| Rivergold
students get immersion in French during special class sessions
Every Tuesday
and Thursday afternoon, Rivergold School sixth, seventh and eight
graders have the opportunity to take a French class.
Taught by Evelyne Holin-gue, a French native speaker, the class offers
a progressive immersion in the French language. Instead of trying
to remember endless lists of vocabulary, and difficult grammatical
rules, the students listen to short French sentences and compare them
to English sentences.
“I introduce a lot of easy and daily life French words in the class,”
says Holingue. “The students may not always be able to translate them
but put in context, they instinctively understand and soon know what
they mean.”
Most of the lesson is spent speaking and taking turns to repeat new
words and sentences. Students often ask questions that lead to a new
discovery of French.
Holingue says “Teaching is a very unique experience. Sharing my native
language is a pleasure. Also, since I have myself an accent, I encourage
the students to relax when they speak.”
Rivergold
Elementary School Gold Honor Roll
Rivergold Elementary School Gold Honor Roll students are pictured
above. Front Row: Elise Maggio, Bethany Davenport, Hillary Prince,
Ashley Hansen Sedor, Naomi Reimer, Sierra Zeissler, Jordan Ellis,
Elizabeth Avina , Kelci Craig, Ashley Jensen and Rachel Kremer. Second
Row: Nicholas Schumaker, Sterling Ripley-Phipps, Brandon Lundberg,
Nathaniel Pierce, Shaun Whisenhunt, Erin Casey, Kelly MacLaggen, Bailey
Reis and Katie Sullivan. Third Row: Ariel Vang, Amanda Ralph, Genevieve
Benzie, Dylan Vercruse, Andrew Meister, Taylor Koellish, Tyler Sikora
and Michelle Takacs. Fourth Row: Alyssa Barigian, Hallie Withrow,
Ryan Baker, Will George, Austin Scott, Ben Hand and Leisa Lowry. Fifth
Row: April Booth, Emily Avina, Teresa Naumcheff, Grant Hendrickson,
Jamie McHenry, Kyle Bohigian and Ariel Campbell. Not pictured is Sam
Kelly.
Once-a-week
computer lab highlight for young students
Rivergold School parent Jonathan Ferguson works with two students
on the computer (left to right) Bo Campbell and Mitchell Pritchett.
First and second graders work in the lab once a week.
Rivergold first
and second graders anxiously arrive at the Computer Lab once a week
with great anticipation. Parents have been preparing the lab and are
ready to assist and support these young students.The enthusiastic
and very supportive parents, led by Richard Wood and Aileen Earl-Wood,
are the heart of this educational program.
Last fall, the students were choosing one picture and typing a short
sentence about it. Eventually, one sentence became three sentences
and many students began creating stories or writing facts about their
picture. They work on their spelling, grammar and punctuation as they
complete the project. They are being taught to give credit where it
is due by printing the website of their picture and/or their research
with their work.
For the last six weeks, the second graders have been working together
in cooperative teams of two or three to research questions on the
Internet. At first, the questions were coordinated with study of the
ocean. The students are now researching a wide variety of topics and
four of the first graders have joined the second graders.
Over six weeks, the questions have become more sophisticated. Beginning
questions included: How many teeth does a shark have? and Does a sea
urchin have a brain?
Later questions have included: How big is a blue whale’s heart? How
do the clown fish and the anemone help each other? More recent questions
have been: Who is Neil Armstrong? Where is the largest volcano on
earth? Where is the largest volcano in our solar system? What is a
troglobite?
When their work is done, the students return to the classroom and
celebrate their computer accomplishments. Wood leads the class discussion
on each of the 10 research questions. The students share the information
that they have learned. Those students who have written about a picture,
get to read their writing and show their picture.
Kindergarten
students get help from 8th grade
In early February,
Mary Gomez’s kindergarten class at Rivergold Elementary set out to
make real piggy banks for themselves. Understanding money is a difficult
concept for their age, so this project would be fun and educational
at the same time, the teacher says. The students worked with their
“pals” in Duff McCartin’s eighth grade. This was the most rewarding
activity they have done together, Gomez said.
The process began with a large balloon and three layers of paper mache’.
As they worked to smooth out their pigs, the students learned a thing
or two about paper mache’. After the balloons dried like cocoons on
a line, the kindergartners got to pop the balloon. “The excitement
was intense,” according to Gomez.
Next, parent helpers attached noses, tails and legs. Three more paper
mache’ layers were added, and after the pigs dried, it was time to
paint and decorate. Parents helped to make a coin slot and drill holes
for removing the coins. A few pigs had construction problems, as the
layers of paper had to be strong enough to withstand drilling and
cutting. Finally, two or three layers of gloss finished off the projects.
On St. Patrick’s Day, the two classes met for Shamrock Shakes, letters
to leprechauns and photo opportunities with pals and piggy banks.
The eighth grade pals brought the first donation to the banks. “It
was wonderful to see the kindergartners looking to the big kids for
help, guidance and reassurance,” Gomez commented. “The eighth graders
showed great compassion and the gentle nurturing their pals needed.
The project took more time and energy than anticipated, but the rewards
will forever be etched in the memories of all who participated!”
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