The students learned about the season of spring and the seasonal changes that take place (e.g., flowers growing, leaves returning, weather gets warmer etc.). In addition to exposure to theme-related text, students had the opportunity to observe, explore, and investigate weather changes, and changes related to spring plants and animals as they occur in nature. They used their senses to experience the different smells, tastes, sounds, and textures of spring. Students explored the campus grounds to find evidence of spring, including small flowers starting to bloom in the grass!

To introduce the plants and animals science unit, students explored what is living and nonliving by going on a nature walk outside. Students had to identify one living and one nonliving object, where they compiled a class list of living and nonliving things.

As part of the “What Do Plants Need” science unit, second graders learned about the needs and purposes of plants, with a focus on pollinators. Students created a “bug hotel” with recycled materials to attract pollinators. Students left the hotels outside to see what bugs came!

Students learned about the insect life cycle and compared the life cycles of various species. Students observed the life cycles of caterpillars’ transformation into monarch butterflies. The unit culminated with setting the butterflies free in the William Paca garden and wishing them well on their journeys!

As part of the Music to My Ears unit, in which students learn about the science of sound, 4th graders were challenged to use recycled materials to create new instruments. Students learned about the concept of upcycling in creating new items through the story Ada’s Violin. Students then got hands-on experience in reusing old materials to make their instruments!

Students began their study of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by learning about various bays around the world. 5th grade students drew pictures of the various bays studied and wrote descriptions. Helping students to understand the watershed we live in is a foundation in learning about problems affecting the watershed and steps students can take to protect it.

As the introduction to the “Calls of the Wild” science unit, students were introduced to the five senses. They used their imagination to take a “trip” to the park, and imagined what they would see, hear, smell, touch, and taste there. Students drew on their imagination and past experiences to describe the living and nonliving things they might encounter there.

Sarah Moenter presented on the purpose of the Green School certification and the steps in our application at our faculty meeting.

This email went out to the whole staff sharing efforts for the Green School application

The William Paca community celebrated its many connections to birds by hosting its annual celebration for National Bird Day! Our school's mascot is the Eagle, and also proudly supports the hometown bird-teams in Baltimore: the Orioles and Ravens. To celebrate, students schoolwide participated in making recycled art projects, dressed up for the spirit day, went birdwatching in our courtyard, celebrated with our eagle mascot, learned about bird conservation efforts, and played trivia games to showcase their knowledge. More than 400 students celebrated across the grade levels.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Eight of the teachers listed attended and engaged in two hour-long workshops developed and facilitated by Great Kids Farm. Two additional teachers attended the second session. Teachers discussed the benefits of outdoor learning for students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers collaborated to plan for how to best use the outdoors to support and enrich our curriculum.

Our school works to conserve water using rain barrels to provide for smarter water use. Students drive the use of this water by using it to water the plants in our garden. Students are able to manage the conservation of water by ensuring the faucets are turned off when not in use and no water is wasted.

Green Team students have been inspired and angered by the amount of trash they see around campus, especially on days that snacks are shared at school. They have taken it on themselves to do weekly trash clean up in the most litter-filled areas of the school grounds.

Green Team students meet weekly to collect recycling throughout the school and put out to be picked up.

Students and staff work to reduce waste of single-use cups and plastic water bottles. Students have individual reusable water bottles and regularly use them to reduce our campus's production of solid waste.

Green Team students and students in social-emotional skills groups collaborate to tend for the garden. The students help with watering the plants, weeding, cleaning up the space, and helping with planting.

In fall 2023, the Green Team applied for a grant called the Green Healthy Smart Challenge to create an outdoor learning space at William Paca. Students brainstormed and drew their designs for how they wanted the space to look.

Students and staff participate in a Walking School Bus initiative. This cuts down on less sustainable forms of transportation, and provides a safe way for students to get to school on time. Staff members pick up students on a given route and walk them to school in the morning.

Green Team students helped put plants together to take home and to give to teachers for their classrooms. In addition to air filtration, plants have also been shown to have benefits for social-emotional, mental, and cognitive well-being. This helped to promote a healthy indoor environment both at school and at home.

Students from William Paca have visited the Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center on two field trips thus far, with more planned for the spring. This center provides a hands-on environment for students to practice and engage with ideas covered in the science curricula. This partnership provides students with further opportunity to engage with the natural world near William Paca.

William Paca students are able to leverage their close proximity to Patterson Park to allow for active engagement in the community. Staff use this park for a variety of activities and programs, including sports, Special Olympics, and class celebrations. This provides an ongoing opportunity for engagement with the natural environment and the community around our school.

Students across various grades have benefited from our partnership with Great Kids Farm, both in school and out in the community. Various grades and groups of students have visited the farm, including our 2nd graders this year. Our 3rd graders have participated in a virtual field trip to “Facetime the Farmer” and learn about the farm. This partnership enriches our academics and provides an opportunity for students to actively engage with this farm that is part of the Baltimore City Schools community.

Members of the Baltimore Tree Trust came to William Paca to conduct soil testing to determine why we have had difficulties growing trees on campus in the past. Students of the Green Team were able to help conduct the soil tests and meet with the Baltimore Tree Trust workers to learn more about their jobs and how to take care of the trees in our neighborhood.

In addition to allowing for students to visit Great Kids Farm, this organization is also active in our school. It has brought in various opportunities for us over the years, including a farmer visit to teach students about composting, and professional development for our teachers.

Science in Action is a student volunteer club at Johns Hopkins University that provides elementary students with opportunities for hands-on inquiry-based science lessons. Volunteers come to classrooms 4 times in a cycle to engage with students in experiments and projects, covering topics such as the needs of plants, how volcanoes work, and static electricity. Science in Action works across multiple classes and grade levels at William Paca to provide hands-on science enrichment.