School Activities and Projects

The Accelerated Reader program is based on the premise that practice improves reading and implements the power of computer technology. Students participating in the Accelerated Reader program foster important reading skills and develop a love of reading. Reading is crucial to everything we do as part of our technology-based society. Reading also fosters personal growth. The focus of the program is " The more you read, the better you become at reading." An electronic list of the school's Accelerated Reader books is available on the school web-site. Students also benefit from the STAR Testing program. The test, administered three times a year in the library, provides each child with an ascribed reading ability level to correlate with the Accelerated Reader program.

 

Adopt A Book Program

The Adopt A Book Program is offered through the Sycamore Elementary Library. Parents and community members are encouraged to adopt a book by donating funds to the library. A nameplate is placed in the book title of their choice and can be made in honor of another person. Special occasions, such as birthdays, first day of school, or an important milestone, can be written on the bookplate as well. Certificates are presented to those individuals adopting books in the Sycamore Elementary Library. The Adopt A Book program began in February, 2001 and continues for the 2001-2002 school year. Funds from this program support the purchase and maintenance of our Accelerated Reader program.

 

Before School Programs

The Before School Program offers students the opportunity to participate in an enrichment or a reinforcement activity offered by Sycamore faculty members. Activities include a children's chorus, a school yearbook staff, and reinforcement activities in the areas of reading and math.    Return to top

Corporate Rebates

Soup labels and box tops are collected to bring in funds to buy school items and supplies. Information is sent home with students about how families can help in these collection projects. Families can also help our school by visiting local businesses, such as Office Depot, CiCi's Pizza, and Target, who contribute funds to our school's numerous educational programs.

 

Cultural Arts

Visual art, literacy, and music are the focus of the Cultural Arts program. Students are exposed to artists, authors, musicians, and composers while developing a love and appreciation of the fine arts. Students also participate in three musical performances a year under the direction of the school's music teacher.

 

Environmental/Outdoor Classroom

This program allows the environment outside the walls of the building to be as wonderful as inside the walls. Planting flowers on the school's grounds enhances the aesthetic appearance of the school's campus. The beginning phase of this program, the Adopt-A-Pot program, will provide each homeroom a flower pot in which to sows seeds and nurture a plant. Other ongoing projects include the recycling drive of phone books, aluminum cans, plastic shopping bags, and white paper.   Return to top

Fifth Grade Exploratory

On Friday afternoon, fifth grade students have the opportunity to participate in Fifth Grade Exploratory classes. Students may select an alternative Friday afternoon class. Classes for selection can be chess, technology, foreign language, sports/fitness, journalism, advanced art, advanced music or drama. Each class is taught for a five week period. The instructors for Exploratory classes are Sycamore faculty members, parents, and members of the Collierville community.

 

Geography Lab

A weekly visit to the Geography Lab by students offers opportunities for hands-on use of materials. These materials were provided through a grant from the Collierville Education Foundation to learn more about the world around them. Lighted globes, maps, various Geography software programs on CD, and atlases are just a few of the many items which students enjoy using in the Geography Lab.

 

Golden Pride

The Golden Pride consists of many of the grandparents of Sycamore students. This group serves as a support group to Sycamore Elementary by assisting with tutoring programs, school-wide Immersion Days, various school activities, and serving at our annual Thanksgiving luncheon.   Return to top

Kids Kan

The Kids Kan drive asks the families of Sycamore to donate food items for the Memphis Food Bank. This collection helps those families in need and instills a sense of community work in the children of Sycamore Elementary.

 

Leadership Program

Students in the fifth grade are provided the opportunity to assist in the school by taking on various leadership roles. Students can become an office helper, library helper, art room helper, or a peer mediator. They may also choose to be a member of Wee Deliver, Safety Patrol, or the student host group.

