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Below you will find our weekly newsletters. - September 13, 2012
- September 20, 2012
- September 27, 2012
- November 8, 2012
- November 15, 2012
- November 29, 2012
- Brainwork Goals
- December 13, 2012
- December 20, 2012
- January 3, 2013
- January 24, 2013
- January 31, 2013
- February 7, 2013
- February 28, 2013
- March 7, 2013
- March 21, 2013
- Important Information for this Thursday:
- April 11, 2013
- April 18, 2013
- April 25, 2013
- May 2, 2013
- Addition to May 2 Newsletter
- May 9, 2013
- May 16, 2013
September 13, 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 all of the photos taken in the spring. The students worked hard to finish these today, and most kids are now caught up.
Next, we did an activity called “Square the Match”, in which students took an pre-determined arrangement of toothpicks, and had to move only a specified number to create a new shape. It may sound easy, but it can very spatially challenging.
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.
We finished the afternoon with a game of “Red Herring”. The kids are presented with a sort of riddle, and they must solve it by asking only yes or no questions. Each student is allowed to ask up to three questions. We ran out of time before they could solve this mystery, but we will keep trying these, attempting to improve our deductive reasoning skills.
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 20, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Next, we went outside 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.
We then did an activity called “Keep ‘em in Line”. Students paired off and sat back-to-back. One person looked at a series of pre-drawn shapes, consisting only of straight lines. S/he had to give his/her partner verbal directions to enable the person to draw each shape accurately. They found it was important to try and give very clear, specific directions: “Draw a line from left to right. Add a line starting at the left end of the first line going down…” Making it even more challenging, the drawer could not talk or ask any questions. It was great to watch them perfect their descriptive and listening skills as the activity went along. We talked about what was challenging about this work, and what strategies students found that worked well.
Our final activity was “Stick Figures”. After dividing into groups, students were given pile of fifteen sticks with which to build a geometric construction. Each group member read a given clue such as, “one triangle has a perimeter of seven sticks”. All the clues combined correctly would result in a specific finished structure. This activity required a lot of cooperation, listening skills, spatial reasoning, and understanding/review of math vocabulary, including: regular and irregular polygons, equilateral and isosceles triangles, vertex, base, congruent, etc. It also demanded perseverance and a willingness to change an idea and start over.
We try to introduce this type of work throughout the year, challenging the kids to stretch themselves to solve problems without a set plan, 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.
September 27, 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 is given 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. The kids did a great job and had a great time.
We then moved on to a “One Hour Mystery”. Students worked in pairs to solve a mystery by solving a series of logic puzzles. This is very similar to “The Chocolate Caper” of last year, but this time the students worked completely independently (with partners ;-). They came through with flying colors! It makes us proud as teachers to see these kids confidently solve these types of problems on their own. As they finished their first mystery, the kids moved on to the next. This mystery contains four logic puzzles. If your child completes all four correctly and returns them to us when we meet again in November, s/he will receive credit for four pieces of brainwork.
Kathy & Jen
*This is our last PALS session until November. October is the month for Mrs. Slack to test prospective new PALS students. Our next session will be on Thursday, November 8.
November 8, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. We will be adding a new station this year—Salmon Journals.
We received our salmon eggs (for the DNR Salmon in the Classroom program) today, and we will be recording their changes, progress, and things we have learned about them as they develop. Today the eggs had to be acclimated to the temperature of their tank in the Sheridan lobby. We have to keep the water quite cold using a chiller—below 60 degrees Fahrenheit—to simulate their natural environment. Right now they are “eyed” eggs, fertilized eggs whose eyes can already be seen through each translucent egg. We are given approximately 150 eyed eggs to start.
We then went into the hallway for an affective activity. (Sheridan students left this afternoon to see the high school production of The Wizard of Oz at PHS.) Since the halls were completely empty, we enjoyed some friendly, competitive challenges outside the classroom :-).
We did not add any new fifth-graders to our group following fall testing. We like to think that this is because we have become better at identifying PALS students by the time they reach fifth grade. We did add students in grades 2-4.
The kids also illustrated the covers of their salmon journals today.
