s-On With Learning
outside that helped children’s bodies
and brains. Using project-based learning,
3rd-grade teachers and students
used research to fi nd what would be
most cost effective in both the longterm
and short-term. Students found
the measurements of the outdoor
classroom area and wrote persuasive
essays in hopes that the community
would donate to the project.
With the most successful
Move-A-Thon yet, the entire school
participated in a building-wide fundraiser
in hopes of making their outdoor
classroom a reality. With a glow-in-thedark
theme and tagline, “Glow Big or
Glow Home,” students and teachers
raised money for the outdoor classroom
by inviting the community to join
students during a dance party. Students
at Mathews also used a local voting day
as an opportunity to vote on a school
shirt to promote the event while learning
about the voting process. In May,
a ribbon cutting ceremony kicked-off
construction that should be completed
for the 2018-19 school year.
The Early Childhood Center gave
their little eagles the opportunity to
learn with a hands on approach at their
Farm Day. ECC’s Farm Day consisted
of fi rst hand experiences and memorable
activities from sheep shearing and
cow milking to animal interaction, such
as horse riding and chicken chasing.
“We had so much fun watching our little
guy at his Farm Day! I mean, where
else can your four year old safely shave
a sheep,” said parent Katrina McCormick.
The children’s imaginations lit up with
excitement when they were able to use
their senses as a means of learning. “It
was great to see Jude at the different
stations learning in an environment designed
just for him. The activities were
so creatively designed to give the kids
a sense of being on a farm, and yet, we
were in the school gym,” stated Nixa
parent Beth Alvarez.
Continued on page 10
“...The activities were so creatively designed
to give the kids a sense of being on a farm,
and yet, we were in the school gym...”
SUMMER 2018 THE NEST NIXA PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAGAZINE 9