When you attend a school located on a farm, it’s no surprise to find 4-H activities are an integral part of your academic and developmental education. A genuine highlight of the school year, the annual Putnam County 4-H Fair is an opportunity for Green Chimneys School students to develop in-depth knowledge, work together and present what they’ve learned to the larger community.
Each year, Green Chimneys School students demonstrate their vast knowledge, confidence and showmanship at the Putnam County 4-H Fair in July. This year Green Chimneys also saluted Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County for its 45 years of operating the annual fair, of which Green Chimneys has been a proud participant for just as long.
Work begins months in advance as classrooms brainstorm ideas for group study projects that focus on history, pop culture, science or anything they can think of! Younger students can also participate in small animal presentations and judging on the Green Chimneys campus in early spring. Older students who plan to participate in the livestock competition immerse themselves in hands-on care and handling of farm animals to prepare for formal presentations at the fair.
Green Chimneys livestock competitors showed llamas, sheep and goats, expertly answering questions about the breeds and their care. Our students came home with top award ribbons for the knowledge and skills they demonstrated to the judges.
Class projects represented serious skills in research and creativity, with detailed descriptions and dynamic visual displays. Topics ranged from historical studies of the storming of Omaha Beach and the Great Pyramids of Giza to science and nature explorations of the planet Jupiter and ecosystem of the rainforest. Projects on comic book superheroes and Scottish myths & legends were also stars of the show.
In total, Green Chimneys students received 10+ ribbons of excellence and ultimately returned with 5 Grand Champion awards and 4 Reserve Grand Champion awards.