Anesthesia won't necessarily put you to sleep!

This month the kids were fortunate to be reintroduced to Brian Ilfeld on a more professional level as Guest Scientist.  Don't let filling one hour concern any of you wishing to come in and share your expertise.  Initially, Brian wasn't sure if the kids would last the full hour but, we could have continued the lesson for much longer!  Brian brought in his ultrasound machine and gave the kids a peek inside their own bodies.  We looked at nerves, blood vessels, and even a slice of pizza being digested!  The kids adored trying on the medical gear but stayed far away from the large needle Brian brought.  Thank you Brian for a wonderful and engaging afternoon!

Our Trip to Mission Trails Park

     By now you have probably been introduced or reintroduced to the word scat.  If our trip had been featured on Sesame Street, it would have definitely been the word of the day.  All kidding aside, the kids were wonderful and very respectful.  Ranger Heidi complemented the children on their knowledge of animal habitats. Thanks Kim!

       We were lucky to have had a bit of rain the day before the trip.  On our nature walk, the kids found footprints left in the mud by a variety of animals. The Mission Trails Visitor Center is a great family destination.  It's tucked in between the hills of the park and gives a feeling of getting away.  The trail we took had a nice mix of sunny and shaded stretches and even though it was hot, it wasn't unbearable.  Our hike was a short one and I'm sure the kids would love to take you back to see the "stuffed up" coyote, bobcat, and mountain lion upstairs and perhaps go for a longer walk to find more scat!

Today we read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems which has now sparked an upcoming author study. I have a few of Mo's books and I bet collectively we have quite an array. I will have a special Mo Willems book basket in the class for the kids to choose from. Any chance you'd like to lend us yours for a week or two? If you make sure your name is in it, I will make sure it's well taken care of and returned to you. We will read them, graph our favorites, and use them as a spring board for math and writing activities. We will learn a bit about the author/illustrator because here at TCS we are also authors and illustrators! You can check out the official website at www.mowillems.com

Today the Green Machine came to TCS and taught the 1st grade classes about how food starts on the farm and how it travels to your table. The kids were split into small groups that learned about the soil, pests, or the water cycle.

Here are some pictures of the water cycle group learning about how, through a long process involving plants, we eat the energy of the sun each time we eat a fruit or vegetable.