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Teachers at Weed Elementary School are finding ways to teach more than just core subjects. Choices and compassion, attitudes and awareness, emotions and empathy are emphasized in two different projects at the school.
Jessica Horner has introduced the Peace4Kids program into her fourth-fifth-grade combination class, and Heather Moyer has introduced “A Day in a Wheelchair” experiment to the fifth graders.
Spending an entire school day in a wheelchair is giving fifth-graders an opportunity to “walk a mile in another person’s shoes” or more accurately “roll a mile in another person’s wheelchair.”
Fifth grader Morgan Ekman explains, “We’re trying to understand how it would feel to be handicapped for a day. It must be really hard to be handicapped.”
Navigating the campus ramps, opening doors, being late for class, cold hands, missing out on some activities, maneuvering around desks, and carrying books are a few of the challenges that the students faced.
Each morning, upon arrival at school, a new fifth grader heads straight to Heather Moyer’s class to take their turn in the pediatric wheelchair loaned to Moyer by Scott Valley Respiratory. Initially students are apprehensive about how to operate and steer the wheelchair, but they become more skilled as the day progresses. Most students are also nervous about tackling the long ramp from the classrooms down to the gym.
Morgan explained that she was afraid that she was going to fly out of the wheelchair on the ramp. Moyer said that by the end of the day, everyone has mastered the campus ramps.
Pulling open classroom doors was another difficult challenge that took students a lot of time to accomplish. While they did receive some help getting around from other students on campus, they were often frustrated when they weren’t asked first if they wanted the help.
Morgan said she found many things more difficult like retrieving her pencil from the floor when she dropped it, which happened to her three times, and positioning the wheelchair under her desk. She explained how to do this. “Go forward, turn this way, go back, then bring yourself to where you’re looking at your desk, and then just roll forward. It’s complicated,” she said.
Because students travel all over the campus changing classes or running special errands, they are exhausted by the end of the day from using their arms to move the wheelchair and sore from sitting all day long. To complete the experiment, Moyer has them journal about their experience.
Those that have already had their turn are able to give advice to those who are next in line. Evan VanDyke’s advice is to “Stay off the grass.” He learned that maneuvering the wheelchair on wet grass was not an easy task.
Also recommended, by those with experience to those without, is to take a pain reliever when they get home, because they will be sore.
Lindsey Cadwallader experienced loneliness and frustration while at a basketball game. Her friends chose to sit in the bleachers leaving her alone on the sidelines where she couldn’t see because other students were standing in front of her. She wrote in her journal, “Life would be very hard in a wheelchair, especially if you lived in one. I think it would be hard on the people my age in a wheelchair, because it would be hard to hang out with your friends and get around.”
Most students have had to deal with cold weather, and a few were actually snowed on. A frequent comment Moyer hears is, “I feel sorry for handicapped people in the winter, because their hands must be cold.” She says that the kids are excited for their turn. Initially it is fun, but then their hands get sore. “There hasn’t been anything negative. Nobody’s wished they hadn’t done it,” said Moyer.
“A Day in a Wheelchair” will continue for about another month until all fifth graders have a turn. The experiment will end with Ms. Moyer spending the last day in the wheelchair.
Peace4Kids
In Jessica Horner’s 4th-5th grade class, students are learning about feelings, choices, and goal setting. She has implemented a modified version of the Peace4Kids program that has been successfully used by Susan Waller, who teaches Weed Elementary’s Community Day Class.
Horner began with a contest in which students created original peace signs using a variety of materials. Most were designed with drawings using colored pencils and markers; others also used colored rice and flowers.
Tami Frisbie, Delona Jensen, Principal Tag Pimentel, Superintendent Gary Lampella, and Secretary Debbie Moser secretly judged the artwork, and the winners were announced on Monday, Feb. 2.
The winner for Best Overall was Anya Abbott, Most Colorful was Isaiah Balentine, and Most Unique was Anna Chilson. Honorable Mention awards went to Morgan Ekman for Best Overall, Brian Quigley for Most Colorful, and Caroline Ristuccia for Most Unique. The three top winners received ice skating passes donated by Siskiyou Ice Rink, pencils, candy, and a ribbon. All six students enjoyed a special lunch with Ms. Horner.
Peace4Kids is about understanding positive character traits and teaching students to be aware of the way they are feeling. It empowers kids by showing them that they have choices in the way they handle conflict and circumstances. Ms. Horner reads a short story describing a character’s attitude in a certain situation. After the story, students usually have a discussion on what the character could have done or did do to make the situation better.
Role-playing is another tool Horner uses to demonstrate positive choices in dealing with conflict. Having students describe how they feel physically when they get scared, angry, nervous or are happy helps them to understand themselves and read body language in others. Horner explains that she feels that students seem to be more aware at looking within themselves and looking at others. Student Stetson Pearson said that he has learned that “All kids should be nice.”
Students are also learning how to set realistic goals and discuss why they were successful or unsuccessful in achieving them. To cover all 15 character traits will take about 17 weeks.
