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Below you will find our weekly newsletters. - September 10, 2012
- September 17, 2012
- September 24, 2012
- November 5, 2012
- November 12, 2012
- November 19, 2012
- November 26, 2012
- December 10, 2012
- Brainwork Goals
- December 17, 2012
- January 7, 2013
- Central Winter Fun Day, Feb. 4
- January 28, 2013
- February 4, 2013
- February 25, 2013
- March 4, 2013
- March 18, 2013
- March 25, 2013
- April 15, 2013
- April 22, 2013
- April 29, 2013
- May 6, 2013
- Alert!
- Alpena
September 10, 2012 Hello parents,
Welcome back to PALS! We had a wonderful reunion this afternoon, with the kids and teachers sharing the most challenging thing that had happened to each of us, or that we had participated in over the summer. It sounds like we all were brave and pushed ourselves during these last months!
The students got back into the PALS routine by choosing some Brainwork and setting their goals to be met by the end of January. The minimum number is 12, one for each PALS class session. The kids also played games/did activities during the Brain Activities time.
We needed to "clean house" by catching up on scrapbook pages from last spring. We had such a busy end to the school year that we hadn't had time to write captions for the photos taken at the pond study at Mrs. Slack's house or from our trip to Mackinac Island. The students worked hard to finish these today, and most kids are now caught up.
We then went outside to have our annual “mug shots” taken :-). It is so fun to see how the kids change from year to year in PALS. We love this tradition! They then got to play together for a few minutes on the playground.
All in all, we had a super first day.
Kathy & Jen
*We have completed PALS paperwork turned in for most kids. If you need another set of copies, please give us a call. As you know, Mrs. Smith is unable to transport any child in her vehicle without the “Volunteer Transportation Form” completed and signed by a parent.
September 17, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Today is Constitution Day. For our Constitution lesson, we talked about the difference(s) between fact and opinion. We discussed key words that might tell us the difference in a statement (most, too, better, etc.). The kids then had to read ten statements about the Constitution and determine whether each was a fact (provable) or an opinion.
We then did an activity called “Figurative Memory”. Students looked at an overhead projection of twelve shapes for three minutes. They then were asked to draw as many as they could remember. The highest number of shapes drawn was ten. Wow! We talked a little bit about strategies one might use to help remember seemingly unrelated or abstract things (naming them to oneself, counting different types of shapes, etc.).
Lastly, we went into the music room for our first affective activity of the year—an old favorite, Jedi Mind Trick. As you may remember, this is a fun way to visit the topic of eye contact, and to practice using it.
Kathy & Jen
*We have completed PALS paperwork turned in for most kids. If you need another set of copies, please give us a call. As you know, Mrs. Smith is unable to transport any child in her vehicle without the “Volunteer Transportation Form” completed and signed by a parent.
September 24, 2012 Hello parents,
We started this afternoon by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Our affective activity today was a game called Make Six. We have played this in past years. Each player gets a grid in which to write numbers 1-100. As the person to one’s left is rolling a pair of dice, trying to roll a combination that adds to the number, six, s/he is writing numbers in his/her grid as quickly as possible. As soon as the roller “makes a six”, the writer must stop writing and the one who just rolled gets to write. The first person to complete his/her grid of numbers is the winner. The game keeps going to see who comes in second, third, etc.
This game is a good exercise in taking turns, practicing good sportsmanship, having fun even when not winning, and accepting that some outcomes are out of our control. Although we had a few challenging moments, overall the kids did a great job and had a great time.
Our next activity was “Hundred Chart Hunt”. After dividing into groups, students were given an envelope of clues. Each group member read a given clue. All the clues, read one at a time, but taken together, would result in knowing which number each student had. This activity also used math vocabulary such as digits vs. numbers, multiples, differences and sums, etc.
We try to introduce this type of work throughout the year, challenging the kids to stretch themselves to read clues more than once and make necessary adjustments, to help them realize it’s ok to start over, and to work productively in a group. These can be frustrating skills to learn and practice, especially for PALS kids, but are so needed and valuable to them in the long run.
