On Friday, May 2nd, Ethan Swiggart, MTSU Science graduate and arborist, gave a tree climbing demonstration to the Early Childhood students on the upper playground.  He explained the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees: deciduous trees lose their leaves during the winter and evergreen trees stay green all year round.  He described how trees make energy when leaves absorb light from the sun. Ethan explained that the leaves act like small solar panels that absorb the light and then convert that to energy for the tree.   Being a skilled arborist, Ethan demonstrated how an arborist climbs safely with a rope and harness to prune trees.  The children observed him  intently, asked good questions, and commented on their favorite trees!

“Our goal is not simply to transmit information about other cultures, but to  inspire in the child  a sense of joy,  wonder, and enthusiasm for life itself.” Lower Elementary students have been learning about people around the world. Each student chose a book from a specific country. They researched information about that country to add to their story. The entire stories are full of cultural information.  The students shared the story they wrote with the rest of their group. The final portion of this project was making a puppet show from their stories. It was very fun! Some o f the Lower Elementary students volunteered to share some artifacts, songs, etc  from their visits to other countries. “We seek to help our students to develop an international perspective through the study of second languages,   cultural geography,  international  festivals and celebration." Games from another country help students learn the language and the cultu