Sonoma students` bee-utiful work

Sonoma students’ bee-utiful work
Students in Dave Neubacher’s 5th grade class at El Verano
School recently had a visit from a Disney Channel film crew.
Their class efforts to raise awareness about the disappearing
honeybees is being made into a video segment for Disney.com.
Text on this page is from a letter sent to the Sonoma City
Council from the class.
We are a group of fifth-grade
students from El Verano Elementary
School who want to share a concern.
It all started when we were invited to Kunde Winery
to listen to a talk called, “Honeybees are in Trouble!”
Because of the workshop, we are worried about the
recent prediction by experts stating that honeybees
may go extinct by the year 2035.
A graph we have from the United States Department
of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics
Services shows the decline of bees from 1945 to the
year 2007. The graph clearly shows a prediction of
their disappearance in 2035. This is a prediction…
not something we all know will happen. We did notice
this has been slowly happening for the last 60 years.
Our research shows this problem is anything but
solved. Colony Collapse Disorder, as it has been
called, is affecting 35 states in the United States, as
well as Europe, South America, India, and China. We are trying to raise awareness in our community by
sharing what we know.
We have purchased
thousands of seeds to
give each and every
child at El Verano
School a few seeds
which grow into
bee-friendly plants.
We made a brochure
written in English and
Spanish to give to as
many people as possible
to raise awareness!
We wrote to every
politician who represents
our community and
asked them to help. We
already got letters back
from a few. We’ve
actually become the very
first “Bee Friendly
Farming School.”
From the desk of
by Mr. Neubacher’s 5th grade class
We were surprised when we heard
That bees are disappearing…
oh no!!!
We have to help them
Before they all go….
We had to help them
They are disappearing
What is the cause?
It seems there are so many reasons
That fact made us pause….
Hardly anybody knows
1/3 of the food we eat
Is pollinated by honeybees
They should not be squished
by our feet
They are not our foe
They are insects that help indeed
They never sting friendly people
Plant that bee-friendly seed……
So we studied and did research
Found out so much we did not know
These bees are amazing
Our admiration for them began
to grow
These bees are always busy
They pollinate plants and trees
You just have to love
These insects
called
HONEYBEES!
Hi there!
Didn’t the students in Mr. Neubache
r’s class do a great
job on their bee research? I know I lea
rned some new
information reading it.
I love publishing the work of Sonom
Scoop News. If your class has done a County kids in Kid
have your teacher let me know aboutsome great work,
it by e-mailing me:
[email protected].
Speaking of seeing your work publish
out page 8 in this issue. You can sen ed, be sure to check
your dad, create a picture using somd us a drawing of
about your favorite Sonoma County e shapes and write
attractions.
Kid Scoop News is your newspaper.
So, let’s see some of
your work in it!
0GYU2CIGU 5RQVNKIJV)QKPI)TGGP $WPP[$WFFKGU #TV)CNNGT[ #RTKN%CNGPFCT by Mr. Neubacher’s 5th grade class
Plant a bee-friendly garden.
Raise awareness and share with others. Get them involved!
Buy local honey products. Use honey instead of sugar.
When honeybees come to feast on pollen, leave them alone!
Don’t chase them away or bother them. Never step on them,
just let them do their work!
Have a bee problem? Contact a beekeeper before calling an
exterminator.
If you have to use pesticides at home, try to use ones without
overdoing it.
9QTO9QOCP $GGU 'CTN[.GCTPGTU6JGNGVVGT6CPFVJGPWODGT 6TGG6TCIGF[
'PINKUJ5RCPKUJ Vicki Whiting, Editor
Vivien Whittington, Production Manager
Graphics: Jeff Schinkel, Eli Smith
All contents © 2010 Kid Scoop