CMS IN THE NEWS

A windowsill bursts with spring

Kindergartners in Deborah Iacono’s class are developing their green thumbs and putting to use everything they’ve learned about plants.
 
The students studied the parts of plants and the factors that influence plant growth, then sowed their own pumpkin seeds in transparent plastic cups. By using the clear plastic, the young botanists could watch the root system develop and the stems grow beneath the surface.
 
After planting, the seeds sprouted over the weekend.
 
“They loved walking in on Monday and seeing their sprouts,” Iacono said. “Now, the first thing they do in the morning is run to the windowsill. For most of them, this is the first experience they’ve had with growing something on their own.”
 
Each kindergartner regularly writes short observations of what is noticeable about his or her own plant in order to track the growth and changes. They rotate as waterers every other day. The plants will be taken home at the end of the year for replanting in home gardens.
 
To infuse science into language arts, the class also read several storybooks about plants and gardening such as “The Enormous Watermelon,” “The Carrot Seed,” and “A Tree Is A Plant.”
 
Examining the plant life cycle is a key component of the kindergarten science curriculum.

Braydon Adkins shows off the book he authored with his mother

Young author has a message

Fifth-grader and newly published author Braydon Adkins had a story he wanted to tell. His picture book, “The Adventures of Mamma Mabel – Everyone deserves to be loved,” puts into words the heartfelt tale of his dog who lost her leg to cancer but found the family she was meant to be with.
 
“I wrote the book because I wanted to teach people that because a dog has three legs, he’s still a dog and he has feelings,” Braydon said. “We seem to always be underestimating what dogs can do.”
 
Written in the first person, the book follows Mabel as she is bullied because of the lumps on her body, diagnosed with bone cancer, and separated from her family who could not afford her life-saving leg amputation. She finds herself unwanted in a shelter. The shelter raised enough money for the surgery and soon after it, Mabel was adopted by Braydon and his mother, Melissa, the book’s co-writer. That was three years ago. The now 13-year-old Plott hound is cancer free, living her best life with five other dogs in the family.
 
“She’s a happy-go-lucky, silly pup,” said Braydon “She can do anything other dogs can do. She can run; boy, can she run. It’s fun hanging out with a three-legged dog. And then sometimes I look at my other dogs and I say, ‘Wait that’s weird, you guys have an extra limb.”
 
Braydon, who includes “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” on his list of favorite books, wrote the initial draft of the story in just two days. He had wanted to put the poignant tale onto paper for two years, finally finding the time during the pandemic. The story is rich with emotion and contains universal themes. Within its 32 pages you’ll find messages of the importance of love, the joys of friendship, and the acceptance of diversity. The feel-good happy ending seems straight out of Hollywood.
 
The young author (and avid New York Mets fan) has become a CMS celebrity. He has read his book to several CMS classes on his mini book tour and received enthusiastic responses.
 
“Hearing about the love he shares for the dogs that he takes care of is heartwarming,” said Katlyn Houtz, one of Braydon’s teachers. “The class loved the story and having him answer our questions about fostering as well as the writing process.”
 
Inspired by Mabel and her incredible journey, mother and son established Mamma Mabel’s Inn, a sanctuary where senior, hospice, and special needs dogs can live out their golden years.