Storytime on the carpet seems like something that happens naturally at schools, but Todd Elementary teachers had to take a break from it for the past two-and-a-half years.
It’s back now, and students in all grades are gathering once again on the soft carpet and watching their teacher with big eyes as they listen to a story.
Tennis, playing Roblox and the music of “My Chemical Romance” – these all found a spot on students’ “mind maps” in art class at Todd Elementary.
Fifth graders in Sara Gooyandeh’s class had an art lesson with Paul Villanueva and created maps to share information about themselves, their lives and their interests.
In Nicole Hesari’s third grade class at Todd Elementary School, students know that they are a family and that they are loved unconditionally.
As part of their “Communities” project, Ms. Hesari read aloud the book “Our Class is a Family” by Shannon Olsen.
A Teacher’s job is to teach, but who supports the teachers? Briarcliff School District has an in-house coach for technology, but for the first time, Todd Elementary School now has its own in-house instructional coach, whose focus is helping teachers improve their craft, with a focus on reading this year.
Twenty years ago, while vacationing with her family in La Jolla, California, Todd Teacher Librarian Tara Phethean visited a well-known local bookstore where she saw strangely-shaped wooden pieces hanging on the wall behind the register. The pieces, which displayed signatures on them, were originally part of a wooden table where all authors who visited the store signed their names. When the table fell apart, the pieces were hung on the wall as a display. Mrs. Phethean was inspired by this and hoped to do something similar here at Todd Elementary.
Todd Elementary School kindergartners are ending the school year in style; they will be going to a local bowling alley for a final field trip.
To help them prepare for the game – especially for those who have never bowled before – physical education teacher Jamie Tranchida set up a “bowling alley” in the gymnasium, complete with lanes, plastic bowling balls and pins.