MLC Elementary students welcome grand-, great-grandparents into classrooms
Mountain Lake Christian (MLC) elementary students celebrated the school’s traditional Grandparents Day this morning (Friday, September 22). Their grandparents, great-grandparents, adopted grandparents, mentors or special friends were welcomed into classrooms to observe and participate in educational programs. For the special students for the day – ’twas “grand” to be on hand.
In addition to learning about the kindergarten, first grade, second/third grades and fourth/fifth grade curriculums, some of the choice school visitors also dabbled in physical education class and Intro to Band class. They also attended an informational meeting led by the school’s administrator, Dr. Michael James, and shared noon lunch with their specific student – or, in some cases – students.
The gallery of photographs below captures just a few of the moments of class participation by the “grand”students:
KINDERGARTEN STUDENT ADDYSON Hall, seated at left, proudly shows her grandparents what she keeps in her tote. Standing behind Addyson at left is Grandma Terese Hall, and at right are Grandma Marilyn Stoesz, seated right and Grandpa Jerome Stoesz, standing right.
KINDERGARTEN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER Ethan Junker, right, is busy building with blocks under the watchful eye of Grandma Bonnie Junker, left.
GRANDMA ARLA BOUMA, left and Grandpa Tom Bouma, right, wait to take their turn to help color the picture on which their granddaughter, Norah Siebert, is working. Sheryl Fast is the kindergarten teacher, assisted by Leechelle Quiring.
GALAXIE PENNER, SEATED at left, looks deep into the depths of her paper bag during Show & Tell Time – featuring items from autumn – in the first grade classroom of Rachel Knutson, standing at right.
SANDWICHED BETWEEN GRANDMA Beth Winters, left, and Great-Grandma Agnes Braaten, right, Waylon Winters, center, eagerly waves his hand to be called on by Galaxie to make a guess – from the clues she gave – of what item symbolizing fall she has hidden in the paper bag.
ABBY LEPP, RIGHT, described her hidden object as, “white and yellow – and has bumps.” A gourd! Grandma Margaret Fuhr, left, discusses the special hard-shelled fruit harvested from the Lepp’s garden with her granddaughter.
HUGS ALL AROUND from Grandma Kathy Penner, center, for Dakota McCall, left and Galaxie Penner, right.
IN NORDIS OLSON’S second/third grade room, the assignment for her students and their “grands” is to answer questions about each other’s “growing up” years, along with filling out a family tree. Above, Katie Johnson, left, listens carefully to Grandpa Woody Johnson, right, share about his childhood days.
SORTING OUT THEIR family tree are Grandpa Rick Porter, standing left; Grandma Dianne Porter, center, and the couple’s grandson, Ezra Petersen, right.
QUIN VIDANA QUICKLY jots down information on the life of his Grandma Flor Limones.
A MULTIPLICATION GAME involving both students and “grands” flies rapidly around the fourth/fifth grade classroom of Amanda Korns, standing at back right.
ZACH KLASSEN, LEFT, and his Grandpa Wendell Klassen, right, in deep discussion after they completed their multiplication cards.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTION in the S. M. A. R. T. Room is led by Nicole Meyer, physical education teacher. The S. M. A. R. T. (Strengthening Maturity through Accelerated Readiness Training) Curriculum is a multi-sensory approach to learning, designed to develop and enhance the psychological and neurological readiness skills students need to succeed in school. The curriculum consists of activities for developing and/or enhancing a student’s large and fine muscle skills, visual perception and eye-hand coordination. The S. M. A. R. T. Curriculum is designed to help each student progress at her or his own rate and to enrich and enhance the student’s abilities in a positive and “play-like” atmosphere. Above, Courtney Schroeder, front, works to build a tower from die using the eraser end of a pair of pencils, with her biggest fan, Grandma Janice Schroeder, cheering her on.
IN ANOTHER AREA of the S. M. A. R. T. Room, first grade student Emily Johnson heads hand-over-hand across the monkey bars, with Grandma Tary Johnson beside her.
FIFTH GRADE INTRO To Band class students compete in a Jeopardy-style music game, with Aaron “Alex Trebek” Petersen, MLC’s music teacher, the host. The game board, displayed on the two large screens in the Music Room, provides the questions and scores for the Cymbal Team on one side, the Tympani Team on the other. Listed on the board are five areas of music are on the board, with increasing points earned – and increasing question difficulty – moving down the column of each field. The five columns addressed notes and rests, tempo (speed of the song), articulations (specific way a note is played), dynamics (the loudness or softness of each note) and signs (sharps and flats). Intro To Band, an elective for fifth-graders, is taught Mondays and Wednesdays, with Fridays reserved for individual or group instrument lessons.
SET TO JUMP into action to strike the tympani and be the first to have the opportunity to provide an answer is fifth grade student Miracle Carter, front left. Watching behind right is Miracle’s Grandpa JR Weddle.
GRANDPA GARY ONKEN, right, makes his way down the lunch line in order to grab the noon meal and join his grandchildren, Levi Onken, Mareena Onken and Joshua Onken, at the dinner table. At center back is Nancy Quiring, the school’s head cook.
THE TABLE DECORATION display for the students and their “grands” proves that MLC students think the “world” of their special school guests. Students in second/third grade – including third-grader Trevor Meyer – did a fall-themed social studies and art project. Using pumpkins of varying sizes as a globe, students colored in the seven continents, the four oceans – and the equator.
EMILY CLERC, AT back right, is surrounded by a lotta grandparent love for noon lunch. Enjoying the special day with Emily are, clockwise from top, Grandpa Glenn Fredeen, Grandma Lois Fredeen, Grandma Esther Nelson and Grandpa Wes Clerc.