Teachers at Weed Elementary School are finding ways to teach more than just core subjects. Choices and compassion, attitudes and awareness, emotions and empathy are emphasized in two different projects at the school.
Jessica Horner has introduced the Peace4Kids program into her fourth-fifth-grade combination class, and Heather Moyer has introduced “A Day in a Wheelchair” experiment to the fifth graders.
Spending an entire school day in a wheelchair is giving fifth-graders an opportunity to “walk a mile in another person’s shoes” or more accurately “roll a mile in another person’s wheelchair.”
Fifth grader Morgan Ekman explains, “We’re trying to understand how it would feel to be handicapped for a day. It must be really hard to be handicapped.”
Navigating the campus ramps, opening doors, being late for class, cold hands, missing out on some activities, maneuvering around desks, and carrying books are a few of the challenges that the students faced.
Each morning, upon arrival at school, a new fifth grader heads straight to Heather Moyer’s class to take their turn in the pediatric wheelchair loaned to Moyer by Scott Valley Respiratory. Initially students are apprehensive about how to operate and steer the wheelchair, but they become more skilled as the day progresses. Most students are also nervous about tackling the long ramp from the classrooms down to the gym.
Morgan explained that she was afraid that she was going to fly out of the wheelchair on the ramp. Moyer said that by the end of the day, everyone has mastered the campus ramps.
Pulling open classroom doors was another difficult challenge that took students a lot of time to accomplish. While they did receive some help getting around from other students on campus, they were often frustrated when they weren’t asked first if they wanted the help.
Morgan said she found many things more difficult like retrieving her pencil from the floor when she dropped it, which happened to her three times, and positioning the wheelchair under her desk. She explained how to do this. “Go forward, turn this way, go back, then bring yourself to where you’re looking at your desk, and then just roll forward. It’s complicated,” she said.
Because students travel all over the campus changing classes or running special errands, they are exhausted by the end of the day from using their arms to move the wheelchair and sore from sitting all day long. To complete the experiment, Moyer has them journal about their experience.
Those that have already had their turn are able to give advice to those who are next in line. Evan VanDyke’s advice is to “Stay off the grass.” He learned that maneuvering the wheelchair on wet grass was not an easy task.
Also recommended, by those with experience to those without, is to take a pain reliever when they get home, because they will be sore.
Lindsey Cadwallader experienced loneliness and frustration while at a basketball game. Her friends chose to sit in the bleachers leaving her alone on the sidelines where she couldn’t see because other students were standing in front of her. She wrote in her journal, “Life would be very hard in a wheelchair, especially if you lived in one. I think it would be hard on the people my age in a wheelchair, because it would be hard to hang out with your friends and get around.”
Most students have had to deal with cold weather, and a few were actually snowed on. A frequent comment Moyer hears is, “I feel sorry for handicapped people in the winter, because their hands must be cold.” She says that the kids are excited for their turn. Initially it is fun, but then their hands get sore. “There hasn’t been anything negative. Nobody’s wished they hadn’t done it,” said Moyer.
“A Day in a Wheelchair” will continue for about another month until all fifth graders have a turn. The experiment will end with Ms. Moyer spending the last day in the wheelchair.
Peace4Kids
In Jessica Horner’s 4th-5th grade class, students are learning about feelings, choices, and goal setting. She has implemented a modified version of the Peace4Kids program that has been successfully used by Susan Waller, who teaches Weed Elementary’s Community Day Class.
Horner began with a contest in which students created original peace signs using a variety of materials. Most were designed with drawings using colored pencils and markers; others also used colored rice and flowers.
Tami Frisbie, Delona Jensen, Principal Tag Pimentel, Superintendent Gary Lampella, and Secretary Debbie Moser secretly judged the artwork, and the winners were announced on Monday, Feb. 2.
The winner for Best Overall was Anya Abbott, Most Colorful was Isaiah Balentine, and Most Unique was Anna Chilson. Honorable Mention awards went to Morgan Ekman for Best Overall, Brian Quigley for Most Colorful, and Caroline Ristuccia for Most Unique. The three top winners received ice skating passes donated by Siskiyou Ice Rink, pencils, candy, and a ribbon. All six students enjoyed a special lunch with Ms. Horner.
Peace4Kids is about understanding positive character traits and teaching students to be aware of the way they are feeling. It empowers kids by showing them that they have choices in the way they handle conflict and circumstances. Ms. Horner reads a short story describing a character’s attitude in a certain situation. After the story, students usually have a discussion on what the character could have done or did do to make the situation better.
Role-playing is another tool Horner uses to demonstrate positive choices in dealing with conflict. Having students describe how they feel physically when they get scared, angry, nervous or are happy helps them to understand themselves and read body language in others. Horner explains that she feels that students seem to be more aware at looking within themselves and looking at others. Student Stetson Pearson said that he has learned that “All kids should be nice.”
Students are also learning how to set realistic goals and discuss why they were successful or unsuccessful in achieving them. To cover all 15 character traits will take about 17 weeks.
