Martha Fisher honored by Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Westerly Elementary School third-grade teacher, Martha Fisher, was awarded the Conservation Educator of the Year distinction by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History at the Museum on Friday, Sept. 9. The award comes as no surprise to those who know the creative, dedicated teacher whose students learn by doing.

This year, Mrs. Fisher's class learned about the water cycle as part of their science studies, and the water theme permeated lessons across the curriculum. In addition to observing and documenting the role of water in the school's courtyard plants, students became environmental activists with a project to promote the use of rain barrels throughout their town of Bay Village.

Thirteen colorful rain barrels, all with water themes, were designed and painted by the third-graders. They sold for $100 each, with proceeds going to the Bay Village Education Foundation (which provided the seed money for the project through an education grant).

Students wrote letters to businesses in town, visited them, signed contracts with them, and got them to display the rain barrels and the information posters. Third-grade student Audrey Ray wrote a series of articles in the Observer covering the project.

“All the barrels were carefully painted with garden and aquarium details,” she wrote in the April 19 issue. “There are animals, plants and flowers on the barrels. I really think people are going to like them because they are beautiful and earth-friendly.”

The school year ended with a water theme for Mrs. Fisher's Classroom Restaurant, an annual student-run restaurant that has students apply math, science and social skills as they create menus and advertising, prepare meals, take orders, make change and serve their parents as competently as would a professional waitstaff.

Martha Fisher is known for providing exciting classroom activities like her Classroom Store, Bus Tours of Cleveland (with student tour guides), Walk the USA and her famous, full-service Classroom Restaurant. She was the driving force behind turning Westerly Elementary School's courtyard into a wildlife habitat that was named a National Wild School Site by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Mrs. Fisher has earned National Board teacher certification and has served as a science and mathematics curriculum writer and consultant for several publications. She leads the Bay Village City School District's Summer Academy, a two-week summer academic program that focuses on science, math and language arts for Bay Village students in grades one through six.