Tree Swallow Times: January 24, 2011

It is hard to believe we are at the end of our first semester already!   Even though it is just a four-day week, we are not slowing down one bit.

This week we will learn how water is cared for and cleaned as it comes to and leaves our homes, return to Jackson Bottom Wetlands and begin a paper-mache project.

Yeah…I said “week.”

The Swallows have completed their Mystery Track Animal research project.  (Check out their posters adorning the Level 1 hallway)

This week, the Swallows will apply their knowledge of their animal to design a 3-D model out of paper-mache.  Monday, students will begin by drawing their featured animal and then creating an armature from recycled materials.  Beginning as early as Tuesday, Swallows will add paper-mache layers to their critter with hopes to have the layers done and drying over the weekend so we can paint and add details next week.

Wednesday morning, we travel to Clean Water Services Facility in Hillsboro to learn how water is treated to and from our homes.   This marks the shift in our water focus from wildlife and water cycle to water use and conservation. 

Thursday is a day we have all been looking forward to: our Jackson Bottom Wetlands winter monitoring.  This Thursday at 9:30a.m., we will reunite with our Bulldog buddies (St. Thomas More 2^nd Grade class) and begin 3 rotations to collect data about this wetlands and the current restoration efforts.  This is one of three seasonal surveys that the buddies will conduct of the restoration and surrounding areas.  In June, the students will presents process and conclusions to surrounding public, media, experts and Jackson Bottom staff.  More on this event as it nears…

Check out our Jackson Bottom Blog for a refresher on this project.
http://stewardsofjacksonbottomwetlands.blogspot.com/

Friday I will be busy writing report cards for the semester.   While I am doing this, here is your job:

           Tracking Water Usage at Home

Goal:  To calculate the amount of water the student’s family uses during a weekend or a full 2 days.

Procedure:

1.  Place tally sheets next to the places in the house where water is being used.

        a. The tally sheets should be made by the student for their individual house based on number of faucets or bathrooms (make it convenient by having a place on the tally sheet for each water source).

        b. They should be used to record information like how many times the a faucet was used to wash hands, how many times the toilet was flushed, how showers or baths were taken, and how many loads of clothes were washed.

2.Each person in the house will write down on the tally sheet each time they use water.

a. Record the number of times the water activity was done. (ex: number of showers, toilet flushes, loads of wash, etc)

3.The student/family will collect the tally sheets after 48 hours and add up all the times for a faucet, shower, etc.

4.Then multiply the times by the estimated water used for each specific activity to determine the number of gallons used.  For example if washing hands occurred 25 times in the house, then the student/family will multiply the 25 by the 1 gallons per wash to get the amount of water used in gallons.

 Shower:  30-60 gallons/time

Bath:  30 gallons/time

Flush toilet:  6 to 8 gallons/time

Washing machine: 30 to 60 gallons/time

Teeth brushed:  2 gallons/time

5.The student/family will then total the gallons used for each type of usage to get the water used by the household in 48 hours.

6.The student/family will take the gallons used in 48 hours and divide by 2 (cut that number in half) to determine the number of gallons used in one day.

7.Next the family will divide the daily gallon usage by the number of people in the household to determine the water usage per person per day.

8.  Make sure to report back to your class! 

(WATCH FOR A PAPER COPY OF THIS COMING HOME WEDNESDAY!)

Tree Swallow Times: January 18, 2011

This week we are off to the theater!   Thursday afternoon we will get to experience Alexander’s Terrible Day.  Thank you to all who have returned the admission envelopes.   Make sure to get it to the Swallow classroom asap.   Scholarship  admission is available.

Friday The Tree Swallows will present at All School Meeting.  We will perform a song that we have been learning and singing in several different languages and  also (trumpets sound) present  the premier showing of  our Merlin buddy film project, “A Drop Around the World.”

Wednesday afternoon we will visit the Forest Grove Library.  I understand that there has been some confusion about book check outs.   Students may check out books with their own library cards.  I do not allow students to check boks out for other students.  I am not able to check out books for students either.  The limit during school trips is two books or magazines and at least one should be a “just right” book.

Next week we will visit Clean Water Services to learn how water is cared for so it can come to our home.  This trip is on Wednesday.  We will leave in the morning and  return to the school by lunch (so no pizza worries).  Let me know if you  too would like to learn more about how water is cleaned AND chaperone a fabulous group of kids too.   I would appreciate two adult volunteers.

IT IS FINALLY HERE... RAIN OR SHINE…FLOODED OR DRY  we are headed  back to  Jackson  Bottom Wetland for our winter survey.  Rotations will include riparian and  wetland  mapping, photo-point monitoring, wildlife inventory,  macro study, microscopy investigation,  and film documentation.  Please consider volunteering  for this big event.  I want to especially encourage return volunteers.  You know the ropes!

