Archival article — originally published in The Times of Skinker DeBaliviere, February 1998. By Betsy King.
Archival date note: only the issue month or season is established. The first-of-month date used for chronological indexing is not a verified publication day.
This month's spotlight is on community involvement. Hamilton students have been involved in many exciting things this semester, and many people have contributed to the enriching environment at Hamilton.
In October, a performance by the Earth Protectors taught the kindergarten through second grade students to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” Also, representatives from the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District visited our first grade classes. They taught the students about the water cycle, water conservation and water purification. Both programs were excellent and the students enjoyed sharing in these learning activities.
As part of their physical education program, the second graders participated in a six-week ice skating program at Steinberg Ice Rink in Forest Park. Each week they received an hour-long skating lesson from an instructor at Steinberg. Many of the second graders had never ice skated before and they had a wonderful experience.
In January, the third graders will begin the Classical Kids Program. Tricia Oats, from radio, will visit them each week for four weeks to play and discuss classical music. The program is designed to help the students develop an appreciation for classical music. The fifth week the students will attend a classical concert. The third graders are looking forward to this program.
The fourth grade participated in an Urban Systemic Initiative, the Zoo's Animal Adoption Program. A representative from the St. Louis zoo brought animals to school for the students to observe and pet. Then the students visited the zoo twice to observe the birds in their natural environment and to see how they adapt to each different environment. It was an interesting way to bring science to life for the fourth graders!
In December, the second through fifth graders enjoyed a concert by Lori Diefenbacher. Her program, “Music Around the World: Discovery through Song and Unusual Folk Instruments,” included entertaining sing-a-longs and very uncommon instruments—even a spoon and a saw! Lori's enthusiasm and spirit along with her music provided an interesting show for the students.
Each month, Hamilton teachers at every grade level nominate students for “Do The Right Thing.” This program, co-sponsored by the St. Louis Police Department, KMOV TV, KMOX Radio, the St. Louis, Post Dispatch, and Cooperating School Districts, honors children in our community who distinguish themselves by their exemplary behavior. Teachers describe the student's accomplishment, attitude, or outstanding effort that distinguishes that student as a positive role model for their peers. Each month, students are selected from the nominees citywide to attend a reception and appear on a news segment about good citizenship.
This fall, two Hamilton nominees have been selected by the Do The Right Thing Program and have appeared on the channel 4 news. In September, fourth grade student Jarrod Patton was nominated by his teacher, Peggy Meyer, and in December, kindergarten student Sonali Patel was nominated by her teacher, Diane Atkins. Congratulations to Jarrod and Sonali and to all the other students who are nominated monthly for showing exemplary behavior and good citizenship.
For the month of January, twenty students from St. Louis University High School spent their whole school day at Hamilton in order to fulfill their community service requirement. The volunteers served as tutors and teachers' aides and the Hamilton students really enjoyed working with them. In addition, we still have students from DeSmet Jesuit High School and Westminster Christian Academy volunteering at Hamilton, and our Crossroads students will return in February. The special attention these volunteers give to our students helps to motivate their academic achievement.
Each year the staff at Hamilton makes an effort to get the students more involved in the community. In this respect, this year has been quite successful so far. The students are experiencing many different kinds of people, music, activities, career education, citizenship awareness, and other elements that will help to make our students well-rounded, knowledgeable young people. We thank the many visitors and volunteers that have contributed to this effort and we salute the teachers for initiating these activities and creating a positive learning environment for our students at Hamilton.
Read the original newspaper issue: Archive reader · Direct PDF fallback. Originally published in The Times of Skinker DeBaliviere, February 1998, pages 6.
