We finished our chemistry block last week with a little alchemy action! The students enjoyed turning pennies into "gold" through an alloy reaction of copper and zinc. We wrapped up our studies of crystallization and acids and bases with several hands-on activities. The class gained competence in preparing clear, concise lab write-ups and gained an understanding of the importance of lab safety. We all enjoyed this block and look forward to further explorations next year with organic chemistry.

This week we will be learning about adventurers and explorers with biographies of some of the lesser-heralded explorers of the universe. The students have each chosen an explorer to present in a research paper and an oral presentation with a slide show. I'm excited to watch them present their research!

We are winding down our math objectives and will finish out the year with math puzzles, games, drawings, and review work that will complement the skills we learned over the year.

We had an impromptu guest speaker last week. Leah Sims, a parent at The Garden School, is a novelist who has self-published a YA novel and is in the process of having her second book published. She spoke to the class about the creative writing process and the world of agents, beta readers, editors, and publishers. We learned so much from Leah and are grateful that she was able to share about her profession.

Our school auction, Hope Blooms, was a wonderful experience for all involved. Thank you to all of you for donating, participating, and helping to make it a success both in-person and online!

I felt very appreciated during Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you for the sweet notes and gifts!