Jugglers and Tightrope Walkers!

Forest Friday

Keeping warm in our new forest gear!

Wondering.... was there a beaver here?

Wondering why this tree has a big bump?

Kindergarten "Foxes" Catching Mice!

Juggling with Tony Duncan

The kindergartners got some juggling tips from pro juggler, Tony Duncan, in our circus class!

Learning about Beavers with Joan

As part of our study about animals in winter, we invited Joan Carey from BEEC (Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center) to teach us about beavers and how they change the environment to meet their needs.  To teach the kindergartners about beavers, Joan changed me into a beaver with long sharp teeth, and a strong broad tail, webbed feet for swimming (with a comb and oil to care for fur), see-through eyelids for swimming underwater, a warm undercoat of fur, and a waterproof outer coat!

Animals in Winter

Throughout the year, we have been tracking the weather and noticing how it changes throughout the seasons. We have also been learning about what livings things need to survive (food, water, air, shelter.)  This winter we have been studying animals and how they meet their needs for food and warmth in the winter.  We have learned that some animals migrate, some hibernate, some sleep and wake throughout the winter (dormancy) and others stay active all winter long. In order to better understand these concepts, we have "migrated" like geese to a warmer place (the library) and found food (our snack!) there. We have "hibernated" like bats. We have "slept" (and occasionally woken up) like bears do in the winter. And, we have stayed "active" like gray squirrels with thick coats and nibbled on nuts and dried berries!

                                                     Here are the "hibernating" bats!

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Here are the "sleeping" (dormant) bears!

Here are the "active" gray squirrels eating nuts and dried berries!

Circus class

The circus has come to town (or at least to Academy School!) Check out the feather balancers, the monkeys and gorillas, the lions jumping through rings, and the scarf jugglers!