July 3, 2007 |
In Other News
Horses: Trails to Learning
Equestrian Summer Camp
Free camp for Bridgeport & Amity #5 students entering grades 6-9. Students will learn basic writing instruction and gain horse management skills.
The camp will be held from July 16-27.
For application form and further information contact Program Director Christine Patella at 576-7185.
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Have a Safe and
Happy Fourth of July!
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Central Teacher to Research in Belize
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Central science teacher Marilyn Pearson has been selected to participate in Earth Expeditions, which recognizes outstanding educators throughout the country and provides them with research experiences at conservation hotspots around the world. This summer Pearson will travel to Belize to study conservation and marine ecology.
“I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to explore Belize through this Earth Expedition. As I learn more about the country, I am positively fascinated and enthralled with the rich diversity in natural habitats, animal and plant life, and the wonderful myriad of indigenous cultural peoples,” Pearson said. “Among other things, we will spend a few nights and days at both a howler monkey preserve and manatee conservation center, visit a local school and work with both educators and students, and enjoy an evening of drumming celebration with the tribal Garifuna people. I am counting the days until I get to embark on this tropical adventure, and truly cannot wait to incorporate this once in a lifetime experience into my own classroom habitat.”
Pearson, a group of U.S. educators and Miami and Zoo instructors will conduct field research projects in Belize that include investigating manatee populations, exploring human influence on coral reefs and learning about conservation programs for such species as harp eagles, jaguars, manatees and howler monkeys. While in-country, the group will travel alongside Belizean educators to begin long-term conservation projects. Upon returning to their home institutions, educators will continue their work as they collaborate via Dragonfly's web-based platform.
“Marilyn is an enthusiastic and dynamic teacher. She constantly seeks to implement engaging activities into her classroom environment, and this wonderful opportunity to participate in a research expedition in Belize will only further enrich the learning opportunities for our students,” said Aresta L. Thompson, Director of Science for Bridgeport Public Schools. “She also participated in developing Bridgeport’s Biology curriculum, and will be able to make relevant connections with the educational expedition in Belize.”
Pearson will earn tuition-free graduate credit from Miami University for her participation in the Earth Expeditions program.
The Earth Expeditions program, established by Miami University's Project Dragonfly and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, is a global conservation program offering university courses in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Through Field and Zoo Expedition courses, its mission is to build an alliance of individuals with firsthand knowledge of inquiry-driven, community-based learning for the benefit of ecological communities, student achievement, and global understanding (http://www.EarthExpeditions.org).
Longfellow Library Media Specialist Receives CEMA Award
The Connecticut Educational Media Association (CEMA) recently awarded Longfellow Library Media Specialist Denise Foster-Bey with the Rheta A. Clark Award for “extensive service and outstanding contributions in the media field.” According to the CEMA, “Denise is instrumental in helping to build character, leadership, and responsibility in her students, staff, and administrators. These pillars are reflected in her character.”
Foster-Bey has been a teacher in Bridgeport Public Schools since 1972. She started as a Social Studies teacher at Whittier School, and has been the Library Media Specialist at Longfellow since 1985. She set three main goals as an educator: to introduce students and staff to the wealth of material written by and about African-Americans and Hispanics, to make the Library Media Center an integral part of Longfellow School, and to accomplish a complete overhaul of the Library Media Center. All of these goals have been successfully accomplished.
In addition to these endeavors, Foster-Bey has coordinated a variety of service projects involving students, such as:
- Annual Thanksgiving dinners for members of the Longfellow community
- Christmas program where students in grades K-3 are given gifts solicited from outside agencies
- Annual “9-11” memorial service emphasizing the need for children to volunteer
- Fundraising for Red Cross relief for the tsunami and Katrina disasters. In addition to raising over $1,000 for Katrina victims, Foster-Bey oversaw a Katrina project where Longfellow students adopted a school in Magnolia, MS and collected school supplies and toiletries to send to students displace by the hurricane.
Foster-Bey has been engaging students in community service since her early years in education. “When I first began teaching, I was encouraged by a colleague to be an advisor to a student service club,” she said. “From that experience, I learned the importance of involving children in activities that help other people. I also learned that children like to see their teachers outside the classroom.” As a result, each school year, when the announcement is made that Ms. Foster-Bey needs volunteers for one project or another, students line up to help. “It is a joy to see,” she said. “I hope that I have helped to establish lasting ways for our students to give back to their communities.”
Congratulations to Denise Foster-Bey for this great accomplishment!
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