We finished the afternoon by introducing our first unit, Rube Goldberg contraptions. These inventions involve a long, complicated series of steps to complete a simple task. To begin the unit, students chose partners, and each pair began sketching a fictitious Rube Goldberg contraption.
Have a great week!
Kathy & Jen
*We have completed PALS paperwork turned in for everyone in this group. Thank you, parents!
November 15, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Scrapbooks, and Salmon Journals (no hatching yet!).
Next, the students chose partners 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 of the curvy course we set up in the classroom. 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.), and to have fun, “win” or “lose”.
We then worked on our Rube Goldberg Unit. Students worked with partners to create an imaginary Rube Goldberg contraption including at least eight distinctive steps.
We finished the afternoon watching a film of an extensive Rube Goldberg contraption utilizing chemical reactions made by some German scientists. Combustion was part of several of the steps in this contraption. We emphasized not trying these types of activities at home!
Have a great Thanksgiving! Our next session will be Thursday, November 29.
Kathy & Jen
November 29, 2012 Thursday, November 29, 2012
Number Crunchers/Energy Munchers Newsletter
Mrs. Smith was home sick today. I will give a very abbreviated version of what we did today in PALS.
1. The students went through the 4 afternoon stations. When the students worked on their salmon journals, they discovered that we have had 21 egg/fry die. They are now in the sac fry stage of their lives.
2. Brian Kozminski, board member of TU (Trout Unlimited) came and shared about TU, the necessity of keeping our waterways clean, and he shared about our salmon. He will be visiting numerous times this year and our activities will include: fly tying, learning about our local watershed, fish dissection, bug study of the Bear River, salmon release, and learning how to cast. We will also be trying to schedule a catch and release experience for the kids.
3. A nice Christmas gift for your child might be a membership to Trout Unlimited. A child membership costs $11 and they receive little magazines throughout the year. You can obtain that membership at www.tu.org
4. There will not be PALS next week. I am traveling to all of the buildings for small groups.
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 13, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Scrapbooks, and Salmon Journals.
The students then finished the rough drafts of their partner-created Rube-Goldberg drawings and descriptions. Most are now drawing their final copies on tag board. They are turning out great!
Mrs. Slack then taught the kids a new type of brainwork—Kakuro. This is similar to Sudoku, but with a few more variables. Each line and column of cells must add up to a given number on the end. It is a process of listing the possible number combinations, and then eliminating them one by one to come up with each row or column of answers.
Have a great week!
Kathy & Jen
December 20, 2012 Thursday, December 20, 2012
We started today rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Scrapbooks, and Salmon Journals. Most of the fry are now swimming up near the top of the tank. We will need to set up our automatic fish feeder over break, since they now need to be fed six times per day!
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.
Next, the kids continued work on their Rube Goldberg posters. These should all be finished and ready for sharing by the end of our next session.
We finished the day listening to the PHS Steel Drum perform holiday music.
Wishing you a joyous Holiday Break with your families!
Kathy & Jen
*Our next session will be Thursday, January 3.
January 3, 2013 Thursday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year!
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
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. With 21 students in this group, it was quite a spectacle of movement!
Next, Mrs. Slack randomly divided the kids into groups. Each group was given a “kit” of materials, such as foam tubing, popsicle sticks, pieces of wood, clay, tape, etc., to create a Rube Goldberg that would allow a marble to travel from one side of a set of two tables to the other without assistance. They were given 30 minutes to work, followed by a demonstration by each group for the class. The fifth-graders did an excellent job working together and allowing everyone to have input into the design. Way to go, kids!
Kathy & Jen
*Brainwork goals for this group are due to be met on Thursday, January 31. Please check in with your child as that day approaches to see how s/he is progressing toward his/her goal.
January 24, 2013 We started today rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Scrapbooks, and Salmon Journals. Our fish are getting big! Although we have only counted around 25 dead bodies out of the approximately 150 eggs we were originally given, it appears that we don’t have more than 25 fish left. How is this possible? We think many of the small and week were sucked up into the filter early on. Although we wish we had more fish to release in the spring, we know from experience that those remaining will grow bigger due to the space available in the tank. The fish are all swimming vigorously and eating voraciously now, and have reached the corresponding “parr” stage.
