Kindergarten explores the Rain Forest
The students in Kelly Thomas’ kindergarten class spent the month of April exploring the tropical rain forest. The students learned about the four layers of the rain forest, the many animals that make the rain forest their home, foods from this tropical paradise, and about the weather.
Rain forests are found around the equator, they are hot and humid, and the rain falls daily. Although we loved doing our work beneath the canopy layer, we wouldn’t want to live in the rain forest. We made binoculars to spy on the animals. Those snakes can be sneaky!!
The three-toed sloth moves so slow; we always had our eyes on them. The howler monkey was a favorite, probably because you can hear them for miles away (just like us!). It was a month full of fun, but it is now time for us to dive into the ocean to explore.
Thanks to The River Dog for our fabulous jungle T-shirts and thanks to Mitch Krom for once again creating our tree trunks!
Christchurch School students
collecting cans to help the bay
Begin oyster
restoration project
Earth Day at Christchurch School was an event devoted toward community, conservation, and stewardship.
The main focus of the day was oyster restoration in the Rappahannock River. Students and faculty participated in discussions and activities facilitated by local experts or volunteered to work on oyster restoration projects. On hand to help were the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Oyster Company, (TOGA) Tidewater Oyster Growers Association, Jim Wesson from VMRC, Rufus Ruark from Shores and Ruark Seafood, Friends of the Rappahannock, and “Be the Bay” officials. All shared their knowledge of the oyster or their action toward helping the Rappahannock River.
The oyster program is growing at Christchurch School. “Cans for Oysters” is a new program at Christchurch devoted to the recycling of aluminum cans and other metals. The cans are taken to Middlesex Metals and the money earned is used to buy oyster seed and equipment from Chesapeake Bay Oyster Company.
Christchurch is in the final stages of leasing bottom from VMRC to use for oyster grounds in the Rappahannock River. During Earth Day, students and faculty bagged over 300 shell bags with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The bags will be used in a reef-building project in the fall. The bags will be placed in a tank at the Christchurch waterfront along with larvae that are being donated by TOGA and will be purchased from Middle Peninsula Aquaculture. The larvae will swim in the aerated tank and attach themselves to the shell inside the bags. Once the larvae have had time to strike to the shell, students and faculty will come together again to place the shell on a previously established reef site at the Christchurch waterfront. As the reef grows, students will monitor water quality and study the growing community as it provides food and habitat for many species in the Rappahannock.
Those who would like to get involved, are asked to collect their aluminum cans and donate them to the program. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. Therefore, by donating one empty can a person could help filter 50 gallons of the Rappahannock each day. To get involved and find out where to donate cans, email Will Smiley at Christchurch School at wsmiley@christchurchschool.org.
Due to inclement weather, the second half of the day had to be postponed. Christchurch will have the second half of the day on a sunny day this spring. The afternoon will consist of an adventure race relay and several service projects. Racers will be biking, running and paddling. Other members of the school will be taking part in service projects that will help the Christchurch community or Middlesex County. Students and teachers will be participating in boat ramp cleanups, a river cleanup, recycling, and revisiting the CCS habitat area.
