End of Year Field Trip?

Parents,

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Family Day yesterday at school. The day is intended to give parents an opportunity to see some of the  work being done in class prior to meeting for parent-teacher conferences.  Conferences are scheduled next week on Thursday and Friday so there will be no school for students. 


I continue to hope for some return to normalcy in our school routine. After the early release,  snow days and the President's Day holiday I was looking forward to some return to our normal schedule. Unfortunately, class was interrupted on Friday when we were informed that there was a tornado warning in place for Orange County. Immediately, Summer and I brought the students into an interior part of the building away from any windows.  We reassured your children and tried to make them as comfortable as possible. Summer was in the library with five of the older students and I was with the younger students in the art room. It was interesting to see what the students felt like they could not do without in the event of a tornado.  As soon as we settled in, students were struck with the undeniable need to use the restroom.  Many trips later we all settled back to wait for the all clear signal.  Sitting in the art room with 15 nervous/scared students, I did not immediately hear that the other classes in the building were working normally in their classrooms.  Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that our class was not notified that we were under just a watch and should not be huddled together awaiting disaster.  We have successfully practiced a tornado drill!


Last week students were busy working on geometry projects.  First and second year students built a geometric town with parallel, perpendicular and intersecting roads.  The town had numerous buildings each constructed in the shape of pentagons, hexagons, and other polygons.  Older students are working on constructing a miniature golf course designed with specific angles.


Classroom Quilt

Our class will be making a quilt as our project for the annual auction.  We would like all students represented in the quilt, but we are still missing many pieces of fabric.  Ms. Summer desperately needs some fabric that is meaningful from each student.  Pieces of baby blankets, old team uniforms, or any type of cloth should be sent to school no later than Tuesday.  We will start on the quilt on Wednesday.


STEM Fair

Last year our class participated in a STEM fair with a local home school group.  Science fairs have become part of the elementary/middle school curriculum and experience.  The elementary class will participate in a STEM Fair again this year. Dates will be announced in the coming weeks, but it will be some time in late April or early May.
 

End of the Year field trip

I need some feedback. I am working on an end of the year field trip for the class.  One of the sites that I am considering is a day trip to the Discovery Place in Charlotte.  My thought was that we would go by Amtrak Train leaving from Durham and returning late the same evening. It would require that we meet at Amtrak before 7 a.m. in the morning with students not being picked up at the train station until just after 7 p.m.
The trip would be somewhere around $25.  My concern is that it might be too long of a day for the younger students.  What do you think?  We would need several chaperones. Amtrak requires a 1:6 ratio adults to children.  I would appreciate your thoughts.

I am also working on a field trip specifically for my older students.  Details will be forthcoming.

In the meantime, if you have not paid for the Harriet Tubman play at the ArtCenter earlier this month, please send payment to school as soon as possible. 
Jo Ann