Welcome to Ms Hazen's Enrichment Site!
-
(Click on the Enrichment Power point at the very bottom of this page!)
-
The goal of the Enrichment Program at Two Rivers: to challenge not only our advanced learners, but to tap into the interests and talents of ALL students by providing different types and levels of enrichment/learning opportunities.
UPCOMING ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
*The second session for bird banding was cancelled due to the major power outages around the state and our school was closed all week. These students that signed up will have an opportunity to capture , identify, weigh, band, record and release the small birds that live next to our school next spring.
*Invention Convention!! Thursday, Dec. 1st -- all day in the Great Hall. Judging 2:00-3:00. All 7th graders are participating and any interested 6th or 8th grader. That evening is our Family Science and Math Night-- inventions still displayed, interactive math and science activities. 6:30- 8:00 PM . Come join the fun!
*Green Rivers Club is meeting during Lunch period for 6th, 7th and 8th grade. The Windspire is here but needs to be put up on our roof. the 8th grade Green Rivers ambassodors recently presented at the National Science Teachers' Convention in Hartford to tell about their club and all of the projects they are involved in. See the Green Rivers link on our school web page to check out all we do!
*Math Olympiad contests start this month. We have 6th, 7th and 8th grade teams competing.
*Virtual High School classes are available for 25 8th graders that have the ability and self direction/time management skills to participate.The students are recommended by their CORE teachers. The second class starts in January.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?
NASA: 8th graders ,Sayan Basu and Michael Burnette, shared their investigation: "Life on Europa" at the National Studdent Symposium at the Kennedy Space Center May 4 - 7th.
This is the 3rd year in a row we have had our students invited to the NASA national symposium at one of the space centers (all expenses paid!)
Invention Convention: April 1st! -- winners went to UConn's State Invention Convention May 14th--Winners that went to the state this year: : Tacy Cresson, Curtis Veronesi, Robert Bednarz, Brian Labby, Zoe Diamond and Ben Felix. Zoe Diamond and Tacy Cresson won the CASE (CT Academy of Science and Engineering). Zoe Diamond also won the Angel Investor Forum award and the special recognition award (blue ribbon).
*Bird Banding with Professor Morrison, from Trinity College, came to our school twice this fall. We had 200 students sign up for this! Students who never got to participate will have the opportunity first -- lists of the groups will be going home and also posted in the Vilage area. Dr. Morrison will return next fall.
-Our Green Rivers team ...
.. 7th grade team went to Reggio Elementary in Avon to teach 2nd graders about composting and recycling. They also went to Martin Elementary in Mancheter to teach a similar lesson.
.. composts left over vegetable and fruit scraps from out cafeteria each day. We have 14- 25 pounds a day!
... Green Day (our Earth Day) is on April 13th. Schoolwide enrichment! Activities to "go green" indoors and outdoors: river clean-up, finding our carbon footprint, compost demos, etc.. The DEP came and taought us about tree identification. The Alliance for Climate Education will be here their muli-media presentation
...will had a live wolf visit on 12/15/10 to teach students about wildlife conservation and endangered specieshttp://nywolf.org/typo3/index.php.
..was given $1k worth of energy monitoring equipment which our now 8th grade student leaders were trained on at 2 day workshop put on by Project Learning Tree.
... were also given a $6k two year grant to become an official "Green School". With this money we are purchasing a compost and a WINDSPIRE ! This will conserve energy and is the only one in northern CT.
... had members from 6th, 7th and 8th grade attend the Climate Education workshop in Mystic in January and four 7th grade members went to the MIT Saturday Climate Educaiton Summit in May.
... Several members attended the CREC's Saturday Health Expo where they did a compost demonstration and made healthy smoothies.
* Tech Expo at the Legislative Building in Hartford to share their technology projects with 24 other schools. This year Mr.Devlin, Our Technology Coordinator, took Will Reid,Andrew Aramini, Christian Sweeney and Nakita Makarov on April 13th.
*Students who take the pre-tests for each MATH unit and "compact out" (know all or most of the material) work on extensions of the concepts in challenging math activities instead.
*We also have some students that compact out of some Science units and work on NASA projects-- alternative energy, biospheres, etc.
*25 8th graders and several 7th graders take on-line high school classes through our Virtual High School Program. Ms Hazen is our School Site Coordinator and Ms Jordan teachers a VHS class on-line.
*Students with special interests and talents work independently or in small groups on topics/projects --computer programming, composing original musical pieces (Finale Notepad), Book discussion groups, chess groups, Math Olympiad teams, NASA Club, community service projects, etc.
*Some enrichment projects and groups:
-Animation/ web page design/ computer programming
-How to become a pilot with helicopter pilot as a mentor
-The field of Cardiology - mentor Cardiologist
-Creating original music compostions on Finale Notepad software
Students have opportunities to stretch their creative and critical thinking skills in the classroom and out of the classroom-- large and small groups. The model allows students to revolve in and out of interest based or advanced academic "cluster " groups. There are also opportunities for individuals who demonstrate task commitment, above average ability, and strong interests to do in-depth investigations with a mentor that shares their passion. Check flyers that go home or the school web site to see upcoming interest groups that your child may want to participate in. They will also be able to initiate their own interest groups or individual investigation via our "lightbulb" form.
If you are interested in leading an interest group or mentoring a student in an area of passion/hobby you have , please contact me. chazen@crec.org
Christie Hazen
Enrichment Coordinator
860-290-5320 ext 3215
