Family Literacy Night

On Tuesday, October 6, the Rose Hill community celebrated Family Literacy Night! Our fifth graders participated in a big way! Several students showed up in their pajamas and many entered the Rosebery Award Writing Contest. We had some big winners in our class, too. Congratulations to Irving for winning the Rosbery Writing Award and to Shanel for winning the Class Writing Medal! All of our fifth grade participants did a fantastic job! We had a great time listening to stories read by author and artist, Pat Loehr. The raffle was also lots of fun with many winners. Overall, it was a fantastic evening!

Picture Slide Show Coming Soon!

Surviving in the Wild

This week in Time for Kids Magazine, we read a story about endangered species and conservation efforts around the world.

We learned about the Sumatran rhinos, of which there are less than 300 left in the world! They have become so endangered because of illegal hunting and habitat loss. These large mammals have a very specific diet, including a sap-covered fruit, and zookeepers and conservationists are working hard to restore the rhino population in captive-breeding programs in zoos around the United States.

We also studied the California condors, which nearly went extinct in the 1980s. Condors are scavengers that feed off of the remains of dead animals. At the time, hunters used lead bullets to kill whatever animals they were hunting. Scientists and researchers began to realize that the birds were being poisoned by the lead used in the bullets that killed the animals the condors were eating! In 1982, only 22 California condors remained in the world. But with the help of dedicated specialists, the bird population has grown to more than 350. In 2007, Congress passed a law that banned the use of lead bullets where condors live, making it safer for the condors to survive in the wild.

The article goes on to say that it has to be the responsibility of everyone to take care of our planet, our animals, and their habitats. They use the expression, "it takes a village." We want to know what you think. Why is it important to save species from becoming extinct? If it takes a village to do so, what can we do to help? What will the benefits be?