October 13, 2010, was the first day of lighthouse visits for students from New London Public School's SEMI (School Enrichment Model Initiative) classes—launching an exciting, new, three-year program/partnership between the pubic schools and the New London Maritime Society. This year, eighty students in grade 4 and grade 5, who have met or exceeded grade level expectations, will be exposed to enrichment programs in the sciences dealing with inner space (oceans) and outer space. These ‘Lighthouse Kids’ will learn their science lessons by visiting with instructors from the Custom House every month.
In October, students visited New London Harbor Light, learning about sound and light waves, weather and geology through discussions about lighthouse design, the Thames River harbor and New London maritime history.
In November, the students came to the Custom House Maritime Museum. They examined a deep-sea diving suit, tools for sailors and aids to navigation—and in the process came to understand the Core Curriculum lesson of how man makes tools to better one's life.
In December, teachers from the Custom House will go into the classrooms. Future subjects will include Stonington's Captain Nathaniel Palmer, the Amistad incident; the ‘Awesome Oyster’—including the bivalve’s history, habitat & culture; nautical knots, and studies of other shoreline flora and fauna. Every lesson will use elements of maritime studies to illustrate a principle of science.
Guests at the October 13 conveyance ceremony included last year's SEMI prize-winners from Nathan Hale (now attending Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School last year's SEMI students are shown at right.) They made a gift to the light on October 24.
Click on the image, above, to see The Day's panorama from atop the lighthouse lantern.
Below right: Nathan Hale SEMI Grade 4 discovers refracted light
Nathan Hale 4th-grade SEMI students discover light refracted through the lighthouse's Fresnel lens (shown below).
Monday, October 24, 2011, saw the year's first Lighthouse Kids visiting New London Harbor Light. Lighthouse Kids is an exciting partnership where the New London Maritime Society provides year-long enrichment experiences for New London Public School's SEMI (School Enrichment Model Initiative) students--the students in each class who meet or exceed grade-level expectations--in the City's ten 4th grade and ten 5th-grade classes.
Today these students learned about New London's Thames River harbor, aids to navigation, area lighthouses, Fresnel lenses & fog horns, and then they got to climb up to the lighthouse lantern! (See photos below.)
Meanwhile, earlier this fall super SEMI instructor Jody Barthel visited with Jill Paciorek and the Fishers Island School 4th & 5th-graders to plan for these students to join the program (right).
See what more photos of what happened in 2010-2011, the first year of Lighthouse Kids -- Click >>> HERE.
The New London Maritime Society's Lighthouse Kids partnership with the New London Public Schools started in October, 2010.
11.24.11Nathan Hale and Harbor Schools' 4th graders visit the lighthouse lantern (above). Winthrop's 4th grade is below.
10.25.11 The 5th grades visit the Custom House Maritime Museum, learning about whaling and the Amistad. Winthrop visits below.
10.28.11 Jenning's 4th grade Lighthouse Kidsdiscover refracted rainbows in the lighthouse lantern.
10.31.11 HALLOWEEN - Nathan Hale's 5th-grade Lighthouse Kidscame to the Custom House and visited the 1812 privateer LYNX.
Jenning's 5th-grade Lighthouse Kidsvisited the Custom House on Friday, November 4.
On November 11, 2011, four Lighthouse Kids-with-a-parent atended our One Big Table dinner with food writer Molly O'Neill.
Students were asked to research a home recipe drawn from their ethnic heritage and present it on a board with a written description, recipe & picture. Four students were selected at attend the dinner, on the basis of their work. The winners are Xavier Garcia- Jennings Gr.4 with grandfather John; Lucy Driscoll Harbor Gr. 5 with dad Jeremy; Tahjee Galberth Harbor Gr. 5 with mom Juanita Owens; and Milan Patel Harbor Gr.5 with mom. The Lighthouse Kids program wiht Molly O'Neill was sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and the dinner participation sponsored by Sound Insurance Services. See the pictures, below.
December 2011 - In December, Harbor School Lighthouse Kids got together with the Fishers Island Lighthouse Kids for a field trip to the Fort Trumbull Museum.
After visiting the Fort, the Harbor School students walked back to their classroom. David & Ian got to visit New London Harbor Light, followed by luch at Captain's Pizza!
