Stimulating Science Simulations

The school year is over and summer is here.  So that means the rush, rush of cleaning a classroom so the custodians can get in and do their thing.  I never seem to be able to do that as well as I'd like or as quickly as they'd like.  Alas, today I finished up even if it did mean just getting some stuff out of their way without really taking time to sort through it and get organized the way I wanted to. Now it's on to the beginning of summer and planning for our 1st science camp.  I've had 3 students register so far.  Some of my colleagues have volunteered to help out and it's time to start making definitive plans for how we will spend our time. On a side note, I had a visit from our district "Green Schools" intern along with some ladies from Ft. Bragg today.  One of them was a parent of a former student which was a delightful surprise!   Even better was the offer from our intern to come back by and drop off 2 watermelon plants for our student garden. 

One of the first things I have planned for students is a summer camp.  This is a free opportunity for students entering 4th and 5th grade. I'll be running it from July 11th - 29th on Mon.-Thurs mornings.  I'm planning to connect science, math, and technology with STEM careers in a role-play environment.  The students seem really excited and I've had a number of colleagues express interest  in helping out for a day or two, perhaps even a week at a time. In other exciting news... The '10-'11 school year has come to a close and we are now officially a school of math and natural sciences.  This calls for a face lift on our school website.  So here is the unveiling of Pauline Jones Elementary School of Math and Natural Science .  Stop by, take a look around, and don't miss the student blogs on the science classroom web page.

I began a journey long ago and every once in awhile it comes to a twist or turn.  Sometimes it is an uphill climb and sometimes it's like a sweet breeze on a summer day. One thing is for sure, I'm on this journey for life! The latest twist came back in December of 2010 when our district curriculum specialist  passed on some information to my principal about the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Outstanding Math and Science Teachers.  If I had come across this myself, I don't think I would have given it a 2nd glance.  The application process was quite involved and I was already in the middle of working on my Profile of Professional Growth (PPG) to renew my National Board Certification.  With the prompting and support of my principal and the curriculum specialist, I decided to complete the application process.  After all, it was due well before my PPG so I should be able to complete it and have plenty of time left over. And so it began... a slight bend in the road th