WESTWOOD—As planets go, Earth is pretty wonderful, what with its morning kiss from the Sun, its water oceans, its atmosphere, its moon and seasons, and its generous magnetic field, which protects fragile and abundant life from the scouring solar wind.
And, of course, Earth is unique in all the universe, so far as we know, in supporting elementary school students, in all their curiosity and joy.
On Jan. 6, Earth’s elementary school students attending Berkeley School in Westwood saw our planet up close and personal at a day of assemblies.
Waiting for each class in turn was the Earth Balloon, an inflatable 19 feet high and 22 feet in diameter, made of 24 huge panels silkscreened with photographs — shot from artificial satellites — of the surface of the world on cloud-free days.
Mobile Ed Productions, which owns this model of the globe, says the attraction has been used extensively across the United States to educate students about geography and environmental issues.
“Earth Balloon” is a star among the company’s assemblies, along with “Forces and Motion,” “The Magic of Science,” “SkyDome Planetarium,” “Stand Up, Step In, Stop Bullying!,” and “STEAM Museum.”
Overall, the company offers 50 curriculum-based programs across the country, and has performed in New Jersey thousands of times in the past 40 years, says its president, Jeff Thompson.
The Jan. 6 adventure was funded in spring 2020 by the Berkeley Parent School Organization (2019-2020 and 2020-2021) but delayed in scheduling thanks to the coronavirus.
Some students, of course, by then had moved on to middle school.
Participants also learned a bit about the Earth in the context of the solar system.
Were it safe to join together in such an enclosed space, 35 to 40 kids and a teacher could have slipped inside the balloon, as though in a bounce house of the mind, where familiar terrestrial features would have been set off in a new perspective.
Mobile Ed Productions says on its website that Earth Balloon visitors “see and better understand the scale of concepts such as continents, plate tectonics, time zones, latitude, longitude, and more. Even major cities in comparison to the total Earth will be recognized.”
The company also offers “a 45-minute journey through the universe from the comfort and security of your own school” via its portable, inflatable SkyDome planetarium.
“Students will learn how to identify every planet in our solar system in dramatic ‘flights’ toward each world. They will be introduced to Greek mythological characters and see how these heroes of the past can be found in the stars. Students will witness the night sky in different seasons and from different global perspectives.”
Berkeley principal Michael J. Fiorello told Pascack Press that, of course, nobody was allowed inside the inflatable, and all attended the lesson masked.
He said Mobile Ed Productions’ senior presenter put on a dynamic show. “All kids learn geography in any one of their years with us, but it’s also a life skill, learning about the Earth. It’s applicable to everybody.”
He said, “Again, not just learning about our world and solar system, but a monotony-breaker, something fun during the day.”
Fiorello said, “We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to bring people in for assemblies last year — at all — so we’re cherishing, actually, the time that we can bring back some of these safely.”
And he said, “We’ve managed to have some great experiences even with Covid, but we’re limited with assemblies and things that we’re all used to, so it’s nice to see the return of some enhanced education.”
(Thompson, of Mobile Ed Productions, told Pascack Press that “We have a robust Covid policy and procedures that, along with employing electrostatic sprayers, contribute to creating a safe environment for our students, staff, and performers.”)
Fiorello lauded the 2020 Berkeley PSO for its intended gift to its students..
“They paid for the presentation. The Berkeley PSO works with me and we look for stuff to do but why I always thank them is most times that’s where the money comes from,” he said.
The PSO promotes the welfare of Berkeley Elementary School and its students “through volunteer work and cultural enrichment programs financed by fundraising events and annual dues.”
Its board are volunteer parents who coordinate fundraising events that benefit children, parents and school.”
The board says online, “Money raised during these events fund a variety of activities and student programs. It is the dedication and hard work of volunteers that drive these programs.”
We reached out to the Berkeley School PSO for this feature. For more information, you’ll find Berkeley School PSO via wwrsd.org and on Facebook.
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