HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
On Feb. 22, Judie Lawson’s first-grade class visited Dr. Bud Davies’ dental office. We learned about taking care of our teeth and celebrated National Dental month. Here are some things the first-graders learned:
Morgan DeMetz: I liked Harry the Horse. He spit at us. I learned about taking care of my teeth.
Liam Kuh: I liked seeing the big mouth x-ray. I learned not to eat too much sugar because it makes cavities.
Cameron Needham: I liked when the horse spit. I didn’t get wet though. I learned that bacteria are little animals in your mouth and they can make cavities.
Evan Hermes: I liked the goody bag that Dr. Davies gave us. I learned how to brush my teeth the right way. I am practicing it at home.
Gabe Hatt: I liked getting to sit in the dental chair and having the air sprayed in my mouth. I learned how the dentist sees cavities on an x-ray.
Elijah Thompson: I liked seeing the test tubes of sugar and seeing how much sugar was in bread. I learned to not eat a lot of sugar because it makes bacteria. The bacteria squirt acid. The acid dissolves the tooth. Then I have a cavity!
Justin Christianson: I liked seeing the train going around the office. I learned to not eat a lot of sugar because I will get a cavity. If I eat sugar, I need to brush my teeth and floss, or rinse my mouth with water.
Kayella Gardner: I liked the talking horse. I learned about cavities. The little bugs spit yucky stuff to make the cavities. (Bacteria produces acid and dissolves the tooth) I learned about x- rays. I saw what some cavities looked like.
Krista Baker: I liked when Harry the horse spit at me. My shirt got wet! I learned to brush my teeth so I don’t get cavities. I need to brush each spot 10 times in little circles.
Isabelle Klippert: I liked the part when the horse
sprayed water. It was really funny. I didn’t get wet. I learned to keep my teeth clean by brushing my teeth every day 2 times.
Sydney Marchefka: I liked Harry the horse because he spit and talked. I learned that you have to count to ten on each spot when you brush your teeth. It will make your teeth clean. Then I need to floss. I can floss by myself!
Mikhail Frantz: I liked
seeing Harry the Horse because he spits out water. I learned that when you get cavities, you get a hole in your teeth.
Jacob Pedrazzini: I liked when the Horse squirted and water got in my eye! I learned that if you don’t brush your teeth, it will put a hole in your teeth. Bacteria will eat the sugar and squirt your teeth with acid. It will make a hole in your tooth.
Tyler Mooney: I liked the filling material that I got to feel. It was cool. It was sticky at first and felt kind of weird. Then Dr. Davies used the blue light to make it hard. It felt like a rock. I learned that if you don’t eat healthy you could get a cavity. So I need to brush my teeth and when I eat sugar I need to rinse my mouth with water.
Emily Andrews: I liked the horse. It spit out water. I learned about bacteria. They are little animals that grow in your mouth. If you eat too much sugar it will spit acid. Then you get holes in your teeth because it dissolves the tooth.
Alexis Simons: I liked when the horsey squirted water out. It was a good thing that water did not get on me. I learned that dentists have tricky ways to make the numbing shot not hurt.
Ryan Weichler: I liked the train that went around and around the office. I learned that taking care of your teeth is important.
Kaleb Cassidy: I liked Harry the horse. It was neat that he spit. I learned that germs make cavities. I am going to brush my teeth.
Logan Phipps: I liked when the horse spit at us. I learned that there are little bugs that like sugar. When you eat food it turns to sugar and they eat it and spit out acid. Acid makes your teeth get a hole.
Thank you, Dr. Davies, for giving your time to teach us about taking care of our teeth. We had a fun time visiting your office and we liked the treasures you sent home with us.
— Judie Lawson, first-grade teacher
GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Camp iCan is going on three mornings a week before school starts. Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are tackling different math challenges in three defined areas around the school. In the gym, students work on three-dimensional math challenges with Legos blocks. In the computer lab, students work to solve similar math challenges using virtual reality. In a classroom students work on math facts by playing Math Jeopardy. Occupational therapist Jada Jack has the kids memorize basic math facts at the same time they perform some sort of physical movement. Sometimes they’re on balance boards or catching balls or throwing beanbags. It’s an interesting technique, and we are “testing” to see how effective it is. So far, it looks promising!
The kids really love the Camp iCan program. Thanks to our supporters with grants or donations: Albert Haller Foundation, Peninsula Credit Union, Sequim Education Foundation, Costco, Starbucks and Greywolf PTA.
— Sue Park, teacher and Camp iCan facilitator
SEQUIM MIDDLE SCHOOL
â– There have been many Associated Student Body activities at the middle school in an attempt to brighten the dreary days of winter. The seventh and eighth grade Slightly Dressy Dance was a huge hit! Even though the first couple of days we didn’t sell that many tickets, we quickly got back after we had a little visit from “Darrell” (ASB president Mikey Cobb) on the morning announcements.
