Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders and Principal Rachel Lunan-Hill are excited to share that Francestown Elementary students recently kicked off the first Outside Lions’ Learning (OLL) day of the year.
Outside Lions’ Learning (OLL) days – a name coined by students two years ago – was created to celebrate students’ science explorations into the world around them. OLL days take place once a month, bringing the school community together to study how the environment and weather influence the survival and characteristics of the plants and animals in the community.
The first OLL day of the year took place on Friday, Oct 27. Students spent the day outside learning about the various changes that occur during the fall season in preparation for winter.
Children’s Librarian Kelly Bellemare from the George Holmes Bixby Community Library kicked off the day with a reading of “Tidy” by Emily Gravett. The students then rotated through various stations in small groups.
One station led students through preparing the FES gardens for winter, taught by master gardener Kelly Marshall. Students learned about the needs of the gardens’ species – which are all native to NH – to survive harsh New England winters. They also learned about the insects that use the gardens to hibernate.
Another station was inspired by the creations of artist Andy Goldsworthy, whose creative process is viewed as a “collaboration with nature.” Students created collages with leaves and foliage. Pictures of each student’s artwork were taken to be published in FES’ own book of art. Students will later add poetry and stories to complement their pieces.
The Harris Center for Conservation Education will be joining FES students for each OLL day throughout the year, thanks to the generosity of the PTO. This month, Harris Center representatives and students focused on the deciduous trees in the area. Students learned about why the leaves change color, the role of chlorophyll, and conducted an experiment to examine the color of the chlorophyll in different types of trees.
The last station was centered around the food available for animals as they prepare for winter. Students explored the local woods and journaled about their discoveries.
“Our first OLL day of the year was a wonderful success! We had amazing support from parents, the Town Library, and a master gardener,” said Principal Lunan-Hill. “It was an enthusiastic start to our year of learning about the world around us!”
