Recent ActivityEnvironmental Learning for the Future (ELF)
ELF is an award-winning program designed for elementary aged children and taught by parents and other community volunteers. ELF encompasses five ecological concepts: Habitats, Cycles, Adaptations, Designs of Nature, and Earth & Sky. We focus on one concept each year as a school-wide theme, so that in the five years your child is at JES, they will have explored each concept. The activities are adapted to meet the different development needs of each grade level. This year, our focus is Adaptations.
Children love ELF because the activities are playful and fun. Volunteers enjoy ELF because it gives them a meaningful role to play in their school and with their children, while enriching their knowledge of the environment. Schools value ELF because students learn hands-on natural science in direct support of education standards. The program was developed by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS), and has been at JES for 19 years thanks to funding from Partners in Education (PIE), enthusiastic support from teachers, and the tremendous involvement of our parent/community volunteers.
Announcements ELF TrainingsHistorically we have videotaped the ELF trainings and made the tapes available to ELF volunteers unable to attend the training. This year, we have been unable to do this consistently for a variety of reasons. The school is planning to get a new video recorder for next year, and we hope to be back on track then! In the meantime, please use other ELF board members or volunteers as resources if you have questions about the training. The training handouts are available below. Thanks!
How You Can HelpELF absolutely depends on parent and community volunteers to ensure its continued success. You can help by: This Year in ELFThis year’s ELF theme is “Adaptations”. We will explore questions such as why do ducks have webbed feet and rose bushes have thorns? Why does a snowshoe hare freeze rather than flee? We will learn how different adaptations contribute to the success and survival of various plants and animals. Newsletters and Handouts now Available!The latest ELF newsletters and training handouts are now available for download below. Check it out!
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