Camping out on Thursday

Hello,

We will be camping out on Thursday, the night before our big Civil War day. We tried to find a nearby venue that would allow for a campfire, but it didn't work out. We will be camping right here in the HBS field. Two other classes will be joining us.

Our plan is to have a regular after school homework club, complete with snacks and reading time. Then we will set up our tents and, hopefully, get some pizza delivered. Please let me know if you can be the driver to go get the pizza. You are also welcome to chip in a couple bucks. We do not plan for an authentic 1863 camping experience. We're hoping for a 2016 version with LL Bean tents, sleeping pads and made to order food.

Parents (and families) are welcome. Make it a fun night for the whole family.

We will have round the clock night watchmen to take kids into the school to the bathroom. We are looking for volunteers for one hour shifts. Last time we had two hour shifts and my 4am person never showed, so I was up from 2am to 6am. I am hoping the faster shift makes for more volunteers. You do not need to be a camper to be a watchman. You can drive to school, play on your phone for an hour (or watch the stars), and then drive home.

In the morning, you are welcome to take your child home or just leave him or her for the big day. In either case, a change of clothes, breakfast, and some cleaning supplies should be provided. The gym restrooms have showers. Last time we had a couple campstoves making bacon and eggs, while some parents dropped off some bagels, juice and fruit.  I can run my stove for some of that, but hope we get some people chipping in as well.

The Civil War chorus show starts at 9:30 am in the gym. The outdoor stations go from 10:30 to noon. The reenactment goes from 1:00 to about 1:15. Please let me know if you have any questions or needs for the big day.

I've got to run. Exciting week ahead! And a bonus homework club tomorrow! (Tuesday)

Have a good night.

Mr. Shea

PS. I'll blog about it at a later time, but I heard that people are checking the blog to see if I have really taken a new job for next year. I have. I was offered a position at the new elementary school at Chewonki in Wiscasset. I'll be a 5th and 6th grade multi-age teacher. More on that at a later date. Thank you for your support.

Possible Gettysburg itinerary

Hello,

A rough itinerary of our upcoming, non school affiliated Gettysburg trip:

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

June 23-26, 2016

Thursday, June 23  Rough Itinerary

            6:00 am           Depart from HBS.   I need to know who is going, who is driving, and any possible space available, so I can find out if we need to rent a van.

            4:30ish pm      Arrive at Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, PA.  Actual driving time is about 8 hours.  I’m figuring about 2 ½ hours for bathroom breaks and lunch.

            5:00 pm           Set up camp, get dinner started.

            6:00 pm           Eat dinner.

            6:30 pm           Go for a swim.  Take a quick shower.

            7:30 pm           Campfire time.

Friday, June 24  Rough itinerary

            8:00 am           Breakfast

            9:00 am           Tour the battlefield

            12:00   pm       Lunch / Swim?

            1:30 pm           National Park Visitors Center (Museum, film, and cyclorama)

            4:30 pm           Nap / Swim?

            5:30 pm           Dinner

            7:30 pm           Gettysburg National Cemetery 

            9:00 pm           Ghost tour?

Saturday, June 25  Rough itinerary

            8:00 am           Breakfast

            9:00 am           Battlefield walk (In the steps of Pickett)

            11:00 am         Battlefield walk (In the steps of Chamberlain)

            12:00 pm         Lunch

            1:30 pm           Downtown Gettysburg

            4:30 pm           Free choice: museums, battlefield, swimming, souvenir hunting?

            6:00 pm           Authentic 1863 meal at Historic Farnsworth House Inn?  (Goober peanut soup, turkey, duck, pheasant…)

            “The house sheltered Confederate sharpshooters during the three-day conflict, one of whom it is believed to have accidentally shot 20 year-old Mary Virginia "Jennie"  Wade, the only civilian who died during the battle. More than 100 bullet holes pock the walls.”

                                                             http://www.farnsworthhouseinn.com/home.html

or

Eat at the 1776 Dobbin House? (Candlelight, below ground, period dining. Oldest house in Gettysburg and a stop on the Underground Railroad)

http://www.dobbinhouse.com

8:00 pm           Final Campfire

Sunday, June 26

            6:00 am           Break down camp.  Shower.  Breakfast.  Hit the road.

            6:30ish pm      Home again, home again, jiggety jig.

I am not rich by any means, and while I am perfectly willing to pay more than my share to give the kids the experience,  I can’t afford to cover all the multiple costs associated with this.  Here is a general breakdown of the major costs as I see them.