Kathy & Jen
*We have completed PALS paperwork turned in for most students. If you need another set of copies, please give us a call. As you know, Mrs. Smith is unable to transport any child in her vehicle without the “Volunteer Transportation Form” completed and signed by a parent.
November 5, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. New students were given a tour of Sheridan, and were introduced to our classroom routines by their “veteran” classmates and Mrs. Slack.
We then went outside for an affective activity. We stood in a circle, each on a marked spot. One person started in the center, without a spot, saying his/her name loudly and clearly, followed by a statement that is true about him/her. For example, “My name is Mrs. Smith, and I like sushi.” Everyone who also loves sushi then had to move from their spots and find different spots, quickly and carefully, while Mrs. Smith tried to get a spot for herself. The one who was left without a spot was then in the center. This activity helps kids practice being assertive, keeping each other physically safe while having fun, learn each other’s names, and get to know each other a little better.
We also took photos of our new class members for their scrapbooks.
When we came inside, we talked about simple machines and what the kids already know about them. Simple machines are no longer part of the science curriculum for elementary schools in Michigan, so the kids have a lot to learn :-) ! We will be studying four different types of simple machines. Today we began with wheels and axles. After watching a short video, the students worked in groups and listed all the items (not seen in the video) they could think of that include wheels and axles. We then shared and discussed what we had written. We realized that some items we though contained wheels and axles actually work with gears.
It is always heartwarming to see our “old hats” welcoming and helping our new PALS students learn the ropes. They are a very caring group of kids.
Have a great week!
Kathy & Jen
*We have completed PALS paperwork turned in for everyone in this group. Thank you, parents!
November 12, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
For those new to PALS:
Brainwork is PALS homework. Each student set a goal number of brainwork pieces to complete before the end of January. The minimum number is 9; one for each time we meet for PALS. Students are not expected to get all the right answers or even to have an answer for every problem. As long as students have done their best, challenged themselves, and learned something new, they have been successful.
Brain Activities are games, puzzles, and activities, some of which are played in pairs or groups, and some that are done individually. Each month we teach new games to add to this station.
Scrapbooks are books of photos from the students’ time in PALS. Throughout the year we will photograph activities and projects, and each student will write descriptions of the pictures in their scrapbooks. At the end of fifth grade, the kids all have great records of their time together.
We then moved on to simple machines. We continued learning about wheels and axles by working with partners to assemble two different machines using educational Lego kits. Those who finished both machines had time to create their own vision with wheels and axles using the Lego kits.
We then took time for an affective activity. Today’s was a fun race! Each student was given a small paper turkey cut-out and a straw. The object was to hold the turkey onto the end of the straw by inhaling and keeping it suctioned to the straw’s end—all while walking as fast as possible to the finish line! It was a hoot. This is a fun, safe activity to help kids become comfortable with not being successful at something immediately. (Often PALS kids have trouble with that.)
Enjoy your week!
Kathy & Jen
November 19, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Next, we headed down to our salmon tank. The eggs we received from the DNR through the Salmon in the Classroom program have begun to hatch. They are not “scheduled” to arrive until after our long holiday break. But, as you know, babies don’t always follow the guide books. At this stage, the fish are called sac-fry. This is because they carry their egg sacs on their abdomens and continue to ingest them as they become stronger swimmers. By the time their egg sacs are fully absorbed, they will be able to swim to the top of the tank to eat the food we give them.
Today we continued with simple machines—wheels and axles. After choosing partners, each pair of students was given two small, wooden axles, four wheels, and modeling clay. The task was for them to build a vehicle using those materials. The vehicle was required to carry six wooden cubes. Part of the challenge was getting the wheels to stay on the axles, but to still turn.
We broke up the afternoon by watching a video introducing our next simple machine, the lever. The video explained how the position of the fulcrum determines how much effort is required to lift the load on the lever: the closer the fulcrum is to the load, the less effort is required to lift it.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!
Kathy & Jen
November 26, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Next, we walked down to the salmon tank. It appears as though all of our fish have hatched. We removed fourteen unhatched and dead eggs/sac-fry today. This is to be expected. Only one of 100 salmon eggs will survive to breeding age in the wild. Decomposition in the tank requires us to perform partial water changes regularly to keep the water clean and balanced. Today we changed out 25 gallons of water.
