WDEF News 12 - What's Right with Our Schools

Brown Academy Students Learn About Plant Life Using "Aquaponics"

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:01:01 -0400

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Kindergarten Teacher Andria Powers turned to a Rossville, Georgia company to help teach her students about the life cycle of plants.
Ryan Cox is the Founder of HATponics and Inner City Aquaponics.
He's donating the equipment for 80 Kindergarten students at Brown Academy to grow and take care of their own strawberry plants.
The students will be using a growing system called "Aquaponics."
That's a way to grow plants in water instead of soil.
Powers says the students are using a unique source to water their plants.
"This is going to show our students that we can grow strawberries, in this case, from our aquaponic system that we set up, that will also use the water from the fish tank that we have. So we don't have to actually water them, because it is all inter-connected, and it will be a great visual for them to see that."
Ryan Cox hopes this lesson teaches the students how plants, fish, and water are all connected to helping us survive.

Sequatchie County Boot Camp Turns Around Lives of Teens

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:03:06 -0400

DUNLAP, TN (WDEF) - A special boot camp based in Dunlap is changing lives.
"This is program that is run with the National Guard, as well as Juvenile Courts in 6 different counties," notes Sequatchie County Youth Services Officer Kim Dean.
"It's a program where kids have been in trouble in court. It can range anywhere from truancy, to assault, to drug charges. A Judge orders them into a camp. It's a seven week program."
Tommy Austin is a Juvenile Court Judge in Sequatchie County.
"We started it probably 3 or 4 years ago. And we thought that, you know, there's some kids that are just borderline, that we might could salvage. I'm afraid we can't be 100 percent successful, but if we can just save half the kids, or a percentage of the kids, it's an accomplishment."
"They come in as individuals, but they leave as one team," says Tennessee National Guard Staff Sergeant Tremayne Wade.
Youth Services Officer Kim Dean says the program works.
"This is not something any child wants to go to. But, after it's over, I think most of them are very proud that they've been able to accomplish it."

Westview Elementary Writing Project

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:54:32 -0400

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Writing a book takes a lot of hard work.
But 3rd graders at Westview Elementary School have reason to celebrate all that they have accomplished.
They've spent about 2 months creating their own works of non-fiction.
The students gathered facts, researched topics and illustrated their own books.
Lisa Burger of Westview Elementary says this project has given students a reason to want to write.
Because they are creating their own books, Burger says the kids get excited and involved in their work.
She also believes this project will help them become better writers in the future.

Art Contest

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:21:41 -0400

Leaders from Cornerstone Community Bank have a long term relationship with the 21st Century Child Development and Learning Center.
The bank produces an annual report for its shareholders every year.
Officials decided to use student artwork on the cover of that report.
Bank leaders organized an art contest at the Center.
The winning piece of art will be used on that report cover.

Hillcrest Literacy

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:02:59 -0400

Hillcrest Elementary school holds a special "Literacy Night" at the school Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.
The March 12th event will include a group called "Above and Beyond."
The dunk and slam team will tell the kids that to become better readers, they have to spend time practicing, just like an athlete.
That means determination and perseverance are crucial to improving their skills.
School leaders also want to help parents motivate their children to become better readers.
They want parents to help with comprehension at home.
They can do that by asking questions that get the students more interested in reading.

CGLA Garden

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:58:42 -0400

The students at the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy are growing vegetables and produce in several gardens at the school.
But 6th Grade Science Teacher Phoebe Mount says this lesson is not just about gardening.
The students use math, science and art to create and maintain the gardens.
They will also provide fresh produce for the school.
The CLGA garden is supported by the Health Department's Step ONE program, through grant funds provided by the Junior League of Chattanooga.
This is the fifth year for the "Eat Smart Teaching Garden" grants.
They have resulted in over thirty teaching gardens in neighborhoods, schools, and daycares throughout Hamilton County.

Anti-Bullying Video

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:11:01 -0400

Students and teachers at Ooltewah Middle school helped to make the anti-bullying video, which runs about 15 minutes.
It explains what bullying is, and explains the different types of bullying.
The school got help with its anti bullying efforts from a non profit organization.
"Students Taking A Right Stand," or "STARS" addresses issues to support a healthy school climate.
Ooltewah Middle School Counselor Joan Feiling says the video is making a difference on campus.

Black Belt Recorder

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:17:02 -0400

At Valley View Elementary school in Cleveland, Music Teacher Kathryn Roman knows how to motivate her students.
4th graders are learning how to play the recorder.
They are using a martial arts type of strategy to learn the instrument.
When students learn a song, they get a special karate type "belt" for their recorder.
They can earn belts ranging from white, which is the easiest, all the way to a black belt.
Roman says her method of teaching gets students excited about learning an instrument, and gives them incentives to keep playing.

Space: The Final Frontier

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:25:24 -0400

Students at CSLA in Chattanooga just finished up a lesson plan called the "Solar System Showcase."
Over a four week period, the kids learned about every planet in our Solar System.
As part of their lesson, the students made posters about outer space, and even learned about the possibility of alien life.
The kids also wrote their own "Alien" stories that they shared with their peers.
Teachers hope this lesson will show the students that our own planet is very special.
Educators also hope the kids will learn that we have to take care of Earth.

Battle Academy Invention

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:17:02 -0400

The idea for the project came from the Grandmother of one of the students.
The woman has trouble driving at night because of night blindness.
Using technology, the students put together a device called a "Smart Shield."
It can be added to any car.
It includes a dimmer to help with glare from the headlights of other cars.
It also has an integrated G.P.S. the size of a windshield.
That G.P.S. technology allows the driver to see directions on the windshield, so they don't have to look down and take their eyes off the road.