Hillside's Water Project in 6th year!

Hillside Buddies:  Mr. Goneconto's Grade 2 Class teams up with Mrs. Katz's Grade 4 class for the Water Project


Amy Cicala’s 4th grade and George Goneconto’s 2nd grade classes had been buddy classes for the last eight years.  Six years ago, they were interested in introducing a central theme to unify their buddy class program.  Water awareness and conservation is their theme. The Buddy Water project is in its 6th year and we are very happy to welcome Mrs. Katz’s fourth grade class this year (as you may already know Mrs. Cicala retired last year).

A water curriculum was specifically designed as a series of lessons to introduce students to personal, community and global water usage, and water conservation.  Character enhancing traits of empathy and social responsibility are infused in the lessons.  The school year culminates in a service learning project, to support the UNICEF Tap Project and Typhoon Yolanda Relief Effort, Philippines.

Our intent is to raise the students' awareness of where water comes from, how it gets to them and, also the value of conservation.  We end the year with a service learning project wherein the students' will introduce the UNICEF Water Tap Project to the Needham community and another Charity group with a focus on Water.   The last five buddy classes raised over $6000.

Earth Day Water Project Presentation

Mr. G and Mrs. Katz's buddy classes

Water Chant

Learning about water

Visitng the water plant

Pvt Gerard Bannon Comes to Eliot for a Visit

Pvt. Gerard Bannon with Mrs. Claus

Throughout the course of this school year, the students at the Eliot School have been corresponding with an Eliot alum who is in the Marines. Pvt. Gerard Bannon has received Halloween candy, many letters, and many pounds worth of toiletry items to share with his fellow soldiers. Last month, Pvt. Bannon came to the Eliot to visit the staff and students. It was wonderful to see him looking so well. He spent time in several of the classrooms of his former teachers, answering numerous questions from many students. We all loved seeing him and look forward to seeing him again in June when he returns to attend his sister Elaine’s high school graduation.  

The Eliot Green Kids

2013 -2014 John Eliot Green Kids

For the past eight years, Eliot has been very fortunate to have parent Lisa Gordon head up a group of fifth graders called The Green Kids. She founded this program with the intent of teaching the kids about environmental changes that they can make and bring home ideas that will bring about changes. Their motto has been "Small changes make a big difference." This year's theme was Green Eating.

Some of the programs that the Green Kids have done are the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe used sneaker collection.  In each of the past six years of collecting old sneakers they have donated more than 1200 pairs that will have new life as play surfaces around the globe. They have also made numerous "No Idling, Please" signs that have been hung up by the car line, learned about wind power through matchbox car races using their own wind power by blowing through straws, and the value of healthy snacks by making recipes using several kinds of fruits and other healthy ingredients.

Earth Week in April is the highlight of the year for the Green Kids. A pet from the World Wildlife Fund that somehow relates to this year's theme is symbolically adopted and at the Earth Day Assembly, the school learns of the name that has been chosen for the animal.  Teachers are given an informational sheet with facts about the animal to share with their students. Through a naming contest, our pet is named and the classroom with the winning name gets to keep a stuffed representation of the animal in their classroom. There is a recycled art show that all the students are invited to create and display a project made solely out of recycled materials that relates to the theme of the year. Typically 35-40 works of recycled art are displayed. Classroom teachers are invited to save energy by working in a lights off classroom for at least 30 minutes for one day.  Sudbury Farms donates apples so every kid celebrates Eliot’s Earth Day with a healthy snack. Earth Day is always a walk to school day.  Walkers sign a recognition board which is displayed in the lobby. The students learn a song or two which is performed at the Earth Day assembly.  In addition, all of the 5^th grade Green Kids perform a presentation based on the theme of the year at the Earth Day assembly.

Over the years, Green Kids has sponsored programs at the library and has brought in speakers for town-wide parent educational programs.  Green Kids Eliot has been recognized by the state for its work at the school.

Our sincere gratitude goes out to Mrs. Lisa Gordon for all that she has done in educating Eliot fifth graders about the benefits of being "Green". 

At Eliot - Ms. Kay's Grade 3 Ethiopian Pen Pals

On Monday, March 10, students in 218 received responses to the letters sent to our Ethiopian pen pals! Students got to learn about our overseas friends' favorite colors, ages, and much more. We were thrilled to even get some fun drawings back! Our response letters are being sent back at the end of the week, and we hope to hear one more time from them before the end of our 2013-2014 school year.