Community Lunch is Wednesday this Week!

Due to another program's need for the dining lodge, our Community Lunch is switched to Wednesday this week. Any parent volunteers that are available will still be needed on Wednesday, and please remember to send a lunch for your child on Friday!

Community Lunch

This Wednesday the 28th we will be serving:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Tomato Soup.

Orange Slices & Cookies.

Coaching for Parents Seminar Cancelled

Because of unforeseen circumstances, the Coaching for Parents seminar has been canceled. The Parent Council is hoping to provide an alternative seminar for parents later this spring. All questions can be directed to Nate.

After School Calendar

Monday, March 26th: Making Masks!

Tuesday, March 27th: Swimming @ the Rec. Center

Wednesday, March 28th: Make Granola Bars

Thursday, March 29th: Floating Mini-Boats on the Snake River (Weather Dependent)

Click here to view the April Calendar.

Science Fair

It’s not too late to still sign up for the Journeys School’s first ever Science Fair! Those who turned in interest forms should receive letters by Monday March 26. Applications for the Science Olympics will be due Wednesday, April 25 and applications for Science Projects will be due Friday, April 27. If you would like an application or have questions, please email me at joanna.snyder@journeysschool.org. Over 45 students have expressed interest!

College Counseling Meeting:

David would like to meet with parents of eleventh grade students to begin conversations about the college application process on Thursday, March 29 from 5:30-6:30 pm in the upper school building. Please call him if you have any questions. 733-1327, x1116.

Congratulations Chloe!

Twelfth grade student Chloe Frisella-Kunst was recently informed that she has been accepted to the University of Idaho for fall of 2007. Congratulations to her and her family.

District Speech and Debate Finals

Three Journeys School students traveled to Laramie for the Wind River District Speech & Debate finals. J.C. qualified for Nationals in Public Forum (Speech & Debate) with his partner, JHHS student Jordan Schreiber. Brandon Kapelow was named as an alternate for Nationals in Student Congress and Jonas Falkenberg's photo made the front-page of the Laramie Boomerang on Friday. Congratulations!

Order Organic Coffee

Support the Journeys School Annual Fund by ordering Journeys School Organic Coffee.
Online: www.FreshOrganicCoffee.com/journeys.html or call (307) 733-8046

Pre-Kindergarten

Announcements
Thanks
Thanks to Jeanne Ball for celebrating the first day of spring with us by planting flowers and exploring other signs of spring with children through the book Baby Animals.

Thank you to Levy Family for bringing in fresh Florida oranges and grapefruits. We have been gobbling them up at snack time.

Thank you to Joann Honigman for helping us organize classroom library books.

Thank you Kelly McDermott and Rhonda Watson for joining our Pre-K class on a journey to the Center for the Arts to tour their new stage and see behind the scenes of Peter Pan.

Parent Zone
Sunscreen!!
Parents, please remember to apply sunscreen to your child each morning before he/she comes to school. We will reapply each day at recess.

For Students Attending Tuesday and Thursday:
Two Journeys School parents, David and Jackie Baxa, have volunteered to create a long-term project teaching our children about computers and the Internet. To make this lesson more meaningful to them, they will be building an individual web page for each child. The “Kid Pages” will be hosted on the Baxas’ business website. Please remember to return your signed permission slip for participation in our investigation of computers and the internet.

Empty baby food jars?
We’ll take them! We are looking for clean baby food jars for paint storage.

Painting the Greenhouse
We are looking for more parent volunteers to apply the second and final coat of paint to the green house. We will be watching the weather for another period of sunny and dry days; stay tuned for more information on joining us to paint.

Volunteer Opportunity:
We are looking for parents to support our music teacher, Susan Prince, on Thursday Mornings. Come in to join the singing, dancing, twirling, shaking fun! Music class is every Thursday from 10:40-11:40. Sign up in the Parent Zone.

Learning Team Meetings:
Please sign up for a Learning Team Meeting with your child’s advisor if you have not already done so. Sign-ups are in the Parent Zone on top of the small wooden table. Learning Team Meetings are already underway.

