The New York State School Boards Association recently presented Herkimer Central School District with a Champions of Change Award and a Culture of Caring Award.
Herkimer’s Champions of Change Award was for a positive self-identification project fifth grade teacher Barb Macri conducted with her students based on the book, “The Best Part of Me.” The Culture of Caring Award was for the Planters for Teachers Project started by Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School art teacher Heather McCutcheon that involves art students creating planters and planting seeds for teachers.
NYSSBA Member Relations Manager Patrick Longo presented the awards to Herkimer Central School District during a Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 17.
“When the awards were presented, he acknowledged that it’s unusual for a single school district to receive both awards in one year,” Herkimer High School Principal Mary Tomaso said. “To be recognized with both a Champions of Change Award and a Culture of Caring Award – including one for a Jr./Sr. High School program and one for an Elementary School program – is really something for our whole school community to be proud of.”
Champions of Change
For the project that led to the Champions of Change Award, Macri’s fifth grade students started off the school year reading the book, “The Best Part of Me.” The book focuses on the importance of various body parts – such as an arm picking up a little brother or a hand turning the pages of a book.
On the second day of school, students did a project based on the book by picking a part of them that they feel is most important – such as their feet for playing soccer or their eyes for seeing something meaningful.
Students wrote explanations for why that part of them is important and what they are good at, what they can do because of it or how they can help others using it. Part of the concept is that we can all help in some way, Macri said.
“It was a great way to kick off the year,” Macri said. “It was a great introduction to, ‘How do we want to be?’”
Using black and white photos and printouts of what students wrote, Macri created a “The Best Part of Me” display in the classroom.
Doing activities and projects connected to books read in class helps students engage with and learn from the reading material, Macri said.
“I feel like what you get out of the kids is so much more,” she said.
Culture of Caring
For the project that led to the Culture of Caring Award, students in McCutcheon’s social emotional artistic learning class created custom planters for teachers’ classrooms and planted seeds in them to grow plants.
The students were challenged to create a planter for the classroom of a teacher that they’re friendly and comfortable with. The students asked the teachers for permission to leave a plant in their classrooms for the rest of the school year, and then they used either clay or a 3D printer to make a planter.
“Most chose something the teacher liked – such as a cat design for Ms. LaLonde’s room or a tank for Mr. Sheldon’s room,” McCutcheon said. “These pieces were all unique.”
The social emotional artistic learning students planted plants in the planters using plant clippings they received from agriculture teacher Talia Baker’s class, from a student and from McCutcheon’s family. Students watched the clippings grow roots, McCutcheon said.
Students regularly check in with the teacher to water the plant – as both the plant and the student/teacher relationship grow, McCutcheon said.
New York State School Boards Association Member Relations Manager Patrick Longo presents a Champions of Change Award to Herkimer Central School District during a Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 17. From left: Longo, Herkimer fifth grade teacher Barb Macri, Elementary Principal Renee Vogt and Elementary Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Cristi Paragi.
New York State School Boards Association Member Relations Manager Patrick Longo presents a Climate of Caring Award to Herkimer Central School District during a Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 17. From left: Herkimer High School Principal Mary Tomaso, Longo and Herkimer Middle School Principal Zach Abbe.
Herkimer Central School District fifth grade teacher Barb Macri created this display with her students as part of a project based on the book, “The Best Part of Me.” The project won a New York State School Boards Association Champions of Change Award.
Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School art teacher Heather McCutcheon’s social emotional artistic learning class started a Planters for Teachers Project when they created custom planters for teachers’ classrooms and planted seeds in them to grow plants. The project received a New York State School Boards Association Culture of Caring Award. Herkimer Central School District ninth grader Rylee Hisert created this planter for Ms. LaLonde.