Friday, October 23, 2009

Camp Survivors!

After a breakfast of cereal, French Toast, and sausages, we took the kids down to the beach for a group photo before their last lesson. Here are your camp survivors! I think they had a great week!

Our last day is under way

Good morning! We are packing now before breakfast, then off to one more lesson, an early lunch, and departure around 12:30. We have had a fantastic week of weather and learning!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Eco-Carnival Night

This evening the kids were tested about their knowledge of ecology throughout various active games. Below is a sample of the fun they had despite being pretty tired from their amazing week at Ferry Beach.

Jetty Jaunt

This afternoon students had choices of lessons to sign up for. The group I joined took a jaunt to the Camp Ellis jetty. The kids learned about when the jetty was built, and the reasons for building it and extending the Saco River. We saw the effects of erosion due to the sea pounding off the jetty and taking away the sand from the beach. The impact upon the homes in the area is very evident: roads washed out, houses on stilts, rock walls are just a few things. So if the jetty is doing all these things, why is it there and who benefits from it? We learned about the textile mills and the ships coming in and out during the 1800's, as well as, the local fishermen who profit from this region.

The Kiwi Queen of Ferry Beach

Your children have been enjoying the fresh fruit that is always available here at Ferry Beach. One of the more popular treats is the kiwi. Today at lunch we crowned a Queen of Kiwi.

Saltmarsh Sea Pickle

This morning we explored the ecosystem of the saltmarsh. The kids had fun walking through the muddy marsh and sampling sea pickles. You can also view a music video about...something that begins with S and ends in T, it comes out you and comes out of me! I will let the kids sing the rest. We enjoyed the company of a visitor last evening and today. Long time 5th grade teacher and former camp coordinator, Lynda Kubik, just can't stay away! It was great to see her!


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Check out this slide show

Camp Pictures

Recreation Time

Besides all the fun they are having out on their lessons, the kids are enjoying being kids out on the play area during recreation time. Everyone loves the spinny cups! If spinning is not for you, then a game of volleyball or just hanging out can be a great way to spend some time with friends.

What a beautiful beach day!

The weather was spectacular for the beach and dune lesson. In the videos you may see kids watching a skit, digging quickly as a clam needs to in order to avoid being eaten, sediment coming down the river from the White Mountains, a dance, the return of Jake, and even a 5 minute beach nap! The kids are having a great time, eating tons of fruit, helping serve the meals, and even cleaning up after mealtimes!

Happy Wednesday-Happy Birthday Chris

We begin day three with a birthday celebration. Breakfast will be served soon and then we are off to our Beach and Dune lesson.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Stars in the sand or digging for dinos

This evening the lesson was astronomy.The group I went with took a walk down to the beach to look up at the constellations. Their job was to create their own constellation and create a story about how it became famous. We had some creative ideas, fun and laughter along the shore. After viewing the constellations above, the naturalist said that some stars are in the sand, and instructed the students to dig for them. To their amazement, they were there! No, not really starts but dinoflagellates, tiny organisms that light up when stimulated. After, each student became an expert on a planet in our solar system and read some facts about their planet. Now your "little stars" are in bed dreaming of what will come on day three at Ferry Beach.

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's a ?

Abiotic Adventures

This afternoon's lesson featured Abiotic Adventures. The students took soil samples and learned how to determine if it contains nutrients. They also learned about glaciers, plate tectonics and how soil is formed. The video below shows a group making "soil soup". Ask your child for the recipe when they get home, but I wouldn't order it at any restaurant.


Note for Parents

Since the 5th grade is having a great time at Ferry Beach this week, you will be getting progress reports from 5th grade teachers next week. This is a change from the other grade levels that will be sending them home this week.

Biddeford Tide Pools

The kids just returned from exploring the tide pools. We managed to have no injuries on those slippery rocks and found awesome things including a sea anemone!

Day 2 has begun

Good morning from Ferry Beach! The sun rose just after 7:00am over the Atlantic Ocean and our day has begun. Looks like a super day ahead!

Well, we just got back from the tide pools and all the while I was trying to download an awesome 1:16 minute video of the kids watching the sunrise. I began the download at 7:15 and it is now 11:36. I will have to post shorter segments of video in order to let you see in a timely fashion.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Day 1 comes to an end

The kids had a great afternoon learning about abiotic and biotic factors...make sure you quiz them when they get home as to what those terms mean. Dinner this evening featured pasta with or without sauce, delicious garlic bread, roasted squash, and garden salad. You can see video below of them gobbling down their dinner. After dinner, they had a crossword puzzle "dessert quiz" where they work together for dessert at their dining table to reinforce the lessons of the day.

Their evening lesson after dinner was Marine Lab which is a prelude to tomorrow's excursion to the Biddeford Tide Pools. They learned about the different tidal zones and what species live in each. The students were also prepared on how to walk on the rocks and stay away from the dreaded black rocks...those that have slippery algae growing on them! It is now 9:51pm and I am sitting in my room and all I can hear is the surf outside, all boys (I can't speak for the girls dorm) are sound asleep. Day 1 has come to a peaceful end.

We have arrived!!

The bus ride up was comfortable and we made good time, arriving about 10:10am. The kids liked the idea of having a bathroom on the bus. Here at Ferry Beach the surf is pounding, students have had dorm orientation and a practice Fire Drill. As I write, the kids are outside having a great time. Soon they will come in for lunch which the menu is: Fruit salad, potato salad, tossed salad, and chicken or cheese focacia! After lunch, students will go on their first lesson The ABC's of Ecology. The weather is beautiful!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Counting Down to Camp!

Wow, can you believe we leave for camp on Monday? Today in Literacy, we talked about camp and the excitement is building. While most kids never experience homesickness, there have been some cases in years passed. So today, we took steps to help in case they feel any symptoms of this dreaded illness. We watched a clip from the movie The Sound of Music, with Julie Andrews singing My Favorite Things. I had the kids write a list yesterday, and today we put it into song with a slightly different chorus: When I'm homesick, when I'm lonely, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad! Below you can view some of the video from the three classes as they shared what they wrote. We had a great time and talked after how we need to help each other out during our camp week if we notice anyone experiencing any symptoms. Have a great weekend, rest up! The long range forecast for Saco, Maine looks good so far! Check out the link: http://www.weatherforyou.com/weather/maine/saco.html