East Farms Students Give Habitats A Hand Through Art
One paper hand shows flying fish, jumping high.
Another gives an eagle a spot to rest, amid a forest of finger trees.
Give Habitats a Hand Day at East Farms Elementary produced a vivid array of art. Dozens of cut-out hands decorate the main hallway this week.
Children and adults alike stopped to examine the unusual artwork.
A pair of fourth-graders, kept in from recess on a miserable Tuesday, decided to see if they could find the hands they had made.
The habitat hand project is part of Geography Awareness Week, brought to the school by fourth-grade teacher Carol Anderson.
“I’m a big advocate of geography. Too many people don’t know enough about the world around them,” Anderson said. The week’s activities include reading stories on habitats, wearing and discussing T-shirts that show habitats and a habitat hat day.
The hand art gave students and teachers - even “Mr. Bob,” the janitor, participated - plenty of room for imagination. Thumbs sprouted suns. Fish and whales and seahorses swam on some hands. Turkeys popped up on a few. A bulldog glowered from one.
Three of Anderson’s students took time to explain their habitat hands to a visitor.
Kurtis Downing, 9, had drawn a bunny.
“Its habitat is air,” he said, explaining the plain background on his hand.
Kacey Brantley, 9, had placed a tiger in her palm, surrounded by jungle. Kevin Wang, 9, had drawn lemmings. “They look like marmots, but they’re not,” he said.
Thumbs sprouted suns. Fingers grew into trees or mountains. Fish and whales and seahorses swam across some hands. Turkeys popped up on a few. A bulldog glowered from one.
Each of the three 9-year-olds had a favorite part of the week’s activities:
“The hats,” said Kurtis.
“Animals. How they live, their survival and stuff, ” said Kacey.
“The whole thing. It’s fun,” said Kevin.
Baby, it’s a good cause
The West Valley High School National Honor Society is holding its annual baby food drive today through Saturday.
Students will be at supermarkets around the Valley, hoping to collect more than 20,000 jars of food.
Leadership training
Nine students at West Valley High School recently attended a leadership training conference in Spokane through Future Homemakers of America.
Students were: Jennifer Eubanks, Rona Gurney, Crystal Miller, Crystal Shane, Jessalyn Sander, Autumn Dashell, Mena Brustkern, Dawn Dyer and Jay Castro.
The program was geared toward helping teens succeed in their families, careers and communities.
, DataTimes MEMO: If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a Valley school or about the achievements of Valley students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Education notebook, Valley Voice, 13208 E. Sprague, Spokane, WA 99216. Call: 927-2166. Fax: 927-2175.