Pics and Video from Boston

We had a great day at the MFA and The Science Museum.  Thank you Wendy, Eve and Christy for all your help and good shepherding.  The day went off without a real hitch.  It was a pleasure to usher the students through the exhibit halls.

Tomorrow, we have a busy day of play rehearsal scheduled.  Please make every effort to see that your child arrives at school by 8:20 and that he or she has had a good breakfast. We're going to get straight to work.

Thank you,

Charlie

Zombi Students Under Black Light at IMAX

Depth Perception

Heart and Lungs

Touching the Heart and Lungs

Off the Charts

Spinning

Looking at Odysseus

Greek Art

Illustrations of Greek Athletes

Treasure Hunt

A Zen Moment 

Boston and R & J Sneak Preview Video

Dear Parents,

We're off to Boston tomorrow.  Our convoy of school bus and Wendy Brennan's car will LEAVE the school parking lot at 7:00am on the dot.  Students may use the school bathroom before leaving TGS but should not expect to arrive at 7:00 and need time in the building.  We can not wait for late arrivals as the first event on our itinerary is an IMAX film at the Museum of Science.

Students should pack a snack to eat on route and a lunch to eat at the museum.  I also recommend packing something for your child to eat on the trip home.

Students can bring a few dollars for incidentals but should not anticipate visiting the museum gift shops.  There is an ice cream cart outside the MFA.

All admission and travel expenses are covered by the student activity budget.

We'll return to TGS at approximately 7:00pm.

I'll fire off an e-mail when we are leaving Boston to give you a more accurate sense of our return time.

Charlie

Rafting Plans and a Reminder

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow is the K-6 spring concert.  Students should arrive at TGS by 6:10 and meet in the 5th grade room for a warm-up with Jared.  It may be a hot evening.  I suggest students wear comfortable and ventilated (albeit neat) outfits.

The students are very excited about our rafting trip.  I understand that a number of parents will be joining in the fun.  I'll improvise with car assignments when we prepare to head out.  Please be sure your car is gassed up as we need to arrive at the rafting company as a group.

Below is the Zoar Outdoor link.  Make a reservation if you would like to join us.

http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/zoargap.htm

Here is a summary of essential items.

• comfortable swim wear.  I recommend shorts for boys and girls.  We spend a lot of time sitting on a rubber raft.  Shorts are more comfortable than a swim suit.
• a dry change of clothes for the trip home.
• shoes you don't mind getting wet.  Flip-flops don't cut it.  You and your child need shoes with closed toes
• sun screen
• cheap sunglasses with or without a lanyard
• prescription eyewear with a lanyard
• towel
• quarters for a hot shower if you think you'll need one
• a filling snack
• a few dollars for an ice cream stop on the way home

The weather should cooperate.  I don't think anyone will need extra warm water clothes.  Wet suits will be provided if it looks to be rainy or cold.

Greek Temple Construction

Concert News and Trip Update(s)

Dear All, Alli has asked me to inform families that our K-6 spring concert is this Thursday evening.  Students should arrive at TGS at 6:10.  The performance is at 6:30.  Students should dress nicely and refrain from wearing clothing with visible advertising.

This week, we'll continue our investigation of Greek history and mythology.  As the week progresses, students will begin to write an original myth that includes traditional motifs.  In math, we have been working with pan-balance and simultaneous equations as a component of learning to interpret algebraic expressions.  Our work will continue into next week with an emphasis on graphing algebraic expressions.  In science, we've been learning about the muscular and skeletal systems.  Last week, we reviewed bone names and dissected a chicken leg.  In the process, students got a close look at skin and connective tissue, muscles, bones, marrow, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.  

This Friday, we'll be rafting on the Deerfield River.  This is an especially fun trip that celebrates our year together.  The rafting company enjoys an unparalleled reputation of excellence.  The guides, equipment, food, and hospitality are superb.  It's a galvanizing experience that students invariably look back on with fondness.  

• We'll leave TGS soon after the school bus arrives.  
• Students should pack a snack.
• LUNCH IS PROVIDED.
• A general packing list is available on the Zoar Outdoor website.
• http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/zoargap.htm

Next Thursday, we'll be traveling to The Museum of Fine Arts and The Boston Museum of Science.  My plan is to leave TGS at 7:00 on the dot.  We'll travel by bus to the Alewife T station and head into the city on the train.  At 11:00, We'll see an IMAX film about ancient Greece and then we'll make a short visit to the human body exhibit. We'll have lunch at the science museum (students should pack a lunch) and head to the MFA's Greek collection in the early afternoon.  I expect to be back at TGS by 7:00.


It was great to have so many grand parents in attendance last Friday.  I appreciated the stories that were shared and the help provided in applying grout to mosaic projects.  The latter was a bit of a messy task but the resulting pieces are quite stunning.


Enjoy the pictures.

First Week of May

This week, 5th graders watched the upper school musical dress rehearsals and began to rehearse Romeo and Juliet in earnest.  The upper school students are an inspiration!  Our classroom vibrates with a constant whistling and singing of the musical  numbers.  

This week, we continued our work investigating systems in the human body.  We discussed the skin and the peripheral nervous system.  Students built models of neurons and tested skin for sensitivity. Check out the picture of Steve Lorenz being tested.

In math, we've been using pattern blocks to derive a fraction division algorithm and geo-boards to explore the area of rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles.  This afternoon, we used prisms to investigate the relationship between area and volume.

Our examination of Greek history is picking up momentum.  Students are reading about the early roots of Athenian democracy and learning about how some of the Greek ideas were adopted by the architects of the American democracy.  As the weeks progress, we'll discuss the rise and fall of the Athenian empire. 

The attached pictures show students engaged in numerous activities.  You'll see fifth graders working the concession stand at the musical (The proceeds to benefit students at a school in Longido, Tanzania).  An initial count suggests that 5th graders raised close to $600.  That's two year's tuition for a student who might not, otherwise, attend school. A special thank you to Nancy Brooks for organizing our students.  In the pictures, you'll also see students conducting experiments and completing heart dissections.  There is a group picture of the class bowling on a rainy Thursday - a celebration of ERB tests having been completed.  A few pictures show students beginning a Greek myth-inspired mosaic project.  While difficult to capture with an IPhone, I've included a picture of our play in rehearsal.

Please remember that we'll be taking a rafting trip on Friday, May, 25th.  If you would like to join us, please contact the reservation office at Zoar Outdoor and arrange to join The Grammar School party. 800 532-7483 http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/

We'll be traveling to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on Thursday, May 31.  For now, anticipate an early departure and a late return.  I'll send trip details ASAP.

Finally, please remember that we have a very regimented rehearsal schedule for Romeo and Juliet. Please make every effort to have your child at school no later than 8:30.  If you know your child will be absent for some reason, please let me know, in advance, so that I can adjust the schedule.