On Tuesday, the CreationWatch students were the most diligent mentors with the first grade students who came along with us to One-Mile for a nature scavenger hunt. Fourth grade students modeled observation skills and journaling and demonstrated patience and encouragement for their younger friends. The first graders were a delightful group to have along with us!
I am happy to announce that E. has been chosen by the Noon Kiwanis Club as one of three winners of their Fourth Grade Essay Contest in our city! Well done! We are proud of you!
She wrote her essay about the Humane Society's need for funds to care for animals and gave suggestions for making their facility a welcoming place. Kiwanis will now donate $100 to the Humane Society and $50 to our class at MSCS. You may read her essay posted outside the classroom.
Thank you, E.!
Here they are! Almost all of the fourth graders have finished designing their kite faces, and we will assemble them tomorrow morning so they are ready to fly next Thursday afternoon. We hope some of you can join us for the entire hour or even for just a short time.
This afternoon we monitored the nesting boxes, and one of them has four tiny, white eggs! (Tree Sparrow) New stubby hammers helped with the task of removing the box nails.
A leopard frog hopped onto our path, a pair of geese landed on the long marsh, and 3 mallard drakes paddled in the rain. Our rain gauge held about 0.3 inches of rain since we emptied it on April 28.
Except for raindrops tap dancing on our heads, the prairie was comparatively quiet today. The student theory is that wind and rain kept wildlife closer to their niches.
CreationWatch Kids hiked around the most northern marsh, west and across the bridge, past The Bowl, across the hills and vales to the west side of the long marsh on the NE of the prairie. For a few minutes, we circled a large ant hill to marvel at the busy ants. Mrs. S. said it looked like New York City crowds!
Other excitement: a pair of geese swimming with their 4 or 4 goslings, dabbling blue-winged teal, mud hens, mallards, dragonflies, damselflies, leopard and wood frogs, turtles--there is so much to be amazed at!
A few pics are from the classroom: a squirrel visitor and our tank of marsh critters.
Today we were blessed to have MW's mom help us as a field leader for Mrs. S. on One-Mile. There were so many things to observe that I did not even take photos! Willow marsh had turtles sunning on logs, 3 geese on nests, blue teal and mallard pairs, a swimming muskrat and swarms of swooping swallows. Some of our nesting boxes have the beginnings of nests in them!
MM's dad brought in his mounted deer, and it was very beautiful. I did have time to take pictures of that!