Journeys this Week:
This week we will be taking a Journey to Estella’s House on Wednesday to learn more about her family and engage in a scavenger hunt. (10am-11:45am)

Curricular Updates

Department of Three-Wheeled Vehicles
The Department of Three-Wheeled Vehicles (DTWV) issued many new Tricycle Operator’s Licenses last week. Students worked with Erin to fill out all of the required information: license number, D.O.B., address, height, weight, eye color, and background color. Children lined up at the doctor’s office to have their height and weight measured. They accurately recorded their own measurements and submitted that information to Erin. Students were highly motivated and engaged in this activity that was rich with pre-math and literacy skills. Children were eager to make their licenses official by signing the back and challenged to do so in such a small space. Children are in the car on a daily basis, they have been to the gas station, the car wash, have seen their parent’s licenses, and maybe, although we won’t eagerly admit it, have experienced being pulled over by the police. Through this activity we are providing students with real materials to act out experiences that they have had or imagined. We are creating an environment in which students can express what they know and dive a little deeper into a subject of interest and relevance.

Fairies…Fly Into Our Classroom
The provocation was a fictional story about a fairy living in our tree house. It has sparked many mythical and fantastical activities throughout the past week. Children were absorbed by the fantasy world of fairies. They got creative with various and splendid materials to make houses, fairies and even fairy dust. If there is something that has seemed impossible for you to do alone, you may need to consider using a pinch of fairy dust. The ingredients are very coveted, and you can find the magic recipe posted in the Pre K kitchen. You can see some of our creations high above the block area on our flying line.

The Pre-K Encyclopedia of the Body
Mickey, our devoted and consistent Wednesday volunteer, is starting a new book with interested students: The Pre-K Encyclopedia of the Body. Each week she will be working with students to learn about one specific part of the body. Last week she worked with students to examine their feet. Children traced their feet and used books to research and draw their blood vessels, tendons, and bones. Children have been very curious about the insides of their bodies and continue to draw their perceptions and label their diagrams.

Doctor’s Office
The doctor’s office is still filled to capacity most days of the week with patients and doctors alike. There is a new entrance to the doctor’s office; check the sign to see if it is open or closed. The hours of operation are flexible and subject to change, sorry for any inconvenience.

Announcements
Thank You

We want to thank the Hessler family for their wonderful parting gift of a new digital camera for our classroom. We will put the camera to good use documenting the many wonderful projects and adventures in K-2.

Jennifer Reichert was our bathroom superhero this week!

Reminders:

With the wet and unpredictable spring weather, please help ensure your child’s comfort by sending appropriate snow/rain pants and boots and extra socks in case of a soaking. There is still quite a bit of snow and water on our playfield.

A reminder that students that arrive after 8:20 will be marked excused late on their school records. We appreciate the, sometimes, Herculean effort it takes to get “up campus” on time. The morning’s focused exploration time is an important way for students to get warmed up and ready for the day.

Some K-2 Students are participating in an upcoming production of Peter Pan. Performances are scheduled for March 28 through April 1st at the new theater in the Center for the Arts. Break a leg, lost boys and girls!

Please let us know if your child will be missing any additional school before or after Spring Break. Thank You!

Curricular Updates

I Can Book Project

We are thrilled to be partnering with Maggie Valiante and the Teton Literacy Project for another year of the I Can Book Project. The second graders have been working with Maggie to create a community story entitled: Our Journey to the Mysterious Island. At the same time, the first graders have been working on their own version of this project. Their story is titled: How Cheese Made Friends. This is a wonderful exercise in communication, creativity and cooperation. The second grade book will be presented at a community celebration at the TLC in May. Stay tuned for details.

