We had our first MMPTO Enrichment program this week at Memorial Elementary! Katie Hone, AKA the Monarch Gardener, met with our kindergarten, first grade and second grade students and provided them with a fun and interactive educational experience.

She started by discussing the life cycle of the butterflies and their migration to warmer weather. She demonstrated how she tags a butterfly before releasing it to the wild. Students learned that monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed and that milkweed is the only plant that a monarch caterpillar will eat. As more land is being developed, milkweed is disappearing. Your child was given the opportunity to make milkweed seed balls to scatter outside to increase plant growth. Keep your eyes out for a paper plate with little brown seed balls coming home!

Educators from Plimoth Patuxet came and met with our 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students. Our 1st grade students participated in a hands-on experience called “The First Thanksgiving: Play Centers” and our older students engaged in the “Colonial First Families” program.

The presenters were dressed in traditional 17th century clothing and explained in-depth what it was like to live during that time. They spoke about their experience traveling from England to America on the Mayflower. They provided details about the long trip, the animals on board and the illnesses which impacted so many travelers. The students were surprised to hear how small and cramped the boat was! The educators explained how they were welcomed to New England and how they made and traded their food and goods. Students were able to hold and read Horn Books, along with other traditional 17th century items.

The students were very engaged with our presenters and asked wonderful questions. We were so happy to have Plimoth Patuxet back again!

Memorial hosted award-winning author Rajani LaRocca! It was a wonderful day as she led three different programs for grades K-5 in our cozy library.

Rajani began each presentation describing her social history - her immigration from India, growing up in Kentucky as a minority and how her love for math and science led her to becoming an Internal Medicine provider. She explained that her enthusiasm for reading and storytelling guided her on a path to becoming an author later in life. When torn between careers, she was told “who says you have to choose” and she has embraced both passions ever since.

For our kindergarten and first grade classes, she read "Where Three Oceans Meet'' and talked about the importance of family connections. She challenged the students to find three objects in the illustrations throughout the book; that was a huge hit! For second and third graders, she read her book "Seven Gold Rings" and explained her love of puzzles, riddles and math. Our fourth and fifth grade students discussed her Newbery Award acclaimed book "Red, White, and Whole," which inspires children to tell their own stories and that their “story matters.”

11/2 Wingmasters

1/25 Berkshire Hills Music Academy

2/2 Brent Daniels

3/7 Food Play

3/11 Sheryl Faye: Queen Elizabeth

4/29 Tanglewood Marionettes

6/3 Potato Hill Poetry