What a wonderful experience Goosehill students had on April 27 at the SuperHero Institute Day! Learning from the HEROES in our very own community is simply the best! Twenty-Five community members came in to teach students about a myriad of topics! It is all part of the Goosehill H.E.R.O. acronym which stands for Honesty, Empathy, Respect and Openheartednes; these values are embedded into the daily curriculum at Goosehill.
When Astronaut/artist, Nicole Stott, was invited to speak at this years largest fundraiser, the Literary Luncheon for the Cultural Arts, it inspired artwork throughout the district! Ms. Stott not only traveled into space twice living at the International Space Station, did a spacewalk, and wrote a book, but she also founded the NASA Space for Art Foundation. She has spoken to audiences all over the world and her artwork from space is featured at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
Our youngest students read about fairy tales with Giants, like Jack in the Beanstalk, but I am sure they never dreamed they would have their very own Gigantic Musical Instruments! Students were wide-eyed with delight when they first gazed upon “Giant Tuned Drums,” a color-coded “Serenade Chimes” with a song book, and a pentatonic instrument called “The Swirl” that delivers resonating sounds.
Earth Day at Goosehill always involves getting your hands dirty in the soil and planting beautiful flowers around the school. Kids loved choosing which color pansies they wanted to plant, thanks to the donation and support from the GHPTG. There were also many Earth Day recycling projects displayed in the hallways and crafts in the classrooms including making bird houses in Ms. Derop’s class.
Spring is blossoming with yellow daffodils throughout the district! It’s all part of a district-wide planting initiative entitled “Petals for Peace.” Last fall, each school was given daffodil bulbs for students to plant which symbolize and honor the worldwide Daffodil Project. This project started in 2010 with the initial planting of 1800 daffodils. It grew to over 230 locations planting 600,000 daffodils worldwide to honor the Holocaust and in support for children who continue to suffer in humanitarian crises around the world today. Daffodils represent our hope for the future.
On behalf of Administration, the students and the community, CSHCSD extends its gratitude to Dr. Janice Elkin and Mark Freidberg whose terms end on July 1, 2023. Both trustees announced their retirement from the Board of Education at the March Board meeting. The amount of time and dedication Board members serve for the school district can truly never be measured. Their tireless commitment and dedication reach far and wide to ensure students have the tools needed to succeed in an everchanging educational landscape, constantly seeking to identify and remedy the needs of all students with profound determination.
The School District continues its long-standing relationship with our neighbors at the Fish Hatchery & Aquarium, including field trips to visit the turtles and warm water fish and amphibian life. On April 17-18 first graders loved their adventure as they continued to learn more about aquatic habitats. Groups rotated between the warm water ponds where they learned about small fish; what they eat and how they grow.
New art teacher, Katrina Albanese, has brought in innovative ideas, energy and enthusiasm for creativity and imagination. A clever "Sp[ace Art" project involved tying in the curriculum for visiting author and astronaut, Nicole Stott, who was this year's guest speaker at the annual District Literary Luncheon.
