Expanded Learning is the BESt at BES!

Things have been busy, busy, busy in the Expanded Learning Program at BES as students finished up their third and fourth weeks of learning and FUN!

Mr. Willwerth's workshop has focused on the study of compost. Some students had the opportunity to research their own topics pertaining to compost and present them to their group members. However, the highlight of the week came on Thursday when the worms for our compost bin finally arrived, something that students had been anticipating for days! Mr. Willwerth assembled a compost bin at home so that students here at BES can start composting all of their food scraps and put their worms to work! 

Students in Miss Raymond's workshop had the chance to sharpen their chopping skills as they made salsa and pickles from scratch. While the pickles needed a few days to soak up all of the flavors, the salsa was gobbled up by the whole group at lunch time. Here is the link to a quick and easy refrigerator pickle recipe. And, here is the link to a quick and easy salsa recipe too! Bon appetit!

Grace's groups got busy making music as well as learning more about sign language. Students not only learned some fun, new songs, but they learned how to sign the songs too! And, as if this weren't impressive enough...students also learned how to sing in rounds while singing and signing the songs at the same time!

Students in Caitlin's workshop had the opportunity to learn about and make their own catapults. Aside from seeing how far their catapults could launch a penny, this activity incorporated fine motor skills, science, physics, math, and more! There was so much thinking and learning going on all week long!

Miss Cathy planned some marvelous activities for her students on Thursday and Friday as well. On Thursday, she had a "Mystery Box" prepared for them which was filled with familiar items from the past two weeks of learning. Students had to used their sense of touch to try and figure out what some of the items were and then write about it in their journals. It was great fun but really hard not to peek!! On Friday, students learned about molecules and how they move with a fun activity involving a bag of water and pencils. You can try it at home; fill a Ziploc bag with water and then stick a pencil through one side straight through to the other. Do you think it will leak? 

Finally, last week culminated with an outdoor adventure. Students were able to choose between walking to the park in town or hiking up to the Bristol Ledges. Whether at the park or huffing it up the side of a mountain, students ended their third week feeling accomplished (and exhausted).