Second graders in Barbara Haining’s class at Mills Pond Elementary School learned how children made meals, toys and learned during a hands-on lesson on Nov. 19.

After learning about Thanksgiving traditions from long ago, the students used their math skills to make homemade pancakes. Of course, pancakes are better with butter, so the students made their own butter by shaking a container filled with heavy cream and salt until it solidified. Thanks to the help of the parent volunteers, the students feasted on their pancakes together. 

While the pancakes were cooking, the students made a cup and ball game similar to what children from long ago would use during playtime. Lastly, the second graders painted their own slateboards using chalk paint, which they used for spelling and math lessons later in the day.

Second graders in Elizabeth Ozol’s class at Mills Pond Elementary School wrote letters of gratitude with their fifth grade buddy class to veterans. Many families sent in books, magazines, note cards and toiletries, which will be packed with the delivery to a local veterans’ home. 

Second grade students in Kimberly Passmonte’s class teamed up with their buddy fifth graders in Seth Paster’s class at Mills Pond Elementary School for some hands-on math lessons with pumpkins on Oct. 25. Both the fifth and second graders worked together to estimate the weight, circumference and number of seeds for a pumpkin in cooperative learning groups. They then used tape measures, scales and counting skills to discover the actual numbers.