November 4, 2008

Walton Students Parade Downtown

Students at the Walton 21st Century Rural Life Center celebrated Halloween with a costume parade through the school and then proceeded downtown to the Whistle Stop Cafe to display their costumes for the restaurant's patrons. Walton teachers dressed in a country theme and following the parade, entertained students with a fun hoe-down style square dance.

Photo 1: Walton teacher Kathy Murphy channels a scarecrow.

Photo 2: Walton students walk to the Whistle Stop Cafe to show off their costumes to the patrons.

November 4, 2008

Northridge Teachers Age Quickly

Northridge staff appear to be aging at an advanced pace and most appeared to be far beyond their prime last Friday. As a special Halloween treat for the school’s students last Friday, the staff members donned house dresses, knee high support hose, silver wigs and sensible shoes, while leaning on canes and pushing walkers in an effort to entertain students. Following a costume parade through the school by students, the Northridge staff strutted their stuff in the school gymnasium to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T. There was lots of wobbling and teetering, but luckily no one fell or threw a back out.

Photo: Northridge teachers “bust a move” and perhaps a few bones, to the song R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

November 4, 2008

South Breeze Students Go to Court

Last Friday 125 fourth and fifth grade students from South Breeze Elementary School went to court, on a field trip to the Harvey County courthouse, that is. There they received an up close look at the function of politics and the local legal system. During the downtown walking trip, the students visited both the Democratic and Republican parties’ headquarters to learn about the respective party platforms. They also visited a courtroom in the Harvey County Courthouse where they were addressed by Judge Ted Ice, who talked to them about how the court system works. Then officer Brad Celestin showed the students the Newton Police Station, where he talked about the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure. Following the tour, the students stopped at Druber’s for lunch.

Photos 1: Tom Adrian: Tom Adrian talks to South Breeze students about the Democratic Party and the election process during a recent field trip.

Photo 2: Judge Ted Ice answers questions from South Breeze first graders after giving them a tour of the district court.

November 4, 2008

First Graders Practice Compassion

As part of the Character Bound Program, South Breeze students have been learning about compassion as one of several desirable character traits that are the related to kindness. On Halloween, first graders were able to practice what they have been learning on a visit to Asbury Park. The students visited with residents and practiced saying nice things to others. Other character traits related to kindness that the children will be working on during the year are respect, cooperation and fairness.

Photo: Austin Haviland parades past Asbury Park residents.