CCSD news: Spring Jam, chicken eggs, Kindergarten Kindness

CHURCHILL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

Last week in Steve Johnson’s class, Honors Biochem students Manny Karaway and Even Giovanetti genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. They inserted DNA from a glow-in-the-dark jellyfish (green) and synthetic DNA created in a test tube (blue).

The outcome of their work was fascinating. The bacteria now glows both blue and green in the dark. Johnson expressed his amazement at the students' achievement.

"This was truly incredible. Manny and Even are fantastic genetic engineers," Johnson said.

CHURCHILL COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Churchill County Middle School hosted its highly anticipated Spring Jam event last week.

The event brought together parents, teachers, students, and members of the local community, who gathered on the front lawn of the District Office to celebrate the end-of-year showcase. CCMS band students positioned themselves on the front steps to deliver performances that showcased their hard work and dedication throughout the year.

Under the guidance of their music teacher, Lucas Koenig, the students wowed attendees. The annual CCMS Spring Jam provides a platform for the students to exhibit their talents and passion for music, allowing them to shine and share their achievements with the supportive community and their proud families. The event serves as a testament to the student's commitment and perseverance.

“It was evident that their hard work really paid off. They did a fantastic job,” Koenig said. The Spring Jam not only highlighted the musical talents of the students but also fostered a sense of community and togetherness, making it a memorable night.

NUMA

In Kristina Lee's class, the students dove into the history of the United States, starting from the era of the first Native Americans and progressing through to the culmination of the American Revolution. To bring history to life, the students crafted a 3D timeline of significant events and ingeniously programmed a "time machine" robot to travel a narrated path through the events of history.

"I always love witnessing their passion for learning new things, but it's truly exhilarating to see them not only absorb what is being taught but also employ their creativity to effectively present what they have learned,” Lee said.

E.C. BEST

On April 15, Melissa Humphrey, Kailey Hughes, and Marla Woods' classes put 12 chicken eggs in an incubator. They have been learning about the life cycles of plants and animals for their science standards. Each day, for 21 days they would talk about what the chick embryo would look like and then add a colored picture to their chick timelines. On the eighth day, Humphrey and her class candled the eggs to see if chicks were growing inside of them.

In their observation, they noted that three eggs were not fertilized. On Monday, May 6 (day 21), the students walked into the classroom to three hatched chicks. Then later that afternoon they actually got to watch one of the chicks hatch. “It was so fun to see and hear their excitement when they finally got to see the hatched chicks.

All three classes got to hold and love on the chicks before I took them home,” Humphrey said.

LAHONTAN

Theresa Moon and Shannon WindRiver’s Kindergarten Kindness Squad delivered gratitude cards and cute personalized totes to some of Lahontan’s amazing staff members last week.

“Our students really wanted to thank the special people who support them throughout the week and help make their school experience so much fun. We brainstormed with the students and came up with this idea to show them that we are so very grateful to each of them. Lahontan is lucky to have such incredible staff members,” Windriver said.

Their Kindergarten Kindness Squad, comprised of all the students from their classes, took the initiative to express their gratitude towards some of Lahontan's exceptional staff members. The students, with the guidance of their teachers, decided to create and deliver gratitude cards and personalized totes as tokens of appreciation.

“Our students were eager to acknowledge the significant contributions of the staff members who play a pivotal role in making their school experience so enjoyable,” Windriver said. This thoughtful gesture was a result of brainstorming sessions with the students. “We are so fortunate to have such remarkable individuals as part of its staff and it was fun to see our students present them with small tokens of appreciation.”

NORTHSIDE EARLY LEARNING CENTER

Last week, 3-year-old students in Laura Lee's class engaged in water play. The water activities also provided a rich learning experience and a multitude of benefits for the students.

“The water table serves as a versatile tool for developing fine motor skills as the students scoop and pour water from one container to another. Additionally, it fosters communication and social interaction among the students, as they engage in conversations and collaborative play. Furthermore, the students also explored the concept of cause and effect as they observed the water going from the top of the table to the bottom,” Speech Pathologist Becky Dendauw said.

This engaging experience facilitated joint play and cooperation, nurturing important social skills in the young learners.