Fourth Graders Enjoy
Hall of Science Labs
It might be summer vacation, but it wouldn't be surprising at all if every once in a while some students thought back to what made the 2011/12 school year fun. Huntington School District fourth graders took delight in a series of labs they performed in their classrooms with the New York Hall of Science.
Since the Huntington Foundation funded an $8,000 Star grant written in 2004 by SEARCH program chairperson-teacher Maryann Daly and elementary classroom teacher Jim Lauter, all district fourth graders and their teachers have participated in two one-hour labs sessions annually.
The labs, "All Charged Up" and "Float, Sink, Flink," are widely regarded as interesting, informative and thoroughly enjoyable by the fourth graders. Following that first year, Mrs. Daly has funded the 32 labs through the SEARCH program budget in order to keep this "valuable" hands-on experience in place, she said.
Mrs. Daly purposely schedules the workshops immediately preceding the state science test so the concepts and knowledge taught and reviewed stays fresh in each student's mind as the written and performance segments of the exam are administered.
"The New York Hall of Science instructors come into each primary building for two days of science lab sessions with each of the fourth grade classes," Mrs. Daly said. She has already booked the 2013 labs with the Hall of Science, once again securing the coveted time period preceding the state tests, something "so many other districts are eager to do as well," she said.
The Hall of Science teachers, who serve mainly New York City schools, have frequently reported back to Mrs. Daly that the Huntington youngsters they encounter are knowledgeable, well prepared and eager to learn new concepts. "This is a direct reflection on our district's teachers, who do an amazing job of preparing their children each year," Mrs. Daly said. "These outreach programs give our teachers the rare opportunity to sit next to their students and participate with them in the hands-on activities offered."