Next, the kids continued work on their Rube Goldberg posters. These should all be finished and ready for sharing by the end of our next session.
For our affective activity this afternoon, students were each given a chain of paper clips and two pencils. Using only the pencils (no fingers!), and without bending the paperclips, each student had to separate each paperclip in his/her chain. It proved to be a fun challenge!
We are moving from the study of Rube Goldbergs to inventions. We introduced the topic by reading about Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the most prolific and brilliant inventors of all time. We followed our reading with a modification of the game, “Scattergories”. Each student had to try and come up with an invention for each letter of the alphabet. A point was given for each invention that no one else had listed.
Your child is bringing home the first of three invention assignments. We will share their products next week in PALS. The kids (and usually parents) love these! The requirements are as follows:
Task: Invent a contraption that will pick marbles up off the floor.
Conditions:
1. No more than five different component parts may be used in the completed construction of the invention. Things that secure parts such as screws, nails, nuts, bolts, wire, string, etc., are considered non-parts.
2. The contraption, when used, may not cause the user to bend at the knee.
3. No electrical energy may be used.
Due Date: January 31 (Bring invention to PALS that day.)
Have fun with it!
Kathy & Jen
*Brainwork goals for this group are due to be met next week on Thursday, January 31. Please help your child remember his/her folder that day.
January 31, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Scrapbooks, Salmon Journals, and Brain Activities.
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.
Next, students shared their finished Marble Contraptions. Those who completed the project did a super job! The kids showed a lot of creativity, and the contraptions were quite successful. The second of three projects is detailed below:
The Coat Hanger Due Date: February 7, 2013 (our next PALS session)
Task: Transform a wire coat hanger into a device or invention that performs a different function or purpose.
Conditions: 1. No more than three other materials or items may be used in combination with the coat hanger.
2. The coat hanger may be cut, reshaped, or modified in any way.
3. The device or invention must serve a purpose. The purpose may be practical or recreational.
The kids then shared, with their partners, their finished Rube Goldberg posters. These were also very original and showed good craftsmanship.
Each student then chose an article to read about an inventor s/he would like to learn more about.
While all this was happening, the kids also took turns using our new cotton candy machine to make themselves a little treat!
Kathy & Jen
February 7, 2013 Hello parents,
Today we handed out information packets detailing our big spring field trip, an overnight to Lansing. Although it doesn’t take place until mid-May, we like to give students and parents a heads-up well ahead of time. Please read through all the materials, and feel free to call or email with any additional questions or concerns.
We then rotated through stations—Brainwork, Salmon Journals, Brain Activities, and rather than Scrapbooks today, the kids worked on their February Sketch and Tell.
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 J.
Next, the kids shared their wire hanger inventions. They were all quite different from each other, and some would probably be purchased if given an infomercial! Due to PALS scheduling, the final installment of take-home inventions was sent home today, but they are not due to be turned in until Thursday, February 28. (They may be brought in prior to that, but we will demonstrate them on February 28.)
The Spaghetti Utensil
Task: Create an eating utensil for the eating of spaghetti.
Conditions:
1. An ordinary table fork may not be used unless modified. Combining the fork with or to something else is considered a modification.
2. An ordinary fork may be used to place spaghetti into a created device or invention, if necessary.
Date Assigned: February 7 Classroom Demonstration Date: February 28
Kathy & Jen
*We do not have PALS next week. Mrs. Slack will be working with small groups in all elementary buildings. Our next session will be Thursday, February 21.
**During our next session, we will be walking to The Watershed Council downtown to learn about our local watershed. Please make sure your child is dressed for walking outdoors.
February 28, 2013 Hello parents,
Today we began by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Salmon Journals, Brain Activities, and rather than Scrapbooks today, the kids finished their February Sketch and Tell.
Next, we had each student demonstrate his/her spaghetti utensils on some freshly made pasta. It was a hoot! Again, we had some very unique designs, which provided excellent entertainment. Plus, you would think these children never get fed! :-)
We finished the afternoon by working on the advertisement posters for the inventions students had previously chosen to study.
