Our Own Boston Tea Party

Mrs. Krause's kindergarten friends joined us as we dressed in disguises and brewed up some tea as we read about the Boston Tea Party. On a cold Boston night in December 1773, the Sons of Liberty burst out of a meeting with the burning desire of freedom on their minds and in their hearts. They dressed as Mohawk Indians and boarded three ships from London anchored in Griffin's Wharf. They emptied 342 crates of East India Company tea into the harbor, staining the water brown. It is reported that the British Admiral Montague spied on from the window of his room, and as the rowdy patriots passed he yelled, "Well boys, you have had a fine, pleasant evening for your Indian caper, haven't you? But mind, you have got to pay the fiddler yet!"

That was the end of the party for the patriots. They entered into an almost ten year war with the British. In the end the patriots prevailed and as they say, "The rest is history."

Is it a solid or a liquid?

Well, it is a polymer! We are currently learning all about the physical side of science, and today we saw how chemicals can be helpful in our lives. After discussing antibiotics, vitamins, and fertilizers, we moved into the world of polymers. So that your fifth grader is not smarter than you are here is a "cheat sheet". Polymers are made up of many many molecules all strung together to form really long chains (and sometimes more complicated structures, too).

My science students had a great time playing with their polymer slime and watching it take on the characteristics of a solid and a liquid. Some common polymers are rubber, silicone, and everyone's favorite polyester!

Here are some great links to polymer fun: www.sciencebob.com and http://pslc.ws/macrog/kidsmac/wiap.htm.

Picnic on the Capitol Lawn

Today we watched democracy unfold in front of our eyes. We laid out our blankets, and opened our eyes and ears for a historical event. Our nation welcomed our 44th president to office. We listened as President Obama challenged us and our neighbors to serve others, to strive to be better, and to make hard decisions. Earlier in the day we listed to John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, and were able compare struggles of yesterday with those of today. With the first minority being elected to our highest office, it makes us wonder what will be next. Will we have a female president? How many other barriers will we break in our lifetime? I know this to be true, that each of my students could make tremendous differences in a multitude of ways if they put their mind to it.

Thank you to all the families that contributed to our picnic today. We greatly appreciate it!

I Have A Dream Too! By Mia Pesta

I have a dream that one day this nation will be very green and that our part of the Earth will be healthy.

I have a dream that one day we will find better ways to make things without polluting.

I have a dream that one day people will be convinced that all men and women are alike.

I have a dream that violence will not be among us, and we will find other ways to communicate.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day everyone will get chances at doing what they want to do, if they try hard.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day people will look back at the bad times and decide to make the new times better.

This is my hope and faith. With this faith we will be able to conquer anything if we set our mind and heart to it.

This will be the day when the United States changes for the better.

It All Came Together!

This afternoon the Gilchrist family assembled into the shape of a Whooping Crane with the help of artist Dan Dancer. We had a great afternoon, and it was a very unique opportunity! We will get to see the final artwork on Friday during an afternoon assembly. Thanks Mrs. McBride for bringing us together for this amazing event!

The Cranes Are Coming!

Our school has been crane crazy as we prepare for a flock of Whooping Cranes to make their winter home at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. This group of very unique animals is flying from Wisconsin to Florida, and is currently in Decatur County, Georgia. You can follow the flock by logging on to: http://www.stmarksrefuge.org/cranes.cfm.

Conceptual artist, Dan Dancer, made it to Gilchrist just in time to capture our flock frenzy. He will be taking a photograph of our students and staff tomorrow afternoon as we form the shape of a giant Whooping Crane. You can check out the amazing work that he has done around the world at www.artforthesky.com.

Today we did a little research on these gigantic birds (many of my students know that I'm a bit afraid of birds!). We learned about their adaptations, their sounds, their characteristics, and much more. We compared a 5 ft. tall 5th grader to a 5 ft. tall Whooping Crane. We are excited about tomorrow's event!

Caught...Orange & Blue Handed

I would like to say how proud I am of Will for getting into the spirit of tonight's National Championship game. He is a true Seminole, but for one day (I would like to think to make his teacher happy) he became a Gator. You can tell that Will's family doesn't have too much orange around so he had to get creative. He did admit that he had to sneak this out of the house for the fear of being terrorized by his brother! Way to go Will! Thanks for being such a sport! You brought a smile to my face! Go Gators!