April 20, 2015 at 3:51 p.m.
Crescent students learn about the animals of the rain forest
Crescent students learn about the animals of the rain forest
Understanding Wildlife, a non-profit organization that travels across the country with its program, "Live on Stage, the Rain Forest," showed up with a bountiful array of rain forest animals to show the students while also teaching them the importance of working to save the rain forests of the world.
The program was part of the school's Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. The school tries to put on a special program once a month to reward the students for their positive behavior.
The school has previously organized its own circus and Olympics, but this month it was a visit from the rain forest.
"Our wonderful curriculum director, Teri Maney, who used to be the principal here at Crescent, she got an email about the program and she emailed the district staff and said to check it out," said first grade teacher Tina Vannatter, one of the organizers of the event. "So I went online and checked it out, because it sounded like a lot of fun. I loved what I saw so I contacted them to get more information and we were able to work it out so they could come here and show off their animals and teach our kids about the rain forest."
Not only was the program completely free for the school, and entertaining to boot, it was also informative. Vannatter said with Earth Day right around the corner, she's hoping the kids take the lessons they learned and use them in their everyday lives.
"The main thing is to learn that every little thing we can do is going to be a little thing that helps. If we do nothing, then how can it help?" she said. "So, with things like recycling, that keeps the natural resources from being harvested in the rain forest which destroys the habitat of all these beautiful creatures. Our hope is, since Earth Day is right around the corner, this will help to add to our curriculum that will be going on during Earth Day."
Many of the more popular events, like the circus and the Olympics, are becoming annual events. Vannatter said she hopes the visit from the rain forest can become one as well.
"We would love to do that," she said. "It will have a lot to do with whether or not they are coming to the Northwoods. If we can work it out so it fits in their schedule, we'll definitely do it. I think it would be really exciting and really great. The kids loved it."
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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