Week of April 20

It was a very busy week in the Peacock classroom.  

We began our last Social Studies simulation on Monday. This is Seaburia...

It is made up of 6 different countries.  Some countries are very poor, while some are very wealthy.   The kids are working in groups of 3 to run their country, with each group having a President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Treasury.  They must have a certain amount of oil and food for their country to run, and must work to trade with other groups to get what they need.  There are also situations to which they must find a solution.  This week, one country wanted to destroy the Great Seaburia Reef, and on another day, famine struck.  There is much organized chaos while teams are negotiating, giving aid, and imposing sanctions.  

We also finished our Little Free Libraries!  They look fabulous with the copper tiles on the outside. Thank you to the parent volunteer who helped us create such a lovely piece of art.  Now, please raise your paddle often at the auction!  

We had a guest speaker come to talk to us about vaccinations today.  The pediatrician, who according to one student (when he asked how old they thought he was) is "pretty old, but pretty wise", has seen many diseases that now have vaccinations.  He gave the students real examples of what some of these diseases are all about and helped the students understand the importance of vaccines and herd immunity.  Be sure to ask your child about the study on chocolate!  

  

Week of April 13

We had a great trip to NatureBridge Camp this week.  The students all wrote about something from the trip. 

"I loved to meet a tree.  Everybody got a partner and blind folded them.  Then they led them to a tree.  Some people hugged them. Some people smelled them.  Some people also touched them.  It was fun."

"Dana (our guide) told us about a hollowed tree called the Welcome Tree.  The Welcome Tree is actually alive with charcoal smothered on the insides (from a fire inside the tree).  We used the charcoal as black war paint (because black was the only color for war paint)."  

"After the card hike, we needed to build a house for Sluggy the slug.  We found a little tee-pee made out of sticks and everyone started to work on it.  Eventually it was the most luxurious home for our friend Sluggy.  (Some students worked on their own Sluggy Mansion.)  Sadly, since it was a national park, we had to destroy Sluggy's mansion in the end."

"Joining stump club was really fun.  We climbed through 2 stumps to join it.  One stump was on the ground and you crawled through it like a log, the other you would stand up and walk through it.  You would get a high five and you were in."

"The Marymere Falls were beautiful.  I can't wait to go back some time!  I really recommend going and hiking there."

"We went to Barnes Point Creek for science fun.  We did oxygen levels, macro-invertebrates, ph levels, and turbidity.  I did macro-invertebrates."

"The cookie circle is when you say your flower.  The rose was when you say what was the best thing that happened that day. Your thorn is what did not go well.  Your bud is what you were going to do the next day."

"Okay, so there is a cube with names and numbers and colors.  I'll let you try to solve it, a.k.a find out the name and numbers and color.  Gray: 1. Alma, top number 4, bottom number 2.  (Opposite side) 2. Alfred, top number 6, bottom number 2.  (New side)  Red: 1.  Rob, top and bottom numbers 3. (Opposite side)  2.  Roberta, top number 7, bottom number 3.  (New side) Purple: 1. Frank, top number 4, bottom number, 5."  What number is on the opposite side of Frank?

"At the campfire, the first thing we did were fun skits.  Skit 1 was about something we learned.  Skit 2 was about some thing that could have gone horribly wrong.  Skit 3 was about something funny. Then the three-headed professor came.  He/she knew everything.  Then we read a story and made a rainstorm.  We also sang and danced.  Then we had s'mores!"

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"I liked being the hopper.  You cleared the plates and set them.  You also got to eat first."

"We really liked the canoe ride.  We hurt afterwards, but it was really fun.  We got to enjoy the view and the silent moments.  The deepest point was 250 ft below sea level or 650 ft below the surface."

"In NatureBridge we played a lot of games.  Those games were super fun."

We had a great time at NatureBridge.  Be sure to join us next week at Gathering for the PowerPoint and presentation on the entire trip!  

Week of March 30

We spent some time on Monday working on our auction project.  It looks fabulous, and is only going to look better once we get the finishing touches on it.  The uncle of one of the students took the plans and models that the students created and combined them to create 2 Little Free Libraries, one for the home of the purchaser and the other for the Seabury campus.  When they delivered them on Monday, the students stained them and painted the doors (a nice Seabury blue color), added flashing to the roofs, glued the plexiglass into the doors, and attached the hinges.  They also painted and designed wooden bookmarks that we will place inside the houses.  After spring break we will be creating designs on copper tiles that we will glue onto the sides of the house and adding books to the houses.  Thank you to Shawn and Sue for helping us with our project!

