Science

Science is a subject first grade gets really excited about. Last week we had a class pet for a day. Beardie the bearded dragon visited first grade for the day. Cooper, Beardie’s owner and Mrs. Kandice’s son, brought Beardie to school to enrich the Prek students’ Pet Study and to teach first grade about this unique reptile. Cooper let, if they wanted, the children pet Beardie and answered all of the fabulous first grade questions. Cooper taught us that bearded dragons come from Australia and require a desert like environment. Cooper shared stories about Beardie, the students loved those. The class had so much fun watching Beardie and having a class pet for a day!

One of the best experiences that I see regularly take place amongst students on campus is mentoring one another. The “big” kids frequently reach out to the “little” kids and involve them in a shared learning experience. The fourth graders read to the preschool students, the older middle school student teach the younger middle school students the traditions of chapel, and many times the middle school students teach and reinforce lessons to the lower school students. The most recent example of this mutually beneficial relationship between the “big” and “little” kids was last week. The seventh grade students put together five stations, a worksheet, and a digital wrap up game to teach the science topic living and non living to the first graders. Both classes learned lessons by working with one another. First grade learned characteristics for living and non living, along with seeing examples of both living creatures and non living items. It is so amazing to see these kids working together and problem solving. I say this often, and it is true every time, this is one of my favorite parts of St. James - having the flexibility and opportunity for the children to work and learn with each other. 

Mrs. Gordon