Almost 30 energetic third graders tackled the topic of wellness during a recent Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program event.
Instructors from Cornell Cooperative Extension Snap-Ed and Child Care Council led this workshop. They began by asking students to define wellness and then guided them through a morning of hands-on learning and discovery.
“This team of educators related very well to the students,” Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said. “They crafted lessons that conveyed an important message of health and wellness to our youngsters. They connected easily with the third graders and created a fun learning environment.”
The “Wellness & Me!” Honors Program event took place on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center. For the event, 29 third graders attended from the following Herkimer BOCES component school districts: Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Owen D. Young, Poland, Richfield Springs and West Canada Valley.
The activities focused on four aspects of health: physical, mental, social and emotional.
“The students learned a lot, but more importantly, they spent the morning interacting and socializing with students from other schools,” Schoff said. “It was wonderful to hear them participating in the lessons, speaking up and being active learners.”
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program is open to students in Herkimer BOCES component school districts and is designed to support the potential of students in grades 3-12 who have above average interests and abilities in a particular area. Programs allow for interaction with like-minded peers. Students learn by engaging in educational activities with presenters who are noted in their field. Exploration and programs provide for different learning styles and include topics in the arts and sciences as well as literature and history. Ongoing evaluation of all programs by teachers and students assures their relevance and quality.