                        $8.50 a night per person camping. (25.50 total)

                        Approximately $14.00 a day for food, that includes snacks, drinks, ice cream at the downtown Mr. G’s Ice Cream.  The period dinner is an added cost. I added another ten to that day’s food cost, but I think it is well worth it  (66.00 total)

                        $8.00 National Park Visitors Center and Museum Group Rate

That totals up to $99.50. This would be for anyone coming who wants me to take care of costs.

For the families coming, if they want to eat or do things on their own, they could pay for the things they take part in.  All drivers, including me, would pay for their own gas and tolls.  This will be substantial, so anyone not driving would surely be welcome to chip in there too. 

Overall, not too shabby.  A four day camping experience for a hundred bucks is pretty much unheard of.  I think it will be worth our time, money and effort.

Have a great night,

Mr. Shea

Gettysburg Trip 2016

Hello,

I'm attaching in the info sheet that went home last night.

2016 Gettysburg Trip

            Here are a few details on the proposed trip. Please remember that this is not a school affiliated trip, but a trip that I am putting together as a culmination of our Civil War unit and our looping experience.

            Thursday, June 23^rd

We will leave HBS at 6:00am. We will be driving to Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, PA. This is about a 9 to 9 ½ hour drive. Last year, with a lunch stop and other breaks, we got there around 4:30pm. It was very warm. We checked in, set up tents, cooked up some dinner, and some kids went swimming in the pool. We made a campfire, caught fireflies, and hit the hay. Group rates for camping is $8.50 per person, per night. Area hotels are available if you are not a camper.

            Friday and Saturday, June 24^th and 25^th

            We will tour the battlefield in multiple sessions. We did it in three sessions last time. I have toured Gettysburg several times and have read enough books to be our tour guide. I may not be perfect, but the price is right. Be sure that we will find time to explore Devil’s Den, walk in the footsteps of the men of Pickett’s Charge, and pretend to fix bayonets and perform the swinging gate maneuver of the soldiers of the 20^th Maine on Little Round Top. Last time we took afternoon siestas. The pool at our campground is nice.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum is also a must see. This is a good activity for hot or rainy afternoons. Group rate admission to the museum, film, and cyclorama is $8 for kids and $10 for adults.

I’d also like to get the kids to eat an authentic Civil War Era meal, either in the 1776 Dobbin House, the oldest in Gettysburg and once an underground railroad hideout, or the Historic Farnsworth House Inn, which once sheltered confederate sharpshooters and over a hundred bullet holes pock the walls.

Sunday, June 26^th

            Home. Although last time many families drove elsewhere before heading back to Maine, this will be up to you if you are a driver. One family went to Six Flags New England, another spent a day in nearby Washington D.C. We just need to make sure that kids make it home when they are expected.

            If you want to send your child on this trip without a chaperone, the fee is $100, payable on the day we leave. This covers transportation, camping, food and fees. I think it is a great deal for four days and three nights of fun. If you are going as a chaperone, you can just take care of your own family’s costs as they arise.

            Info nights – Monday, May 16^th and Tuesday, May 17^th at 6:00 (whichever is most convenient for you)

Civil War unit begins

Hello,

The class has taken sides. We have 16 Union Yankees and 8 Confederate Rebels. Both sides have chosen a general. Congrats to Luke and Chelsea on that front. As for names, each student was assigned a battlefront and a homefront persona. They will use these identities in their journals.

Contingents have been made with their own flags and mottoes. Ask your child what they stand for. We have started "marching" to and from our classes. We have had locker inspections. Points are awarded or taken away in much the same way that our classroom economy worked, but this is much more intense, with very few actions ignored.

We started the day with reveille and ended it with taps. Missing reading logs on the Union side were very costly this morning. We ended the day with the Confederates up 970 to 673. The extra members are a big advantage for the Union, except when penalties are awarded. They have a much better chance of having someone standing out in a bad way.

No homework clubs this week. Sorry about the change in plans. I take part in the teacher contract negotiation meetings, and they have been planned for Tuesday and Thursday this week.

Gettysburg Trip News: I talked to the good people at Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania this weekend. I have put in a deposit for our group camping sites. It looks like the cost for the four day trip, which will leave on Thursday morning, the 23rd of June and return Sunday night, the 26th, will once again be $100 per child. The only way we can do this so cheaply is if our volunteer drivers pay for their own gas. I thank you in advance. The campground website is www.artilleryridge.com. If you'd like to reserve a cabin (and sleep indoors) those reservations will be up to you. Those go fast, so you might want to call right away if you'd rather have a bed and a stove.

