We continue getting Classroom Surveys from schools-partners of the iEARN project Learning Circles. Now it is from Wheeling, West Virginia.
There are 368 students in Sherrard Middle school, about 24 students in class.
The school emblem, mascot is Rams which is quite unusual to our schools having numbers. School colors are red, black and white.
Sherrard Middle school was built in the mid 70’s and is all on one
level and on a hilltop in a rural setting. There was a high school but
later the high schools were consolidated into a large high school in
town called John Marshall High School where students go after they
complete 8th grade.
School is well equipped having 2 stationary computer labs, 2 mobile
labs, the teachers having stations, and some classes having a few
student computers in them.
Teenagers mentioned 1hour delays on Wednesdays, outdoor classroom,
and awesome teachers as the things that make their school program
unique.
Students like listening to music. Their favorite groups are Wiz Clifa, Disturbed, Skilet, The Game, Motley Crue.
The teenagers from Sherrard Middle school prefer reading the
following writers: Gary Paulsen, Mitch, Albom, Stephenie Meyer, Dr.
Seuss, Susan Collins. Shamefully I have not heard anything about these
writers.
It is easier with TV programs as some of them are on our screens as well. Others have analogues on Russian TV, for example, Survivor and Survivor Man.
Two and a Half Man, NCIS and CSI are new to me. May be I am not in the mainstream.
Foods are more international: Pepperoni Rolls, Ice Cream, Pizza, Chicken Wings, Stuffed Peppers.
It was interesting to learn that students have such subject as West
Virginia Studies. We do not have Novosibirsk region Studies. May be it
is expected some kind of Regional Studies to be included into History,
Geography, Social Studies curricula :)?! American students of the 8
grade like P.E. or Gym, as they called it, Math, English, and Science most.
Their favorite sports are Football, Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Golf.
Websites, video and computer games are absolutely universal. I think your students will recognize them all at first glance.
Dance Dance Revolution
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Madden 12
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MineCraft
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Call of Duty
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NBA 2K12
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Twitter
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FaceBook
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Skype
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YouTube
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Google
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Some unique from our view activities are Club Day, Rachael’s
Challenge, Pep Rallys, Dances - Valentines, Sadie Hawkins and Tropical
Field Trips, Snow Days.
They have a lot of clubs that students can participate in. Clubs
meet twice a month for 30 minutes. Some of the clubs are LEO Club (A jr
form of the Lions Club), Student Council, book clubs, dance clubs and
fitness clubs.
Rachael’s Challenge is a club to promote kindness that was started by the family of a kind girl who was killed at the Columbine incident.
At Pep Rallys students sport teams-members get together and cheer for and recognize their teams before a big game.
We are curious to learn about Dances - Valentines, Sadie Hawkins, Tropical, Field Trips and Snow Days.
I may suppose that the students do not go to school on Snow Days
because of the awful weather. We are going to ask Kelly and her students
and learn it.
Now few words about Wheeling… It attracts people by beautiful hills
and pretty fall leaves, wildlife, and whitewater rafting. We felt
excited to learn that Kelly was a whitewater rafting instructor.
The main industries in the state are coal mining, natural gas
production, glass making, marbles, chemical production, electricity
production, and tourism.
If you wish to learn more about West Virginia see the link Kelly shared with us