Our affective activity today was a name-learning game. We sat in a circle, and the first person said his/her own name followed by the name of a food starting with the same letter, such as “Slack spaghetti”. The next person says his/her own name and a food, and the name and food of the person before him/her. The next person has to recite the two that have come before him/her, and add his/her own, and on and on. Obviously, it gets more challenging as the list grows! It is a fun way to make sure we know our classmates’ names.
The kids then continued our simple machine unit with the Lego machine kits. Today’s kits were levers.
We finished the afternoon with Mrs. Slack teaching students a new type of brainwork, “Mystery States”. Each piece of work contains clues pertaining to two separate states. Students are expected to research these clues online or by using an encyclopedia or an atlas. Our classroom website: http://teacherweb.com/MI/SheridanElementary/MrsSlack , has links for researching the fifty states also. Once s/he has identified each state, s/he must color in the appropriate space on the map and write down two additional facts about each of those two states on the back of the sheet.
Enjoy your week,
Kathy & Jen
Due to parent/teacher conferences, we do not have PALS next week. Mrs. Slack will be visiting all elementary buildings working with small groups. Our next session will be Monday, December 10.
December 10, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
We had a guest presenter today, Mr. McMasters, who is a retired Navy fighter pilot and current wood craftsman. Today, he shared a portion of his wealth of knowledge in the area of physics, teaching us more about and demonstrating levers. He brought in levers he had made himself, as well as levers he uses in his work and daily life. He taught the kids about the mechanical advantage levers provide, enabling a person to lift a very heavy load s/he would not otherwise be able to move. We were reminded that the closer the fulcrum is to the load, the less effort is needed to lift the load. (The same amount of work is done in the lifting, except that it is spread out over a greater distance.) Mr. McMasters also showed us slides or examples of other tools that use (or create) a lever—a car jack, a crow bar, a wrench, etc.
We finished the afternoon with Mrs. Slack teaching students two new types of brainwork. The first type was “Table Logic”, where one is given a list of people and a set of clues to determine a seating arrangement around a table. For example, “Maria is sitting across from Sam. Sam is to the left of Daisy. Daisy is to the right of Alex…) The second type was “Make 6” (or make 7, make 12…). Students are given a grid with nine spaces, like a tic-tac-toe board, and a set of numbers. The numbers are cut out of the sheet and arranged and rearranged within the grid until each horizontal and vertical row equals 6 (or 7 or 12 or…)
Enjoy your week,
Kathy & Jen
Brainwork Goals Hi parents,
We have discovered that several students were under the impression that their brainwork goals need to be met before the holiday break. Please don’t panic! Brainwork goals are due at our mid-year of PALS, which is the end of January.
Mrs. Slack will be going over each student’s goal with him/her next week. The kids will then collect and take home the number of brainwork pieces still needed to meet their goals. That way they can work on brainwork over the holidays if needed, and know that when the brainwork in their folders is done, they have achieved their goals.
Enjoy this busy season!
Please email or call if you have any questions.
Kathy & Jen
December 17, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Mrs. Slack met with each student today to see how s/he is working toward his/her brainwork goal. Then the kids collected the number of new pieces of brainwork to be completed before the end of January. (These are now in their PALS folders.) Holiday Break is a great time to get a good chunk of these done.
We then continued our study of simple machines by watching an introductory video on gears. Students then worked with partners to build machines with gears using the educational Lego sets.
Our next session will be Monday, January 7.
Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season,
Kathy & Jen
January 7, 2013 Hello parents,
Happy New Year! How many times have you written 2012 since January 1st? ;-)
We started today by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks, and Brain Activities.
Our affective activity today was a bit silly and fun. Each student was given the name of a character or object in a story that Mrs. Slack read. As Mrs. Slack was reading, if a child’s character was mentioned, that person had to stand up, spin around, and sit back down—all while trying to keep track of the storyline. We talked about how the distraction of spinning (and listening/remembering when to spin) made it more challenging to remember the plot of the story. We compared this to other distractions that can make it hard to focus in class and when doing homework.
