and an invitation to the presentation in the State Capitol. His name appeared in the program as the only winner from the Eastern Panhandle.
His teacher/counselor at Opportunity Learning Center is Mrs. Amy Chrisman, who also received a check in the amount of $100 to be used in her classroom.
Mrs. Chrisman said the poster competition had been assigned as a class project and everyone in the class participated. Malakye 's poster was chosen by the school's staff and forwarded to the West Virginia Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission where it was judged with posters from all over the State.
Ms. Mary Beth Vickers, Administrative Facilitator for the Opportunity Learning Center, said during the presentation, "We are very, very proud of Malakya. He worked extremely hard on this project; he showed us the enormous talent he possesses; and we are all delighted for him and applaud his hard work, his efforts, and his success."
Tech Savvy - Students participate in Digital Learning Day
Seventh-graders Eleanor Kearney, Carrie Morris, Sydney Waltz and Taylor Plath (photo on right) talk about scuds with fourth-graders
at Driswood Elementary School (photo on left) during a digital learning interactive session about brook trout, a local freshwater fish,
Wednesday afternoon at Wildwood Middle School. Journal photo by Ron Agnir
SHENANDOAH JUNCTION - National emphasis on technology use in the classroom led students at Wildwood Middle School to participate in the first national Digital Learning Day Wednesday.
"Every child in America now is technologically savvy, even more so than some of us adults are, but this is how they learn. It just opens up the entire world for them," said Paul Brown, principal at Wildwood Middle School.
For Digital Learning Day, seventh-grade honors science students in Carolyn Thomas' class communicated through teleconference and Skype with two fourth-grade classes in Jefferson County, one at Shepherdstown Elementary School and one at Driswood Elementary School, to discuss Wildwood's brook trout project.
In a yearlong project, Thomas' honors students are studying the possible reintroduction of brook trout into Jefferson County. Brook trout is native to West Virginia but have ceased to exist in the Eastern Panhandle due to deteriorating habitat conditions.
As part of the project, the seventh-grade students recently created information books, which were distributed to the two fourth-grade classes that are conducting their own brook trout projects based on the seventh-graders' information.
"(The Shepherdstown Elementary students) drew pictures of what they thought trout looked like. After they read the books, (they) drew new pictures of what they think trout look like now, and today they're going to tell us what they learned," Thomas said.
During the teleconference the students were able to meet the brook trout living in Thomas' classroom and revealed the three books that were voted the best.
Fourth- and seventh-grade students also interacted through a question-and-answer session where fourth-graders asked any additional questions on brook trout, such as how fast the fish could swim.
Wildwood students asked if the books were helpful and also made presentations on additional trout information.
"I think it's really important for students to be able to communicate what they've learned. That, to me, is the key," Thomas said.
"I want them to be able to tell fourth-graders what they've learned because the fourth-graders are learning, too. So I think that video conferencing from a student's perspective is a great way to communicate," she added.
The Jefferson County students are part of 1.9 million students participating in Digital Learning Day, and West Virginia is one of 39 participating states.
The Shepherdstown Elementary School students' brook trout drawings and information on the trout experiment can be viewed on Thomas' project website at boe.jeff.k12.wv.us/trout.
-Staff writer Samantha Cronk can be reached at 304-263-8931, ext. 132, or scronk@journal-news.net
Wildwood Middle School - On the Air!
Wildwood Middle School uses their television broadcast studio to share morning announcements throughout the school via television. On Digital Learning Day sixth grader Isaac Hylton interviewed Wildwood Middle School's new Assistant Principal, Mrs. Moss, with some help from the cameras and teleprompter! Welcome to WMS, Mrs. Moss!
February is Black History Month. Explore the many contributions of African-Americans at TeacherVision. You'll find biographies, information, and lessons on athletes, scientists, civil rights leaders, and more! Resources are suitable for grades K-12. From art to technology, there are activities to connect Black history with every subject.
TeacherVision has resources for everyone