 

Roarin' Reader Club Summer Reading Program

This club is open to all students of Sycamore Elementary. Students participate by agreeing to complete two activities during the summer. The first activity is to READ! Secondly, students must complete the Roarin' Reader form and return it to Mrs. Crafford, the school's librarian, at the beginning of the school year. All students who complete their activities will be inducted in the Roarin' Reader Club at Sycamore Elementary. Each participant receives several rewards for their efforts and is recognized as an official member of the Roarin' Reader Club! Sixty-four students and twelve faculty members were inducted as the first official members of the Roarin' Reader Club for the 2001-2002 school year.   Return to top

School Counseling

School counseling offers assistance to students, teachers, and parents. The program includes classroom guidance, small group counseling, individual counseling, collaboration with teachers and parents, program implementation, and the utilization of community resources. These programs allow students to take pride and become an outstanding citizen of the school. Students assist those new to Sycamore by becoming "a student host" and may introduce them to the faculty and staff, as well as becoming a true friend. The Counselor's Corner appears in the monthly PTA newsletter with helpful information for parents. Monitoring of Report Card Summaries provides identification of academic and/or behavioral needs of students. Career Awareness includes Career on Wheels for primary elementary students and Career Day for the older students of the school. Under the direction of the school's counselor, a peace-making group was established to assist with conflict resolution issues. These students are called the "Peaceable Lions. " The counseling program offers support in the areas of social skills, study skills, decision making, and student transition. The goals of the school counseling program are personal and social development, academic development, and career development according to the National Standards of School Counseling.

 

School Wide Enrichment Model

Based on the philosophy of Howard Garner's Multiple Intelligence research, SES embraces the concept that children are gifted and talented in many different ways. Therefore, each year we designate a school wide enrichment model to applaud and celebrate different ways of knowing. For the 2000-2001 school year, Introduction to Spanish was our model. Geography was the enrichment model for the 2001-2002 school year. Technology was the school wide enrichment model for 2002-2003 school year. For the current school year, all three models will be refined and used throughout lessons. Each student receives additional enrichment activities in all of these models throughout the school year.

 

School Wide Immersion Day

A School Wide Immersion Day takes place within the academic day and focuses attention on a selected topic. All areas of the curriculum are incorporated and included in a School Wide Immersion Day.

-November 17, 2000 ***The Wizard of Oz***For our grand opening, the theme "Be It A Farm in Kansas or a School on Sycamore Road-There's No Place Like Home," utilizing the classic children's book The Wizard of Oz, was our first Immersion Day.The students and faculty dressed as characters from the story. In the gym, all students learned the dance movements to walk down the yellow brick road. In art, Wizard of Oz puzzles were assembled in cooperative groups. Students learned the songs from the Wizard of Oz in music, and enjoyed the story of Dandelion, another lion, in the library. The aspects of using your brain to think, your heart to care, and to appreciate the value of home created a foundation to build our total school program.

-May 7, 2001***Netherlands*** Memphis in May is another School Wide Immersion Day sponsored by the school's PTA in which students "travel" to a new country. Students went aboard a plane to the Netherlands and returned with a passport stamped with the many places they visited as they toured the Netherlands. Students walked through the Anne Frank home and took a walk in the Keukenhof Garden. A large windmill, measuring 12 feet in height, provided the centerpiece of the festivities.

-October 23, 2001***1950's ***To celebrate the 50th day of the school year, students took a trip back into the 1950's as they learned about the famous artist Jackson Pollack and made drip paintings. They listened to Elvis Presley and classic Big Broadway music from Singing in the Rain , went to a sock hop in the gym, and enjoyed the stories of popular fifties author, C.S. Lewis, in the library. A very informational, educational, and entertaining day was had by all students, faculty, and parent volunteers.

-May 1, 2002***Argentina***A kick-off ceremony began the festivities with the TANGO performed by a local dance team and students were even asked to join in on stage. The actress from Playhouse on the Square's production of "Evita" sang Don't Cry for Me Argentina from the award winning play. The students traveled the next day to the honored country and were treated to food in the Cantina, played soceer in the Stadium, learned about the four geographic regions of Argentina, and went digging for fossils in the Dinosaur Exploration room.

