Parish Elementary School Literacy and Exploration Night

Learning is fun and fun is learning at Parish Elementary School.

Evidence of this is the microscopes, hula hoops, mud, rubber bands, and iPads that were all part of a family-focused learning adventure at the school’s recent Literacy and Exploration Night on March 2.

The event, organized by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association and coordinated with the support of PES staff members, Rebel Club volunteers and members of the Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Class of 2012, gave PES students and their family members an opportunity to explore seven different learning centers related to science and social studies.

In the gymnasium families participated in a Parish Pentathlon and learned the science behind sports.

A hula hoop activity challenged participants to explore concepts of friction versus gravity while a rubber band shootout demonstrated the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy.

At the Exploring Our National World center families explored nature and the environment. Guests constructed bird nests using mud, straw, sticks and other natural materials and then took a closer look at various insects, vegetable samples, and hair strands using microscopes.

At a skulls and skeletons table families worked together to identify some well-known animals and then explored the distinguishing characteristics between herbivores and carnivores.

At the History Happened Here learning center families took a step back in time to experience life in Oswego County as an early settler. They tried their hand at using a quill pen and pressed recycled paper pulp into a screen to make sheets of paper.

One of the most popular learning centers at the exploration night was the iPad learning center.

iPads, iPods and iPhones bring a new dimension to learning, giving students an opportunity to play educational games that strengthen literacy, math and other essential skills.

The Literacy and Exploration Night kicked-off March as People as Reading Partners month at Parish Elementary School.

PARP was established to help increase engagement and get students excited about learning and exploring topics that they find meaningful and interesting.

Reading partners support students on their learning exploration by reading together, discussing and asking questions about content.

This year PARP will culminate on March 29 with a school-wide Learning Fair where the students will be showcasing projects that they created about topics they are interested in related to science, social students, reading or math.

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