Every year the Dennis Township School District hosts a much-loved Scholastic Book Fair Event. This is a week full of shopping, dressing up for theme days, and family activities. But, as we all know, this year has been quite different from previous ones. Many annual school events were canceled, and no outside spectators were allowed to help or join in on the festivities.
However, Dennis Township teachers and staff from all over the school worked together to create a Book Fair Week that compared to what the students have come to know and love.
Mary Pat Padula, the Dennis Township Primary School’s Librarian, helped the students vote on a theme for the Book Fair. The winning vote declared Deep Sea Reading Exploration with mermaids and pirates galore. During library classes, students played ocean life games and shopped for books, writing utensils, and desk supplies. The teachers held themed dress-up days in the classrooms and the administrators read underwater-themed stories to each of the classes. Even one of the security guards got involved by using his carpentry skills.
Ed Catts, the Primary School Security Guard, wanted to do something special with the second-grade classes since it’s their last year in the Primary Building. During Book Fair week, Catts combined the students’ interest in building and wildlife to come up with a fun outdoor activity. The students hammered away creating owl houses for Eastern Screech Owls, which are indigenous to the area.
Catts informed the students on the proper habitat for the owl and the construction began. The wooden owl houses were assembled by each of the six classes. Once the houses were completed, the students painted them during their art class with the Primary School’s art teacher, Sheila McCloy.
The six new owl houses will be placed in the wooded areas surrounding the school. Students hope these houses will provide shelter, comfort, and safety to the Eastern Screech Owl the same way the teachers and staff have done for the school. Since the project’s huge success, Catts along with his wife, Betsy, are already planning to make individual bird house kits for the second-grade classes next year.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
