Students at East Portsmouth Elementary are reaching for the stars during “Blast off into reading” week on April 24-28, 2023.
“We decided to do ‘Blast off into reading’ because our kids have been liking the space theme and learning all about that, so we wanted to build everything around that,” said EPE teacher Chelsea Bobst. “I don’t think they can wrap their heads around how big space is, and they want to know more.”
Monday is “Black Out” and kids are invited to wear black to represent space. Tuesday is “Block the Sun” and kids are allowed to wear hats and sunglasses in class. Wednesday was “Space Day” and kids can wear anything about space, including Star Wars, E.T., or astronauts. Thursday is a Glow Dance Party and kids are asked to wear neon colors. Friday kids can wear their pajamas to school and will enjoy watching a space movie in the gymnasium.
To go along with the space theme of the week, teachers are planning a curriculum that connects to space, and the hallways have been decorated with the stars and planets. Books about space have also been set out in the hallway for students to enjoy.
Bobst said tying the curriculum to a topic that kids enjoy is a creative way to help get them excited about the school work.
“Teachers are doing different things in each of their classrooms. I’m doing an astronaut writing, and they have to apply to be an astronaut by drawing a self-portrait of themselves as an astronaut and writing about why they would be a good astronaut,” she said.
For more information about Portsmouth City Schools, visit them online at www.portsmouthtrojans.net, or follow the school’s page on Facebook.