Fuel Up to Play 60

The 5th and 6th Grade ACES made a very quick attempt at a 30-second commercial highlighting how to "Get Healthy, Be Active, and Make a Difference". This was part of a contest sponsored by the Play 60 movement to encourage kids to get off the couch and play. We learned that it's not easy to condense thoughts and ideas from a group into 30 seconds. They gave it their best shot in the hour that we had to spend. Turn up the volume and enjoy!

Weird - but Totally Awesome - Science

The ACES enjoyed some weird, but totally awesome, science experiments recently! We ooohhhhed and aaaaahhhhhed over bubbles. They weren't just your everyday ordinary bubbles. They were bubbles that contained trapped carbon dioxide gas from our dry ice. We made Insta-Worms and Green Slime (hopefully everyone who took some home followed my directions about not opening the slime unless they had permission from a parent :)) We energized Glow-In-The-Dark Powder and made balloons scream.

These experiments came from the Steve Spangler Science Company. If you would like to receive a weekly experiment in your inbox, just visit www.stevespanglerscience.com!

The ACES had a great time with these experiments and gained some knowledge about science concepts in the process. I even heard a few of them say that SCIENCE is their new favorite subject!

Morning Announcement

Some of the 5th and 6th Grade ACES have taken over the Monday and Thursday Morning Announcement! The students are doing a wonderful job first praying, then saying the Pledge of Allegiance. They also announce the focus at Mass for the week. This focus is written by our Professional Learning Community Religion Committee of teachers. "Jazzed up with adjective" lunch menus and birthdays are also part of the announcement. Lastly, the ACES let the student body and teachers know about upcoming events. The students are doing a fabulous job! Most recently we have decided to add willing 3rd and 4th graders to this process.

Pumpkin Seed Count

The first and second grade ACES participated in a Pumpkin Seed Count Project hosted by Jennifer Wagner at www.jenuinetech.com. Students from around the world registered and completed the project. We had lots of fun estimating, measuring, sorting, and counting. The ACES even learned that "circumference" is the distance around a circle/sphere. They also had no trouble telling me that we would not be able to use a ruler for this measurement. They recommended using a tape measure or string that we could measure using a ruler. So clever!

Be sure to scroll over the pictures to see the captions! We hope you enjoy the slideshow as much as we enjoyed the project!

We're Back!!! with UV Detecting Beads

Whew!!! It has been so busy at school and I have fallen behind with our blog. The ACES have been hard at work for just over three weeks now. We have some exciting things happening and I can't wait to tell you about them!

For our first class, we had a science inquiry lesson. I gave all the ACES, 1st grade all the way through 6th graders, three mysterious beads to examine and describe.



The kids thought of adjectives like: smooth, hard, white, small, and circular. They noted there was a hole in the center.

After carefully observing these "magic" beads, the students hypothesized about what could be so special about the beads.

They said . . .

. . . maybe they glow in the dark!

. . . maybe they change color because of our mood!

. . . maybe they are sensitive to heat and cold!

We spent time observing the "magic" beads in the classroom. Then . . . we went outside with our beads. Something amazing happened!


The "magic" beads changed from white to a rainbow of colors. Why? Because these beads are ULTRAVIOLET DETECTING BEADS!!!

The ACES are so naturally curious that a myriad of experimentation began to take place. What happens if I go in the shade of the building? What happens when we go back inside the school? Will the beads always be colored now instead of white? This curiosity is why I love my job and never cease to be amazed at the learning that unfolds in young minds every day!

We talked about how ultraviolet rays from the sun can be harmful to our skin. We also decided that we could experiment to see if sunscreen is really effective. The possibilities with our UV detecting beads were endless!

Owl Pellet Dissection: The Beginning

The ACES are working on becoming "Wise Owls"! We have been researching owls and completing our first Lapbook project. To get some real hands-on experience and gain more knowledge about owls, we are completing an owl pellet dissection. The 1st - 4th grade ACES got started this week. The ACES were amazed to find so many bones in their pellets. Some had one skull, some had three skulls, some had a hard time with the smell of the project! It is so exciting to see them working on this project and being real scientists as they solve the mystery of what owls are eating! We will be finishing up our study in the coming weeks and will surely have more pictures to post and even some video too!

The 5th and 6th grade ACES participated in the Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl - America Answers competition. We will let you know the results of their efforts around May 10! These students will soon have the chance to begin their dissection.

Pick and Draw

I was reading a great blog written by a homeschooling mom. She mentioned a game called Pick and Draw developed by children's book illustrator Rich Davis. He developed the game so that he can teach children about drawing. Rich Davis says, "Your ability to create is a gift from God."

I ordered Pick and Draw for my family. We received the game during Spring Break week. My children loved it! I decided it would be fun to share it with the ACES. I ordered the game from www.pickanddraw.com. Rich Davis also has a blog where he shares ideas for drawing that can be found at www.richdavis1.wordpress.com.

The following pictures were created by the 5th and 6th grade ACES. Before we started drawing, several of the students said that they didn't consider themselves artistic. When we were finished they were impressed with how well they created a character. After the drawing was finished, the ACES named their creation and decided what the character was good at and what kind of music the character enjoys. From start to finish, including naming the character, etc., we spent ten minutes on these creations. The ACES could have spent much more time and were very curious about where to find one of these games for themselves!

Name: Can Bob
Likes: Rolling and Eating
Music: Rock and Roll

Name: Boom Boom Chaka Waka
Music: Retro Hip Hop

Name: B.J. McDonald
Likes: driving his go-cart, jumping, and ice cream
Music: Jazz

Name: Mr. Bean
Likes: bean-eating contests and singing about beans
Music: Rap

Name: Billy Bob
Likes: dancing
Music: Rap

Name: Lars Mars
Likes: making people laugh
Talents: pulling pranks
Music Genre: classical