The dance had awesome decorations, thanks to high school ASB for letting us use the casino decorations from their recent Viva Las Vegas dance. We also had a decorations committee with Becky Schroepfer, Kaylee Ditlefsen, Katie Schade, Katie Stevenson, Mikey Cobb, Riesa Sumida and Brittany Joy, who made, cut, pasted and glittered suits onto playing cards. Glitter, after all, is a staple of ASB activities! Also borrowed from the high school was deejay Isaac Gautschi, who did a great job of playing songs that middle schoolers enjoy without playing songs inappropriate for our age group.
Once again, our fantastic staff and parents helped out with the dance. Christy and Lawrence Moroles ran the snack bar, while staff members Brian Smelcer, Michael Galligan, Kevin Magner, Christy Ditlefsen, Caity Karapostoles, Brian Jones, Scott Harker, and parents Mike and Trish Cobb chaperoned. ASB wants to give a huge thank you to awesome advisor Tracy Barnes, for helping make this fun dance happen, and to activities coordinator Caity Karapostoles, for making sure the snack bar was well-stocked, and all ticket sales went smoothly.
â– We sold Valentine grams during lunch periods from Feb. 7–11, and more than 250 were delivered on Valentine’s Day. Cost of a gram was $1 or six grams for $5. Each gram came with the choice of a beanbag animal, a bee, bubbles, or a heart with popping eyes, which proved to be a favorite!
â– Feb. 17 was monthly spirit day, and the theme was College Day. The participation was rather sad, with only 97 students and staff wearing collegiate apparel. That was especially disappointing, since most staff graduated from college. Hopefully, next month’s spirit day will see a greater turnout.
â– Upcoming ASB events include the annual Food Drive benefiting the Sequim Food Bank, Movie Night, and sixth-grade skate party. Girls basketball and wrestling are now in full swing. Please check out our activities calendar on the website for dates, places and times of all athletic events and activities.
— Eighth-grader Riesa Sumida, ASB public relations officer
SEQUIM COMMUNITY SCHOOL
First Teacher activities:
â– Friday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m.— Erika Van Calcar presents a sweet chocolate tasting for parents.
â– Monday, March 7 at 10:30 a.m. — Parents and children, enjoy Reading Time with Gentle Paws Handlers and Therapy Dogs. Each child attending Reading Time receives a free book!
â– Tuesday, March 8 — WIC (Women, Infants and Children). For more information about the WIC program, contact Pam Walker at 417-2275.
— Cynthia Martin, director and Chase Hill, VISTA volunteer
Olympic Peninsula Academy activities:
â– Casting has been completed and practices are under way for this year’s OPA Theatre production of “Alice in Wonderland,” adapted by Tom Kelley. This fifth-twelfth-grade drama class performance will happen June 3-4. It is a large-cast play that will be fun for the whole community.
â– OPA’s “Night of Excellence” was held Jan. 20. At the Sequim High School auditorium, students were given a special opportunity to showcase talents and abilities they have been learning in the school year, particularly involving the arts. Performances included choreographed dances in a variety of genres performed by dance and Zumba students spanning all grades. Beginning Guitar students performed “I’m a Believer” originally performed by The Monkees. Intermediate guitar class played “Big Yellow Taxi,” first performed by Joni Mitchell. Both songs were a big hit, as the classes encouraged the audience to sing along. Other performances included a song by the 2-4 Spanish class, the K-4 recorder class, and a medley of mini-performances. Future City students debuted their competition-ready presentation to their school and community, just before traveling to Seattle for the regional judging competition, where they placed second.
Following the performances, a Silent Auction was held as well as a potluck dessert social. Monies raised and all donations are used to support the efforts of the PTO, OPA classrooms, Future City student competition, OPA Student Theatre, and student enrichment field trips.
Dee Dee Neilson’s sewing class made eco-friendly reversibly shopping bags and fleece hats, some of which were donated to the OPA Silent Auction Fundraiser.
â– Valerie Surgeon’s Foods and Nutrition class learned cake decorating for their final semester project. This semester the students are experiencing International Cooking.
â– Kim Glasser’s Family Health class just ended the semester, and students took a health food test. Everyone brought in cancer-fighting foods with vitamin A and C and/or foods loaded with antioxidants. The students enjoyed trying new foods and are motivated to keep choosing healthy food options.
â– On Feb. 11, 24 OPA students visited the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend. Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade experienced learning how to tie a “bowline knot,” reading nautical charts from our area, proper rowing techniques in a long boat, measuring depth and compass usage. They also had a tour of the wooden boat workshop and learned about clench planking or lapstrake, in which the adjacent planks overlap like clapboards of a house on the bottom of the boat.
— Terralyn Dokken, OPA secretary
