F.E. Miley Elementary School wrapped up the school year with their annual open house extravaganza. The well-loved tradition is an opportunity for parents and folks from the community to visit the classrooms and see the things the kids have been learning and working on all year. Heather Wolery, the principal, explained: "The extravaganza has been going on for a long time. Every classroom does a big project, and then they share it with the community. It's a pretty big deal at the end of the year, a chance to get to show off all this cool stuff they're doing."
My first stop for extravaganza was Mrs. Moore's 3rd Grade class, which was decked out in Minion themes all year. In keeping with the theme, each child had made their own minion model. They had also written and bound their own books. The project put the kids' growing vocabulary and writing skills on display.
Mr. Parker's 2nd graders spent part of the year learning about the various Indian Reservations around the state. They paired off and created projects on the assigned reservation. Each child I spoke with was knowledgable about their assigned tribe, their culture, and history.
Mrs. Hanson's 1st graders spent the year studying owls. "This was fun. My kids are rock stars. They got to do big kid research so that was kind of cool." Big kid research included dissecting owl pellets, which are regurgitated undigestible bits of their prey. "I asked them first. And I'm like, 'do you guys want to do even do owl pellets?' I showed them a whole bunch of pictures. I ordered them from a company, so they're all cleaned." The students particularly enjoyed finding bones of small animals in the pellets and laying them out for display.
Mrs. Weaver's kindergarten class explored space and the space program this year. It's always interesting, fun and engaging. This is her 5th extravaganza, an event she particularly enjoys: "The research is really fun to do with them and then watching them get excited about the science or the history of the things that we're learning. Then they get excited about creating it and presenting it." Students built models of the solar system, the moon's surface, the space shuttle, and other NASA themed projects. They were eager to share what they had learned and discuss space exploration.
At this point, I made the trek to the other side of the school to visit Mrs. Keller's classroom, which featured the ever-impressive wax museum of Montana history. Students costumed themselves as various figures from our state's history (and a few from very close to home). They stood perfectly still in front of their presentations as visitors passed through.
Across the hall, Miss Darlington's 5th grade class featured more students dressed as historical figures. These figures were from a broader scope of American History. In addition, each had their own light, which if lit, prompted the student to "come to life" to share their oral report of their historical figure. This is always a particularly interesting area and every student does a terrific job of presenting their character. Miss Darlington expressed pride in her students' work and finished projects. "It's always fun to see everyone dress up and finally talk about their project that they've been working on for over a month. It's fun to see everyone come out and see them."
Mrs. Worrall's class took on food truck businesses for their projects. They each created their own business, including menus, marketing, and budgets. Visitors were given money to spend at the various food stalls, with the students making change and competing to see who can make the most money by the end of the day.
As always, the student displays of their hard work were interesting and enjoyable. Proud teachers watch their students present what they've learned. With its conclusion, the school year wraps up and everyone takes a well earned rest.
