Garfield Elementary School

Yesterday in social studies, Mrs. Chestnut's 5th graders explored the Great Plains Native American region! Students rotated through interactive stations to learn about the region’s environment, housing, food sources, and the Indigenous tribes who lived there.

To bring history to life, students even had the opportunity to examine real artifacts found right here in Clay County!

A huge thank you to the generous community members who lent Mrs. Chestnut their personal collection. Your contribution gave our students an unforgettable hands-on learning experience! #celebrate379

Mrs. Galindo created some real-world learning experiences today during her typing and handwriting time with her 5th graders. They wrote personal thank you notes to everyone who helped with the building's fundraising efforts. Students learned the proper way to write a thank you note and what topics they should include in their message. #celebrate379

Thank you to everyone who came out to CCCMS last night to hear Mrs. Cott and Mr. Brummet's Parent Tech Talk presentation. The purpose of this meeting is to have an open dialogue about the impacts of technology that they, as school counselors, are seeing at GES and CCCMS. They will be presenting again today at noon at Garfield. Pizza will be provided! #celebrate379

Parent/Teacher Conferences are this week! #celebrate379

The October GES BOE Report can be viewed here: #celebrate379

Garfield students spent the day with CCCHS FFA students at Farm Safety Day! They enjoyed learning about the various types of agricultural activities that happen around the farm, as well as how to stay safe when working in ag. Thank you to CCCHS for hosting! #celebrate379

Do worms eat dirt?

Yesterday, Mrs. Schurle's science classes performed an experiment trying to answer that question. Today, they wrote their conclusions. #celebrate379

P.S. The answer is yes, sort of. Earthworms do eat soil, but they’re not digesting the dirt itself. Instead, they’re after the organic matter that’s mixed in with the soil.

Mrs. Rourke's 4th and 5th graders are in the middle of preparing for the Nov. 6 Veteran's Day concert. All songs have a Veteran's Day theme, which has helped her students learn more about our military and history. All are invited to attend! #celebrate379

Mrs. Wohler's 4th graders were learning all about the 4 different types of sentences today. They even had a song to go with it! #celebrate379

Before you can play instruments, you have to learn about notes and beats. That's why Mrs. Thrasher had her 5th grade band students clapping to the beats today. Lucky for them, it was to Taylor Swift songs, and most of them were already celebrating her new album release! #celebrate379

Today, we thank our dedicated custodial staff across USD 379! #celebrate379

A BIG congratulations to Ms. Bott and Mr. Eyermann! A well-deserved honor for two GREAT teachers! #celebrate379

🧡 During Bengal Innovators, Miss Bott’s crew got crafty AND caring! They measured, cut, and tied fleece fabric inch by inch to make cozy tie blankets. 🧵✨

Once finished, the students chose where to spread the warmth — donating to the Lighthouse for Christ, Hope House, a local church, and our amazing Clay County EMTs. 🚑🙏

What an incredible way to give back and show Bengal pride. Way to go, Innovators! 👏👏 #BengalPride

Mrs. Ferguson's 4th grade math students were exploring adding multi-digit whole numbers today. They are learning how to complete these problems using the standard (old school) way, as well as using place value to add. Then students can choose which method to use moving forward. #celebrate379

Interested in being part of a focus group that will give input on the upcoming bond issue? We want your feedback! #celebrate379

Did you know that it is Constitution Week? Yesterday, Mrs. Chestnut's 5th grade social studies students learned about the different parts of The Constitution and how to read it properly. Then, they worked in small groups on a digital “escape room” to try navigating and reading it for themselves! #celebrate379

Mrs. Cott has been focusing her counseling lessons on building a growth mindset. After learning about ways our brain grows through overcoming challenges and adversity, students made a collage of strategies that help them persevere and develop grit. #celebrate379

👑🏐 Over the past two weeks, Mrs. Craig’s PE students have been diving into the world of 4-Square—with a twist! After learning the basics (and some creative variations), students got the chance to step into the teacher’s shoes and introduce their own versions of the game. 🙌

Every class had 2–3 student leaders who showed off their skills, explained the rules, and modeled their variations for their classmates. They absolutely rocked it! 👏

To wrap it all up, Mrs. Craig crowned the unit with a “King of the Hill” tournament—a fun showdown full of striking skills, fair play, and sportsmanship. 🏆💪

The September Garfield Board Report can be viewed here:
https://usd379-org.community.highbond.com/document/92fc36fe-a954-4abc-a4f8-e2d5297fbb40/

5th grade has a different look this year, with Mrs. Knepper and Ms. Bott added to the mix with Mrs. Chestnut and Mrs. Schurle.

Mrs. Chestnut is the social studies teacher, and Mrs. Schurle is the science teacher. They see all students throughout the year.

Ms. Bott and Mrs. Knepper are the math teachers. Students have math every day, and they rotate between science and social studies throughout the year. #celebrate379