CORTLAND – Balloons, video games and sports
cars were just some of the things Cortland Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jessica Acovelli said her students wanted to buy with $100.
Approximately 112 kindergartners at Cortland
Elementary School at 370 E. Lexington Ave. in Cortland celebrated their 100th day
of classes Friday with various games, crafts and snacks.
“We’ve done a ton of counting,” said Deanna Meyers, who is one of four kindergarten teachers at the school.
Some of the day’s events, such as eating snacks of 100 Cheerios, animal crackers and raisins, gave students the opportunity to practice their counting skills and learn about the volume of such a number.
“They don’t really have a sense of what 100 is,” said Meyers. “So that’s why we do this.”
The teachers were able to demonstrate the impact of the number by spearheading a collection of 100 items for various charities throughout the community.
Kindergarten teacher Abby Aska said her class collected 112 supplies for TAILS Humane Society, while Meyers said her class collected 120 items for the local food pantries.
Dylan Hodges, one of Meyers’ students, said he liked collecting the food because it would be going to a good cause.
“It will go to 100 people who don’t have food,” he said.
Aska said all the students enjoyed giving back to the community during their journey to 100 days of school.
“I think they were more excited about just being able to help someone,” she said.
The teachers also encouraged their students to participate in 100 random acts of kindness, which Aska said is tied into their social studies curriculum, which often focuses on community service.
One of the activities many members of Aska’s class were most thrilled about was the afternoon ice cream party. The class has been participating in an ice cream theme while counting the 100 days of school.
“We’re so excited to have ice cream at school,” said kindergartener Ellie Ferguson.
On the 20th day of school, Aska said she told the children there would be a special surprise on Day 100. They soon found out they would be having ice cream for their 100th day of accomplishments.
“We have scooped our way to 100,” said Aska as she placed the 100th ice cream scoop card on the wall.
After working on single and double digits for so long, the teachers said their kindergartners are ready to master the next step.
Students will be counting higher than 100 every day for the rest of the school year, which will help them learn more about the value of numbers. After the
100th day of school, a better understanding of numbers among these kindergartners is something both the students and teachers can count on.
