JK girls screamed with excitement as Lauren Pharr Parks '02 showed them the animal bones from her collection as a forensic anthropologist.
After her presentation, JK girls got to take a closer look at all of the bones. They observed the different sizes, and they used their critical thinking skills to determine if the animal was a meat or plant eater.
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Hutchison Alumna Shares Animal Bone Collection with JK Girls Studying Fossils
JK girls aren’t scared of these bones! They were fearless and loved being scientists as they took a closer look at the animal bone collection of Lauren Pharr Parks ’02, alumna and mom to Patty Mae ’36.
Junior kindergarten girls watched in awe and with excitement as Lauren Pharr Parks ’02 showed them the skulls of animals including a horse, cow, pig, alligator gar, coyote, and rabbit. Parks is a leading forensic anthropologist, holds a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in geography/anthropology, and owns her own consulting firm. When she heard that her daughter's class was learning about bones, fossils, and dinosaurs, Parks was happy to give Patty Mae and her classmates a glimpse of her work and how it is related to their studies.
The girls enjoyed comparing the sizes of the skulls and bones from other body parts of some animals, such as teeth, hips, and shoulder bones. One thing the girls have learned in their classrooms is the difference between herbivores and carnivores. Looking at the skulls that Parks brought in gave them the opportunity to determine what each animal ate based on the shape of their teeth. The girls’ teachers were very impressed with their knowledge.
JK girls became interested in the bones of other animals after studying the human body. The girls studied the heart earlier this school year, and JK teacher Amanda Valentine said they were intrigued after hearing how certain animals have large hearts, slow heartbeats, and big bones, like the elephant.
In this study, they got to be paleontologists! The classes looked at fossils to see what scientists have learned from the different bones of extinct animals, leading to a further study of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. “We studied how the fossils teach us about the world and what we can learn from animals’ bones, footprints, and fossils, even though the animals are extinct,” Valentine said.
The teachers have tied the study of dinosaurs into classroom centers as well. Girls have sorted bones by size, designed prehistoric habitats, and made dinosaur eggs. Dance teacher Louisa Koeppel even had the girls move as if they were dinosaurs in ballet class; they stretched up into the trees to eat leaves like herbivores, dipped into the water to eat fish like carnivores, and soared in the air with dinosaur wings. This study exemplifies how our early childhood teachers follow a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach to learning, which encourages each girl to engage in self-directed, exploratory learning to gain both knowledge of herself and the world around her.
Dakota Shelton ’21, who is studying political science and Latin American studies at Tulane University, is spending the fall semester in Chile after receiving a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
Hutchison Now highlights recent graduates early in their careers who embody how a Hutchison education can lead anywhere you can imagine. We spoke with Brittany-Rae Gregory Rivers ’08, Communications Director for Next Century Cities in Washington, D.C.
About four minutes into her 2017 TEDx talk, Dr. Lauren Pharr Parks ’02 jokes that if you’re ever on a bad first date, you might reference her TED talk and likely never have to worry about the potential suitor giving you another call. It’s not because her talk isn’t interesting. After all, it has nearly a million and a half views on TED.com.
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Elizabeth Austin ’20, a junior at Middlebury College in Vermont, has been selected for a Udall Foundation Scholarship. She will receive a $7,000 grant to focus on her research in the emerging field of conservation paleontology.
Rising juniors and seniors who are part of four myExperience cohorts in Hutchison's Institute for Responsible Citizenship – global civic engagement, entrepreneurship, STEM, and art and design – explored their respective fields of study on trips to New York and Boston.
The 15-year student and recent recipient of the Ideal Hutchison Girl Award credits Hutchison for providing opportunities for her to delve deeper into her interests and helping her become a strong student and creative innovator.
The National Merit Finalist and 15-year student has distinguished herself by pursuing challenging academic opportunities in math and science and following her various interests along the way. She credits Hutchison for fostering her intellectual curiosity and love of learning.
Fifteen-year student and National Merit Commended Student Brooke Fair ’23 is an award-winning singer-songwriter who has released an album, an EP, and several singles all before graduating high school. This talented artist also is a dedicated student whose music accomplishments have come while achieving academic success.
Fifteen-year student Emmy Walton ’23 has put her heart into becoming a rocket scientist one day. After developing her interests in science and math through various STEM opportunities at Hutchison, she will follow her dreams at one of the nation’s top schools for engineering, Purdue University.
The National Merit Finalist was challenged by Hutchison’s various academic and extracurricular activities. From the tennis court to the courtroom to the classroom, Sarah is a well-rounded, hardworking Hutchison student who lives up to the school’s mission of inspiring girls to go anywhere they can imagine.
Eve-Elyse Hall ’23 has been known for setting up her teammates on the volleyball court throughout an excellent high school career. Now she’s setting herself up for a bright future after choosing to sign to play volleyball at Asbury University in Kentucky.