Making Dreams come True

Students in Room 222 at Heritage provided a gift for a child who had a special wish. Sa’fyre Terry was involved in a very serious fire. After a ten month recovery, her only wish was to receive holiday cards from all around the world. With the help of Mrs. Janeen Lanham, the students were able to create cards to help make Sa’fyre’s wish a reality. Mrs. Lanham provided the stamps, cards, labels with Sa’fyre’s address, and even the return address labels. Students used the art of calligraphy to send Sa’fyre a positive message of holiday cheer. The students hope that their contribution helps to make Sa’fyre’s wish come true. 

High school visits 2nd grade

High School readers visited Mrs. Seymour's 2nd grade on 12-15-15. The high school buddy readers work with the second graders to model reading skills and serve as role models in the classroom.

Motion and Design

The fifth grade science unit focusing on Motion and Design is a favorite each year.  In order to understand rubber band energy, students must work together to build and test a standard vehicle under various conditions.  In this lab, students record and measure the distance a rubber band powered vehicle travels when the rubber band is wound twice, four times, and eight times around an axle.  Students will eventually combine this knowledge and other important concepts about vehicle design, motion, energy, and friction to create their own vehicle and compete in a fifth grade race.

The Writing Lab: Literary Essay

Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 participated in Writing Lab lessons this month as they embarked on a Literary Essay unit of study together.  Students in 3^rd grade climbed inside the book FOX by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks to inspire their writing and thinking. Students in 4^th and 5^th grade closely read The Other Side, by Jaqueline Woodson.  As Literary Essay is a form of Opinion or Argument Writing, students worked to form an opinion about a character in the book, support their opinion with reasons, and back their reasons with evidence from the text.  As students paired reading and writing in the Lab, they paid focused attention to the tiniest details in the text and then wrote to grow their ideas about those details.  This process encouraged them to analyze and then articulate their thinking rather than simply retell what’s “right there” in the text.

Our next Writing Labs will focus on Poetry and will run in February. 

Heritage Elementary Wins the Turkey Cup Challenge a Third Time!

Heritage Elementary School raised the most money of all participating schools in the Westmoreland County Food Banks annual Turkey Cup Challenge. Heritage students, staff, and families raised $11,615.47 for the Westmoreland County Food Bank in this annual drive. This is the third year in a row that Heritage Elementary has raised more money than all other participating schools.
For every $1 donated the food bank is able to purchase $5 worth of food. With the contributions of all participating schools, the Westmoreland County Food Bank will be able to purchase $187,418.00 worth of food for local residents during this holiday season. Franklin Regional School District regularly donates money to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. All three elementary schools participated in the Turkey Cup Challenge this year.

Art as a Catalyst for Storytelling, Drama, and Writing

3rd grade students at Heritage experienced the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in an incredible and unique way.  Through a direct partnership with Writers of Westmoreland, Joan McGarry, the Director of Education at the newly renovated Westmoreland Museum of American Art awarded Heritage a grant for the second year in a row.  This grant afforded all 3rd grade students at Heritage the opportunity to visit the museum and interact with the art in extraordinary ways.  The museum docents, art and writing curriculum, museum access, and transportation was awarded to these students at no cost to the district.

Students engaged in “Miner Inquiry” in which they dramatized characters in a portrait, analyzed portrait subjects utilizing vocabulary strategies and portrait clues, explored landscape paintings with their five senses, and strategized which thematic music played for them represented varied artwork in the Color and Geometry gallery.

“I like the way this artist thinks…,” offered one student while trying to interpret a sculpture’s purpose and presence in the gallery!  Opportunities such as this that foster creativity, discussion, inquiry, culture, and perspective are a treasure. We are thrilled to be able to engage students in experiences that promote authentic life-long learning habits.

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PPG Place Gingerbread House Display and Competition

On November 12th and 13th the 4th Grade at Heritage Elementary participated in a Gingerbread House Workshop. The gingerbread houses were created and delivered to be displayed as part of the 13th annual PPG Place Gingerbread House Display and Competition.
Our students worked in groups to create their houses using many of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) components to engineer their houses. The students also had the opportunity to let their creativity shine as they designed and decorated their homes.

