This week in the lab...
we had quite the break-in! 13 classrooms had windows smashed in and things stolen, including the science lab. The science lab was a mess. The cabinets were open and materials were scattered all over the floor. Glass from the broken window covered the area near the door. Unfortunately, Ms. Phillips' school laptop, 15 digital cameras, and some CDs were taken from the science lab. Our tortoise, Stella, was found outside in the drinking fountain by Rita, our Cafeteria Manager. She's okay, thankfully, but it was quite a scare. To top it all off, the incubator was broken, and our eggs did not hatch on Tuesday as planned.
In spite of this tragedy, it was amazing to see the spirit and camaraderie of Casita families as they joined together to clean up the mess. A huge thank you to our custodian, Ray, and everyone else that helped put the classrooms back in order.
It seems as though these break-ins are occurring fairly frequently. Since Christmas, our school has been broken into 6 times. While the Sheriff's Department is investigating these crimes, I'd like to take this time to urge anyone who sees any activity on campus after dark or on the weekends, to please call the Sheriff's Department and report it.
Even with all the excitement this week, we still managed to squeeze in some solid science learning! Kindergartners went on a mini field trip around campus, and identified different clouds they saw in the sky. It was a WONDERFUL day for cloud observations! We drew pictures of the clouds we saw on our Cloud Log, and labeled them too! We aplayed an interactive game Ms. Phillips made for the StarBoard called "Swat It," where students had to "swat" the correct type of cloud. During technology time, students tried their typing fingers on for size. We visited the Dance Mat Typing website, and learned about home row, and how to properly place our fingers on the keyboard.
First graders learned anemometers! An Anemometer is a tool that scientists use to measure the strength of the wind. Students made their own anemometers to take home! During technology time, students continued to work on their habitat PowerPoints.
Since Turtle Hurdles was such a hit, we decided to play it again this week! To change it up a bit, we played the game twice. The first time, we had more sea turtles than predators. The second time we had more predators than sea turtles. It was interesting to note the difference in how many sea turtles made it back to the beach to lay their eggs during the first game, as opposed to the second game. During technology time, we continued to work on our Interactive Inference Games, which we are creating in PowerPoint.
During STEM Academy, students learned about the "handiness" of robots! We explored different scenarios where having a robot would be beneficial. Then, students worked in teams of 3-4 students, and used their engineering minds to design and create a robot arm of their very own! The arm had to be at least 18" long, and be able to pick up a styrofoam cup from the ground. Also, students were limited on the materials they could use. Materials available included: cardboard, tape, fishing line, yarn, paper clips, brads, binder clips, straws, clothes pins, rubber bands, and wooden popsicle sticks, scissors, and a hole punch.
I told the students that once the incubator is repaired, I will buy some more fertilized chicken eggs for us to incubate. Hopefully we'll have better luck the second time around!
Well, that's what happened this week at 260 Cedar Road. Until next time, stay classy Casita...
we had quite the break-in! 13 classrooms had windows smashed in and things stolen, including the science lab. The science lab was a mess. The cabinets were open and materials were scattered all over the floor. Glass from the broken window covered the area near the door. Unfortunately, Ms. Phillips' school laptop, 15 digital cameras, and some CDs were taken from the science lab. Our tortoise, Stella, was found outside in the drinking fountain by Rita, our Cafeteria Manager. She's okay, thankfully, but it was quite a scare. To top it all off, the incubator was broken, and our eggs did not hatch on Tuesday as planned.
In spite of this tragedy, it was amazing to see the spirit and camaraderie of Casita families as they joined together to clean up the mess. A huge thank you to our custodian, Ray, and everyone else that helped put the classrooms back in order.
It seems as though these break-ins are occurring fairly frequently. Since Christmas, our school has been broken into 6 times. While the Sheriff's Department is investigating these crimes, I'd like to take this time to urge anyone who sees any activity on campus after dark or on the weekends, to please call the Sheriff's Department and report it.
Even with all the excitement this week, we still managed to squeeze in some solid science learning! Kindergartners went on a mini field trip around campus, and identified different clouds they saw in the sky. It was a WONDERFUL day for cloud observations! We drew pictures of the clouds we saw on our Cloud Log, and labeled them too! We aplayed an interactive game Ms. Phillips made for the StarBoard called "Swat It," where students had to "swat" the correct type of cloud. During technology time, students tried their typing fingers on for size. We visited the Dance Mat Typing website, and learned about home row, and how to properly place our fingers on the keyboard.
First graders learned anemometers! An Anemometer is a tool that scientists use to measure the strength of the wind. Students made their own anemometers to take home! During technology time, students continued to work on their habitat PowerPoints.
Since Turtle Hurdles was such a hit, we decided to play it again this week! To change it up a bit, we played the game twice. The first time, we had more sea turtles than predators. The second time we had more predators than sea turtles. It was interesting to note the difference in how many sea turtles made it back to the beach to lay their eggs during the first game, as opposed to the second game. During technology time, we continued to work on our Interactive Inference Games, which we are creating in PowerPoint.
During STEM Academy, students learned about the "handiness" of robots! We explored different scenarios where having a robot would be beneficial. Then, students worked in teams of 3-4 students, and used their engineering minds to design and create a robot arm of their very own! The arm had to be at least 18" long, and be able to pick up a styrofoam cup from the ground. Also, students were limited on the materials they could use. Materials available included: cardboard, tape, fishing line, yarn, paper clips, brads, binder clips, straws, clothes pins, rubber bands, and wooden popsicle sticks, scissors, and a hole punch.
I told the students that once the incubator is repaired, I will buy some more fertilized chicken eggs for us to incubate. Hopefully we'll have better luck the second time around!
Well, that's what happened this week at 260 Cedar Road. Until next time, stay classy Casita...