-October 29, 2003***Sycamore Lions Explore the Plains : An American Adventure***The students were asked to dress in colors of red, white, and blue or to wear pioneer clothing like that worn during the late 1800s. This year literature piece was the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The school's library was transformed into a museum with artifacts, photographs, and items from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Mansfield, Missouri. The school's librarian developed a 30 minute multimedia presentation which included a photographs of Laura Ingalls Wilder, slides of the Ingalls family and of Rocky Ridge, the last home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The children were last delighted to hear Carolyn Crump, long-time Collierville resident and volunteer at Collierville's Town Square log cabin. Ms. Crump spent the day talking to children about the life led by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She explained to the children how different life was for Laura Ingalls Wilder than it would be today. The morning began as "school marms" rang large bells to call the children to school. Once inside the halls of the school, the children were entertained by the music of , a fiddle player, and , a four piece musician group who played tradtional folk music. The children were taught to square dance by the school P.E. teachers. Groups of students visited the gym throughout the day to square dance. The students also created a small town from clay and learned architectural design from Sycamore's art teachers. The school's music teachers, led the children in songs of the past and patriotic songs of America. Parent volunteers demonstrated quilting techniques and explain the importance of quilt making. Students also viewed cooking utensils and a real wood burning stove used to prepare meals. Other community members were invited to speak to the children. Annie Leu Cook of Germantown visited with the children to share her collection of flour sack dresses, clothes, and dolls. Ms. Cook has written several books and appeared on television with her collection which has been featured at the Smithsonian Institute. Children learned all about cotton, cotton gins, and the process and making cotton fabric.The day conclude with an Independence Day Picnic with a performance by the school's drama group presenting "A Star-Spangled West", an original production by fifth grade students. The fourth and fifth grade chorus performed a collection of patriotic songs with all students of Sycamore waving small American flags. Mayor Linda Kerley was in attendance , as well as several member of Shelby County Schools, to enjoy the performance.The day conclude with students completing paper quilt squares to later be joined together to make a family quilt.

-May 3 & 6, 2003***South Korea***Students will visit different areas on the trip to South Korea. Each child will board an airplane after they have their passport stamped to go to South Korea. The students will taste foods of South Korea, play games like the children do in South Korea, and learn about the geography of South Korea. Parent volunteers work very hard to provide our students with this opportunity to travel to another country.

-October , 2003***SyCamoreCelebrates the Sixties***

-May 4&5, 2004***South Africa***

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Spanish Lab

The Spanish Lab provides a variety of Spanish materials for the teachers and students of Sycamore. Weekly visits immerse the children into the Spanish language and the activities are fantasticos in the Spanish Lab. This is an excellent enrichment opportunity for English Language Learners and many parents assist in the language instruction in the lab.

 

The Sycamore Elementary PTA

SES has an active PTA whose support greatly enhances educational opportunities for students and parents. The vision statement of the PTA is: "Sycamore Elementary PTA. . .Coming together to build a foundation
for our children in the 21st century."

The PTA provides an excellent newsletter entitled The Lion's Roar which is located on-line as a link from the school web-site and reflects activities and ideas supported by the PTA. It also includes a current events calendar and the monthly school lunch menu. The e-mail addresses of PTA Executive Board Members can be found on this site. Each student receives a printed copy of the monthly newsletter to meet the needs of those without access to the Internet and to provide for reference as necessary.

 

The Sycamore Elementary Yearbook

The school's yearbook is created and designed by students of Sycamore Elementary. Under the direction of a faculty member as the yearbook editor, the yearbook staff creates a book which will celebrate the school's memorable moments and events.   Return to top

Sycamore Strolls

Children and teachers of Sycamore Elementary have the opportunity to participate in a walking program by following one of the four designated walking trails. The walking trails are named for famous lion characters in literature: Aslan Avenue, Simba Lane, Cleo Circle, and Dandelion Lane. Measurements of these trails are given in feet. Classes chart the amount of walking completed by their class and use this information for math enrichment.

 

Teacher Exploratory

An optional, monthly exploratory lesson is provided for the faculty/staff members. Topics of past lessons have included: bow making, classroom decorations, festive present wrapping, a physical fitness class, and decorative stamping. The lessons are fun, informative, and a great time for faculty/staff members to come together to learn a new skill. Most of the lessons are provided by Sycamore parents or leaders in the community.

 

Wee Deliver

This program, a school-wide mail service, allows students the opportunity to write and send letters to improve writing and communication skills. Delivery of the Wee Deliver mail is provided through our school's Leadership Program for fifth graders. Classroom instruction provides opportunities for students to learn valuable letter writing and envelope addressing skills, as well as learning about state abbreviations, zip codes, and the location of states.  You may contact the principal via Wee Deliver at:

Dr. Patricia Butler
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

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