The two weeks following April break were filled with fun, learning, and two special events!
Chicago Maritime Fest Concert
During our All School Morning Meeting on April 17, the children enjoyed an interactive concert presented by David Drake and Chris Kastle, who were featured performers at the Chicago Maritime Festival. They shared engaging stories and songs with a maritime t heme; and introduced the children to many instruments, including the banjo, concertina, and dulcimer.
These video clips capture some highlights from this delightful morning!
Thank you to Mr. Smith for taking and sharing the videos.
Thank you to Mr. Smith for taking and sharing the videos.
Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip
Last Wednesday, we visited the Museum of Science and Industry to culminate our exploration of airplanes. The Boeing 727 exhibit was one of the highlights of our visit. The JK and SK children watched a video about how an airplane works and flies, listened to air traffic control conversations, looked inside the cockpit, and experimented with flying a model plane.
The rest of the morning was filled with fun and exploration, including: watching a baby chick hatch from its shell, “driving” a huge John Deere harvester and tractor, visiting a model circus, and watching the trains move through the model railway display. The photos below capture just a few of the children’s memorable experiences at this extraordinary museum.
The Sunflower - Part 3
The children were fascinated by the two sunflower heads we brought to the classroom last fall, and worked diligently to remove the hundreds of seeds they contained.
The children had three plans for the seeds: 1) plant some, 2) roast and eat some, and 3) save some to plant in the spring. All of the seeds the children planted in the fall grew, and several of them survived the winter inside to develop buds and small flowers!
Now that spring has finally arrived, it was time to plant the remaining seeds. Each of the children carefully planted and watered two of the seeds we had saved.
Last fall, it took 17 days for the seeds to sprout. Imagine our surprise and delight when these seeds sprouted in less than a week!
In a few days, the plants will be big enough for the children to take home, and nurture throughout the summer. Perhaps some of the children will have sunflower heads to bring to their SK class in the fall!
In a few days, the plants will be big enough for the children to take home, and nurture throughout the summer. Perhaps some of the children will have sunflower heads to bring to their SK class in the fall!