We began a new unit today—one that will continue until the end of the year—Michigan Shipwrecks. Each student will be researching a ship that went down in Lake Huron. The kids began by creating simple flip-books for recording their research. We then watched a video showing the documentation by divers of a real shipwreck in Thunder Bay on Lake Huron. This unit of study will culminate in a spring field trip to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena. This is one of fourteen National Marine Sanctuaries in the entire U.S., and the only one not on an ocean coastline. We will need chaperone drivers for this trip. If you are interested in accompanying us for an extended day on May 13, give us a call or email, and we can make sure the needed paperwork is completed. Thank you in advance!
Kathy & Jen
*Brainwork goals for this group are due to be met on Monday, January 28. Please check in with your child as that day approaches to see how s/he is progressing toward his/her goal.
**There is no PALS next week. Mrs. Slack will be working with small groups at all four elementary buildings. Our next session will be Monday, January 21.
Central Winter Fun Day, Feb. 4 Hi parents,
We just wanted you to know that we are aware of Central Elementary’s Winter Fun Day next Monday afternoon. Since it is only an afternoon event, we expect all 3rd.-Grade PALS kids to be here in the morning. Mrs. Smith will drive all morning and all-day Central kids back to Central at 11:00. Afternoon-only Central kids will not be picked up for PALS.
If morning or all-day PALS students are bringing sleds and/or ice skates, they can be brought right into Sheridan. Mrs. Smith can transport them to Central with the kids at 11:00.
If the event is cancelled due to weather/melting, PALS will go on as usual, with kids here in the afternoon rather than at Central.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call!
Thanks,
Kathy & Jen
January 28, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks, and Brain Activities.
We finished our film today, Project Shiphunt. What a fascinating account of five Saginaw high school students hunting for a real shipwreck in Lake Huron! (right where we will be seeing shipwrecks during our spring field trip)
Mrs. Slack conferenced briefly with each student to see how s/he did in meeting his/her brainwork goal for the first half of the year. The vast majority of the kids in this afternoon’s group met or exceeded their goals. “Great job” to those kids! New goals were set today for the end of May. The minimum goal is 10 pieces completed.
Mrs. Slack introduced two new choices for morning brainwork today. We have a collection of educational magazines. In place of a piece of brainwork, a student can check out a magazine and complete a “What I’ve Learned” worksheet after reading three nonfiction articles. The second new choice is an experiment. These experiments are in reusable bags donated by Meijer. Please keep and return the items in the bag when finished. A student can check out an experiment, complete it at home, and either bring in a photograph of the experiment or a note from a parent stating that the experiment has been done. We plan to add more experiments to our “library” as the year progresses.
While all this was happening, the kids also took turns using our new cotton candy machine to make themselves a little treat!
Next, we started a new type of brain puzzle as a class. These line designs require students to connect specific points together by following directions and using a ruler. If the directions are followed carefully and precisely, an intricate geometric design is the result.
Kathy & Jen
*Next week we will begin painting large backdrops for our shipwreck projects. Although our paint is described as “washable”, it does not always wash out. Please have your child dress in dark and/or less-loved clothing that day.
February 4, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks, and Brain Activities.
Our affective activity today was a game called 5 Second Rule. Sitting in a circle, each person took a turn reading a clue, such as: “ List three things you would find in a freezer” The person to his/her left had to only five seconds to answer. If the player got three correct answers before time ran out, s/he got to keep that clue card. Although the questions seemed simple (usually), the very short time limit made the task extremely challenging! It always seemed easier to think of answers when it wasn’t one’s own turn :-).
Mrs. Smith then demonstrated painting a waterscape on a large trifold board. We talked about Impressionism, Monet, horizon lines, and how to keep colors from getting “muddy”. The kids then painted their own waterscapes on which to display their shipwreck research.
Central kids, who had Winter Fun Day today, will have the opportunity to paint their waterscapes at our next session.
Kathy & Jen
This group will not have PALS for two weeks.. Mrs. Slack will be working with small groups in all elementary buildings next week, and the following Monday is Mid-Winter Break. Our next session will be Monday, February 25.
February 25, 2013 Hello parents,
It was so nice reuniting with the third-graders today! It's been too long.
We started today by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks, and Brain Activities.
