PEP Conferences
I'm looking forward to meeting with many of you on Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2, for the final PEP Conferences of the fall. Be in touch should you have questions or need a reminder of your conference time. Thanks for taking the time to meet and discuss our hopes and dreams for your learner this school year!
ICPL Field Trip
The Wolves will be heading to the ICPL via bus on Wednesday, September 30, to collect materials for our Ancient Civilizations research projects. Please ensure your child has his or her library card on that day.
...and an ICPL Tweens Program
A Wolf parent shared this awesome program offered by the ICPL Totally Tweens program: Little Bits Club. This STEM-based electronics program seems like a perfect fit for many of the Wolves, who love to make and tinker. It is free and open to the public, with pre-registration at the ICPL website required.
Upcoming Camping Trip
Did you all receive the e-mail last week with the details for our camping trip on October 7? Please be in touch with your questions. I have had many parents kindly offer to assist with supplying food and tents, as Willowwind pays for our campsite only. If you are able to pitch in and help the camping cause, and wish to sign up to bring a specific food item, please click here to do so and plan to send the item to school by Tuesday, Oct. 6. If you prefer to make a donation, please contact me directly. It is incredibly helpful to have assistance in providing the needed items to make our trip a success. Thank you in advance for all help with supplies!
Iowa Assessments
Mark your calendars! The Iowa Assessments for the Owl and Wolf classes have been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20 - Monday, Oct. 26. More details will be provided as the testing dates approach.
Our Continued Work with Ralston Creek
We worked hard this week to apply a battery of tests to the samples collected from Ralston Creek. The Wolves tested samples from two physical sites, collecting both flowing and still water from both sunny and shady spots. Students completed tests for dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, pH, phosphate, and chloride. They also began tests for coliform bacteria and plated water samples on nutrient agar to test for bacterial growth. In the coming weeks, we will work to understand the meaning behind our results and to begin constructing patterns from our data.
When I say field trip, I mean so literally! We had a wonderful time touring - and tasting - our way through Scattergood's organic farm fields under the expert tutelage of Mark, the farm manager. I know I speak for all of the Wolves when I extend a HUGE, "Thank you!!" to everyone at Scattergood who made us feel so welcome, and even fed us lunch!
Until next time,
Rachel