Happy Cinco de Mayo!
This past week we compiled the students' masterbooks containing all of their artwork and project work from the 2018-19 school year. A BIG thankyou to Ki Debbie, Ki Paulyna, and Ki Kate for pulling these together, as well as Elsu who did all the hole punching! Students will decorate the covers of their masterbooks and be ready to take them home next Tuesday.
We installed the last of the signs around the school campus. There is a sign at each trailhead and one marking special places like the Pond Overlook and Privet Pocket. HomeSchool students, Grades students, and Golden Knights blazed the trails, named the trails, and painted, nailed, and pounded the signs to mark them!
We began our study of marine mammals by learning about whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, walruses, sea otters, manatees, and polar bears. We told stories about them and created marine mammal figurines out of clay. We practiced the Maypole Dance. We practiced telling time on a clock with hands. We planted marigolds in the spiral garden. We talked about our mammal take-home projects and how they were taking shape.
On Thursday, we went on an all-day field trip to TELLUS Science Museum and the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville. We ate a picnic lunch under the trees by the Booth Museum. You only have to look at the photos to see that a good time was had by all!
This Tuesday we will present our mammal take-home projects. Please plan to show us on a map or globe the national park where we can find your mammal. I'll have both of these in the Blue Sky Room. The Garden Girls Girl Scouts will meet Tuesday at 3:30pm at the school for Caving Basics. Wear jeans, a t-shirt, and old tennis shoes that can get wet and muddy. Please bring your signed Cumberland Caverns forms for the Caving and Camping Trip.
Thursday we will celebrate Ollie's 8th birthday. We will also practice a marine mammal rescue!
This Saturday, May 11th, 10:30am to 12:30pm, Prancer and I will go on a hike and you are welcome to join us. We'll be at Pettit Environmental Preserve. This is a 70-acre preserve in Bartow County (between Cartersville and Dallas). It is only open to the public one day a month. Use Douthit Bridge Road, Dallas GA when using GPS. It takes me 30 minutes from my home in northwest Kennesaw. I take Cobb Parkway to Acworth. Take a left from Cobb Parkway onto Blackacre Trail which become Dabbs Bridge Road. Turn right onto Harmony Grove Church Road. Turn right onto Cartersville Highway/Highway 61. Take an quick right onto Douthit Bridge Road. Then follow their small signs. It becomes a dirt and gravel road through dense woods.
Text me when you get to Pettit Environmental Preserve. Admission is $3.00/person with a maximum of $10.00/family. We will walk the 1 and 7/10-mile loop trail around Dellinger Lake. The trail is rough in some places and does not accommodate strollers. Leashed dogs are welcome. I'll text everyone that morning to cancel if there are thunderstorms.
Registration for The Garden School's Summer Camp closes May 15th. I will be leading Summer Camp activities the second week, June 3rd thru 7th. Highlights include: Creek Crawls, Wetland Walks, tending the raised beds in the garden, watermelon, building a bridge across the creek, The Water Brigade relay game, frozen banana snack, lessons on the Floating Classroom, more watermelon, and the Great Rubber Duck Race.
Quote from a child: "So much sand, so little time."
Quote from Jean Piaget: "When you teach a child something, you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself."
See you down the trail,
Ki Sonya