     Building the little free libraries was so fun.  I loved doing everything and I learned a lot about how to build stuff.  I especially loved doing the caulking and staining the wood.  I liked how good they explained how to do it.  Building may be something I do more often.  Building the little free libraries was awesome.  

     This is what I think about the little free libraries.  I did a good job painting.  I helped glue down some plexiglass.  I helped screw in some hinges.  That is what I helped with on the little free libraries.

     I liked to make the little free library.  I liked to add caulk to the windows.  I also loved to add paint to the frame.  Making the Little Free Library is a group effort.  It's like a once in a lifetime experience.  

     I think I did well on our little free libraries by painting and screwing in nails.  I did well because I screwed fast.  

     I think that we did a lot for the Little Free Library.  We finished the doors (almost).  We stained and fully waterproofed the house. We screwed in the doors.  That is why I think that we did a lot for the Little Free Library.  

     I love the idea of a Little Free Library.  People get to exchange books and read them.  If my mom goes to the auction then I hope she gets it.  The Little Free Library is the best idea since sliced bread!  That is why I think the Little Free Library is a great idea.  

    The little free libraries went well this week.  It went well because it was fun.  It also went well because it was exciting.  Another reason is that it was cool.  That's what went well this week.

     Making the Little free libraries was really fun.  I enjoyed staining them a lot.  I hope that I'll do something like that again next year.  I liked caulking too.  I really liked making the little free libraries.  

     I can't believe the LFLs are that cool!  It was really cool to make those!  I can't wait to see them put up!  They'll look really cool.  It's the best auction project ever!  The designers did a really good job designing them.  

     I loved making the little free libraries.  It was cool that our class got to gloss the libraries and paint the doors.  I also loved painting the bookmarks and designing them too.  It was fun caulking the windows and touching the caulk stuff.  I had a lot of fun.  

We also held a Forum of Famous Faces for our March book about a president.  The students worked hard this week to type information from their book about their president, find pictures, create a presentation board, write a speech, and bring a costume to school for the Forum.  The students did a fabulous job learning about their president, as well as the presidents the other students read about. They were very excited about this book report.  

     It was fun to make our forum of famous faces board.  It was very interesting to learn about Lincoln and his life.  My favorite part of the book was learning about Grace Bedell.  She was 11 years old and sent Lincoln a letter about his appearance.  It was fun!

     I think I worked really had on printing and typing my thing.  I can't wait to see other people's presentations.  The Forum of Famous Faces was really cool to do.  That was one of the best reports ever!  I think I worked really hard.  

     I enjoyed making the forum of famous faces.  I really liked finding the photos.  I also liked typing it.  I also liked gluing them onto the board.  It was really cool.  

     The boards went bad.  It went bad because it took long.  It also went bad because I am nervous.  Another reason is that it wasn't my best work.  That's what went bad.

     Our Forum of Famous Faces are really cool.  My costume is super cool.  My costume has a big white shirt, boots, and black pants.  I love our Forum of Famous Faces idea.  That's why I love the Forum of Famous Faces.  

     I am so excited for the forum of famous faces!  I love my costume.  I borrowed pants and stuff from my mom and my friend. I like to go big or go home with costumes.  I am bubbling over with excitement.  

     I think I will be ready for the Forum of Famous Faces.  I had my board ready early.  I have my speech memorized.  My costume is really good.  That is why I think I will be ready for the Forum of Famous Faces.  

     I did well on Forum of Famous Faces.  I finished first.  It felt good to.  I did well on typing it.  

     I'm anxious for the Forum of  Famous Faces.  I worked extra hard to get my board finished.  I love the Forum of Famous Faces. I gathered the most info as possible.  I can't wait for this afternoon. 

     I enjoy making forum of famous faces boards.  I enjoy typing the entries.  I enjoy finding pictures.  I enjoy gluing stuff on.  I enjoy doing those three things about forum of famous faces boards.