From the earliest days of civilization, group dramatic readings have been a thing. Poets, actors and students have taken to the stage to enthusiastically belt out the lines of a script as audiences visualize each moment. Reader's Theater in schools operates under the same guiding principles, giving students the chance to read and act out dialogue, boosting their reading and presentation skills. Two dynamos of the Elyria Schools Special Education Department have taken this experience even further. Carla Valles, Northwood Elementary, and Kathy Pero, Eastern Heights Middle, have for nearly a decade modified Reader's Theater to tap their students' creative spirits and to strengthen academic goals. Carla, a playwright herself, began creatively adapting beloved stories and books which her students eagerly consumed--even dressing in costumes and presenting their lines on stage with gusto. The newest chronicle in the Valles and Pero Reader's Theater: "The Day the Crayons Went on Strike!" Take a listen to how Reader's Theater has grown in our chat with Carla on Petey Podcast!

It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

What a run! Sitting in studio with Coach Brett Larrick and reliving a sensational season for the Elyria High School Boys Basketball team. Take a listen as Coach Larrick describes a whole lotta magic from nail-biter moments to conference titles to division playoffs -- right here on Petey Podcast! Congratulations Elyria Boys Basketball on a phenomenal season!

It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

The eclipse of April 8 was truly remarkable. And here's a little something that added an extra layer of fascination for those of us in the path of totality in Elyria, Ohio--an eclipse weather balloon crash-landed in a field on the property of our very own Eastern Heights Campus! The balloon and its transmission device, known as a radiosonde, were discovered by a school family who was watching the eclipse from the school's field. The balloon was launched by a group of researchers from the University of Wyoming known as the UW Space Cowboys. Their atmospheric team actually sent some 30 balloons up in the air--every hour for 30 hours--to collect data like temperature, humidity, wind, latitude/longitude, and altitude within the eclipse's path of totality. On this episode of Petey Podcast, we chat with Dr. Phil Bergmaier who heads up the eclipse weather balloon project of the atmospheric science research at the University of Wyoming, and leader of the UW Space Cowboys. We also talk with Elyria Schools parent, Laura Schisler, who made the balloon discovery at Eastern Heights! Take a listen--it's an out-of-this-world episode!

It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!