Greater Commonwealth Virtual School Students Meet Up at Museum of Science

GREENFIELD — The Greater Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS) is pleased to share that students, staff and families gathered on Jan. 13 at the Museum of Science in Boston for a family engagement day.

Approximately 125 students and 175 family members and staff attended, engaging with each other and with science exhibits throughout the museum. 

Student and family engagement activities are aimed at improving the social-emotional learning of students, and at creating bonds and friendships between students and families despite the school’s virtual setting. 

“Opportunities like this are important to foster the ongoing social-emotional development of students at all ages and allow students to be curious and confident to explore academic topics to gain a deeper understanding,” said Family Engagement Coordinator Susan Powers. “When students feel like they belong and when they feel safe, they are ready, open and eager to learn.”

Each grade level met initially at a specific exhibit in the museum and worked on age-appropriate activities tied to the exhibits.

Middle School students, for instance, met at the Climate Stories Exhibit and were able to learn about how animals are affected by their habitat and how climate change affects those habitats in a variety of geographical areas. 

“The oceans make up several unique ecosystems, each of which is changing due to warming temperatures, sea level rise, and acidification,” said 8th-grader Jaxson Giannangelo.

“I learned that if the weather gets warmer the rat population will expand,” said 8th-grader Eva Pitsilledes. “That’s bad because the rats will then spread more disease.”

High School students joined Earth, Space Science and Chemistry Teacher Mary Beth Berrien at the museum’s Physics in the Park exhibit, and recognized things like pendulums that they learned about in earlier physics courses at GCVS. 

“We got to hang out, we got to talk, and it was a great chance to bond in person as we explored science together,” said Berrien. “The place we spent the most time was in the basement with all the rocks and minerals that are on display.”

“I have a long history with the Museum of Science and it is one of my favorite places,” said high school science teacher Tim Haire. “It’s a place that has managed to balance both education and entertainment continuously over many decades. I feel like it is a great match for GCVS, because it strives for the same kind of interactive learning experience that we try to provide. I love attending this outing and seeing how our students interact with each other and with the fun learning environment.”

“The students were quite engaged and using the exhibits as the basis for the activity really allows a hands-on approach,” said Powers.