“Our teachers are excited and energetic. Our outstanding staff has embraced what we need to do to achieve high standards for our students and staff. It is going to be a great year”, stated Perry.
Third-grade teachers Sherry Angel, Erika Boyle, Jennifer Morris, Ansley Crabbe, Ana Beth Clark, and Kinsley Smith began their school year by developing solar cookers correlating with the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) in Physical Science. The activity has long been a tradition for third-grade students.
Students created solar cookers in the classroom and tested their creations by attempting to cook hotdogs and s’mores.
Third-grade students Malachi McCoy, Cana Milford, and Cora Whitlock were excited about setting up their solar cookers to demonstrate how heat energy is transferred and measured.
“We have been learning about heat and convection. It has been fun”, stated Cora Whitlock, a third grader.
Classmates Cana Milford and Malachi McCoy were actively engaged during the lesson and were eager to share their excitement.
“Our solar cookers will cook the hotdogs and s’mores so we can eat them,” added Cana Milford.
“I think that the cooker will insulate the hotdog and use the radiation from the sun to cook the hotdog,” added Malachi McCoy.
Third grader Brittany Ewing added, “Solar heat also helps our plants so that they can grow, and I am hoping that my s’more gets cooked. I think there is a chance that it might, though. It just depends on how much sun it can get”.
Next door to Angel, students in Kelsey O’Bannon’s and Alana Stroud’s classes used their inferencing and comprehension skills to draw meaning from the text to identify character traits from the book, The Smart Cookie. As students discussed the story’s events, they decorated their cookies to show specific character traits.
The school is also offering several student clubs this year, including Art Club (5th Graders only- Meetings are weekly after school), Gardening Club (Meetings are monthly after school), Cooking Club ( Meetings are monthly after school), Music Makers (4th and 5th Graders only, Meetings are weekly after school) and the Sunshine Squad, which is currently taking applications. This club encourages students to act as buddies in the classroom and help at Special Olympics in the spring.
Students who are interested in participating can contact their teacher at Banks County Elementary School.
The school will also host the Annual Title 1 Parent and Engagement Meeting on September 7th. Parents can visit their child’s classroom and learn how each school’s Title I program supports students’ academic achievement. Federal Programs Director Amanda Dale and Stacey Morgan, Parent, and Family Engagement Coordinator, will discuss ways parents and families can assist their children in helping them improve academically.