Mrs. Smith demonstrated painting a waterscape on a large trifold board for the Central kids who were at Winter Fun Day during or last session. They painted their waterscapes. They are beautiful, and no paint got on the carpet! :-)
Those who painted last session worked on the research packets for their shipwrecks, as did those who finished early with their paintings.
Kathy & Jen
March 4, 2013 Hello parents,
We started our afternoon by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks (When caught up with Scrapbooks, students are working on their monthly "Sketch and Tell" reflections.), and Brain Activities.
Mrs. Slack then clarified some issues concerning collecting and recording facts for shipwreck research. Once ten good facts are found, the kids are typing them on the computer in very large font, as a first step to getting them ready for display. Research was continued in the computer lab.
Kathy & Jen
*There is no PALS next week. Mrs. Slack is traveling to all elementaries for small groups. Our next session will be Monday, March 18.
**Mrs. Slack will be available on a drop-in basis for PALS conferences at Sheridan on Tuesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 14, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. If you would prefer to speak with Mrs. Slack via email or over the phone, that is fine as well. Be assured that she will always contact you if there are concerns that need attention.
March 18, 2013 Hello parents,
We started our afternoon by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks (When caught up with Scrapbooks, students are working on their monthly "Sketch and Tell" reflections.), and Brain Activities. Third-graders are also working on a 550-piece puzzle of Michigan shipwrecks.
Some students were able to finish their shipwreck display boards today. Some are still working on typing facts or finishing the display.
Due to some early "spring fever", Mrs. Slack today introduced a little behavior modification to encourage good listening and excellent classroom behavior. After today, an infraction (interrupting, being blatantly off-task, talking when the teacher is talking, etc.) will result in a 5 cent fine, which will go toward a purchase for the PALS classroom. (The fines vary with grade level, from a penny to a quarter.) This afternoon, If your student comes home telling you s/he owes Mrs. Slack a dime, please allow them to earn their payment with the completion of the household chore of your choice :-) . Your child will be able to tell you why s/he was fined.
Kathy & Jen
March 25, 2013 Hi parents,
We started Monday by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell. When that is finished, students are working on a class 550-piece Michigan shipwreck puzzle.
Throughout the afternoon, Mrs. Slack met with students individually to see how they are coming along on their brainwork goals. All students should now have in their PALS folders the number of brainwork pieces needed to meet their spring goals. Spring Break is a great time to get some of these done!
Next, the kids began a new project, making small catapults that fling ping-pong balls.
Have a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break!
Kathy & Jen
*On Monday we sent home a packet of information and paperwork pertaining to our big spring field trip to Alpena. After reading it through, please email or call with any questions you might have, or if you would like to drive/chaperone.
April 15, 2013 Hi parents,
We started Monday by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell. When that is finished, students are working on a class 550-piece Michigan shipwreck puzzle.
A few students then worked on the final bits of their shipwreck projects.
Next, they worked on their catapults.
We finished the afternoon working on a "Domino Puzzle", where kids are given a partially filled grid of dominoes, and they fill in the missing dominoes by drawing the proper number of dots in the missing spaces.
Believe it or not, we only have four class sessions with this group prior to our end-of-the-year field trip! :-( Please be checking with your child to see that s/he is making good progress toward his/her brainwork goal. Brainwork goals for this group are due to be met on Monday, May 6.
Kathy & Jen
*Permission slips for our May 13 field trip to Alpena are trickling in. Please get these in as soon as is convenient.
April 22, 2013 Hi parents,
We started Monday by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell. When that is finished, students are working on a class 550-piece Michigan shipwreck puzzle.
Almost all students have completed their shipwreck projects. Yeah! They look great. Many catapults are also done. Following these projects, students are working on "Line Designs", where a simple framework is given. The framework is divided by hash-marks on each line must be sequentially and precisely connected, using a ruler. Each unique framework results in an intricate geometric pattern.
We also have a new addition to our classroom. The second-graders are going to be studying birds, so we will be incubating both Ringneck Pheasant and Bobwhite Quail eggs! The quail eggs have an incubation period between 16 and 23 days. The pheasant eggs have an incubation period of 23-27 days. We have another week and a half before any hatching may begin. When the chicks are old enough, they will be going to the nice farm home of an Ottawa teacher.
