HOOT SPEAKERS 20116: “How can the human species be SUPERSTARS of their environment?”

November 14-22, 2016

Hurricane English

ENGLISH is ESSENTIAL TO BECOMING THE SUPERSTAR YOU CAN BE!

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR ENGLISH CLOSEUP

 “How can the human species be SUPERSTARS of their environment?”

J.E.J. Moore Hurricane Team is taking the school theme, ““Be the STAR that YOU” to new

heights.  The Hurricane hall is “aflutter” with the cross-curricular unit that uses the Newbery Award-winning novel Hoot by Carl Hiassen to reach across the disciplines to make authentic connections to essential knowledge.  Just ask any Hurricane, and they will share how fired up with excitement they are after guests paid them a visit during the month of November.  First, a Lead Interpreter from Pocahontas State Park graced students with an interactive lecture that allowed students to become more aware of their environment. She spoke eloquently about conservation, habitat issues, and endangered species in the United States. Reinforcing classroom instruction with real life applications.  The Interpreter’s expertise made an impression too.  One Hurricane stated, “The interpreter taught us how one species going extinct could affect the whole world’s food chain.”  Yep, the Hurricane Team, is truly cultivating the concept of how students can be SUPERSTARS of their environment. 

 “How can the human species be SUPERSTARS of their environment?”

Next, Thunder Eagle Wildlife Organization paid the team a visit.  Another Hurricane student shared, “Thunder Eagle’s visit was informative and exciting.  I was really surprised when the first owl came out.”  Yes, real live owls were inside the J.E.J. Moore lecture room.  Students learned how this nonprofit organization provides care and treatment for injured, orphaned or displaced birds and small mammals.  The big take away from Thunder Eagle’s visit came from Karen and Larry White Eagle-Fisher’s discussion of the importance of living in harmony with the native wildlife population.  Their message allowed students to examine how they can be “SUPERSTARS” by discovering ways to support nature’s balance locally.  The idea of balance between humans and nature is a BIG message or THEME that is found throughout Hoot and Thunder Eagle made it come alive for the students.   







Hoot continues on a global level the week of November 21 with its environmental themes when Hurricanes welcome Mr. Waskey to J.E.J. Moore Middle School.  Mr. Waskey raises awareness about the gorgeous but endangered blue-throated parrots.  His visit will allow Hurricanes to become “STARS” by learning how donations to an organization that aids in the construction of nesting boxes for these birds in their homeland of Bolivia will allow them to help save the blue-throated parrots.  Not to mention Hurricane students will have the once in a lifetime experience of watching live trained parrots in “free flight” over J.E.J. Moore Middle School. Hope you can join us for this spectacular event!

Then on Tuesday, November 22, students will take their guiding question: “How can the human species be SUPERSTARS of the environment?”  To a local level when Santa Rosa Honey Farm’s Bee Keeper visits J.E.J. Moore Middle School to discuss the plight of the bees and how we, as stewards of our environment, can help.  He will share his educational talk entitled, “The Buzz About Bees.”               Hurricane students have already read up on the topic and ready to ask questions.  One of our articles shared the following, “Bees have been dying at alarming rates for a decade. That makes it more expensive to produce the many crops that depend on them for pollination. Dismay over their demise transcends economics…Among the factors implicated in bee woes are parasites, disease, and poor nutrition — all of which defy easy solution. The role of a fourth factor, chemicals, is uncertain and contested. That hasn’t stopped bee lovers from fixing blame, with some countries banning pesticides called neonicotinoids.”  Santa Rosa Honey Farm’s bee keeper will discuss these concerns and more as he explains what is needed to keep bees and what is happening in our own community with the BEES. 

Needless to say, the Hurricane teachers are excited that these experiences are a driving force in making learning “real” for Prince George students.  Hurricanes are still hard at work as they continue to cultivate an answer to the question “How can the human species be SUPERSTARS of the environment?”  and with experiences like these students are sure to realize that SUPERSTARS come in all sizes, and that they have the ability to make a difference right here in Prince George County.