Odyssey of the Mind Club

Odyssey of the Mind is a competitive world wide organization that promotes critical thinking and higher order problem solving for students from Kindergarten through fifth grade.  Each team has the opportunity to pick one of 7 unusual problems to solve (see Odyssey of the Mind link).  These problems usually involve the creation of a short, humorous skit with props, moveable backgrounds and costumes (all made by the students).  Some problems involve the construction of a balsa wood structure that is able to bear weight and some involve the development of a technological transport system. 

It is such a rewarding, challenging program and any student can participate.  Students must “try-out” for a position on the team usually in September and teams meet once each week until March when the regional competition takes place.  The number of teams varies from year to year depending on participants and the number of coaches available (parents are encouraged to be coaches too).  

Please see the official website for additional information: http://www.odysseyofthemind.com.  Contact Jacque Collins at 283-4511 ext. 304 if interested.     

Paper Recycling Club

4th grade is running a PAPER RECYCLING program throughout the school year.  Every class is asked to recycle their paper and bring from home paper recycling products such as cereal boxes, magazines, etc.  After doing research on the importance of conserving our Natural Resources and helping to take care of our planet earth. We are very excited to learn how much we can contribute to this cause.  This program is student run and it is the children who are collecting, advertising and educating the other students about the importance of RECYCLING. 

***Did you know that if everyone in the U.S.A. recycled just 1/10th of their newsprint we would save 25 million trees a year!!! 

***Every Sunday almost 90% of the newspapers in the USA are thrown into the garbage.  That’s equal to 500,000 trees ending up in a landfill!!!

Young Astronauts Club

Wanted:  Third through Fifth grade students who have a passion for science and astronomy.  This is a club for those who are ready to blast off into hands-on activities, projects, and fun. Please contact Jennifer Newman for joining YAC.

Sports Club

For 4th and 5th graders, the focus of this program is to promote teamwork while exercising and having fun.  A variety of sports will be played.  It has become a tradition at Christa McAuliffe for the sports club students to play the teachers and staff in a kickball game. Please contact Wendy Hearyman for joining Sports Club.

Honor Choir Club

Honor Choir is an extra curricular activity that meets on Thursdays after school beginning October 11th.  The choir meets in the Elementary Music Room (Room 116) at 3:30 and dismisses at 4:30.  This a great chance for students to sharpen fundamental music skills such as reading music, following a director, singing independently, and working as a team, just to name a few. 

Honor Choir will participate in various events during the year.  The first event they will be participating in is the 4th and 5th grade Holiday Concert (Thursday, Dec. 13th) where they will be performing two songs.   They will also be participating in a spring concert.  During the year there will be other opportunities for them to sing in different events. There is no fee for joining the choir the only thing the student will need to bring is a black ½ inch 3 ring binder to the first rehearsal.  This is for their music.  The director of the Honor Choir is the Elementary Music teacher Mrs. Smith.

K-Kids

All fourth and fifth-grade students are invited to become members of the K-Kids (an affiliate of the Kiwanis Club) at Christa McAuliffe. The kids meet monthly after school, discuss community issues and problems, and vote on the community service projects they want to participate in. Some of the previous activities K-Kids at Christa McAuliffe have been involved in include visiting retirement homes, children’s hospitals, poverty stricken children, and animal shelters. They have collected food, clothing, and supplies for various organizations, including the North Fort Myers Animal Refuge Center, children in Immokalee, and military troops in Iraq. They even adopted two bald eagles this year at the Calusa Nature Center in Fort Myers.

The K-Kids’ objectives include providing opportunities for students to work together with their peers and community members to better the community, to develop leadership potential, and to foster the development of strong moral character. At the end of the school year all K-kids are invited to an annual pinning ceremony and are acknowledged for their efforts. Please contact the front office if interested in becoming a K-Kid.

The K-Kids’ pledge: As a K-Kid, I promise to serve my neighborhood and my school. I will show respect toward my environment and I will try to make the world a better place to live.


TV News Production Club

Christa McAuliffe produces a daily live morning news show.  The news presentation is run entirely by our 5th grade students.  Our production room contains state of the art technology and requires technology savvy students to run and operate it.  Appointed students take turns being news anchors, reporters, operating cameras and producing and editing the show.  Students are required to collect important school related information to broadcast each morning such as the lunch menu, the weather, clubs and school activities, and a historical “Did you know?” segment.  All classes are encouraged to participate in being on the morning news program. This club offers a plethora of student learning activities that cover all the core curriculum areas.  In order to participate in this club, students must be extremely responsible, reliable and motivated to work hard.  These crew positions are teacher appointed and only apply to fifth grade students.  Mrs. Jackie Collins is the news director.

Safety Patrol

Safety patrols are fifth grade students who have the responsibility of keeping the school and its students safe.  These students open doors at the car line and help students find their way to the classrooms.  They monitor hallways and report disruptive behavior.  Safety patrols are chosen by their fourth grade teachers based on their good behavior, honor roll grades and their ability to act responsibly at all times. Mrs. Jackie Collins directs the Safety Patrol program.