Kathy & Jen
*If you have not yet had the chance to turn in your child's signed permission slip and money in for our spring field trip to Lansing, please do so asap. We must pay some of the establishments we are visiting prior to our arrival.
March 7, 2013 Hello parents,
Today we began by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Salmon Journals, Brain Activities, and rather than Scrapbooks today, the kids worked on the March Sketch & Tell.
Next, we had the treat of Ms. Heather from the DNR leading us in the dissection of Coho Salmon. These fish did not die for our study, but rather were specimens that had died overnight in the Oden hatchery. Ms. Heather began with an introduction using color prints of the external and internal fish anatomy. Then, using dissection kits, each student was able to examine and identify the organs of his/her fish. Ms. Heather did an excellent job guiding the students, step by step, in locating each of the organs, as well as explaining the purpose(s) of each organ. Mr. Koz of Trout Unlimited was here as well, and he and Ms. Heather were able to provide extensive information on salmon ecology and behaviour. It was a wonderful opportunity and a fascinating afternoon!
Due to some early "spring fever", Mrs. Slack today introduced a little behavior modification to encourage good listening and excellent classroom behavior. An infraction (interrupting, being blatantly off-task, talking when the teacher is talking, etc.) will result in a 25 cent fine, which will go toward a purchase for the PALS classroom. This morning, the classroom only tallied fifty cents. If your student comes home telling you s/he owes Mrs. Slack a quarter, 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.
Enjoy your weekend!
Kathy & Jen
*There is no PALS next week. Mrs. Slack is traveling to all elementaries for small groups. Our next session will be Thursday, March 21.
**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 21, 2013 Hello parents,
Last Thursday we began by rotating through stations—Brainwork, Salmon Journals, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks and/or the March Sketch & Tell.
We next did an activity as a class called "Red Herring". You may remember these from last year. As you probably know, a "red herring" is a name for a clue that can lead you down the wrong path. The class is given a brief description of a mystery to be solved. The description includes clues that must be deciphered before being helpful to lead us to a solution. Each student is given three question cards--each allowing the student to ask one yes-or-no question. (This prevents any one student from monopolizing the inquiry.) This group was excellent at finding the double meanings in the clues, which enabled them to solve the mysteries pretty quickly. Great job, kids!
Next the kids began an experiment testing the insulative properties of various materials. They first wrapped their "house"--tin can--with their insulation. Some of the materials used were cardboard, bubble wrap, newspaper... They then filled the cans with 1 cup of (nearly) boiling water and covered it with a piece of Plexiglas. The Plexiglas had a hole in it to accommodate a thermometer that reached into the water. Students recorded the water temperature after ten seconds and every following minute for the next five minutes. This experiment will continue this week.
We hope you had a great weekend!
Kathy & Jen
Important Information for this Thursday: Hi parents,
Well, Spring Break is nearly upon us, and since we have your children on the last day before vacation, there are some special school events around which to work on Thursday.
Ottawa students are attending a movie in the morning. We expect they will attend Ottawa to join in this event. Mrs. Smith will be happy to pick up all afternoon PALS students (including all-dayers) from Ottawa beginning at 12:20, right after lunch recess, to bring them to Sheridan for PALS.
Sheridan and Central students are scheduled to go to the movie theater in the afternoon. Mrs. Smith will be happy to return all Central morning and all-day PALS kids back to Central before lunch so they may attend the movie. We expect Sheridan PALS kids to attend the movie as well.
Lincoln PALS fifth-graders will attend PALS as usual.
The PHS Jazz Band is set to perform here at Sheridan in the morning.
If you still have questions about this Thursday, or your child would prefer to be with us rather than at a movie ;-) please email or call.
Kathy & Jen
April 11, 2013 Hi parents,
We started this Thursday by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Salmon Journals, and Scrapbooks If students do not have scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell.
