Broadmeadow's Crayola ColorCycle Program

Broadmeadow second graders have been hard at work collecting over-used and dried out Crayola markers ​from classrooms around the school.  As part of the Crayola ColorCycle program, students learned about how recycling Crayola markers, instead of tossing them in the trash, protects their environment. Groups of second graders visited classrooms during Morning Meetings and shared their important message. Energy can be made from markers ready to be discarded! Classrooms watched a video that showed how t

he markers 

​would

 be sent to a facility where they 

​would

 be converted into clean fuel. 

​Students learned that t

his fuel can 

​then ​

be used to power vehicles, heat homes, cook meals and more!

​Broadmeadow second grader teachers want to ​

​t

hank everyone who 

​participated in this Service Learning adventure by ​

contribut

​ing

 Crayola markers to recycle!  

​They

 collected 1528 markers to send back for recycling

​!

  These markers will be converted into about 5 gallons of fuel!  That is enough fuel to drive an SUV about 70 miles.  The second graders really enjoyed this project and have voted to collect markers again in June

​!

Broadmeadow's Loose Change for Peru

The fourth graders at Broadmeadow Elementary

​ have taken part in the Loose Change fundraiser for the past two school years.  The fundraiser arose out of the Primary Source trip to Peru that 

fourth grade teachers, ​

Amy Flax and Sue Nealon went on during the summer of 2013.  ​Ms. Nealon and ​Ms. Flax were inspired to raise money for remote villages in Peru based upon work being done by one of the trip leader, Daniel Fernandez.  Daniel travels to Peru each summer with Wayland Middle ​School students to build school and bring ​needed ​supplies.

​Last year, Broadmeadow ​

​f

ourth graders learned about Peru through images from the teacher's trip as well as during 

​a

 

​science ​

unit on Explorers.  

​Fourth-graders

 

​visited 

classroom

​s​

 

​to talk about the Pennies for Peru drive.  ​

​They

 showed a video to inspire the 

​students

 to get involved.  Each child in the school was given a zip lock bag to find and bring in Loose Change

​, and each classroom was given a jar to collect donations in​

.  Daniel 

​Fernandez ​

came in and showed the fourth 

​

grade

​ classes

 a video 

​on his work in Peru ​

and gave them more information

​ about the good this drive is doing​

. Some kids emptied their piggy banks, others cajoled relatives and some raised money in other ways.  Over $2000.00 was raised

​!!

During this school year, (

​Y

ear 2) we were able to invite fifth graders and fourth graders to an assembly with Daniel.  He was able to show them the supplies purchased with money raised being brought to villages.  It was very powerful. The 5th graders had a special part in this too and raised a significant amount through a chall

e

​

nge from their teachers.  This year over $3300.00 was raised

​!!!

It does take a village and also it takes a school.  This project has been very meaningful for students and teachers alike.  

​The fourth grade team at Broadmeadow

 plan to carry on 

​this Service Learning project for ​

as long as Daniel is 

​doing

 his good work in Peru.

Hillside's Jump Rope for Heart Recap

Thank you to all of our parents, volunteers, and family members who helped make our 11th annual Carol Virginio Memorial Jump Rope for Heart a resounding success.  On February 13th, our students came to the gym for 40 minute jumping sessions to help support the American Heart Association raise awareness for those fighting heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.  To date, Hillside School has raised $18,889 and to all of our students who helped fund raise, our parents who helped and supported them, and to everyone who donated ... thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Here is a link to a video by Mr. Tatro and expanded explanation: 

http://hillsidepe.weebly.com/jump-rope-for-heart.html

Pollard Annual Book Drive

Eight 8th grade students at Pollard have chosen to do a community service learning project based on a mission to help improve literacy.  As part of their project they have launched a book drive targeting all Grade 7 and Grade 8 students, where they are accepting gently used books for reading levels that span from K-12th grade.  They are publicizing their idea and their goal. 

They are collecting books from February 23rd-March 6th at Pollard Middle School.  They will then sort these books to ensure all books donated are in good condition, and then take them to schools around Massachusetts that lack the resources and funding to buy new books and support a library.

This project has been taken on by a group of Grade 8 students for at least the past five years and in this time we have established partnerships with two schools, returning to donate books to them each year. As in the past, this current group of eight students will also visit the schools where the books are donated and spend time reading to the students there. 

Stay tuned to see if they can reach their goal of collecting 4,100 books!