District Administration - October 2010 - (Page D5)

Involved in Learning and Their Communities The Outsiders: Jeff Stanley’s Fourth-Grade Conservationists Jeff Stanley’s fourth-grade students in Franklin, Ind., decided they wanted to make an outdoor learning lab for Disney’s Planet Challenge, but it was only part of their larger plan to integrate nature into the curriculum. After conducting exhaustive research, students emerged with a 9-point blueprint called “Going Green” that over time will reshape Clark Elementary School’s grounds into a living exhibit and refuge. “It was an incredible amount of planning,” Stanley said, but added that his class was more than up for the task. “I had students who asked daily to stay in for recess to help.” Students consulted with master gardeners to map out plantings, and they tapped adults to come in after school to Through the project, students honed their skills in science, citizenship and language arts. Some drafted letters to President Obama, the governor of Indiana and several state senators to state their views on the environment. Stanley’s class and other school members have already completed other parts of the “Going Green” plan, including the construction of bat habitats with help from the district’s high school shop classes. Plans are on tap for butterﬂy gardens and the development of wetlands around the school’s creek. Stanley said his current class is eager to enroll in Disney’s Planet Challenge this year. “The number one thing is the motivation it provides for the students,” he said. “When you know you’re doing things to change your surroundings, it connects them to their world. They believe in it.” “When you know you’re doing things to change your surroundings, it connects them to their world.” help with the creation of ﬁve garden beds. To purchase materials, they held a walkathon and other fundraising events. The project culminated on Earth Day, when the school community planted over 50 trees around the building, grouped in groves for nut trees, hardwood trees and bottomland-loving species that were arranged near a creek. “We wanted it to be all plants and trees indigenous to here,” Stanley said. “We worked with the state Department of Natural Resources to get it right.” Keri Dowdy’s Environmental Team nursery owner. After the vegetables and herbs were ready, the class made organic pizza dough, bought cheese and pepperoni, and cooked pizza for their schoolmates. To cut down on waste, some team members brought in reusable items for the meal, such as cloth napkins. The tally at the end of lunch was less than one bag of trash. “Hands-on projects like Disney’s Planet Challenge ﬁt right into our curriculum,” Dowdy said. “Our science test scores are some of the best in the county and they improve each year.” Since the Pizza Day demonstration, Dowdy’s students have gotten 10 schools in their district to recycle pizza boxes. Project members have already turned their sights to more ambitious projects, like composting lunch leftovers, with visits from local farmers scheduled for tips about making rich soil. Dowdy’s team was thrilled to be named a state ﬁnalist for Disney’s Planet Challenge. They received a package of Disney items on the last day of school. “They were beside themselves,” Dowdy said. “They were so excited.”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2010

District Administration - October 2010
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Curriculum Update
Facilities Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Conversations
The Price of a Good Education
Dividing Arizona
Making Your School Future-Proof
Connecting Curriculum with Community
A Small District’s Big Innovator
New Books
New Products
Product Focus
Tech Disruptions
Superintendent’s Insights
Online Edge
Professional Opinion

District Administration - October 2010