Google Expeditions Pioneer Program

Today, the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program brought virtual field trips to the students and staff of Gary D. Wright Elementary School.  Expeditions is a new product that allows teachers to take their classes on virtual field trips, immersing students in experiences that bring abstract concepts to life and giving students a deeper understanding of the world beyond the classroom.  Thanks to the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program, GDW Student and staff were able to virtually visit and explore destinations aligned to our curriculum, including desert habitats and national monuments.  The Wildlife Conservation Society, PBS, the American Museum of Natural History, the Planetary Society, and the Palace of Versailles contributed to developing these virtual field trips for our students.  The trips are collections of virtual reality panoramas — 360° photo spheres, 3D images and video, ambient sounds — annotated with details, points of interest, and questions. We had a blast visiting places we have learned about throughout our studies this year!

Bill Buczinsky Visits GDW

Mr. Bill Buczinsky, poet, performer, and teacher inspired the poet in each of us this week as he completed a two day residency at Gary D. Wright Elementary School.  Bill kicked off his visit with an assembly, where he introduced the game of poetry to us.  He continued by conducting poetry writing workshops for our 2nd-5th grade students.  Bill wrapped up his visit by hosting Poetry Open Mic Night, where students and staff joined him in sharing poems and coming together in the name of poetry.  A huge thank you to our PTO for providing the funding to support this educational opportunity for our students and their families!

Bill's visit inspired students to write and share poems, such as the following poem written by GDW fourth grade student, Andrew Belshan.

The Poet Tree 

By: Andrew Belshan

                                   

The Poet Tree

Is to explain to you or me

What is poetry

The trunk of the tree

Is the dictionary

Poetry is all about words

But it isn’t just for nerds!

The Poet Tree,

The Poet Tree

But what grows up from the trunk

Is complete fun.

Poetry without fun

Will make you feel glum

The Poet Tree,

The Poet Tree

What comes next you will not gripe

Every branch is a different type

From a haiku to a sonnet

You will definitely want it

The Poet Tree,

The Poet Tree

Instead of a leaf

There is a poet

Now you know it

They’re usually on

The branch they like best

But they can always

Visit the rest

The Poet Tree,

The Poet Tree

But when writing a poem

The most important part

Is you.

You are the leaf

You are the leaf

You can be big

You can be small

You can stay on one branch

You can visit them all.

Exercise Kids' Minds During Summer

Each month, the National Association of Elementary School Principals publishes its Report to Parents.  This month's Report to Parents, "Exercise Kids' Minds During Summer", offers families fun, brain-friendly activities to keep children engaged over the summer.

GDW's 9th Annual Kindergarten Picnic

Today, GDW Kindergarten students celebrated their learning by inviting their families to Gary D. Wright Elementary School's 9th Annual Kindergarten Picnic.  Our families enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawn followed by a musical performance where Dr. Unruh accompanied our kindergarteners during our school song!  Congratulations, Class of 2028!  You are ready for first grade and we are so proud of you!

Staff Appreciation Week

From May 2-6, in honor of Staff Appreciation Week, we thanked our staff for all that they do to make GDW a great place to learn!  Our thoughtful, dedicated, generous, and supportive PTO coordinated a super-sized, super-hero themed, week-long celebration honoring our staff.  A huge thanks to everyone involved for making this a special week for our GDW Staff, who truly are superheroes dedicated to our students' success!