Mad Science after-school program

Mad Science after school is well underway here at school.
Students at Heritage engross themselves in entomology (the study of insects) and search for clues to help crack a case. They have the chance to inspect fluorescing minerals and see how simple machines lighten your load. They will also discover why science is the real star of the big screen and move out of the way of motorized toys. Finally, they will stage a statically charged indoor storm and go on a nutrient hunt.

State Representative Eli Evankovich visited our Kindergarten!

On Friday Representative Evankovich took time out of his busy schedule to read Mrs. Wishy Washy’s Farm to our kindergarten students in Mrs. Mitchell's classroom.

Representative Eli Evankovich is a third-term Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serving the people of the 54th Legislative District, which includes parts of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

What's cuddly and cute and can sniff out a good reader from a mile away? A Heritage B.A.R.K dog!

B.A.R.K, Bettering All Readers with K-9's made its second appearance in our K-3 Tile I Reading Support Room today! Ready readers shared a day of fluency and fun with these well-mannered and eager to listen and learn K-9 friends.  Student readers entertained the dutiful dogs with a variety of reading activities including: a short and long vowel game, sentence syntax practice, an onset and rime match up, and of course ...story time!

Our next B.A.R.K. visit is scheduled for December.  Readers are already looking forward to practicing their reading skills with their new furry friends.

Literature Circles in 5th grade

Students in Mrs. Sberna’s fifth grade class are reading novels and working in literature circles to grow in their comprehension skills.  Students read independently at times, and they share in focused discussions with their peers at other times.

It’s not easy Being Green... Camo Day Celebrates 26 Years!

Mrs. Melucci and Mr. Bielewicz’s students celebrated the 26^th Annual Camo Day. Students gathered organic materials to use to design and construct an anatomically sound insect that would be able to evade predators in the outside world.

Three students were crowned the Camo Day Grand Champions for 2015. Their insects were not detected by the students. Their insects were deemed to be the most anatomically sound entries that were able to blend into the natural environment.

The Camo Day common assessment is part of the Insect Unit which was awarded the National Science Foundation Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science. 

5th grade and kindergarten team up!

During Red-Ribbon week festivities, 5th grade students from Mrs. Sberna's class joined students from Mrs. Kerzmann's Kindergarten class to "buddy-read" during Heritage's "Team-Up" day.  5th graders served as model readers with their Kindergarten buddies while reading decodable books.  Since Kindergarten students began learning about short vowels and word families, it was a great opportunity for 5th grade to act as "coaches" during this literacy activity.  Kindergarten students felt excited and motivated, and 5th graders felt purposeful and responsible as they took ownership in guiding their Kindergarten buddies through a read-aloud.  Mrs. Sberna and Mrs. Kerzman look forward to more partner-reading activities throughout the school year!

1st grade making music

First Grade has been busy making music this year.  This week students explored rhyming words, rhythms and melodic contour while reading and performing the book In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming.  
Mrs. Ferace’s  class had a great time in Mrs. Tamburro’s music room playing the bells and using ribbon streamers to highlight the melody of In the Tall, Tall Grass.

THIRD GRADE SCREAMS!

Third grade students star in a new version of a famous painting called The Scream by Edvard Munch. Each student created a mixed media artwork inspired by The Scream that incorporates tempera paint, marker and a digital self portrait.

PTO Sponsors 4th Grade Poetry and Art Workshops!

Charcoal hands sketched historic landmark details after engaging in lessons of varied figurative language and poetic prose including: alliteration, simile, and personification.  This was the scene today in the Heritage Library as 4th graders participated in a PTO sponsored workshop from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation's Executive Director, Louise Sturgess.

The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation exists to educate Western Pennsylvania residents on the importance of preserving historical sites.  Advocacy and education of the PHLF includes workshops like the ones Heritage students participated in today which marries poetry and art as students learn to "become" the historical landmark detail. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation annually partners with Writers of Westmoreland during its Young Writers Institute hosted at Franklin Regional each summer and the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project at the University of Pittsburgh to bring historical preservation awareness to local residents. 

"Thank you for this experience...," expressed one of many 4th grade students, as he finished up his piece.  "That was so much fun!."

