National Talk Like a Pirate Day

We pirates, we three, better pirates you'll never see!

Treasure maps and  spy glass telescopes will help us learn to read maps and trust our instincts.

(that's our neighbors, try again...)

Yo Ho Yo Ho, a pirate's life is the life for me!

The ship is rolling....dice that is. Math was fun today.

Ah Hoy Matey! Look there, land is but a day away.  Recess and imaginations, no better combination.

Seat work before the next activity...

of walking the plank!  Really, it was all about balance and gross motor skills.

What?! We're not having drama class today?!?

What pirate is complete without his/her pet parrot?

Well.... you get it... fun all day! 

Disclaimer: No child was hurt during the activities of this day.

Lindenwood

 

Yes, if you are a follower of this blog you have seen this picture before. 

Only this time there are new, shining faces.  Really, what is better than a study day in Lindenwood?

Toads, toads everywhere, can we hold it? I don't care!

Please don't squeeze it, please use care.

Nature's balance beam (well, sort of)!

Follow your dreams, grow like the trees. The road up ahead is open.

Um, we have already seen toads.  Toads, toads, everywhere (literally)... remember?

Nope, not a Prince!

Time passess quickly when you are on a scavenger hunt for the bounties of nature! 

Students didn't bring their treasures home as we left behind only footprints.

Did you hear that?  Was it a toad?!

Yep!

Spiders and snakes and ....

toads?....oh my! Add them to the list - they weren't on there. 

Cute snack for cute students!

At the end of the field trip we saw a magical lady with her magical horse...way better than toads!

Learn

Two days later he asked, "May I do the pentagon today?" 

Wow, what a great hands on, learning activity. 

Learning to work independently on spelling words can sometimes be a challenge. 

Take It to Your Seat folders takes independent study one step farther, 

but seems so much easier and enjoyable with a hands-on approach!

"I can pour ALL the salt in here?! ALL of it, right? Really?" 

Perfect place to practice spelling words!

The sun hits my toes, the letters my paper.

Matching upper with lower case letters is more challenging than it looks! 

Finding the correct way to handle the crayon makes all the difference in the world. 

Someday I just might sign my name on an important document!

School Fun

Listening to Read Aloud on a warm sunny day in a hammock...this is school?!?! 

Careful, there is a verbal quiz coming. 

A perfect day for a picnic and recess at the park!

Have you ever seen this desert fruit before? 

This is our, "Do we have to try it Miss Alex?!" face!  

We like it! 

Be brave, try new things!

The Exciting World of Science

After studying the water cycle students had an opportunity to see how clouds and water work together.

This easy experiment appeals to visual learners and stayed on our window for weeks -

 hopefully it will stay in their minds forever! 

Mixing Science and Art - does it get any better than that? 

 It seemed rather boring when the curriculum suggested this simple Science experiment. Where was the flash of excitement? This was simply looking through leaf debris and seeing what we could find: bugs, decaying leaves, sticks, rocks, etc. Students loved this exercise...perhaps it was because we seldom allow our children to pick up dirt and explore its content. They may have even enjoyed this more than some of our "in-your-face" experiments!

The power of visualization at work!

Not only do Science experiments give students an opportunity to observe, make predictions, and use their hands... they give students opportunities to work together as a group.

Building a volcano...

Ready...

set...

...look out!