NEW NEWS: I just found out that 5S got a $250 grant to help develop a "bird sanctuary" in the back of the school. 5S already calls this area the bird sanctuary, but soon, we will plan, purchase and plant items that will promote a healthy, year round space for birds and Driscoll families to find a peaceful spot. I will contact someone from the Audobon society to help us out and if you have knowledge in this area, please let me know. EARLY DISMISSAL/THANKSGIVING MINI FEAST: This Wednesday, students will be dismissed from school at noon. Lunch is not being served. But, in room 302, we will put all our desks together in one long thanksgiving table. We won’t be serving what they had at the first 1621 Thanksgiving - seafood, wild fowl (wild turkey), and venison- but perhaps we can get a hold of some ‘corn’ type foods (popcorn?) and some apple cider to drink. If you would like to bring in any other NUT FREE items, that could represent the first meal, let me know. Click here for a description of what they really did eat. The attachment might give you ideas. We will have our mini feast at around 10:35: It will be more of a brunch. TURKEYS: Due to our continued study of birds and in honor of our bird of the month, 5S has been watching a beautifully filmed and highly educational Nature Video called, My Life as a Turkey. Below is a little excerpt about the film. My life as a Turkey is based on a true story about a naturalist scientist named Joe Hutto. Joe has a bowl of wild turkey eggs left on his front porch. When the chicks emerged from their shells, they locked eyes with Joe who then became an unusual but dedicated mother. Set in the wilds of Florida, Hutto spent each day living as a turkey mother, taking on the full-time job of raising sixteen turkey chicks. He cared for his family around the clock for almost two years. They revealed their surprising intellect and language. It is amazing to learn how intelligent these birds are. One also sees how each turkey has its own personality- The movie does have sad parts as some of the 16 do not make it, but most of them do and it’s an amazing journey along the way. Based on the fact that many of us have had many more interactions with wild turkeys over the last few years, it seems like an important movie to watch. I imagine it will make everyone look at wild turkeys with new eyes. Here is the link: My Life As a Turkey- Full Episode HSC: The 12th Home/School edition will arrive after Thanksgiving break. As you saw, the 11th Home/School Connection was a student designed edition. 5S was ready to take on this new challenge. There is an art to summarizing. They will do this every few weeks. Students had to:
In the past few weeks, students were asked to come up with more of their own discussion questions, but this was the first time I asked them to summarize what we did and why. Some students have already commented that they prefer designing their own HSC's and not surprisingly, others found it challenging. I can say from my own experience writing the HSC's each week, that it is a brain workout. I appreciated how willing and upbeat 5S was when asked to do this. MIND UP: Speaking of the brain, every Thursday, for the last few weeks, our wonderful guidance counselor, Ms. Gross, has been coming up to work with 5th graders on a curriculum called MindUP. The program integrates mindfulness training with a better understanding of neuroscience. Our main goal has been to give students tools for staying focused and calm, especially when they feel frustrated or under pressure. On some days, students reviewed little videos produced by BBC radio. Here are a couple of them: BBC- MEET YOUR BRAIN- CLICK HERE BBC- MANAGING STRESS- CLICK HERE *Note: My biggest problem with the videos are the lack of noses. UP AND COMING EARLY DISMISSALS: The final two early dismissal days will be:
SCIENCE SOLSTICE: Friday, December 11th will be the wonderful science solstice day at Driscoll. 5th graders will have a full day learning about telescopes and binoculars (part of our optics unit) from Driscoll parent Tad Gallion, a visit from a couple Birds of Prey from Blue Hills, a science experience with Joie's dad Ray Liu and a presentation from the Museum of Science about the Sound of Science. FIELD TRIP: 5th graders will be heading to the Franklin Park Zoo on Thursday, December 17th. They will be having an hour long class on animal adaptations and a chance to explore the zoo when there are fewer tourists and the animals are happy to have more company. The field trip notice will be heading home soon for you to sign. The funds you paid in September will cover the cost. LIGHT AND DARK: Days may be darker as we head to the shortest day of the year, but there is certainly a lot going on to keep our spirits bright and our minds in motion. Comments are closed.
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