A Winning Commute

COURTESY OF ELLY PLOWMAN (LEFT, CENTER); COURTESY OF DRUMMOND ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (RIGHT)
  • CLASS TIME: One of Plowman’s students learns about school commutes in Science World (left).
  • ACTION! Inspired by the article, students film their own commute for a contest (center).
  • WINNERS: Plowman’s students read Science World in the new chairs they bought with the prize money (right).

Elly Plowman, a teacher at Drummond Island Elementary School in Michigan, recently won Scholastic’s #WowedStudents contest. It asked teachers to share via social media creative ways they use Scholastic magazines in the classroom. Plowman and her class of fifth- and sixth-graders posted a video to Facebook inspired by the article "Extreme School Commutes" in Science World's September 4, 2017, issue.

“We can relate to the students’ commutes in the article,” says Sophia DePaul, one of Plowman’s students. That’s because she and her classmates endure an extreme trek of their own. To participate in after-school activities, they take a 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) ferry ride to De Tour Village, Michigan. In the winter, that means braving icy winds, waves, and temperatures well below -18°C (0°F).

Plowman’s entry earned her a $1,000 grand prize. With the money, she treated her students, at their request, to comfy new chairs for their classroom—and a pizza party.

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