Sketch to Stitch: Newbridge Fourth Graders Get a Monster Surprise
Monster drawings made months ago by fourth graders at Newbridge Road Elementary School were out of mind until the young artists got a surprise gift. Seventh and eighth graders from Merrick Avenue Middle School turned those monsters into stuffed animals and delivered them to their younger peers at Newbridge Road on March 13.
Fourth grade teacher JoAnn Belferder partnered with Sarah Norton, a family and consumer sciences teacher in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District and adviser of the Merrick Avenue sewing club. Ms. Norton’s students received the drawings and created stuffed versions. The project was beneficial for both groups of students, as the middle schoolers got to practice sewing techniques and the fourth graders saw their original drawings take on a new form.
They knew a surprise was coming as Ms. Belferder’s students gathered on the carpet that Friday morning. Soon, there was a knock on the door and a teacher they didn’t know walked in with two large bags followed by more than a dozen sewing club members. Within a few minutes, fourth graders had their stuffed monsters in hand, along with their original drawings. They were extremely appreciative for the work and effort of the Merrick Avenue middle schoolers.
Ms. Norton gave fourth graders an overview of family consumer sciences classes, which they will take in a few years to learn valuable life skills like cooking, sewing and money management. There is also a career exploration unit. Until then, they will have their stuffed monsters to remind them of the excitement ahead in middle school.