Next, we introduced our new project, Ecojars. Each student is creating his/her own self-sustaining aquatic ecosystem--also known as a pickle jar containing producers, consumers, and scavengers :-) . Today they layered topsoil, sand, and pea gravel in the bottom of a clean jar. This layering helps keep the fine sediment out of the water. They then added pond water containing microorganisms, anacharis (a water plant), and topped it off with a little duckweed. Next week they will add the consumers and the scavenger.
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. Since we will be in Lansing during our last session, Brainwork goals for the fifth-graders are due to be met on Thursday, May 9.
We 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 kids got a chance to see the pheasant eggs today, which will be going into the incubator this afternoon. This set of eggs should hatch between 23 and 28 days. The quail eggs have not yet arrived. When the chicks are old enough, they will be going to the nice farm home of an Ottawa teacher.
Spring is just around the corner (at least that's what I've been told ;-) !
Kathy & Jen
April 18, 2013 Hi parents,
Today we had planned to walk down to the Bear River to study invertebrates. Since it was storming, Mr. Koz instead braved the weather and brought water samples complete with bugs to our classroom. The students used dichotomous keys and the help of Mr. Koz to identify the macroinvertebrates (large enough to see without a microscope) in each water sample. They then used their findings to determine the water quality of each sample, since they were collected from different segments of the Bear River. Among the invertebrates found were: Mayfly, Stonefly, Scud, Dragonfly nymph, and Threadworm. For a neat video of a dragonfly feeding, go to :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnYW0jE7-Ik
It's hard to believe, but after today, we only have three class sessions for this group. (We have a fourth and final session, but we will on our field trip to Lansing that day.) Please check with your child to see how s/he is progressing toward his/her goal. Brainwork goals are due to be met for this group on May 9.
We have begun receiving permission slips and money for our Lansing trip on May 15-16. Please get these in as soon as you can. We are still in need of additional chaperones, as we like to have two adults per vehicle--one to drive and one to navigate/manage the kids. Please call us if you are able to chaperone.
We finished the afternoon by rotating through stations.
Kathy & Jen
*We have a field trip scheduled for next Thursday afternoon--April 25. We will be heading to the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery in Elmira for a nature hike and fishing. Sorry for the late notice! We need 3-4 parent drivers in order to be able to go. Please call asap if you are able to help us out. Thank you in advance!
April 25, 2013 Hi parents,
We had a great time on our field trip to Jordan River Valley Fish Hatchery yesterday. Unfortunately, due to the federal government sequestration, budget cuts prevented us from being allowed to go fishing. (We were not informed of this until we arrived.) Fortunately, the employees of the hatchery still created fun and educational activities for us.
After an introduction of the Brook Trout (which this hatchery raises) and how it differs from the Chinook salmon we raise here, we entered the raceways (underground pools/tanks where the fish live and grow). We learned that trout don't like sunlight, and can actually be sunburned and get cataracts from too much exposure. Therefore, the fry are kept in a building with the shades drawn!
Next, our group leader gathered many little fry in buckets, and we took these to different raceways to feed them to the bigger trout (and we got to use our hands to do it!).
We then went on a scenic hike to a high point where we were able to enjoy some snow, sleet, and a beautiful view :-) During our hike, each student searched for an item that started with the same letter as his/her first name, and one that started with the first letter if his/her last name.
We finished our afternoon inside, examining models of fish native to Michigan. The kids read given clues and compared them to information for each species, deciding which clue described which fish.
Thank you, parent and grandparent driver-chaperones, for making our trip possible!
Have a wonderful, snow-free weekend :-)
Kathy & Jen
May 2, 2013 Hi parents,
Today was a big day for us. We released our salmon! We had the fewest to release in our four years participating in the Salmon in the Classroom program--19. However, the smolt (the silvery stage the fish are in currently) were larger than any we have ever had. The bummer about only having 19 to release was that two students were unable to let a fish go in the Bear River. The good thing is that the larger size of these fish will probably mean they have a better chance of survival in the wild.
When we returned from the river, the kids added the final inhabitants to their Ecojars--two "feeder" (small) danio (fish). The jar is really only a size to accommodate one fish, but these are so young and tiny, we have given the kids two in order to have a spare :-) . A few kids have had a real problem with their ecosystems this year. The plants died, and the water then turned black! Today those kids removed the water from the jar, replaced it with new pond water, and put in a new plant. Hopefully their Ecojars will "bounce back" from this setback.
