June 1 – Our Journey Through Ellis Island

Dear Third Grade Families,

“This is the best trip we’ve ever had!” “Look how big the Statue of Liberty is!” “28 people waved to me on the boat!” “Can I have another peppermint?” “Not the button hook!” “I’VE BEEN DETAINED?!” These are just SOME of the phrases we heard out of our third graders during the trips to Ellis Island, over these past two weeks.

The students began their journey at Battery Park, where they embarked on a ferry. We sailed past the Statue of Liberty and were able to see and discuss all they have learned about her construction. We remembered that the statue was a gift from France, but Americans (especially school children) raised money to build Miss Liberty’s pedestal. Some mentioned that the statue is made of copper, which has turned to green over the years. An important fact that our parent chaperones (and all boat passengers who overheard our conversation) learned is that the statue was shipped to America in 213 boxes. When you are THAT close to Lady Liberty, you can REALLY see quilted pattern of the metal!

When we finally reached Ellis Island, which felt as long as our immigrant ancestors’ journeys, we were ecstatic! The first sight, upon entering the building, were some original trunks that people brought with them to Ellis Island. We then ventured up the newer staircase, entering the Registry Room, where over twelve million 3rd Class immigrants walked through (1st Class passengers were allowed to take a boat straight to New York City). A few minutes after entering the room, we met Ranger Peter, who told us all about the building and two types of inspections — medical and legal. He showed us an actual eye hook, which was used to check newly arrived people for infections such as trachoma (aka pink eye).

In this hall, Third Graders had several hands-on activities to enjoy. First, in small groups, we had to figure out the best American cities for immigrant families to move to, based on their jobs and cultures. The five countries represented were Trinidad, Poland, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. Next they tried out an intelligence test made out of wooden blocks, which was similar to tangrams. Back then, inspectors believed that you could tell a high intelligence based on how quickly this puzzle (of putting the different shaped blocks into a square) could be created. In the upstairs viewing area, the students saw photographs of how the hall looked between 1900 and 1954. One main difference was that the staircase, which entered the Registry Room, was located in the center of the room — not the side of the room like it’s current status.

The last activity in the Registry Room was a mock interview with the legal inspector — Officer Hilary. The Third Graders created characters, based on their family background and background information. We had to answer the legal inspector’s questions, such as:

The country they come from (was it an acceptable country?)
Who they traveled with, or who they were meeting in America (to support them in their transition here in America)
The amount of money in their pocket (only immigrants with $8 or more in their pocket could enter)
If they had been previously arrested (they most likely would not be allowed in)
The city traveling to (to let them know which staircase to go down)
Job they had in the old country (how could they help the economy of America?)
Government they believe in (do they believe in democracy?)

Based on the information we gave Officer Hilary, we learned whether our person would have been let in or detained and sent back to their country of origin, by being told that they could go down the left staircase, right staircase, or center staircase. The left staircase brought you to a train to take you to a city outside of New York City. The right staircase brought you to a boat to New York City. Finally, the center staircase was for the detainees who would have to return to Europe. Of the 12 million immigrants who walked through Ellis Island, only 2% of them were sent back.

After a leisurely lunch, we the students saw the outdoor American Immigration Wall of Honor, which lists thousands of immigrant names along it. Students, chaperones and teachers were able to search for names of their ancestors, like a scavenger hunt. This activity had students using the skill of finding names in alphabetical order. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to play in the side lawn, while looking out on the Hudson at fleet ships and sailboats.

Once returning to Battery Park, we had a quick conversation about Castle Clinton. This building was originally used as a fort, to protect the city from Britain after The War of 1812. From 1855 to 1890, it was used as the Emigrant Landing Depot of New York City, for immigrants who docked on South Street. At this time, it was run by New York State. In 1890, immigration controls were taken over by the national government, and they moved the processing center to Ellis Island in 1892 — in part due to needing a more isolated location for those that carry sickness with them, such as smallpox, trachoma or cholera. Over 8 million people came through Castle Clinton during those 45 years!

ORANGE GROUP PICTURES 5/23/18

PURPLE GROUP PICTURES 5/30/18

Dates to remember:

Sunday, June 3 —>Celebrate Israel Parade @ 12:30pm
Friday, June 8 –> Wear ORANGE to school today, to celebrate HSCDS!
Wednesday, June 13 —> Third Grade’s NYC Play @ 9am
Friday, June 15 —> last day of school

Get ready for next week’s blog, where we will be writing ALL about or conclusion to the biography projects!

Shabbat shalom,

Hilary and Talia

Science with Sammi

The 3rd grade engineers have been hard at work developing their final bridges. The road to their finals designs began with a gumdrop and toothpick roadway to experiment with the strength of different trusses. Then, students created blueprints based on all that they have learned about bridge strength plus what they know about making beautiful designs. The engineers are now bringing those blueprints to life by creating toothpick and glue bridges that they will bring home at the end of the year. It is hard to believe that we only have two weeks left!