STUDENTS STRIKE GOLD IN WEST HILLS : EVENT BRINGS HISTORY LESSON TO LIFE.Byline: Mary Beth Alexander Daily News Staff Writer The frenzied shouts of ``Eureka!'' left no doubt Friday night that there was gold in them there hills. West Hills, that is. The proclamations came from about 60 fourth-graders at Welby Way Magnet School magnet school n. A public school offering a specialized curriculum, often with high academic standards, to a student body representing a cross section of the community. , who spent Friday evening hovering over vats of water and sand, looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. flecks of precious metal as part of a living history lesson about the Gold Rush Days. ``We've got some gold!'' shouted Jennifer Lorant, 10, lifting her black pan full of soggy sand to the sun to allow the particles of gold - actually pyrite pyrite (pī`rīt) or iron pyrites (pīrī`tēz, pə–, pī`rīts), pale brass-yellow mineral, the bisulfide of iron, FeS2. - to sparkle. ``It's cool.'' The school auditorium was gussied gus·sy tr.v. gus·sied, gus·sy·ing, gus·sies Slang To dress or decorate elaborately; adorn or embellish: gussied herself up in sequins and feathers. up for the second annual Gold Rush Night with hay bales, saddles and murals of lush green mountain ranges where prospectors might head for their next find. The children not only panned for gold, they churned butter, tooled leather and had an overnight hoedown hoe·down n. 1. A square dance. 2. The music for a square dance. 3. A social gathering at which square dancing takes place. complete with a chuck wagon barbecue, square dancing and a storyteller. It was everything a real prospector might have encountered in the 1800s, and just what teachers Linda Weissler and Jennifer Yoo hoped would make their three-week California studies lessons memorable for the students. ``They'll truly know the hardships, the challenges and all the wonderful things that happened to the gold miners,'' Weissler said. ``By the time they finish and they leave . . . they'll learn exactly what happened.'' Clad in overalls, cowboy boots and straw cowboy hats, the children declared Gold Rush Night a success. ``We get to actually do what the 49ers did back then,'' said Marcus Markle, 9, who was proudly displaying his new leather necklace and boasting of his vial vial a small bottle. full of gold. ``I'm going to remember how it is to discover gold.'' ``We've never done anything like this before,'' said Mishan Araujo, 10, as she searched the filmy water for the perfect spot to pan. ``It's better than just reading books.'' Parents who spent the evening as miners, fiddlers and cooks, said they, too, were impressed with the Gold Rush experience. ``I haven't done this since I was a Brownie,'' said Andi Lorant, 36, Jennifer's mom, as she shook a jar full of heavy whipping cream Noun 1. heavy whipping cream - cream with a fat content of 48% or more double creme cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat , to demonstrate how to make butter. ``This makes history worthwhile.'' Parent Jackie Langa said the elementary school elementary school: see school. is known for turning many lessons into adventures, and making learning fun for children. ``You have a group of teachers who work day and night, Saturdays and Sundays. They give so much support to the students,'' Langa said. ``The children are just thrilled to come to class.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Welby Way Magnet fourth-graders Rebecca Golds and Mi chael Ippolito pan for gold Friday at the school's second annual Gold Rush Night. David Sprague/Daily News |
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