The school theme at Sag Harbor Elementary for this year is building bridges. Students were first introduced to the concept in their Morning Program and have since been working diligently to tie in the school theme wherever possible.
The theme encourages students to reach out and connect with others. Like any bridge, there must be a strong foundation to start, so students are encouraged to first look at themselves and understand who they are. Just as bridges connect two places together for resources, to see other people, to help other people, or to offer new experiences, students are encouraged to build metaphorical bridges with their peers in the form of friendships, offering resources, or asking for help.
Throughout the elementary school’s halls, you will find various forms of bridges, each tied to an interactive and educational learning opportunity. To kick off the school’s theme, students of all grades wrote on a notecard a goal of how they will build a bridge or a summary of how they’ve already built a bridge with someone before. The notecards are placed on a cardboard bridge that stands in the hallway near the gymnasium.
Throughout the school year, all grades continue to approach the school theme in their own unique way. In Lisa Miller’s art class, the first-grade students just wrapped up their variation of a ‘building bridges’ exercise using magazines. Working in teams, the students cut, placed, and created a magazine collage and mural to show their contributions to the school’s theme on connection.
The collage is based on the The Lance Corporal Jordan C. Haerter Veterans' Memorial Bridge located in Sag Harbor. Using the significance of this local bridge, the students examined the importance of remembering and connecting with our Veterans as a community at large.
Photo caption: First grade students in Lisa Miller’s art class work on a collage dedicated to this year’s school theme.