Nashville students have high flying experience
Mrs. Kurtz’s first grade class at Nashville Elementary enjoyed watching a family of bald eagles up close, thanks to a live feed from California.
While readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic might be staples of the educational system, some Nashville students are flying high having explored one unique educational opportunity this year.
From bluebirds to eagles, Jessica Kurtz’s Nashville first grade students have gained some great insight into what makes birds tick during this past school year.
The class dove into a pair of projects, the first being building bluebird boxes to house bluebird families, two of which stayed right there at the school and one of which they sold as part of a raffle package.
The second opportunity has seen them enjoy a family of bald eagles, courtesy of a live video feed from Big Bear Valley in the San Bernadino Mountains in California, where they watched parents Jackie and Shadow raise siblings Sunny and Gizmo in their aerie.
“They nested in January, and we’ve watched them almost every day,” Kurtz said. “We watched them lay the eggs and hatch, we’ve watched them grow, and we even made artwork for Shreve Migration Sensation. It’s a very birdy kind of room.”
All of this activity surrounding the avian world has created some memorable moments in the classroom for the students, and Kurtz said these are the types of activities that tend to really stand out during the school year.
The joy of the avian world actually began in the fall when the school received a visit from Outback Ray, who brought an owl as one of his many critters.
They then spent plenty of time reading books on birds before inviting the bald eagle family into their daily lives at school.
Eventually, the class turned its love affair with the birds to a smaller bird, the bluebird, building a bluebird house as the centerpiece for its Nashville Fun Fair raffle basket called “For the Birds.”
“We had birdfeeders, bird seed and we made this really fun bird box,” Kurtz said, noting her husband helped the children build the bird box. “Everybody got to help, and we actually built three bird boxes.”
While one went to the raffle basket, the other two were installed on the school grounds, where the kids have kept an eye on any activity.
The students have invested a great deal of time learning about birds and their world, and they’ve been excited to see the bluebirds locate the homes they built and posted at school.
Adding to the excitement is the arrival of a robin that built its nest under the air-conditioning unit right outside the classroom window.
Along the road to discovery, the class has learned plenty of facts, like what they feed on and how they eat, the females are larger than the males, and how they keep their nest clean and change in color as they age.
The kids said Jackie was a very dedicated mother that loves her children, and Shadow, the father, was a good dad who provided for the young birds. Jackie and Shadow will stay together for life.
“The belief is that Jackie was actually born in this nest years ago,” Kurtz said. “It is believed that this nest is the highest nest in America, which always makes challenges.”
Kurtz even gave the students a chance to present their birding experience to the West Holmes School Board during a board meeting this year, noting three of the students enjoyed giving the presentation.
While school ended before the young bald eagle offspring took flight, it was an exciting adventure that brought added pizzazz to the room each day.