Celebrating Our Nation's Constitution

To give them a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution, social studies students at Long Beach Middle School created "constitution cubes" that listed one feature of the constitution on each side of the cube. Students then shared their cubes with each other to generate discussion about the importance of our constitutional rights.

This was one of many learning activities going on throughout the day as part of the school's celebration of Constitution Day. Constitution Day is a national initiative to encourage teachers to develop interesting classroom activities to educate students on the significance of the United States Constitution.

Pictured with their cube, from left, are seventh graders Nyasia Williams, Neal Patel, Brianna Reddan and Alyssa Licata.

Pre-K Students Dress For Colorful Success

Students at the Blackheath Pre-K School in Lido Beach learned all about their colors in a 7-day event where the whole school dressed in a different color every day.

Classroom activities for each of the first six days encompssed celebrating the "color of the day." On the seventh day, children dressed in rainbow colors to participate in a special culminating activity.

Guest presenter Lisa Cornell, a Blackheath parent, taught the children how to say all the colors in sign language. This activity not only helped them remember everything they had learned about each color, but also introduced them to sign language as an alternate form of communication. The event was a joint effort between the school and the PTA.

Shown above : As part of their Color Day celebration, students at Blackheath Pre-K School learned to say the colors of the rainbow in sign language.

Pictured signing the word for red, (l-r) are Samantha Lombardi, Cesar Vidal, and Alex Bauer.

Photo: Rosemary Leonetti

Great Readers Reap Rewards

Students at Marion Street School in Lynbrook kept their reading muscles in shape over the summer by participating in the school's Great Readers Club.

Students who read at least five books over the course of the summer were invited to a special Great Readers Party after school to celebrate their reading success.

About 125 students participated, reading everything from picture books to 800 page novels. They assembled after school by grade in the gymnasium to record all the books they had read, while the Marion Street PTA served up tasty snacks to recognize them for their accomplishments.

"The club has been a great way to promote independent reading," said Ketelsen. "With reading, as with other skills, the more they practice the better they get. The club also gives parents a fun way to share reading with their children, and to make it an enjoyable and valued part of their daily routine."

Photo: Rosemary Leonetti