Art Into Action

The K-2 classroom participated in a special Art Into Action project as part of World Environment Day. We explored our surroundings by “meeting” a tree, doing a rubbing of that tree and recording other observations about that tree. We also brainstormed about why we appreciate trees and our environment and what we can do to help the environment. The students recorded their observations through colored pencil drawings in their own ecological “footprints”. The students’ artwork will be sent to Oslo, Norway for the UN sponsored World Environment Day celebration, which brings together artwork from students all over the world. This has been a good springboard for discussing the change of seasons and Earth Day. If you would like to find our more about World Environment Day you can go to: http://www.unep.org/wed/2007/english/About_WED_2007/index.asp

Mountain Goats Study Eric Carle

This past month the Mountain Goats focused on the colorful books of Eric Carle. The students had been exposed to two of his books, Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungary Caterpillar earlier in the year, so we continued our exploration by reading additional books such as The Grouchy Ladybug, Pancakes, Pancakes, From Head to Toe, and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Students identified similarities and differences from book to book. Each student created their own version of From Head to Toe, and created their own pancakes from the recipe in Pancakes, Pancakes. The students have also been working hard on reading their own version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, which includes many sight words, color words and animal words. This month, the Mountain Goats have received their own Site Word Ring, which contains common literacy words. We will continue to add words as students become more familiar with them Keep an eye out for the Word Rings, as they may come home from time to time for students to practice. In addition, we have begun a character study of our friend Froggy, from the Froggy book series, by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz. Students will look carefully at this dynamic and playful character over the next couple of weeks.

Soaring in Math

The Bald Eagle math group is beginning to tackle their math facts as only raptors can. Recently, students were introduced to an addition grid to help them in their math fact acquisition. Students have learned a few games to help them further their quick math fact recall. By the end of the year, students should have a solid grasp of all math facts with sums up to 20. Practicing this at home can be fun, as there are many games that allow students to practice their facts in a playful setting. For example, students recently brought home a game called “Four in a Row”. This game challenges students to quickly recall their addition facts as well as think strategically. As the third trimester arrived, students took it upon themselves to be especially aware of reversing numbers and being careful in their calculations. Looking ahead, we will soon be exploring symmetry, geometry and equivalencies.

PE Tai Chi

Tai Chi in Health Sciences! Greg Brazelton, a journeys school parent and Tai Chi practitioner of over 15 years, will be teaching Tai Chi in K-2 for the next three weeks. He will be briefing the students on the history of Tai Chi, demonstrating various methods and techniques, and teaching basic Tai Chi exercises. Tai Chi is an ancient martial art that focuses on mental, spiritual, and physical health.

Announcements

Spring Break Absences
If your child will miss school because of Spring Break travel, please contact his/her advisor as soon as possible. Advance notice of planned absences helps the teachers stay organized. Thank you!

Spring Journey Meeting
Parents, please mark your calendars for an information meeting about our Spring Journeys. The meeting will take place on the evening of Tuesday, April 24, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. At this meeting, details of both the fifth grade Capstone Journey to Salish Sea Expeditions and the third and fourth grade Journey to Pinedale will be discussed.

ERB Testing
ERB testing will take place next week! The tests will be administered during the mornings of Monday, April 2 through Thursday, April 5. April 6 will be a make-up day. To help your child feel prepared for the ERB testing, please help him/her get a good night’s sleep and eat a substantial breakfast before each day of testing.

Thank You
Thank you to Ellen Speers for washing countless kitchen rags and gear closet items.

Curriculum Updates

Spanish
This trimester, Grades 3-5 students will begin looking at pathways for using Spanish in our local community. At the beginning of the term, we will learn the vocabulary to describe places in our town. With this understanding, students will learn how to give directions and ask for help. In addition to the new vocabulary, we will also focus on using the formal "usted," the polite way to say "you" to a stranger or adult. Later in the term, we will learn the names for different foods, examine recipes, and practice ordering meals in restaurants. The term will conclude with a unit on making friends; we will talk about our interests and practice inviting each other to do different activities.

