Not-So-Lazy Days of Summer: July 2016

Monday, July 18, 2016

this week

I wanted to apologize for my absence recently. I have been very sick this month, especially the past two weeks. I hope my doctor has finally figured out what is going on so we can finally get things worked out and I won't be missing anymore work. I do apologize for being out so much recently but I was just not able to be here. On a happier note, this is what will be going on at the Campus School this week. :)

Monday, July 18, 2016
Ms. Kim out
Please check your child’s mailbox for permission forms for 'Finding Dory'

Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Welcome aboard, Miss Emily Edwards, Campus School Secretary
Ms. Kim out for OSR Training in Tuscaloosa

Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Money ($5.00 cash) and permission forms to view 'Finding Dory' (rated PG) must be returned by today in order for your child to attend the movie tomorrow.

Thursday, July 21, 2016
All classes will go to UWA Cinema at 9:15 to watch 'Finding Dory' (rated PG) and enjoy popcorn and drink for $5.00 per child.
Pizza Day- $3.00 if you did not pay for full month of lunches

Friday, July 22, 2016
Curriculum Library with Mrs. Annie, time is TBA
Olympic Games at Campus School on front lawn

Please note that Friday, July 29th is the last day of the summer program. The Campus School will be closed for teacher work days the week of August 1-5, 2016.

Monday, July 11, 2016

this week

We are winding down our summer quickly. There are only 3 weeks left. Can you believe it? Reminders for next week are listed below.

Monday, July 11, 2016----

July Tuition due---$210.00 for younger students. Lunch for the month of July is $60.00 for full month or $12.00 for pizza days and can be included with your tuition.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

ALL Classes will go to Tuscaloosa’s Cobb Theatre at 8:15a.m. to watch the free movie and enjoy popcorn and juice and lunch at Chick-Fil-A. The cost per child is $10.00. Please plan to leave a car seat as we will travel on vans. All classes will be going so if your child will not be joining us, please make other arrangements. We will not have anybody at the Campus School to watch students that day. If you have not signed our summer release form, you must do so in order for your child to participate.

Friday, July 15, 2016

ALL full time teachers and Ms. Kim will be attending the Yearly Planning Meeting at the Private Dining Room at Aramark Cafeteria. We will have substitutes available throughout the day to supervise and care for your children.

We will begin our Summer Olympics Unit on Monday, July 11 and continue through July 22, 2016.

Please note that Friday, July 29^th is the last day of the summer program. The Campus School will be closed for teacher work days the week of August 1-5, 2016.

Friday, July 1, 2016

week of June 27 | snapshot

We started our 2 week Rainforest unit Monday.

To begin the unit, we made a KWL chart listing what we already Know and what we Want to learn.

We also learned "Layers of the Rainforest" song after looking at the different layers to help us remember them throughout our study.

Then we watched The Great Kapok Tree read-aloud.

We discussed:

How important was the Kapok tree?

To whom was it important?

How do you think the animals in the story felt,

when they saw a human who was bigger and stronger than them came to chop down their tree?

How do you think the animals feel now that the Kapok Tree has been cut down?

What will happen to the animals?

The students then made their own kapok trees using their arms, hands, and fingers.

Next, we talked about where the frogs of the rainforest live (understory layer.) I explained that many of the frogs of the rainforest are as small as a quarter, and there are many dangerous poisonous frogs. Rainforest natives rub the tips of their arrows on the skin of the poison arrow frog and others to make their weapon deadly. We turned our attention to the red-eyed tree frog.

· Many scientists believe the red-eyed tree frog developed its vivid scarlet peepers to shock predators into at least briefly questioning their meal choice.

· These iconic rain-forest amphibians sleep by day stuck to leaf-bottoms with their eyes closed and body markings covered. When disturbed, they flash their bulging red eyes and reveal their huge, webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique, called startle coloration, may give a bird or snake pause, offering a precious instant for the frog to spring to safety.

· They hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues.

· Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, and their highly recognizable image is often used to promote the cause of saving the world's rain forests.

We watched Red-Eyed Tree Frogs | Amazing Animals

Then we learned how to draw a frog step by step

and then colored him in to look like a red-eyed tree frog.

After drawing our frogs we thought of some other animals that hop like a frog.

The next day we learned about the spider monkey.

I asked the students what layer they thought the spider monkey might live in and why.

They spend most of their time in the understory and canopy because of all the vines.

· Spider monkeys (of several species) live in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America.

· They have long, lanky arms and prehensile (gripping) tails that enable them to move gracefully from branch to branch and tree to tree.

· Spider monkeys find food in the treetops and feast on nuts, fruits, leaves, bird eggs, and spiders.

· They can be noisy animals and often communicate with many calls, screeches, barks, and other sounds.

I then asked the students to think of other ways that animals move in the rainforest or other habitats

and recorded their answers on a chart.

Beforehand, I made equal strips of paper labeled swim, slither, walk, and jump/hop. I told the students they will take one strip of paper out of the bucket. Whatever the strip says, they will draw one animal that moves that way for the chart. After everyone had finished with their animals, each student came up and taped their animal under the correct movement and shared with the class what animal they drew, modeled the movement.