From:Barbara Rector [mailto:barbara.rector@mnps.org]
Sent:Tuesday, May 01, 2012 5:00 PM
To:Rector, Barbara B (MNPS)
Subject:Meigs -- field trip, star party, EWTA, homework May 1

Dear Parents,
 
I hope your children came home excited today about working with Dr. Erika Grundstrum, a Vanderbilt astronomy professor and coordinator of the outreach program. Today we put together (and took apart) telescopes, and Thursday we will use them outside to learn how to focus and to observe some far away objects. Later this month, Dr. Erika is going to bring a portable planetarium (since it's a little hard to observe stars during the school day.
 
As part of this outreach project, Dr. Erika is offering to host a "Star Party" at Vanderbilt. She will set up the astronomy lab telescopes that are located on the Vanderbilt 25th Ave. Parking Garage, and our students, families, and friends are invited to come observe the moon, Saturn, Mars, and Venus, and to learn a little about the night sky over Nashville. Of course, this is all weather-dependent. We are going to try for Tuesday, May 15, at 7:45 PM (yes, it's a school night, but it needs to be dark!) If the conditions that night are not suitable, we will move to the following night (May 16 or 17) or Sunday, May 20. I hope many of you will be able to attend.
 
You may bring your family, a lawn chair, snacks, and a flashlight covered with red cellophane (or a red balloon or a brown lunch bag.) See the link on my webpage about star parties. Students should be practicing with their star finders and should bring them to the star party. The garage is diagonally across from the baseball stadium. We would park on whatever floor we come in on and take the elevator to the 11th floor. Park in the "Zone 3" spaces.
 
Next Wednesday our classes will go downtown to the Public Square to observe the newly-installed public art entitled. We are working with TPAC Education on a unit called "Exploration and Discovery". Please send your permission slip and money ASAP. We will plan to eat lunch at the Public Square, weather-permitting; however, we will view the art RAIN OR SHINE (not including severe weather!) We could still use a few more chaperones (free!). Chaperones will need to be able to walk four city blocks and to walk up two flights of stairs. Chaperones will be supervising a small group of 8-10 students. If your child needs a sack lunch from the cafeteria, please let me know ASAP.
 
Don't forget Evening With the Arts (EWTA) on Friday, May 18. See the Meigs Memo to order dinner from Whitt's barbeque. Come see art work, hear the band, strings, or choir, watch the drama clubs perform, and listen to some poetry!
 
Congratulations to students who received 1st place in the district 4H demonstrations. These students have an opportunity to present at the subregionals next week: Madeline Carter, Emily Conn, Ella Halbert, Henry Hylbert, Ellianna Wade, Lela Waters, Ross Wilkerson
 
 
Homework is different this week:
 
Math - work on fraction problems and sketches for their math video game/app proposal (presentations Monday, May 7)
Science - work on personal timeline (for TPAC Ed) and science project (due Monday, May 7)
 
Babs