STUDENTS BRAVE THE HEAT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CAMP

(STORY BELOW...AUDIO AND PHOTOS UNDERNEATH STORY)

--MUNFORD--It may be summertime for many students, but at least one group of kids is taking time to learn about Science during the summer break. Munford Elementary School is hosting an Environmental Science Camp during the month of June, made up of a select group of students in the fourth and fifth grade who have excelled in the subject.
Kimberly Murray is a fourth grade teacher at MES and heads up the camp that begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at noon on Monday through Thursday. Students have suffered through the heat and spent a lot of time outdoors in nature learning about insects, birds, water and weather.
“We have had four themes each week and we did an insect theme, birds, trees. Water comes up next week and then weather after that,” Murray said.
Murray has three separate groups sharing in the science experience, each headed up by two other teachers, Beverly Elston and Sharon Shiflett.
The students say they love the camp. One participant, Austin Williamon said he could not wait until next year to participate again.
On Thursday, June 22, the students were creating a ring of life, taking clues from the ring patterns in trees to document the years in the students lives.
“If they had illness or problems one year, we would draw a thin line, just like a tree would have in lean or difficult years, if it was a good year they would draw a heavy, thick line,” Murray said.
There have been no discipline problems with the 29 students. To Murray that is a big indication of how much the students are enjoying camp and how intense they are on the subject matter.
“They are motivated--they want to be here. They don’t even realize they are learning, they are having fun doing it,” Murray said.

MEDIA
--KIMBERLY MURRAY AUDIO ON ACTIVITIES--
--KIMBERLY MURRAY AUDIO ON STUDENTS--
--HIGH RES PHOTO AUSTIN WILLIAMON AND SHARON SHIFLETT--
--HIGH RES PHOTO MURRAY AND STUDENTS MAKING RING OF LIFE--
--HIGH RES PHOTO OF CAT'S EYE MADE FROM WOOD AND YARN STUDENT MADE--