Fifth Grade Capstone Experience
The Capstone students have been working hard to complete outlines and begin rough drafts of their place-based investigation papers. The students have also begun to work on the artistic components of their projects.
Time has been set aside in the Grades 3-5 schedule for Capstone work to take place at school. Tina, Sarah and Sydney have been meeting with the Capstone students on Tuesdays and Thursdays to offer guidance and suggestions. In order for your child to best utilize the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon Capstone sessions, they need to come to school with Capstone work to accomplish during this time. Please assist your fifth grader in packing their Capstone belongings on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Students may need to bring in the following materials: the blue Capstone binder, their spiral notebook, books and websites about their topic, and/or current copies of their rough draft, outline and bibliography. During class, students will have the opportunity to accomplish the following tasks: read books or websites, take notes on their topic, handwrite their rough draft, or conference with a teacher. Please encourage your child to use this time productively.
Please forward Tina an electronic copy of your child’s finished outline for his/her Capstone CD. The bibliography can be sent in when it is complete.

Announcements

ERB Testing

Just a reminder that annual standardized testing will occur the mornings of Monday, April 2 – Thursday, April 5 with Friday being a make-up day. Students should come to school well rested and supplied with two pencils and a free-reading book. As always, please be sure your student eats a healthy breakfast so he/she is as prepared for school as possible. These tests are but one of several assessments we use to gauge students’ progress throughout their careers. The results are most useful when students come to school alert, well fed, and prepared. The test results will be mailed home at the end of the school year and teachers will be available to discuss them should parents wish to schedule an appointment.

Thank you

Thank you to Jana Roice and Jack Shea for accompanying the eighth graders on our journey to Washington D.C. Your energy, insights and assistance were invaluable! (Especially when our flight was cancelled!)

Thank you to all of the parents who helped in different ways to make the Kelly Campus Journey a big success. Everything from helping make sure your child was prepared with all the necessary gear (it was wet up there!) to helping with chaperoning and driving students, your help was greatly appreciated! Special thanks to Pam Terkovich, Jill Wright, Scott Garland and April Landale. In addition, we appreciated Brent Blue’s efforts in arranging the tour of the airplane factory in Afton.

Curricular Updates

Theme Study

The theme for the spring trimester is “seeking balance,” and the middle school curriculum is oriented toward examining social and ecological relationships which illustrate our theme. This is the third lens on our year-long theme, “conflict and cooperation.” Balance is a sometimes elusive feeling in the lives of adolescents as social, physical and academic changes can be overwhelming. This spring we will be encouraging students to seek balance in the content of their courses and well as examine balance (or lack thereof) within the context of their lives.

Spanish
This term in Spanish, we will be looking at Mexico and its society, environment, and economy through the lens of "seeking balance." We will examine these three elements of sustainability as they pertain to issues such as health, trade, and immigration. Students started the term learning about the 31 states and federal district in Mexico with a map activity followed by an independent research project. Students searched for information about the culture, economy, and environment in each area, then created flyers describing their region and presented their findings to the class. With this overview, we will begin to look at markets and trade, then health and the environment, and finally the complex dynamic of emigration and immigration in Mexico. This will include projects about markets, cooking, the doctor's office, and the role of NAFTA and CAFTA have on the sustainability of the region. At the end of the term, the culminating project will build upon the learning from the Spanish and science classrooms with an interdisciplinary project examining the movement of birds and people in the Americas.

Science

This term in Science students will explore the many dynamics of ecological principles. The three weeks before Spring Break are devoted to fundamental concepts of what defines an organism, how we classify living things, food interactions between organisms and population dynamics. From this foundation, we will focus on how humans interact with other organisms and what are the management issues as we seek balance in the global ecosystems. Each week will have a theme: Predator Management; Succession and Disturbance Ecosystems; Human Development and Habitat Fragmentation; and Human Development and Pollution. On Mondays we will explore the complex ecology behind the concept; Tuesdays will be devoted to case studies and local examples; Wednesdays we will either have guest speakers or an inquiry project; and on Thursdays we will summarize our studies, examine current solutions and look to the future.
Our final project will look at issues involving Invasive and Endangered Species. We will then explore the mysteries of migration, which will be an integral part of the Spring Culminating project involving a bilingual investigation of bird and human migrations between the Tetons and Central America.

