Polk Street School fourth graders concluded their history unit on local Native Americans by hosting the annual Native American Village event on Nov. 15. The students’ families, as well as their peers in third grade, were invited to immerse themselves in Native American culture by exploring the village set-up.

Spread across the school’s Outdoor Learning Center, the Native American Village featured the students’ projects from throughout the unit, such as dreamcatchers, longhouse displays, false face and rim-dweller masks, and cornhusk dolls. Students shared Native stories in the longhouse, which was built by Principal Gilbert Torossian.

Animal skins, fur clothing and bones – which were donated by the PTA – were on display for visitors to explore. Students and their families were also able to play popular Native games, like corn tosses and the bean game.

As this was a cross-curricular initiative, the students created coil pots during their art classes and learned “Hey Ya Na,” an Apache hand game song, during their music lessons. Earlier in the month, the fourth graders took a field trip to Garvies Point Museum and Preserve in Glen Cove, as well, to learn more about Long Island’s Native American tribes.

This annual initiative is an engaging and fun way for Polk Street’s fourth graders to learn about local Native Americans and share their knowledge with their peers and families.

Click here to view the Annual Native American Village at PSS slideshow.

Date Added: 11/19/2024

Polk Street School students recently participated in the annual Color-A-Thon Run. It was an amazing day!

 

Date Added: 10/23/2024

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, which was observed nationwide Sept. 15-Oct. 15, Polk Street School students learned about Hispanic culture, figures and history.

School Social Worker Christina Luca read aloud Hispanic-influenced books to second graders and third graders. Second graders listened to a read aloud of “My Papi Has a Motorcycle” by Isabel Quintero. While reading, the students engaged in using context clues and multilingual students used their prior knowledge to identify and translate Spanish words to English. Following the reading, the students wrote and drew about their own role model or someone they love.

Ms. Luca read aloud “Alma and How She Got Her Name” by Juana Martinez-Neal to the third grade classes. The students then discussed the importance of names and the connection between names, families and heritage. The activity concluded with the students drawing a family portrait.

Fourth grade classes learned about Hispanic countries and decorated paper handprint outlines with a flag and facts on their chosen location.

Sixth grade students explored the contributions of notable Hispanic figures through a research project, organized by Ms. Luca. The students worked together in groups to research their designated figure, answering questions and creating an accompanying project that correlated with the person’s life or interests. Some of the famous people researched included Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian to work for the New York Public Library; Rafael López, a well-known artist and illustrator; and Sylvia Mendez, an American civil rights activist and retired nurse. The students created a gallery walk for the hallway with their projects.

Additionally, students in grades 2-5 enjoyed a performance of “Cuentos del Árbol,” a bilingual musical based on Spanish and Latin American folklore, by the Pushcart Players.

 

Date Added: 10/18/2024