October 2000 
District offers new 4-6 science By Sheldon J. Reber, Director of School and Community Relations
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S tudents in fourth through sixth-grade at five Eureka elementary schools are learning science skills this year in a new standards-based program designed by district teachers. According to Jeff Self, elementary science resource teacher, "Science usually doesn't get taught in elementary school because of material's cost and organization for each classroom. By having a science teacher at each school, we can really make a positive impact with the students." Self continued, "If we can get science skills ingrained in every elementary student, they'll have more interest in science and math all the way through high school." The elementary science teachers include Ken Pinkerton at Worthington, Self at Washington, Linda Parker at Marshall, Cathy Ponsano at Lincoln, and Beth Foster at Grant. Next year three more elementary schools will have teachers teaching science including Ethan Heifetz at Lafayette, Janet Lopez at Alice Birney, and Elizabeth Valadao at Jefferson. The teachers all hold weekly meetings to share new materials and lessons. Self says that science has "strings" to other core subjects. "If we use the daily science that's around us, the kids naturally come up with content and they get opportunities to see that math and language arts skills are interrelated with science. It's a perfect way to get kids to want to be in school," he said. During the beginning of the school year, students have been focusing on measurement; volume, weight, linear, mass, temperature, and time. "They're learning the skills of a scientist. In science class, we teach them to observe by using all our senses to bring in data, we describe them in some way, we measure, and we classify the measurements," stated Self. The science classes are "great support for the teachers," said Self. "Students are working on measurement skills, using graphic organizers, and writing descriptions." What has been the response from students? Self laughs and says, "The kids love science it's miles of smiles."
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