Science teacher uses classroom to stress civic duty
Published: January 2, 2006
Colette Plassmann does more than teach science— she teaches civic responsibility.
In addition to her roles as an Earth science teacher and co-adviser of the Science Olympiad team at Van Wyck Junior High School in the Wappingers district, she helps local charities and gets her students involved, too.
“It amazes me how much she does,” said Ellen Korz, a special education teacher at the school.
Plassmann, Korz, the three other teachers and the 143 students of Team 8B, a subdivision within the school, raised money to help a local family in need.
“We held a movie night where the students made a donation to watch a holiday movie, and we sold refreshments,” Plassmann said. The team raised more than $1,000 to purchase clothing and toys for the family.
Korz said the Movie Night was Plassmann’s brainchild.
“We did do it as a team, but a lot of it was Colette’s ideas,” she said.
Plassmann has taught at the school for eight years. Her educational inspiration came from her former teacher at Roy C. Ketcham High School.
Classroom inspiration
“Mr. (Terry) Ringler was my Earth science teacher. He was just so much fun,” Plassmann said.
Plassmann has tried to model her classroom after that of her energetic former teacher.
“She really tries to make science fun,” Korz said. Korz is in Plassmann’s classroom daily, helping the special education students.
“She makes up little songs and dances to help them remember. She’s really very good at what she does,” Korz said.
Plassmann has also been the Van Wyck team leader for March of Dimes fundraisers for about seven years.
“I had done it (the March of Dimes walk) the first year and loved it,” she said. “But the ladies who were in charge were bowing out, and nobody was picking it up,” so Plassman did.
Activities Plassmann co- ordinates include a “Blue Jeans for Babies” day during which all the Van Wyck staff wear jeans and specially purchased T-shirts and pins, a “bootie sale” in which students pay $1 to have their names written on a paper baby bootie and posted on the school wall, and a team of staff and some students to walk in a March of Dimes walk-a-thon every spring.
An animal lover, Plassmann and her 13-year-old daughter, Ariana, also participate in Paws in the Park, the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals annual pet walk fundraiser.
She also encourages her classes to donate to the organization.
“They’re always looking for clean blankets and towels and canned food,” Plassmann said. She drops the items off regularly on behalf of her students.
Leah Hapenan, a manager at the society, said the shelter functions because of the generosity of Plassmann, the students and others like them.
“That’s the most critical thing,” she said. “If it weren’t for donations, we wouldn’t be here.”
For Plassmann, teaching altruism isn’t only a lesson for her classroom; it’s a lesson for her daughter.
“I want her to see you can give back. There’s always something you can do,” Plassmann said.
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