March 2, 2026
Important Dates…
Monday, March 2-Friday, March 6: One week residency with Visiting Artist Beth Wright of Muse Machine.
Tuesday, March 10: Dine to Donate from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Troy Chipotle.
Wednesday, March 11: Evening appointments for Parent-Teacher Conferences, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 12: School CLOSED for Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Thursday, March 19: Overfield Family Partnership (OFP) Meeting, 6:30 p.m. in the Gathering Place.
Friday, March 20: OFP Trivia Night, 7-10 p.m. in the Gathering Place.
Saturday, March 21: Storytime and Songs at Jay and Mary’s Book Center, 11-11:45 a.m.
Insights from the Outdoors
How do we share a deeper understanding of what happens in nature? How do we encourage the spark of excitement for the unknown natural world–the world we read about in books or see on television, but usually do not get a chance to experience in person? How do we help children see the mysterious natural world of animals in our own schoolyard?
S: beaver or mouse
R: mole
T: dinosaur from a long time ago
S: a tree fell and made it
R: a groundhog
T: T-rex stepped on it and made the hole
R: deer mouse
Se: tiny fox can live in it with their babies
E: maybe a unicorn with their babies
E: a baby Pikachu
P: a baby pony
We placed a trail camera by the hole to spy on the occupant and realized there are a lot of animals that live around Overfield such as: raccoon, fox, skunk, deer, opossum, coyote, and the occupant of the hole–a groundhog!
We now have three trail cameras around Overfield and they have shown us so many glimpses into the natural world. We have seen a curious fox watching a skunk, raccoons climbing trees, squirrels hiding nuts, an opossum collecting leaves, a coyote, a fox collecting a stored rabbit dinner, and a busy groundhog. The beauty of this project is how a trail camera makes the animals around Overfield visible even when we are not there. It also introduces the children to technology that helps us observe nature when we are not around.
I encourage you to look for holes around your own yard, local park, or at Overfield. Question who lives in them. Search for signs from the animal such as a track or piece of fur. If the hole is in your yard, borrow a trail camera, and try to catch a picture or video of the resident. You may be surprised what goes on in your backyard when you are not looking.
Robin Ramsey – Naturalist
Primary’s Plant Sale
Primary students are selling plants during the week of March 2-6 in the Gathering Place from 8:15-8:40 AM. Prices range from $10-$35 and it is cash only.
Plants available:
Spider Plants
Pothos Plants
Arrow Plants
Philodendron plants
Donations will go to supplies for the new greenhouse!
Welcome, Beth Wright!
We are so pleased to share that Beth Wright will be at Overfield next week from March 2nd-6th as our third visiting artist of the year! Beth serves as Muse Machine’s Director of Elementary Programs as well as a Program artist. She is returning for her seventh residency at Overfield. During her time with us we will be focusing on integrating social emotional learning and movement, helping children become more aware of their emotions and to connect with each other both physically and emotionally, and using movement and dance to connect with each other and build community.
According to the Muse Machine website, “Beth Wright is a dancer, choreographer and educator of dance. A former member of the Dayton favorite Rhythm in Shoes and currently affiliated with Puddingstone Project, she has performed for audiences and taught dancers of all ages nationwide. Beth is comfortable with all grade levels and is particularly fond of working with early childhood. One of her favorite Muse experiences was as an artist and project administrator for PNC’s project, For Me, For You, For Later, which taught basic financial education to pre-kindergarten students throughout Dayton Metro Libraries and area preschools.”
Many thanks to the Ohio Arts Council, whose grant support makes this program possible!
Please join us in welcoming Beth back to Overfield!
Artwork from some of Overfield’s 2nd and 3rd graders is now on display at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center as part of the annual Young Masters exhibit. This show highlights the creative efforts of K-12 students from Troy City Schools, Troy Christian Schools, St. Patrick School, and Overfield. It features nearly 400 pieces of student artwork. The exhibit is open during Hayner’s regular business hours through Sunday, April 22. Exhibits at Troy-Hayner Cultural Center are always free and open to the public.
