“Why did you choose soccer as the team to come to Jamestown?” asked Mayor Sundqust.

“Because soccer is the most popular sport in the world,” said Washington student, Elise Eklund.

Aracelli and Elise were presenting their sports franchise to Mayor Sundquist as part of their summer JUMP project-learning experience. Mayor Sundquist chose the team he thought best fit as a new sports franchise based on the team’s presentations.

“This was a tough call as you all did such a great job,” said Mayor Sundquist. “Your teachers and I had a lively discussion over who should be the winner but I believe the best plan for a new stadium and team is the Jamestown Martians!”

Persell JUMP student, Adrianna Holland, shows off her board game about rescue dogs created as a project-based, summer assignment.

Washington JUMP, run this year by teachers Sebastian DiNapoli, Clint Apthorpe, Jay Grann and Danielle Ellis, Tommy Tantillo and Jon Calimari, chose a sports franchise theme because it incorporated all four of the teachers’ skills including some who are coaches. Students chose a sport and created a sports team with a name, logo and mascot. They also designed a stadium and chose a spot to place it in Jamestown.

The group brought in many special guests during the summer including Stephen Carlson, professional NFL player, Conner Grey who plays in minor league baseball in Syracuse and was recently called up to the New York Mets, Alex Mulholland and Chris Mulholland who are professional lacrosse players, and the Jamestown Jackals. The students took field trips to visit the Tarp Skunks and Northwest Arena to see both the business side of running a stadium, as well as the athletic side.

“Choosing sports as our theme this year made it so much fun to bring in so many special guests and expose students to sports they didn’t even know about!” said Mrs. Ellis. “They were able to see both the athletic and business side of sports. We had such great community support and the kids had a great time! I am so proud of the students and how they presented in front of the mayor!”

Community members also love the idea.

“I think it’s a wonderful program,” said Northwest Arena Executive Director Keith Martin. “These young people get to see the background of sports, facilities and running a sports business. They learned that it is not just the game itself.

Washington Tarp Skunk: Washington Middle School JUMP students listen to Jordan Basile from the Tarp Skunks talk about the business side of running a baseball team during a field trip this summer. Students created their own sports franchise including designing the stadium.

Whether it’s the upfront people who run the building and facilities but also the maintenance, the concession area, cleaning – there are so many people who make this building and every building in the community what they are today.”

JHS Art teacher, Stephanie Baker, visited the Persell JUMP program to teach students how to take photos of flowers in the Persell garden and then paint the flowers on their own canvases, learning painting techniques, how to mix paint colors and what great composition looks like in art. The painting project was part of their garden unit using the Persell school garden as their classroom. Students started with a tour of the school garden, the art project and a community project helping to weed the front entrance to the garden and laying down mulch.

Washington students completed two more units with teachers, Mark Fellows, Jayme Genco, Lina Scoma, Emily Naetzker, Dave Gee, Julie Alfa and Ali Pezzulo. During their forensic unit, students learned how to use a microscope, examined hair samples, and observed their own cheek cells under the microscope. Students participated in two murder mystery scavenger hunts using clues, background knowledge, science, and ELA to solve a crime with a visit from the Jamestown Police Department’s CSI investigators. The final project, creating board games, had students playing board games to understand how they are organized for ease of play, game board design, game piece development, how to write rules so they were easy to read, and to understand the purpose of the game. Students used their own interests to help design their own game.

At Jefferson Middle School JUMP, the smell of sweet and savory treats filled the air in front of the school at the end of the summer thanks to the efforts of Jefferson JUMP students who created two “food trucks” Fantastic Foodies and Sweet + Sour as part of a summer project-based learning unit with teachers Tara Mammoser, Gina Hess, Tina DeLong, Cassidy Siebert, Penny Benson, Iris Gonzalez and art student, Raylynn Digirolamo.

Students learned about the history of food trucks; and how the mobile food industry has evolved over time. Students researched the current food truck business and how it provides a service to a community. They also had the opportunity to visit and see food trucks and food businesses including: Ace Kettle Corn, Rolling Smoke BBQ, Farmer Browns Beef and Moooore, Ecklof’s Bakery and Tops Friendly Markets.

Students created business models for their food trucks, designed logos, brainstormed names, wrote product descriptions and determined prices for their items including what the profit/loss would be. Students also made their menu items in the Family and Consumer Science kitchen using measurement and talking about chemistry in cooking. The students designed their “food trucks” using cardboard donated by Jamestown Container.

“Amazing isn’t even enough to describe the level of creativity, learning and fun that students experienced in JUMP this summer. Through each of these projects, students had the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set around challenges and problems they may face in the real world. We can not thank our community partners enough for their support of our students in the JUMP program,” declared Michelle McDowell, Chief Academic Officer.

Whether it’s the upfront people who run the building and facilities but also the maintenance, the concession area, cleaning – there are so many people who make this building and every building in the community what they are today.”

JHS Art teacher, Stephanie Baker, visited the Persell JUMP program to teach students how to take photos of flowers in the Persell garden and then paint the flowers on their own canvases, learning painting techniques, how to mix paint colors and what great composition looks like in art. The painting project was part of their garden unit using the Persell school garden as their classroom. Students started with a tour of the school garden, the art project and a community project helping to weed the front entrance to the garden and laying down mulch.

Washington students completed two more units with teachers, Mark Fellows, Jayme Genco, Lina Scoma, Emily Naetzker, Dave Gee, Julie Alfa and Ali Pezzulo. During their forensic unit, students learned how to use a microscope, examined hair samples, and observed their own cheek cells under the microscope. Students participated in two murder mystery scavenger hunts using clues, background knowledge, science, and ELA to solve a crime with a visit from the Jamestown Police Department’s CSI investigators. The final project, creating board games, had students playing board games to understand how they are organized for ease of play, game board design, game piece development, how to write rules so they were easy to read, and to understand the purpose of the game. Students used their own interests to help design their own game.

At Jefferson Middle School JUMP, the smell of sweet and savory treats filled the air in front of the school at the end of the summer thanks to the efforts of Jefferson JUMP students who created two “food trucks” Fantastic Foodies and Sweet + Sour as part of a summer project-based learning unit with teachers Tara Mammoser, Gina Hess, Tina DeLong, Cassidy Siebert, Penny Benson, Iris Gonzalez and art student, Raylynn Digirolamo.

Students learned about the history of food trucks; and how the mobile food industry has evolved over time. Students researched the current food truck business and how it provides a service to a community. They also had the opportunity to visit and see food trucks and food businesses including: Ace Kettle Corn, Rolling Smoke BBQ, Farmer Browns Beef and Moooore, Ecklof’s Bakery and Tops Friendly Markets.

Students created business models for their food trucks, designed logos, brainstormed names, wrote product descriptions and determined prices for their items including what the profit/loss would be. Students also made their menu items in the Family and Consumer Science kitchen using measurement and talking about chemistry in cooking. The students designed their “food trucks” using cardboard donated by Jamestown Container.

“Amazing isn’t even enough to describe the level of creativity, learning and fun that students experienced in JUMP this summer. Through each of these projects, students had the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set around challenges and problems they may face in the real world. We can not thank our community partners enough for their support of our students in the JUMP program,” declared Michelle McDowell, Chief Academic Officer.