More details to follow in an information sheet this week. I'm almost done with that. I just wanted to get the major details out asap. This trip is not affiliated with the Brunswick School Department.

All for now,

Mr. Shea

Homework clubs to start up next week

Hello,

We welcomed the kids back today and we'll jump right back into testing tomorrow. This next one is the MEA science test. It is much shorter and shouldn't take more than two to three hours over the next two days.

I was hoping to start homework clubs back up this week, but unfortunately have meetings Tues, Wed and Thurs. We'll get them going next Tues and Thurs. The guitar club is going to have to decide what form we want to take at this point. We can practice at the beginning of our Tues or Thurs clubs, but I can't add an extra day.

The Civil War reenactment day will be Friday, May 27th. We're still trying to shore up plans for a camp out on the night before. It looks like we will have more classes involved this year, which I am happy about.

I'm going to go home and do my Gettysburg trip research tonight. I didn't get to it over vacation. For those looking ahead, I'm thinking Thursday, June 23rd to Sunday, June 26th. I'll finalize some pricing and plan to have an info sheet out next week. By the way, this trip is not school affiliated.

No homework the next two nights, due to testing. Back to normal by Wednesday.

Have a great night,

Mr. Shea

April Vacation

Hello,

We've had a whirlwind few days here. I've never taught the events leading up to the American Revolution so quickly, but our Civil War unit is coming and the calendar is flying. The increased testing time, snow days, COGAT, Arts Are Elementary mural painting and five paragraph writing prompt really upset our usual schedule.

With all of that, I was impressed with our class showings at our Colonial Market Day and our Science Night. I supported students on their projects a bit more than usual due to the time crunch, but our kids really rose to the occasion. Our market day will definitely influence future classes, as I heard many students from other classes wonder aloud why they didn't get to do that for their market day.

Science Night was a huge success. A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Palopoli for all of her hard work to put it together. Thanks to the parents that chipped in as well. I was really impressed with the independence that our class was able to exhibit that night. Twenty two students were able to stay after school, put the finishing touches on their projects, set up in the gym, eat, and then perform for a full ninety minutes, all with minimal supervision. It made me very proud. They knew their stuff and it showed.

The plan is to have a Science Awards Banquet in May and tie that in with our Manners Banquet. More details on that to follow.

The tea party speeches yesterday were enthusiastic and loud! It was great to see everyone pull that together so quickly.

I hope everyone has a nice school break. Get outside and play. Read a lot. Write a little too.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

We'll be having a Gettysburg informational night coming up in May. This is a non school sanctioned event. (The trip, not the info night.) Stay tuned.

Mr. Shea

Science Night

Hello,

Science night is tomorrow night, Friday the 8th, at 6:00. I hope you all can make it. Our whole class is invited to stay after school to put the finishing touches on their projects, set up, and practice our presentations. Pizza will be served around 5:15. Fruit and vege platters, fruit juice, and water will also be provided. This should fuel us up for the big night.

Our class has worked hard for this night. I feel like this experience has been just the remedy we needed to get us out of our testing blahs. Come early or come late, but I think you will be impressed with our groups.

We have three students that are finishing up an engineering challenge of making a Ferris wheel out of K'nex that is over six feet tall.

Three other students have made six different bridge models out of marshmallows and toothpicks. Find out which bridge was the strongest.

Visit our Wall of Bubble at our Bubble station. Learns the hows and whys of bubbles. Dip different three dimensional models into our bubble mix and see what happens.

We have four students working on several different erosion models. Dirt and water will be in abundance at this station.

Our Rube Goldberg station will give you a whimsical look at the connection of simple machines.

Lastly, our Egg-cellent Density group will explore the density of eggs, water, salt water, and several other liquids from light to goopy. That is the scientific term for "thick".

Our class only represents six tables out of over sixty. You are sure to find a topic to interest you.

Thanks for all of the support. I'll see you tomorrow!

Mr. Shea

Colonial Market Day tomorrow

Hello,

This has been a very hectic time with changing schedules on a daily basis. Many of you were interested in getting a peek at the market day festivities. Tomorrow is scheduled much like every other day these past two weeks: we are working around test times. Since tomorrow's test time is at 10:40, we have two small windows of opportunity for you to peruse the Ol' Colonial Market. Shops will open at 10am and will have to close a half hour later. We will reopen after lunch, around 1:10 and then promptly close again at 1:40 for the school talent show. Please drop by if you have some time to spare.

