Youth on the Go
Ellenville Elementary School sixth-graders students who may be anxious about their transition to the Junior/Senior High School now have a reason to feel better about their big move.
A new mentorship program led by Elementary School Assistant Principal Heather Heidelberg and Districtwide Case Worker Bri- ana Mangram, pairs grad- uating Elementary School students with Ellenville se- niors, allowing their older counterparts to “show them the ropes.”
“The transition from Elementary to Junior High School can be difficult academically and socially,” Mangram said in a press release. “This program gives our sixth graders the opportunity to connect with students who have been through these experiences and succeeded.”
There are currently 19 sixth-graders students and 15 senior members of the National Honor Society participating in the program. During their introductory meeting, senior mentors joined the sixth-graders for lunch and shared about what clubs they are involved in, their goals for after graduation, and if they currently work while attending school. The younger students also had the opportunity to ask questions or voice their concerns.
Mangram and Heidelberg collaborated with Grade 6 teachers early on to determine the best fits for each of the students based on their interests, personalities, and future aspirations. Since then, students from both grade levels have been truly enjoying the experience.
“The Grade 6 students look forward to ‘their senior” coming down to eat lunch with them and talk,” Heidelberg. “It’s also an eyeopening experience for our seniors to reflect and put themselves back into the shoes they once wore.”
During meetings with their mentors, Grade 6 students have been busy tackling topics such as their future goals, what makes them feel anxious, what positive relationships look like, and accountability expectations
in Junior High, to name a few.
“My mentor is really nice and easy to talk to,” said sixth-grader Treshaun Harris. “I feel really comfortable around him and I am looking forward to making more older friends.”
Added fellow sixth-grader Sapharrah Maldonato, “After meeting with my mentor, I’m not so worried about some of the changes in Junior High. Her mentor, Shyama Patel, reassured her that there would be quiet places to do homework after school, as well as homework help if she needed it.
“I am looking forward to that,” Maldonato added. “And getting home earlier!”
Senior Max Dickman appreciates the experience of meeting the younger students and being able to share his hard-earned wisdom. “It’s been great getting to know the sixth graders,” he said. “Many of them opened up right away, and expressed what they are struggling with, which is often peer pressure and fitting in.
“When my mentee brings up these issues, I tell him
to ‘be yourself, be an original,’” Dickman added. “And I assure him that, as you get older, it gets easier, and things get better. “I’m glad that I can share that knowledge now because I lived through it.”
Both Mangram and Heidelberg are pleased with how the mentorship program has been received by students. “Based on the success we see so far, we are looking forward to both continuing and expanding the program,” Mangram said.
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Woodstock Elementary School (WES) was bustling with activity the evening of Thursday, may 4, as families, teachers, and staff enjoyed an interactive, museum-style science fair put on by students in kindergarten through third grade.
Kindergarten students displayed impressive collections they gathered, including such items as bird nests, snake skins, seashells, and more. First-graders explored life cycles and treated guests to their research on wolves, bears, and octopi; butterflies and spiders; sunflowers, mushrooms, and more.
The cafeteria was the place where fairgoers could check out the variety of second-grade detailed habitat explorations and thirdgrade experiments and engineering projects, where students tested out their hypotheses, as scientists do.
Second-grade student Lucas Hochman decided to do his research on volcanoes. What he found most fascinating was that he could make a representation of an erupting volcano using everyday products. “I learned that I could use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid to produce a chemical reaction that looks like lava,” he said.
Third-grader Fayette Jared conducted an experiment based on the question “Which butter tastes better: homemade or storebought?” The young scientist and baking enthusiast first tried to make butter from plant-based milk, but discovered that getting the right consistency was very difficult. She then changed to a regular creamer, created butter, and then used it to make cookies!
After running a taste test between cookies made with homemade butter and cookies made with store-bought butter, she was able to confirm what she had suspected all along. “I thought people would prefer something baked with homemade butter, and they did!” she said.
First-grader Jude Habernig researched the spider’s life cycle and created a three-dimensional representation of the female arachnid’s egg sac, elaborate webs, and offspring. When asked what was the “coolest thing” he learned, he said, “They use silk from inside their body to produce webs!”
Woodstock Elementary School Principal Scott Richards was pleased with how the event turned out. “The science fair was a huge success,” he said. “It was wellattended and the feedback from the community was very positive.”
“I am super proud of all of the hard work and effort our students put into their projects!” he added.