Social Science

Social science just completed a week of learning about computer security. Students learned about the different ways computers can be infected by viruses, spyware and other "nasties." They also learned how to protect themselves and their personal information as they explore the Internet, respond to email and instant message their friends.

This week, students begin learning about "striving for balance" through a study of the modern American Civil Rights Movement. Their investigation begins with viewing and responding to the excellent documentary, Eyes on the Prize.

Announcements

Speech and Debate Update

Congratulations to Senior J.C. Hockett for winning the speech and debate district championships in the public forum division. J.C.’s victory qualified him for the national championships this summer in Wichita Kansas. Brandon Kapelow and Jonas Falkenburg also finished off their fine speech and debate season at the district meet.

Soccer Update

Annie Watters started off the girls JV soccer season on the right foot with two road wins against Worland and Powell. On the boys JV soccer team, Gordon Finnegan also had a great weekend with a win against Lander and a draw against Buffalo.

Extra-curricular Absences
Because of feedback from parents of upper school students who participate in extra-curricular activities, which is most of our students, we have adapted our absence/make-up work policies in order to compensate time absent from school. Absences for extra-curricular activities are always excused. If a student is absent from school for an extra-curricular activity, regardless of the number of days a student is absent, the student will be allotted one school day to make up school work without any penalties in assessment.

For example, if a student is absent Friday, Monday will be considered the make-up day and any assignment given just prior to or during the absence will be due Tuesday. If a student is absent Thursday and Friday, Monday will still be considered the make-up day and any assignments will be due Tuesday. Students missing school for extra-curricular involvement must always communicate with teachers ahead of time to get assignments and due dates. We encourage students to check in with teachers three to four days prior to an absence and complete assignments before an absence in order to get help from teachers.

Students who miss school because of illness or family emergency will continue to receive two days make-up for every day absent.
Students who miss school for family travel or vacation must submit any pre-planned assignments prior to departure from school.

Yard Art

Dennis Sanders wishes to remind everyone that there are Upper School artists with sculptures on display in front of the Jackson Whole Grocer. These sculptures were created during the Yard Art after school program at the Center for the Arts, directed by Ben Roth.  Please check these out and show your support!

Curricular Updates

English, grades 9-11

The new trimester finds the grades 9-11 English classes breaking new ground. David and Drew have changed class rosters so that students are working in different enrollments and group configurations. We have “re-enrolled” students in response to student feedback to mix up class groupings. Students in the spring English class are enrolled in ‘Multiple Literacies of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict’. The course is intended to first teach students how to read many kinds of literary and film texts: historical, religious, narrative, documentary, poetic, and even comic. At the beginning of the unit, which began last Monday, March 19, students began learning the religious history of Judaism and Islam. It is fundamental for students to understand the religious and cultural backgrounds of these two cultures in order to understand the politics and conflict in the Middle East. Our reading comes from The Illustrated World’s Religions by Huston Smith, America’s most pre-eminent world religions scholar and two documentaries of the same series, Religions of the World, that focus on Judaism and Islam, respectively.

Advanced writing, grade 12

Do you know the five components of narrative structure that have been in place since antiquity and are still used in everything from today’s great literature and film to comic books and cartoons? Can you differentiate the subtleties in multiple narrative voices found in a single piece of literature? Would you be able to craft a short story that uses a non-linear progression and begin the story at the end and work your way backward while moving forward to show how an event started? David is asking these questions and many others of twelfth grade students in his advanced writing class as they embark on the largest creative writing program of the year. Students have been studying short stories by Nikolai Gogol, Truman Capote, John Updike, William Faulkner, and Annie Proulx to learn how the masters craft their stories so that they can adapt strategies in order to write their own short stories over the next two weeks. The writing process will include a great deal of ‘workshopping’ as students read and respond to one another’s work. Students’ stories will be on display upon completion.

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© 2005, Basecamp News, Journeys School of Teton Science Schools.