Our potters, glassmakers, silversmiths, cidermakers, blacksmiths, weavers, bakers and chandlers would love to see you visit. They accept cash or precious metals.

Thanks for your support.

Mr. Shea

Science Night April 8th

2nd Annual 5th Grade

SCIENCE DISCOVERY NIGHT

“An Evening with Einsteins”


Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School
Friday, April 8, 2016
6:00 - 8:00 PM

Ask your child what they are working on to be a part of this fantastic night where they will get to present their scientific discoveries right along side of professional scientists from our community.

That night will also include the unveiling of the 5th Grade Mural celebrating astronomy and space exploration that our students have been working on with Art's Are Elementary's Randy Fein.


The link below is for anyone willing to help out on that night.

https://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=s.signup&urlid=30e0e4eaeae2bab9-hbsscience&useFullSite=true

Look for note going home with more info, including T-shirts!

Thanks,

Mr. Shea

Conference sign up

Dear Parent,

You are invited to sign up for Parent / Teacher Conference with Mr. Shea. 

            DATES:  Monday March 21, Tuesday March 22, Wednesday March 23, Thursday March 24, Friday March 25, Monday March 28 and Tuesday, March 29.

            PLACE:  Room 120. 

 
            REGISTRATION DEADLINE:  End of day, 2 days before each conference day

To pick a time slot, enter this link in your internet browser:

             www.ptcfast.com/reg1

At that link, you will be asked for your Entry Code, where you should 
enter P6L182450

If you do not have internet access, please send me a note and I’ll send you a paper copy of possible times.

Please let me know if none of the open times work for you. I look forward to our meeting. Thank you.

Best Regards, 


Mr. Shea

Conferences upcoming

Hello,

Thank you for you patience regarding our conferences. Once again, the Bowdoin Women's Basketball Team has done very well and is heading to the NCAA Division III Tournament Round Three. I will not be in school on March 11, a day that many teachers will be conferencing with students.

I will be sending home an electronic sign up sheet for conferences this Sunday, regardless of our basketball outcomes this weekend.  I will once again offer up half hour times before and after school. Conferences will take place through out the rest of March, so you can be sure we will be able to find a good time for everyone.

I look forward to meeting with you all.

Thanks again,

Mr. Shea

coming soon: puberty video

Hello,

Here is the letter that went home with your child:

Dear Stowe School Families,

The 5^th grade students are about to study an important lesson on the early stages of puberty.  During the week of February 8^th the students will be viewing the video Always Changing which has specific topics concerning puberty for both boys and girls. The boys and the girls will be in separate classrooms for their lessons. The boys will be viewing the boy’s video with the male 5^th grade teachers while the girls will be viewing the girl’s video with the female 5^th grade teachers.

The focus of the lesson helps boys and girls to:

·         Understand the physical and emotional changes they experience during puberty and  acknowledge these changes as a normal part of growth and development

·         Learn the physiology of their bodies and correct terminology for the parts of the reproductive system

·         Understand that personal hygiene is each individual’s responsibility

The students will be given a puberty education booklet so you can continue the discussions with your child at home. You can preview the video we will show at: www.pgschoolprograms.com/parents.php .

Thank you for allowing us to help your child through this important stage in their lives. Please call or email if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jean Skorapa, Principal,                                                                                 Linda Morris, RN, School Nurse

JSkorapa@Brunswick.k12.me.us                                                               LMorris@Brunswick.k12.me.us

Welcome back

Hello,

We are starting our astronomy unit. I'm pretty psyched about it. The kids will be soon too.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday break. Most of the class got to share today. We focused on the their favorite times and not on the material stuff that they got. Some homework follow-up on that as well.

I'm not sure how many of you remember last year's inaugural Science Night put on by Mrs. Palopoli. It coincided with our Quidditch Match of the Decade. We set up our K'nex Ferris wheel and a K'nex roller coaster that I had purchased. The fair was really well done and had lots of real scientists presenting right along side our student scientists. (I know, they're all real scientists, just some are paid to do it.) Ring any bells?

Well, this year we are all in. It is going to be a major event. I'm on the committee with Mrs. Palopoli to make this bigger and better. Were looking for some parent volunteers to join in the fun. If you are interested, let me know or come to our first meeting on January 13 at 5:00. That's a Wednesday. Our snow date is the next night, Thursday the 14th.

Thank you to everyone for following the "No random sweets" rule. We didn't have anything brought in close to the holiday outside of a couple bunches of grapes. Those are always welcome.

No homework club or guitar club this week. Sorry, just too much hoop right after school.

Thanks for reading,

Mr. Shea