Tree Swallow Times: January 10, 2011

      "How wonderful it is that nobody need
       wait a single moment before starting to
                           improve the world."
                                             Anne Frank

Thursday’s trip to the Family Resource Center was absolutely wonderful.  We arrived and were greeted by Martha Ochoa, the center’s director.  She thanked us for coming to help, referencing a large shipment of clothes and food that needed sorting and shelving.  
A Tree Swallow representative, Waylon, then described our Stone Soup project and fundraiser with enthusiastic detail and presented a check for 140.80 to Martha.   A round of applause and the Swallows were off, focused on sorting clothing and food donations.

Such serious effort necessitated fresh air and hard play.

Peace Buddies return!  Friday we reunited with our Peace Buddies (Charlie’s class and a partnership devoted to citizen/stewardship projects).
We spent time getting to know each other and brainstormed characteristics of personal identity and culture.  This will feed an art/mapping activity and lay foundation for the Pennies For Peace fundraising project.  
We meet again this coming Thursday.
Don’t forget to send in your greeting card fronts to support the student initiated citizenship project to help St Jude’s Ranch for Children.


The week ahead:
    This week we will begin to brainstorm and plan our class Treasure book:  a culmination of our “3 Months on the River in a Red Canoe.”
The Treasure Book program provides publishing opportunities to classrooms nationwide.  This is our third year creating a Treasure Book.   Watch for more information (such as ordering opportunities) coming soon.

Wednesday, we welcome Adam Fleenor , a Clean Water Services  Hydrologist  and FGCS parent.  Mr. Fleenor will guide the Swallows in wetlands activity and answer questions about the Jackson Bottom restoration.

Our Jackson Bottom winter monitor is this month, the 27th of January.  We are seeking adult guides.  Please come.  It is truly an experience!

Note:  We do not have a Thursday Out and About this week due to Adam Fleenor’s visit and Peace Buddies.
We resume our Thursday schedule next week with the Theater on the Grove presentation of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”
Every year, the Theater in the Grove offers a performance for school children at a really reasonable rate, just 5.00.    Watch for  a note home about this.  One last thing, if you would like to accompany us for the play, I would like to invite 1-2 adult guides.  Let me know asap.

Tree Swallow Times: January 3, 2011

Happy 2011, Families!

We ended the year with stone soup, a web-based "water" scavenger hunt, filming a "drop Around the World,"  and a dance party, complete with glittery disco ball.  I know what you are thinking:  What's left for 2011 and what could possibly follow all that?

Well, just wait... it just keeps getting better!

Where we are headed...

    This week, all Swallows will complete their mystery animal track research.  Last week, buddy-projects and soup making demanded so much of our time.  This week, all zoologists will complete research and their presentation poster.  be sure to check these out in our hallway!

     Inspired by our "near-completed" storyline and in preparation for our collaborative raising of trout, we invited a Kestrel "expert group" to come talk with us about salmon.  We learned about the salmon life cycle, diet and protective adaptations.

   Near the end of this week we will begin culmination books for our Red Canoe storyline.  These books will allow Swallows to share and celebrate their learning during this imaginative unit.

Outside the  Swallow Nest:

      This Wednesday (January 5) is a library visit.  I returned a stack of Swallow books on the 19th.  Please be sure to check with your Swallow about taking items back to the library.  It is quite disappointing for kids to find a book and discover that they may not check them out because of unreturned items.

This Thursday (January 6), we are hoping to visit the Family Resource Center at Tom McCall Upper Elementary School.  We will present the money raised from the stone soup sales (thank you for you very generous donations) and stay to help stock shelves and sort clothing.  The Tree Swallows contributed time to the Family Resource Center in 2009 and it became a memorable experience.  Please let me know if you are interested and able to accompany us for this service project.

******  I was cleaning out closets and dressers over winter break ad found two good coats that Lily does not wear anymore.  This inspired the request I am about to make:  The Family Resource Center supplies good, used clothing to families in need (adults, kids and babies).  It has been particularly cold this winter.  If you have outgrown coats and jackets that are in good condition, we would love to collect them for the Family Resource Center.

A STUDENT INITIATED SERVICE PROJECT:  Waylon, a third year Tree Swallow invited the class to save the front of greeting cards to benefit St. Judes Ranch for Children.  This organization provides a home for neglected and abused children and is funded through sponsors and public funding programs.

The greeting card fronts are sent to St Jude's Ranch to be "recycled."    

           From their website:  The recycled card program is operated by Kids, Corp., a program for the children at St. Jude’s Ranc to learn entrepreneurship skills, the children participate in making the new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The result is a beautiful new card made by the children and volunteers. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive "green" holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of "going green".

There are some restricted cards, but most are accepted.  (Check out their website for more details)

Send your card fronts to the Tree Swallow classroom.

Odds and Ends:

   I hope you have all had a chance to meet our enchanting class chinchilla, Shadow.  She is oh so cute, soft to the touch and loves to be scratched behind the ear.  She also has needs and this costs money.  Thanks to Tanya (Shadow's first human momma and Waylon's only Mom) for helping to carry the cost of food, bedding, toys and cleaning.  I would like to ask for your help too.  Please consider making a financial donation towards the purchase of supplies for shadow.   Food is about 12.00, hay is 6.00 and dust for her bath is 7.00 (about a month).   She also requires bedding and chew toys.   Thank you.