Thank you PTO for sponsoring this unique opportunity to combine art and writing.

To learn more about the work of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, please visit their website http://phlf.org/

National Honor Society visits 2nd grade

National Honor Society students visited Mrs Seymour's 2nd grade class on 10-21-15 to serve as buddy readers. The high school readers work with students and model behaviors of proficient readers that we are trying to develop in our younger learners.

Heritage Assembly-Magic of Science & Magic Show

Magic of Science

We want to thank our PTO for bring Professor Steve to our school on Monday, October 19th.
The Magic of Science Program was a high energy, fun filled, educational show that utilized magic, science demonstrations, and student participation. All the students had a great time while learning about science!

"May I pet your dog?"

     This was the popular question that eager readers at Heritage Elementary asked 7 registered therapy dog handlers at our B.A.R.K kick-off today!
B.A.R.K - Bettering All Readers with K-9's, a program designed to pair students with canine companions, visited our school today. The purpose of these friendly furballs will be to serve as literacy mentors to our reading students once a month throughout the school year.
     "This is the best day ever," said one student as she gently pet the fur of Rosie, a Shih tzu who came dressed to impress wearing a sparkling jeweled crown.  The intention of today was to acclimate the readers to the dogs and to practice appropriately interacting with the dogs.
     Each month during the B.A.R.K visit, readers will have the opportunity to engage in literacy activities alongside these friendly K-9's. The B.A.R.K program will continue through May and is expected to bring fun and fluency to a group of very excited readers!

BARK

Touch, taste, smell, hear, see?

Touch, taste, smell, hear, see? Our new sensory room, thanks to a recent special education impact grant through the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit Foundation, is a world of exploration and sanctuary for students who have sensory needs or are overwhelmed with their school day. Our sensory room is a place that offers comfort, relaxation, and a sense of peace. Overactive students are calmed and inactive students are engaged. Students may use the space to take breaks between lengthy assignments and activities. Students with Autism require varying degrees of sensory integration throughout their day, and our sensory room meets those needs.

Although the sensory room is mainly for special education students, any student may utilize it. Parental input was requested to gauge what should be made available to the students. The grant made possible the purchase of a ball pit, an aquarium lamp, bean bag chairs, mood mud and therapy putty, stress balls, a fiber optic and lava lamp, and many other hands-on materials that stimulate at least one of the five senses.

The sensory room provides opportunities for engagement in prevention and crisis de-escalation strategies. Our sensory room is a magical place where our students can enter a special little world filled with lights, moving colors, soothing sounds, and areas where they can touch, feel, and explore a variety of textures and material that stimulate their five senses.   (courtesy of Penn Franklin newspaper)

Walkathon 2015

The rainy weather outside could not stop Heritage Elementary from having another record breaking Walkathon Fundraiser. Thank you to our wonderful PTO for organizing today's event.
Additional thanks to our teachers and students for your energy in the gym.
Our classroom Spirit awards went to the 3rd grade class of Miss Steiner and the 2nd grade class of Mrs. Morton...Congratulations!

Walkathon 2015

Taking math for a swim

Fifth graders in Mrs. Sberna’s class are using their math skills to plan a classroom aquarium with a partner.  This project allows students to add and subtract decimals while adhering to a budget.  Students must also be sure to select fish that share similar characteristics and can live together while also planning for necessary supplies like food and water drops.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Learning Partners

Mrs. McCabe's Kindergarten students and Mrs. Melucci's fourth graders are collaborating this year. The students are working together on a number of tasks in order to form a unique partnership where all of the students are given the opportunity to grow, share, problem solve, and create lasting friendships.

Kidwriting Kick-Off at Heritage

“I can write so many words!” exclaimed one young writer as he began his narrative journal entry this week in Kindergarten Kidwriting.

Five year old ready writers excitedly kicked off Kidwriting this week in their writing workshop classrooms.  Written on the pages of their journals are stories about school, family, fall, sports, and favorite things to do, eat, and play!

By May, these young writers will have grown immensely in the craft of Narrative, Opinion, and Information writing.  The progression and transformation never ceases to amaze parents, teachers, and student writers each year!