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Schools

Celebrating Pittsburgh at Bower Hill Elementary

Each year, the third-graders at Bower Hill Elementary finish their regional studies with a day of Pittsburgh-themed activities.

may not be in Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh was definitely at Bower Hill on Monday during the third grade’s Pittsburgh Day celebration.

Pittsburgh Day marked the close of the regional chapter in the third grade social studies curriculum. Leading up to Pittsburgh Day, the third-graders learned about eight different Pittsburgh topics (culture, sports and recreation, industry, the French-Indian War, immigration, transportation, landforms and bridges).

These eight topics were combined to culminate in a four-station rotation of fun Pittsburgh Day activities, which both rewarded the students for their hard work and allowed them to exhibit what they learned.

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At the Andy Warhol Painting station, students expressed themselves Warhol-style. Merging what they learned in multiple areas of study, they used Warhol’s vibrant palette to color pictures of Pittsburgh’s bridges and inclines, in addition to the soup cans and ketchup bottles typical of Warhol’s art.

In the classroom next door, teachers Jolene Hanig-Jones and Brent Killen got their hands dirty at the Pierogies station. Together, they demonstrated a traditional pierogi recipe while the third-graders paid close attention. With the help of adult volunteers, several groups of four or five students worked together to make their own batches of this local dumpling-like treat.

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Across the hall, students gathered around their teacher, Marie Noonan, as she prepared them for the activity at the Character Trait Trading Card station. Noonan engaged her students by using trading cards of Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward to discuss mathematics, geography, pop culture and philanthropy.

Noting that Ward’s trading card refers to him as the “soul of the team,” Noonan went on to discuss with the class how Ward and Polamalu exemplify character.

Character is a big deal at Bower Hill. The Peters Township School District was recognized as a 2010 National School District of Character. And, Bower Hill Elementary itself was honored as a National School of Character in 2008.

So, when the third-graders sang the chorus of their fight song at the Polka station, they weren’t blowing smoke—“Here we go, third grade, here we go! Bower Hill is the best school in town.”

The “Third Grade Bower Hill Song” is set to the tune of another fight song we all know and love. Though its lyrics have been modified over the years to reflect changes in curriculum and faculty, the song is as old as the school’s annual Pittsburgh Day tradition, which began nearly a decade ago.

Students did more than sing at the Polka station. As the station’s name suggests, the kids got a chance to rock out to some of the region’s best polkas. Kristen Sacco instructed her students on what she referred to as “the art of listening” and asked them to recognize the common polka beat in both fast and slow songs. After they heard with their ears and thought with their brains, they put their bodies in motion and danced.

Afternoon activities included a Pittsburgh folktale presented by Joe Bratetich and Bob Tupper and a tailgate party at the end of the day.

The Bower Hill kids seemed to greatly enjoy their participation in the day’s events. They showed a strong interest in learning and were extremely excited to share their comments and work—and, that means this year’s Pittsburgh Day was a huge success.

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