Invertebrate Day

Invertebrate Day is a day that your fifth grader will never forget at Baker-Butler. It is filled with hands-on scientific learning. Students experience collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving as they rotated through four different activities. Engagement was stellar and learning was accelerated!

In Ms. Thomasen's classroom many connections were made as students learned that invertebrates do not have a backbone. Students learned that squid and clams are related and how siphon tubes in clams and squid have different functions. 

In Ms. Spring's class, the "A" for art was put in STEAM! Students combined elements of science (insects and friction) with math (symmetry) and art. During this rotation, students reviewed what they knew about insects and then created bugs by writing their name in cursive and making a mirror image of the name and coloring the "bug."

Ms. Roesch's class was turned into Worm-a-Rama! As students entered the room, they were each given their own live worm to investigate. Hypotheses were made and mini-labs were set up to discover their worms' preferences - warm vs. cold, dry vs. damp, and darkness vs. light. Did you know that worms have five hearts? Students also used stethoscopes and straws to monitor their worms' heartbeats. Many students named their worms and there was more than one sad good-bye as they returned their "new buddies" before leaving the classroom.

Mr. Hazlett and Ms. Caldwell's room was filled with cephalopods. The students became experts as they learned how to dissect and learn the important internal workings of a squid. Students learned how to identify a female verses a male and what the "pen" was.  A somewhat smelly, but a great day had by all!

We have a lot to be "Thankful For" at Baker-Bulter!

Our Student Council sponsored food drive was a huge success. Our contributions to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank totaled 1,896 pounds of food, which will help feed many families in our area. They say a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Way to Go Baker-Butler!

Making suspension rattles and other American Indian artifacts

Second graders are experiencing the culture of American Indians from the Eastern Woodlands, Plains and Southwest by using natural resources to create ceremonial rattles, medicine bags, sand paintings and corn husk dolls!   

Thanks to a Shannon Grant written by second grade teacher Nancy Williams, all Baker-Butler second grade students have been making suspension rattles as part of their Native American Unit.

With guidance from art teacher, Ms. Purdon and music teacher, Mrs. Rehorn, the boys and girls have been creating their rattles with the use of “Y” shaped sticks, yarn, wire, and assorted beads and bells for the suspension element of the instruments. Ms. Mays (media specialist) and Ms. Grundler (music) have also collaborated on this project.

The designing and building of the rattles occurs in our Creation Station. It is a great example of collaborating and interdisciplinary teaching among five 2nd grade teachers, two art teachers, two music teachers, and our media specialist.

Suspension rattles are found in the Native American culture but also in African culture as well.  The students are learning how indigenous materials are used to create instruments.

A coastal Native American may use small shells for a rattle, where a woodlands Native American may use the shells of nuts and bone fragments.

Funds received from the Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation provided the materials for this grant.  

Through hands-on learning experiences students connect to the challenges and creative thinking of American Indians. 

 

Check out this story about some of our special canine volunteers!

Baker-Butler is proud to partner with Service Dogs of Virginia and James Madison University to provide a unique learning experience for some of our students. Volunteer tutors bring specially-trained service dogs who engage with students as they increase their reading skills.

The reading program, which has been in Albemarle County for a number of years, has quickly become a favorite of many students.

Check out this great story by the Charlottesville Newsplex.

School Board visit

Today we were excited to welcome Ms. Pam Moynihan, who serves as one of our 7 Albemarle County School Board members. Ms. Moynihan visited classes and met with many students and teachers. One of the highlights of her time here was when she visited Ms. Schwab's first grade classroom. The students shared personal stories and their writing activities about Veterans' Day with Moynihan, who is a veteran of the US Army. Thanks to Ms. Moynihan for a great visit to Baker-Butler!

Happy Veterans' Day!

Happy Veterans' Day from the students and staff of Baker-Butler Elementary School. We are grateful for your service and for the service of our active duty parents and community members. Here is a mural in our front lobby that Ms. Schwab's 1st grade class made for our veterans.

Taking care of our flags: a powerful morning at Baker-Butler

Today we had a very special moment involving students and members of our armed service.

As a school we want to respect our flags as one way of honoring our country and members of our armed forces. In Albemarle County we know that we are teaching and facilitating our students to be Life Long Learners (see the 12 competences here), and one of these competencies is for our students to "participate fully in civic life...within the context of community." Today our students experienced a very powerful example of this particular competency.

As a school we raise the US and Virginia flags every morning and we lower them at night, but we wanted to empower our students to be a part of this important duty.

A few weeks ago we asked fifth grade students if they would be interested in taking care of our flags every day, and we were excited that we had over thirty students volunteer for this important part of civic life.

Today we gathered these students together to go over the details of how to take care of  the flags, including how to raise them, to lower them, and to fold the flags to store them at night.

What made the experience powerful for our students, however, is not just the lesson the learned but from whom they learned it: active duty members of the US Army, who are members of our community.

We reached out to members of the US Army's JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps here in Charlottesville, and we were honored to have two members (both BBES parents) attend today. They delivered a powerful message to our students on why we honor the flag, what it means to them, and how to take care of our flags properly.

Our students learned a tremendous amount from these two servicemen, and we are now ready to begin to have our students take care of our flags every day starting Monday 10/27/2014.

We can't wait to begin this new tradition at Baker-Butler.

Below are some pictures of our very special morning today.

Talking to our students about why we take care of the flag

Demonstrating how to fold and to unfold the flag

Unfolding the flag

Raising the flag

Rendering honor to the flag

Practicing folding the flag

Students practicing folding the flag in groups of three

The final stages of folding the US flag