We are fortunate to welcome Mr. Wells into our class for two hours each week.  He is a sophomore at Reed College and is volunteering his time. Thursday is a great day for extra help since we also have been lucky to have Ms. Poole with us during Worktime Centers. While half the class was in Gardening with Ms. Julia, the other half remained in Room 34 to mix up a concoction known as Flubber. Then we switched. I first encountered this amazing compound at the Portland Children’s Museum a dozen years ago. My own children were fascinated by the transformation of Borax, warm water, white glue, and food coloring. The chemical reaction that took place changed a liquid to a solid, unlike anything that looked like the original ingredients. If you would like to recreate this science experiment at home, here is a handy link to the recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/flubber-129414#ixzz1K24jTpt8

This week, we began our unit on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The tale is a classic, and the entertaining thing is that with so many versions, each day brings a new story with a familiar theme.  We even read a story featuring a wild west Dustylocks, and one starring three hares, and a whole book of chatty mice.  During Worktime Centers, students are focusing their energy on completing the tasks to the best of their ability within the time provided.  There can be a tendency to work too hastily, in which case, the work is rejected and has to be redone, which actually takes longer than doing it right the first time.  High expectations are in full bloom. Key words of the week are once again: one, two, three, four, and five. Please practice at home, as well as having your child read our Morning Message outloud every day.

On Tuesday, a brave trio of parents joined the class on our first walking field trip.  A debt of gratitude goes to River’s mom, Sara’s dad, and Tru’s dad.  They trekked the two-mile roundtrip to Reed College and back in order to visit the Cooley Art Gallery.  Here we were impressed by the calligraphy work of Lloyd Reynolds, a beloved professor for forty years at Reed. To view photos of our journey, and read about the experience, please follow this link: http://posterous.com/posts/new/2448613