Students then finished their Salmon Journals by drawing the fish in their new home--the Bear River. We finished the afternoon working on Animal Research for the Potter Park Zoo portion of our trip to Lansing. While we tour the zoo, the kids will act as our docents, taking turns sharing interesting facts about the animals we encounter.
Our big trip to Lansing is in less than two weeks (May 15-16)! Please get any late permission slips and money in as soon as possible--by our next PALS session, at the latest. We also have some students who have turned in permission slips but not money. We must have the money to deposit before we pay our hosts in Lansing.
We now have enough drivers/chaperones to have two adults per vehicle, as we prefer. Thank you so much for volunteering to do this! It is parents that make these trips possible :-)
Kathy & Jen
Addition to May 2 Newsletter Hi parents,
I forgot to mention that we also had a class discussion yesterday. A few parents had emailed, expressing concern/frustration over their pre-teens' recent changing attitudes. Some of the behaviors described were: having to be asked numerous times to complete a chore or task, not cleaning up after oneself, eye-rolling or back-talking, "snippy" responses, etc.
We talked about some of the unexplained anger and frustration that comes with adolescence, and how this is totally normal. We then let them know that while these feelings are normal, how a person handles those emotions makes all the difference, and that it's not fair to take it out on one's parents, friends, and family.
We discussed some strategies for dealing with anger: taking a deep breath and pausing/thinking before responding, spending some quiet time alone to cool off, etc. We agreed that completing a task the first time a parent asks rather than the third, fourth, or tenth time would make things easier and more pleasant for both them and their parents, and allow time for more fun activities together rather than nagging, grumpiness, and exhaustion.
Please let us know if you see any positive changes in your child, or if this type of behavior is continuing or getting worse. And remember, this too shall pass...at least by the time they're 30 ;-) .
We hope we have helped in some way!
Kathy & Jen
May 9, 2013 Hi parents,
We began Thursday rotating through stations.
We then joined Mr. Kozminski and his helpers from Trout Unlimited for a casting lesson outside.
We also shared a yummy end-of-PALS chocolate cake from the Mayfield family. Thank you, Mayfields!
Many kids asked for another copy of our trip itinerary for Lansing (next week!). I have attached that along with the list of what to bring.
Brainwork goals were checked today. Most students met or exceeded their goals. Way to go, kids!
Students then worked on any projects that needed finishing--Animal Research, Invention Posters, etc.
The kids then received a mystery packet (using readings, clues, and logic puzzles) to solve either individually or with a partner. Since today is our last classroom session, those who wanted to continue to work on them took them home
Many of our bird 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 Monday morning with the kids watching. Several more quail and pheasant have hatched since. What fun! There are still six eggs unhatched. They are now considered duds and will be discarded at the end of today.
I am also attaching a list of drivers, chaperones, and passengers for each vehicle to Lansing. We went through these with the kids today, and they had input as to the arrangements.
Please check out the field trip packet again for information on the trip. If you still have questions, please feel free to email or call.
Have a great Friday! Whew!
Jen & Kathy
May 16, 2013 Hi parents,
What a great trip we had! It turned out we had great weather (I do not dare say a little too warm!). It was so neat to watch the kids thoroughly engrossed and enjoying the Impression 5 activities, listen attentively at the Michigan Historical Museum, and act as experts on their animals at the zoo.
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. We know what a big commitment this trip is, and we are grateful for all your help!
As a side note, our chicks have gone to their new home on the farm. They all had feathers growing on their wings, and the pheasants, especially, were trying to get out of their enclosures. Mrs. Smith came in to clean their houses on Saturday to find the light on in the room. (It turns on by motion sensor.) After much crawling around and peeping from the little escapee, s/he was found shivering behind the toilet in the class bathroom. The little chick was fine, and the window of the brooder was taped shut :-)
The PALS school year has come to an end--no PALS next week :-( Thanks for sharing your kiddos with us this year. They are fantastic!
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.
Kathy & Jen
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