Whew! This had been some week, with a lot of fun and excitement. The Kingdom of Halloween Festival was a great success and a good time was had by all. On Tuesday we created our lanterns for the Lantern Walk, got to see some live newts from a Cobb County park, put our troubles and cares into the Worry Frog, and played in the creek and on hay bales. Several students showed the class their leaf and rock collections. Brolin and Nellie (from Upper Grades) helped me test the temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen level at Kindy Beach on Little Noonday Creek. Our Sapphires will be testing the creek once a month, partly to see how it's doing and partly to learn about water quality monitoring.
Thursday we gathered leaves to use in our leaf rubbings. Along the way, we found a new trail to try to improve. It leads to the area where the miller's daughter did her spinning during the Halloween Festival so we named the trail the Miller's Daughter's Trail. We used crayons for our leaf rubbings. We talked about newts and salamanders and created lovely watercolors of salamanders using blue, red, and yellow.
Next Tuesday we will give our Amphibian presentations! Please bring your four sheets of masterbook paper, ready to turn in. I can't wait to hear each presentation and learn more about the world's amazing amphibians. It looks like rain that day, but bring water clothes and water shoes just in case we get to go to the creek.
Also on Tuesday, the Garden Girls Girl Scouts will be doing some cast iron cooking. We'll prepare a meal in Dutch ovens and taste our creations. Girl Scouts should wear closed-toes shoes (not rubber boots) and warm clothes.
Next Thursday, for Veterans Day, we will do our Lantern Walk along the trails to Privet Pocket in the morning. We'll paint wooden leaves and hickory nuts for centerpieces. And we will write and draw cards for patients at the veterans hospital here in Atlanta.
Quote from a child: "We found a turtle in our yard and my Mom put it in a box so it was a box turtle."
Quote from Unknown: "Make the rest of your life the best of your life!"
See you on the trails,
Ki Sonya
