Community

As project-based learning becomes an increasingly popular initiative in education, teachers and administrators in the Fulton City School District are on the forefront of this movement. At the Fulton Junior High School, Principal Ryan Lanigan and teachers Eric Kaproski and Laura Lizotte are leading the charge to bring more project-based learning offerings to their students.

It wasn’t an average science lecture when Commander Peter Robson recently stopped by Granby Elementary School to deliver an out-of-this-world lesson aeronautics. The guest speaker is an educator with the Challenger Learning Center in Rochester and provided an energetic, high-flying experience to the third grade students.

A decades-long tradition continued at Sandy Creek Elementary School recently, as students sat down for a Thanksgiving feast. In addition to indulging in the Thanksgiving feast, the students also entertained their family members with several songs related to the holiday.

More than a dozen students participate in the ACE after-school program, which provides first through third graders with healthy snacks, academic and behavioral supports and community enrichment activities.

A mentoring program that unites Fulton’s high school students with those at the elementary level is off to a successful start this year. As part of the initiative, two dozen G. Ray Bodley High School students get together with Fairgrieve Elementary School students every other Wednesday.

A recent staff collaboration day in the Fulton City School District provided employees at Volney and Fairgrieve elementary schools with an eye-opening lesson in safety and security. In partnership with the Fulton Police Department and as part of an ongoing effort to ensure school district personnel are well-versed in safety procedures, the schools hosted active shooter drills.

Music filled the air in the Hannibal High School auditorium recently as the senior high school band entertained an audience of friends, school personnel and family members with an array of songs. Additional concerts in the Hannibal Central School District will take place during the first week of December.

Embracing its shared decision-making model, administrators, teachers, staff, parents and community members in the Fulton City School District gathered for a joint site-based team meeting recently at the junior high school.

The 2012 project saw upgrades to the electrical system, data wiring and asbestos removal from walls and ceilings as a way to modernize the facilities for the next generation of learners. With that project now complete, the district is tackling the remainder of the 2014 venture. According to Superintendent Bill Lynch, contractors have already made a significant dent in the 2014 capital project.