Our project, “First Grade Feathered Friends” won in the elementary project category in the third annual Henrico 21 contest! We are very proud of our students for allowing us to win this special award! It is our hope to instill in our students the 21st century skills they will need to be successful—–communication, collaboration, creativity, research, critical thinking, and problem solving. Great job, first grade!
Our team is a 2012 Henrico 21 finalist! The Selection Committee reviewed over 260 entries and our lesson, “First Grade Feathered Friends”, was selected for recognition at the district level.
The winners in each of the four 21st century skills’ categories will be announced at the Henrico 21 Awards Ceremony where the county will recognize and celebrate the highest quality 21st century lessons in HCPS classrooms.
Visit first grade feathered friends to see our published work.
The development of 21st century skills in our students is prominently featured in both the mission and beliefs of Henrico County Public Schools. We are fortunate to be on the leading edge of technological use nationwide. We work hard so that our students will be prepared to face the rigors of higher education coursework, career challenges, and a globally competitive workforce.
We appreciate all the input you have had as we have learned about our feathered friends!
February 17-20
Help scientists study bird populations in North America by simply watching your bird feeders for as little as 15 minutes. It’s easy, educational and fun for all ages! Just follow these steps:
Before the Count:
Visit the BirdSource Website at www.birdcount.org
Download the checklist of birds for your state or region.
During the Count:
Examine birds carefully, noting the bird’s size, bill shape, type of feet and marks such as wing bars to help identify them.
For each bird species, track the highest number of birds you see at one time during the day. For instance, if you have one chickadee joined by a second, count them as two. If you observe one chickadee in the morning and another in the evening, count it as one.
After the Count:
Log your findings at www.birdcount.org
This is the 15th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. In 2011, Virginia had the ninth highest number of checklists submitted, 3357, with 179 different bird species counted. A total of 251,855 individual birds were counted! Let’s make 2012 an even better year for Virginia bird counters!
The Richmond Times Dispatch has a live eagle cam that you might like to investigate! Share your comments with us!
As we move into the winter months, we want to hear from you! What do you and your family do during the winter? What do you notice animals doing? What do you notice about plants in your yard or neighborhood? Share with us what you are up to this winter!
We have been working in our classrooms to decide where
our birdboxes will go! Ms. Aveson’s feeder platform will be
going to Mechanicsville to be taken care of by the residents
at the Haven, an assisted living facility. This will surely
brighten their winter!
Mrs. Farthing’s class has decided to
send their bluebird box to Maryland with Luke, who is moving to a
new school. What a great way to keep in touch and take
care of our feathered friends!
Ms. Feaver’s class has designed
a bird feeder that will be going to Australia. They will communicate
with a friend and former teacher at Echo Lake, Ms. Robinson.
Mrs. Givens’ class birdbox–a 3 room apartment for house sparrows–
will be traveling to London, England.
Mrs. Rilee’s birdbox
will be going to Williamsburg to be the home of some lucky robins.
We look forward to sharing more with you soon as our lucky recipients get their new bird gifts! Late fall and early winter is the best time to put up bird boxes so they are ready for the spring!
We know that many birds are getting ready to migrate to warmer places for the winter. Have you noticed any monarch butterflies flying in the sky lately? Did you know they are migrating to Mexico for the winter? Sometimes you might see just one. Other times, you can be lucky enough to see a group of them flying together–even thousands!!!!! This weekend, I noticed 9 different monarch butterflies flying on their 3000 mile journey. So I thought it would be fun to see if you had noticed any in your neighborhood!
Write in and tell us how many monarch butterflies you see! Have your friends and family write to us as well! You have to be a good observer to notice them! You can visit migrating monarchs to track the monarchs!! Super fun!!!!!!! We can’t wait to hear from you!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck!!!!!!!!!
We are studying animals! We would like to collect DATA from everyone—students, relatives, friends–on what kinds of birds you see in your yard. Don’t know the names of some of the birds you see? That’s OK! Submit a description of a bird and we, along with Mrs. Brown’s class, will find out what kind of bird it is! The more data we collect, the better! Please help us by observing the birds in your yard. Also, ask your relatives and friends to come to our blog and tell us what kinds of birds they see! Here is our blog address:
http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/jagivens/
After we collect our data, we will get back to you on what we have discovered!
SPREAD THE WORD! We want to hear from YOU!
A few common birds you might see—
Northern cardinal 
Chickadee
Carolina wren
Eastern bluebird
House sparrow
We are so excited about our new school year!!!!
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