School News for November 5, 2009

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Third-graders "meet" Sir Isaac Newton

Newbury third-grade students in Mrs. Wurster's class began a new unit in science with a trip to The Porter Center for Science and Mathematics. They enjoyed learning about Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion, and they were able to participate in several activities that put Newton's laws to the test.

In one activity, they learned that if something is not moving, it will stay until a force moves it. A book was placed on top of a tablecloth. The students enjoyed pulling out the cloth while not moving the book.

Another activity focused on the law that if something is moving, it will keep moving until a force stops it. Students placed a ball on top of a wooden car and rolled it down a ramp. When the car hit the barricade at the bottom of the ramp, the car stopped, but the ball kept moving. It was a great lesson that showed the purpose in wearing seat belts.

In the final activity, students tried to lift another student by using a pulley. One pulley would not lift the student, but six pulleys easily lifted the student. The trade-off was that more rope had to be pulled in order to make the lift easier. This showed that for every force there is an equal force in the opposite direction.

The students enjoyed these activities and learned about Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion.

Drama club presents "Jekylle's Hydes"

Newbury Drama Club will present "Jekylle's Hydes," a totally teen comedy, Nov. 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. in the Newbury Auditorium. Please join us for this hilarious modern take on the classic.

Newbury Elementary hosts Red Ribbon celebration

A Red Ribbon Celebration was held in Newbury Auditorium the evening of Oct. 19. The observance marked the 19th annual event to help students remain drug and alcohol free. Students from Newbury Elementary and St. Helen's Elementary participated in the event.

The Newbury sixth-grade band students kicked off the celebration by performing "Royal Crown March" and "Dr. Rock" by Pearson and Gott. The master of ceremony for the evening was Mr. Jim Adams, who is from the Mental Health Board of Geauga County. Deputy Roy Lundstrom and Deputy Greg Harmasek (in memoriam) were presented the Red Ribbon third annual award during the celebration for their years of dedication to the DARE program and Red Ribbon.

Special guest Judge Forrest Burt requested three students join him on stage. The objective of his demonstration and speech was to show that the future is really affected by what we do in our present. By staying drug and alcohol free, students can better insure that they will have a future to enjoy with family and friends.

The Newbury chorus sang "We Are the World" by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. The students have been discussing how making good choices can have a positive impact on our entire world. Making wise choices in our personal lives is just as important.

The St. Helen's sixth-grade class performed skits and a rap they composed to encourage students to be drug and alcohol free "24/7 for 365," or 24 hours all seven days for the whole year. The celebration in the auditorium ended with Sheriff Dan McClelland and K-9 Midge. Students enjoyed learning about the world's smallest drug-sniffing dog.

The evening ended with refreshments and awareness games in the elementary gym. The evening was a positive educational and social event for everyone who attended. Thank you to Mrs. Missy Bell and others from the Geauga County Red Ribbon Committee for planning the event and to Ms. Cheryl Proctor and the sixth-grade band and elementary chorus for playing and singing at the event.

Instrumental and vocal music programs

The Newbury Junior-Senior High School vocal and instrumental music students presented their fall concerts at the end of October in the Newbury Auditorium. On Oct. 22, the parents and family members were treated to songs from American composers sung by junior high and high school students. On Oct. 27, the junior high instrumentalists played a medley of songs by one composer, and the high school students serenaded the audience with a series of songs played by our pep band during the fall sports season. We thank our parents and community members for their continued support of our music programs.