BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer
MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Roosevelt Public School fifth-grader Luke Vuolle (l-r) and fourth-grader Louis Togna carve clay into the shapes of a leaves for the community mural that will go up in borough hall this year. Roosevelt Public School teachers didn’t bat an eye on Friday when all 90 students decided to play hooky.
Most of the staff and even Principal Shari Payson were actually egging the kids on, giving them snacks and letting them run somewhat wild. Breaking away from the usual curriculum, the school celebrated Schoolhouse Hooky Day on Jan. 12.
The day wasn’t a complete loss of learning, as students had a series of special events scheduled for them that opened their minds to certain life lessons not usually taught in school.
In Barbara Atwood’s art class, students had a chance to create a design using clay that will ultimately be a part of the community mural, which is expected to go up on borough hall later this year.
Payson said, “It’s really nice to have the students involved with something the community is doing as a whole.”
Each student will have a leaf in the mural, according to Atwood.
Katherine Hackl, an artist from Lambertville who is helping Roosevelt create the mural, was on hand to help the children execute their designs.
“The mural will focus on the local flora and fauna of Roosevelt and some of the regional distinctions characteristic of the town,” Hackl said.
Once a child drew a design of a leaf or an animal, he or she had to trace it onto clay, cut out the design and then paint it. The pieces will harden when they are fired and will later be arranged to form the mural, which will otherwise be filled in with ceramic tiles of various hues.
“The mural will be very lively, very colorful and very community-oriented,” Hackl said, adding that the project should be completed by May.
Many of the students said the mural workshop was their favorite activity of the day, mainly because they love art.
“I like working with clay and with all of these different bright colors,” fifth-grader Annika Aakhus, 10, said.
“I like doing this because I love doing art,” fifth-grader Victoria Pizzarelli, 11, said. “I like doing it because it involves the whole community.”
Fourth-grader Kevin Towle, 9, said he never did anything like creating a piece for the community mural.
“I never got to put an impression on a clump of clay because I never used clay before,” he said.
“I like art because I get to use my
imagination,” Kevin added. “I like how you can express yourself by just drawing stuff, and I like getting messy.”
Fifth-grader Tara Carnevale, 11, said she liked the mural workshop the best because “when the mural is finished, people will see what we did in art class and they’ll see we’re not just playing around.”
Although fourth-grader Louis Togna, 9, said the mural workshop gave him a chance to be creative, he said he also enjoyed learning how to defend himself with karate moves.
“In the karate class, I learned this combination when say someone punches at you,” he said. “You do a hammer fist and grab their arm and punch at them.”
In another classroom, the usual desks and chairs were pushed out of the way so students could learn basic self-defense skills.
Chris Brooks, of Master Tom Bryan’s Karate in East Windsor, taught the kids the karate moves.
“Karate is different then other sports because it instills self-discipline and self-control and teaches kids how to defend themselves and take care of themselves on the street,” Brooks said.
Brooks explained basic punching and kicking techniques to all the students in kindergarten to sixth grade.
In the gym, pupils had another chance to get physical with Brandey Rich, Dan Mendoza and Randy Pitts, of the Diamond Player Development baseball and softball training facility in Hamilton.
Students grabbed mitts and worked with the coaches to brush up on their baseball and softball skills while learning how to field grounders, catch flies and hit a ball correctly.
Pitts said that playing baseball and softball helps kids improve their hand-eye coordination and also builds muscle and athletic ability.
“They’re learning to work together and learning to work as a team,” he said.
Pitts said that most of all, the kids were having fun – after all, it was “hooky” day.
“It gets really loud in here,” Pitts said. “It’s great. I love being around the kids, and I’m having a lot of fun with them.”
Payson said the day offered students a few chances to participate in sports, which the school does not usually offer.
“We are a small school, and we don’t have a core curriculum of sports,” she said. “This gives children the opportunity for movement and action.”
Students also had some down time during Schoolhouse Hooky Day when they grouped together to share popcorn and watch an animated film in the school’s foyer.
Schoolhouse Hooky Day is an annual event sponsored by the PTA that has taken place at the school for at least the past five years, according to Payson.
“It’s a break from the regular curriculum for both children and teachers,” Payson said. “They are learning to work together, to cooperate and to connect with the larger community.”
ball helps kids improve their hand-eye coordination and also builds muscle and athletic ability.
“They’re learning to work together and learning to work as a team,” he said.
Pitts said that most of all, the kids were having fun – after all, it was “hooky” day.
“It gets really loud in here,” Pitts said. “It’s great. I love being around the kids, and I’m having a lot of fun with them.”
Payson said the day offered students a few chances to participate in sports, which the school does not usually offer.
“We are a small school, and we don’t have a core curriculum of sports,” she said. “This gives children the opportunity for movement and action.”
Students also had some down time during Schoolhouse Hooky Day when they grouped together to share popcorn and watch an animated film in the school’s foyer.
Schoolhouse Hooky Day is an annual event sponsored by the PTA that has taken place at the school for at least the past five years, according to Payson.
“It’s a break from the regular curriculum for both children and teachers,” Payson said. “They are learning to work together, to cooperate and to connect with the larger community.”