Friday, November 4th, 2011 was a full day of “Animal Antics” at Harvey Oaks Elementary. The school’s principal, Mrs. Dawn Marten, was the assistant principal at Neihardt Elementary, an Omaha school we visited last fall (November 8, 2010). Without a doubt, Mrs. Marten’s fond memories of our visit to Neihardt contributed to our warm reception at Harvey Oaks.
In celebration of my visit, students in kindergarten through 5th grade wrote stories or drew pictures inspired by my books. We were amazed by the quality and quantity of creative work produced by the Harvey Oaks’ students.
Matthew Shane Bronson & Tammy Carter Bronson at Harvey Oaks Elementary
An underwater bulletin board featured original, multicolored sea horse art inspired by “Sea Horse, run!”.
Close-up of sea horses by Harvey Oaks students.
First grade students painted lovely, underwater scenes inspired by Polliwog.
Watercolor paintings by 1st grade students at Harvey Oaks Elementary inspired by POLLIWOG. .
9:00 – 9:35 am Kindergarten
9:45 – 10:30 am 2nd Grade
10:50 – 11:25 am 1st Grade
11:30 – 12:30 pm Lunch provided by Bear Creek Coffee Cafe
12:30 – 1:15 pm 5th Grade
1:25 – 2:10 pm 4th Grade
2:20 – 3:05 pm 3rd Grade
More POLLIWOG art by 1st graders at Harvey Oaks.
Fourth grade students wrote stories that utilized a character trait from Tiny Snail. Some stories demonstrated attitude, self-esteem or how to set goals, while other stories reinforced attributes such as courage, perseverence, or gratitude.
A wall of stories by 4th grade students at Harvey Oaks Elementary.
Tammy C. Bronson and the Harvey Oaks Librarian, Sue Hillman.
The school’s librarian, Sue Hillman, presented us with a gift basket featuring foods made in Nebraska.
Harvey Oaks Elementary Gift Basket
Ms. Cook, a 3rd grade teacher at Harvey Oaks, applied for and won a grant from the Milliard Public Schools Foundation. This “Animal Antics Grant” supported my author visit which focused on snails, frogs and sea horses. The grant also paid for a complete collection of World Books of Animals for the school library. Later this year, the grant will enable Harvey Oaks students to connect with animals through a trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo.
The new World Book collection at Harvey Oaks Elementary.
Congratulations, Harvey Oaks, on winning your grant, and thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your “Animal Antics.” We will treasure the memories!
Tammy Carter Bronson 