Heads up

Hello,


Here's a heads up on a few things:


We have an early release on Wednesday at 1:00.  The staff will be taking part of the Smarter Balanced test to see what type of computer skills are needed for our kids to be successful when they take the tests in March. 


We are only three short weeks away from another vacation.  Personal opinion: Two weeks off for Christmas, six weeks on, and then another week off, is not a recipe for learning. 


A tentative date has been set for a stargazing night next Friday.  I'll keep you updated on the location and the set day and time.


I'd like to get the class to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts.  It used to be a fifth grade field trip at Jordan Acres.  Our everybody or nobody policy makes that rather difficult.  I'd like to see who might be interested in driving down with me on the first day of April Vacation (that Saturday).  If we can get four or five interested drivers, I'm sure we could accommodate the whole class.  It couldn't be affiliated with the school because of liability issues, but we could meet off campus and make a day of it.  Here is the Plimoth website for anyone interested: http://www.plimoth.org/  Let me know if you'd be interested in allowing your child to go, or even better, driving some kids.  For that matter, I'd love to see if anyone is interested in a spring day in Boston on the Freedom Trail.  We could hit Lexington and/Concord as well.  It seems a shame to pass up these hands on opportunities that are so close by.


And now the big one: Gettysburg.  I filled out a bus quote website this weekend to see how much it might cost to charter a bus to Gettysburg near the end of June.  The trip would also require 2-3 nights of camping.  I think I could save us a bunch by cooking and being a tour guide.  I wouldn't mind driving either, but I want to see bus costs.  In a few short months we're going to be learning a lot about the Civil War, Gettysburg in particular.  What a way to end their elementary years than a trip to the battlefield.  I could work the camping skills into our homework clubs.  Tempting?  I'd love some feedback.  It would also have to be unaffiliated with the school. 


Those are a just a couple of things kicking around my head.  Let me know if I'm nuts, or if you too would like to hit Plimoth in April, Boston, Lexington and Concord in May, and Gettysburg in June.


I hope I don't get in trouble for asking on this blog.  I just look at our spring curriculum though, and I ask myself how this could best be learned outside a textbook, and site visits is my best answer. 


Think about it.


Mr. Shea