THE SOURCE

Representatives from the Museum of Science will be at the school for an in-school field trip on March 12 for the fourth-graders.

The presentation, which will be on electromagnetism, uses high-tech museum equipment to allow students to explore voltage, current, resistance and the interrelationship between magnetism and electricity. From watching someone's hair stand on end to creating a human extension cord to sending an electric current through several people, the students will learn all about electromagnetism in a hands-on way, courtesy of this field trip paid for by the PTO.

According to Pine Grove teacher Jillian Cronin, the curriculum frameworks for fourth-graders requires that the students learn about electricity, magnets and electromagnets.

"We figured what better way to see some real experiments in action than to bring in the museum of science," Cronin said.

"It's going to be a great extension of what the children have learned and will learn, and most interestingly, it helps students see how 'cool' science can be."

• The student council is coordinating a food drive during the week of March 8 to provide nonperishable foods and toiletry supplies to the Rowley Food Pantry.  Any student who brings in items for the drive will be eligible to enjoy Hat Day on Friday, March 12, when a hat will be allowed to be worn all day in school.
• The Triton District Arts Festival will take place on Tuesday, when elementary students from all over the district will converge on the high school for a day of music making at all levels.  Pine Grove students from the fifth- and sixth-grade band and chorus will go to the high school that day to work with older students in a "peer coaching" situation, and groups will perform for one another, including the high school drama students, who will perform an excerpt from this year's musical, "Chicago."  The students will rehearse during the day and present a concert that evening at 7 for the public.
• The second-graders will take a field trip, courtesy of the PTO, to the Stoneham Theater on Wednesday. They will see "The Dinosaur Musical," a family-friendly musical about Quincy, a 14-year old tyrannosaurus that is finding it hard to follow in the shadow of his father, King Marcus.
• Sign-ups for 2010 Triton Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading will be held Tuesday for returning participants, and on Monday, March 15, for open registration.  Both evening events will take place in the Triton High School cafeteria from 6 to 8 p.m. The registration fee is $175, with a maximum of $325 per family.
• The annual Rowley Ristorante and Silent Auction to benefit the fifth-grade environmental camping trip next year will be held on Saturday, March 27.  The organizing committee is currently looking for donations of items, small or large, to auction off at the special event. Suggestions include: sports tickets, jewelry, clothing, vacation rentals, gift certificates of any kind, themed gift baskets and more.  Contact Barbara Hirtle at 978-948-7471 or Carolyn Colberg at 978-432-1059 for more information.

Michelle Pelletier Marshall reports on the Rowley and Merrimac elementary schools. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .