Around School

Here is a bit of what happened around school today--Smokey isn't typical, but Science, Creative Writing and Sign Language all happen weekly.

In Science we were working with Acids & Bases. We learned what types of things in our home were acids & bases, and what types of things we can use to make an acid become neutral, or even a base! Ask your kids about buffered and non buffered aspirin! See if they remember which is easier on your tummy and why. For those that are interested in the Chemistry lesson web page for what we learned today...follow the link section on the lower left of this web page.

The Creative writing class with Dana G had a paper due today on "How to Prepare a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich" Did you know if someone doesn't know how to do something, every detail is important? Ask those kids that had this assignment!! What fun Dana G....thanks for such a vivid (and yummy) lesson!

Creative Writing class with Miss Kelly had their rough draft for their 5 page research paper due today. There were lots of kids that were sort of relieved to have this finished. It's been a tough project for some of them. Kelly has been very patient, and has given guidance to our kids.

Sign language with Dana M and the high school class. They are becoming quite conversational!! Dana is great with these kids, and all grade levels enjoy what they are doing with her.

Thanks to Tracey O'Hara who is our behind the scenes parent. She was gracious enough to take all the pictures today, run for batteries when we had dead ones, and helped with the science lesson today. Thanks again Tracey...we appreciate you!

We hope you will check back often.

Smokey Visits Brownsville Homeschool Group

Miss Lupe and Smokey the Bear visited the K-3rd grade class today. It was great fun! We learned about safety, got to meet and hug Smokey, and got a great gift bag to bring home.

The 4th-7th graders caught a peek of Smokey in the hall, and science went out the window...so we went to take a sneaky look at Smokey--because you really don't want him to see you if you're in 4th-7th grade!!!

Thanks US Forest Service for your visit to our school!

(Please note, if you would like any of these pictures, you may click on the slide show, and go to the album where they are stored, and save as you wish!)

Calapooia Indian Petroglyph Field Trip

Please Note--this field trip is now full. If you would like put on the waiting list in case someone cancels, please let us know. If you are signed up and can not attend, please let us know so that others that are interested may join us. Thanks!!
Join us on Wednesday May 7th as we hike through Cascadia State park with Tony Farque of the US Forest Service. We will meet at the Forest Service parking lot in Sweet Home and carpool from there.

Mr Farque will explain the area, as well as the lives of the Calapooia Indians and the drawings (petroglyph's) that they left behind. Bring a sack lunch, and wear your mud or hiking boots. You might like to bring a change of clothes to leave in the car in case you get muddy. We will hike rain or shine. Please dress in layers, and plan to have fun. If you plan to attend, please reply to this e-mail, or sign up on the board Monday. We need to have a count to him within the next two weeks. This proves to be a fun and informative trip for us.

If you would like more information on this...please see the article from the Sweet Home Newspaper "The New Era" at http://www.sweethomenews.com/news/results.cfm?story_no=7481

We hope you can join us!

Civil War Re-Enactment

Mark your calendars and join us on May 16^th for a battle re-enactment at CHEADLE LAKE Park in Lebanon. The cost is $2.00 per person, and is well worth the fee. They provide this day at low cost for students (and chaperones), and we only need to help them cover the cost of their gun powders. (Admission for the weekend to the general public is 6.00 for adults and 4.00 for children)

Take advantage of this opportunity and sign up in the hallway outside of the K-3 class. We need to have a count to them by the end of April. All are welcome to come. We will arrive in the morning, have lunch there (brown bag), and spend the day learning all we can from this group. It’s a big event!

Schedule –

Stations will be from 9am to 1:30pm in 25 minute intervals. The stations include:

Artillery

Medical** Children 4th grade & under should not attend due to content

Infantry

Cavalry

Civilian Life

Period Dance

Period Fashion

Music

War Reporting

Military music

At 1:30, there will be a battle that will last approximately 30 minutes. Events will be complete around 2:00 PM.

Things to know:

You will need to dress accordingly for the weather. This may include mud boots, hats, gloves...this is Oregon, dress for the day!

You will need to pack and bring your lunch. Drink, food, and napkin. We will have hand wipes or sanitizer there for the kids to clean up before lunch.

The event is in a field, and there are not many tables for lunch...so, a small garbage bag enclosed in your lunch bag, is a great place to sit if it is wet!

The cannon are loud. If you need ear protection, please bring it.

Some important notes from the re-enactment coordinator:

1) Our number one complaint from the re-enactors doing the presentations last year was unruly or disinterested kids at the sessions which made it almost impossible to proceed. You are expected to either stay in groups or your kids must have supervision, (yours, not ours). I have instructed all presenters to simply stop their presentation if kids get out of hand or are disruptive. Keep in mind all of these presenters are volunteers who gave up a day of work, spent money on gas and materials and deserve due respect for their efforts. You are expending money and time as well and have a great opportunity to put 1863 in the hands of these kids, so please take advantage of it. Ask them to leave their cell phones on the bus or at home.

2) I strongly recommend you NOT take children from about 4^th grade age down to the medical presentation. (this applies only to the medical presentation)

3) Please tell your students that everything in the camps and on the field is private property and not to touch unless the owner allows it. Some of the items you’ll see are not reproductions but actually from the mid to early 1800’s and invaluable. Also, at no point should a student handle a weapon or climb on, lean on or touch a cannon.

Each student will receive a coupon that allows them in free with a paid adult to any one of our 4 events this year, including coming back to this one Saturday or Sunday for a full reenactment.

Calapooia Indian Presentation

Mr Tony Farque, archaeologist of the Forest Service joined us on Monday morning the 7th of April to enlighten us on the Indian tribe that lived here in our area, The Kalapuya Indians (also known as the Calapooya or Calapooia). We all learned a lot from him, and the kids loved his table of items he let them explore.

Mr Farque is going to take us on a field trip up to Cascadia Park to see the petroglyph's and explain some of the history of our area to us. Plan to join us. The possible dates are April 23rd, or May 6th. We are waiting for confirmation. Check back as we will post the date once confirmed. It will be an all day venture, which proves to be fun. Pack a lunch, put on your mud boots, and join us for a fun, learning experience.