Kathy & Jen
*Permission slips for our May 13 field trip to Alpena are trickling in. Please get these in as soon as is convenient, and don't forget to turn in the $30 per child and $5 for chaperones. We must have the funds in our account so we can pay the folks in Alpena.
April 29, 2013 Hello parents,
We started Monday afternoon by rotating through our PALS stations.
Next, a few kids worked hard to put the finishing touches on their shipwreck projects. Those who are finished continued work on their Line Designs.
Next week is our last in-class session of the year. Brainwork goals are due to be met by our next session. Please help your child remember to bring in any completed brainwork in his/her PALS folder.
We finished the afternoon by "candling" a quail egg--looking inside with the help of a light shining through the egg in the dark. We were able to see the little chick moving! Based on our Bobwhite Quail embryo development chart and how long our eggs have been incubating, we think they will hatch in about 5-7 days.
Kathy & Jen
* If you haven't yet sent in money for our May 13 field trip to Alpena, please do so as soon as possible. We must have the funds in our account so we can pay the folks in Alpena.
May 6, 2013 Hello parents,
We started Monday by rotating through our PALS stations.
Today was our last class session to finish up projects. Mrs. Slack also checked Brainwork goals. Almost all students in this afternoon's group met or exceeded their goals this time. Great job, kids!
Many of our eggs have hatched! Mrs. Smith came to check on the eggs Sunday night, knowing they were getting close. She came in to one pheasant already hatched (These were supposed to hatch after the quail, not before!). She then rushed to Meijer to buy light bulbs to heat the brooders (where the tiny chicks will spend some time growing). When she returned, she got to watch another pheasant hatch, and noticed several more eggs, including some of the quail, moving! By 1:00 am, she was tired of waiting, and just plain tired, and went home. Monday morning Mrs. Smith came in to find seven baby quail and five baby pheasant! Another pheasant and quail hatched this morning with the kids watching. Several more quail and pheasant have hatched since. What fun! There are still five or six eggs we are waiting on.
Our big field trip to Alpena is next Monday! Let's hope we will have the same gorgeous weather we are having today. Please arrive at Sheridan at 6:45 to prepare for a 7:00 departure. Our schedule is tight that day, so we will be unable to wait for late arrivals. We will provide a snack and water for the rides there and back, and will have pizza and beverages at the Heritage Center for lunch.
The preliminary car list is attached as a pdf document.
Kathy & Jen
Alert! Hi parents,
First of all, we are going on our field trip to Alpena, no matter what the weather. Please arrive, as planned, at Sheridan at 6:45 for a 7:00 a.m. departure.
However, I just received a call from The Great Lakes National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena. The forecast is not looking good for a glass-bottom boat tour. As you are well aware, the forecast could change. If it doesn’t, and we are unable to take the cruise, we will simply arrive back at Sheridan at 3:30 rather than 5:30 (and refund the cruise cost to you). We will still be able to enjoy the museum, the ROV activity, and a great lunch !
See you on Monday, and hope for good weather!
Jen & Kathy
*If a 3:30 return is necessary, we will call you asap from Alpena.
Alpena Hi parents,
What a great trip on Monday! It turned out we had great weather (albeit a little chilly), and were able to take our glass-bottom boat tour after all! It was so neat to watch the kids act as experts on their ships as the museum employees asked them questions. And then we actually got to see three of their shipwrecks under water in Lake Huron!
The ROV activity was also a smashing success. The teams of three kids worked well together to create, adjust, and drive their vehicles. We had enough time for each student to have the opportunity to drive the group's ROV. It was amazing how quickly they figured out how the different parts worked to create an operational vehicle.
Thanks so much to the parents who were able to drive and/or chaperone. You make it possible for us to plan and take these kinds of educational trips to enhance the learning the kids do in PALS.
Information will be coming soon about our annual PALS Open House. We had chosen a day, but we have a group who will be gone on an overnight field trip that day, so we are rescheduling. We'll email invitations as soon as possible.
Thanks for sharing your kiddos with us this year. They are fabulous!
Kathy & Jen
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