Elementary SBO Activity

Students “traveled” around the world the world at the SBO activity on Friday, May 20th. At the European Station students built famous architecture structures out of spaghetti and marshmallows.  At the African station there were pictures of animals with holes through them, that students threw beanbags at.  There was also an Australian Station where students participated  in sack races, that represented jumping like a kangaroo.  Students tried to limbo and had fun hula hooping for the Hawaii Station.  At the Cinco-de-Mayo Station students played Cinco, a twist on Bingo.  Fianally, at the Antarctica station students walked like penguins, with a ball between their legs and enjoyed Otter pops.  For fun they also had a blow-up bounce slide, that students loved.  Thank you North Star SBO’s for a exciting after school activity.

To celebrate Dental Health month we enjoyed an assembly with guest speaker and dentist, Dr. Yeager.  He shared his time and knowledge with NSA students teaching them the importance of dental care. Students had fun learning the 2 by 2 rule (to brush 2 times a day for 2 minutes), watching a 4-foot tooth flossing demonstration and seeing the sometime alarming amounts of sugar found in different foods. Thank you Dr. Yeager for an educational and entertaining assembly.

As the winter weather continues, we wanted to make sure parents were aware of alternatives to traditional recess that SEM offers.  Mondays during lunch and lunch recess 3rd-6th graders have an opportunity to attend book club with Mrs. Rowser.  They’ve enjoyed reading several books since the start of the year.  Book club for 2nd graders is on Tuesdays, where they participate in shared readings.  Students pick topics, from sharks to exploring space, and read together.  They also have time to visit the library. On Wednesdays during lunch and lunch recess, selected students are able to visit with guest speakers, called Lunching with a Pro. We are always in search of more speakers.  If you would like to share your profession or a hobby with a small group elementary students please contact Mrs. VanLeuven at jvanleuven@north-staracademy.com.  During lunch recess 5th and 6th grade students can take advantage of Newspaper Club.  They meet together on Thursdays.  Look for their first edition of NSA Growls, to come out in early January.

“Clusters are awesome and exciting!” exclaims a 3rd grade student. Clusters have started, and the excitement is contagious. “They are really fun, we’re learning about animals,” says another student.  A 6th grade student put it well saying, “I love it. We do fun stuff.  We do what we like to do.  Right now we are writing ideas of what service to do, and deciding on a field trip.” Parents and teachers share their students’ enthusiasm.  One parent stated, “Clusters are one of the reasons I wanted my daughter at North Star.  I love that she is given the option to learn and explore topics of her interest.  North Star is unique.” Ask your North Star student what they think about clusters. Their response will most likely include a smile!

The third grade students at North Star have spent the past 5 weeks learning about the many early Native American tribes that spread out across North America.  They learned how resourceful these people were, and how they depended on the land around them for their every need. This unit stretched across many areas of curriculum that included hearing and writing their own legends, listening to their music, creating Kachina dolls, masks, designing symmetrical rugs in math, and making bear skin designs on paper bags in art.  We were fortunate enough to have a relative of one of our own Kindergarten students share his Navajo Grandfather with us for a presentation.  Finally, we concluded our unit with a field trip to the Lehi Hutchings Museum where we made medicine bags, learned about the weaponry, and learned about the artifacts the museum has.  Beating the drum and trying to use the matate to ground corn were two of the favorite activities.

1st grade students had an exciting hands-on Ocean Day recently.  They did experiments with water, from what floats and sinks to how to clean up an oil spill.  Students had an opportunity to try on snorkeling gear, including flippers.  Thank you Mrs. Wartman and Mrs. Schouten for a fun-filled discovery experience.

We were thrilled to welcome the Treasure Chest of Rare Books to North Star this week.  Mrs. Tanner, working with the University of Utah- Marriot Library, brought and shared many fascinating books with students from 1^st grade to middle school.  Students wore white gloves and were able to handle many interesting and different kinds of books.  She compared the oldest discovered medicine book from Mesopotamia, that held 22 medical recipes with a Kindle, that could hold thousands of books. We have access to so much knowledge today, more than ever before.  It was very memorable, ask your NSA student which books they liked best.  Thank you Mrs. Tanner for sharing your time, passion for books, and amazing collection with us.