Southpinellas: Despite FCAT drills, teachers have heart

Despite FCAT drills, teachers have heart

By DONNA WINCHESTER

PINELLAS PARK -- Valentine's Day was a tricky holiday to celebrate this year in Pinellas County schools. With the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test moved ahead two weeks to Feb. 21 and the reading and math portions scheduled for March 5-8, test preparation eclipsed Valentine's festivities in most classrooms.

But creative teachers at Cross Bayou Elementary, 6886 102nd Ave. N, wove the holiday into their lesson plans to give kindergarteners through fifth-graders a solid curriculum with a Valentine's flavor.

"There's just not enough time to concentrate on the holidays by themselves," said Cross Bayou principal Marsha Stone. "Our focus is on curriculum, but it's amazing how much curriculum you can teach that's related to a holiday."

Students from six kindergarten classes made Valentine bookmarks adorned with pink glitter and shiny confetti hearts. The idea came from Kristy Dodd, Cross Bayou's library information specialist, who wanted the children to start learning how to care for books.

She also pulled about 18 titles with a Valentine's Day theme from the library's shelves and set them aside. Among the titles were One Zillion Valentines, selected for kindergarteners through second-graders, and The Valentine Star, targeted for third- through fifth-graders.

"It's all about getting them to read," she said. "Reading is the bottom line in our school achievement program."

First-grade teacher Kristin Brillant did a graphing and estimating exercise with her students using candy hearts. She said the children also used the messages on the hearts to spark a dialogue exercise.

Fourth-grade students wrote letters to each other naming three things they admire, using words like respect, patience and kindness. Mrs. Stone said the exercise prepared them to write their FCAT essays while reinforcing the school system's commitment to character training.

"We're absolutely playing down "boyfriend-girlfriend,' " she said. "The theme is being a good friend."

Laurie McFee's first-graders looked at Valentine's Day more scientifically, studying the heart and circulatory system, and physical education students from grades K-5 participated in a jump-roping fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

Physical education teacher Linda Fairman said the children watched videos on jump-roping skills and learned about cardiovascular endurance and the importance of heart-healthy living.

She said that some children had to learn jump-roping basics, but most moved quickly to intermediate level, executing the side swing, the toe-to-toe and the forward and backward 180. Some ventured into advanced territory, mastering the wounded duck, the crisscross and the full turn.

"The kids might not understand the whole concept, but they get the benefit anyway," Ms. Fairman said. "They really worked hard."

Cross Bayou's safety patrols also had a Valentine's Day fundraiser. They took carnation orders last week, with the promise of Valentine's Day deliveries, to raise money for their field trip to Washington, D.C. Parents placed orders, too. The children doubled their 200-carnation goal, earning $300 for the trip.

Mrs. Stone credited Cross Bayou's teachers for sticking to their self-made policy of keeping the holiday low-key while allowing the children to celebrate.

"We have to make every minute count," she said. "But you can make every minute count and still have fun."