Baby Goats!  

We had a lot of excitement in OE this April as the baby goats arrived over spring break.  13 new baby goats are hanging out in the barn now and are a blast to watch.  With their playful nature it is easy to see why they are called kids!  Every class was able to visit the baby goats at some point this month and enjoy the fun and cuddly animals. 

Kindergarten

Kindergarteners revisited the salad garden they had planted early this spring in the hoop house to harvest.  Students each harvested some of the greens to make their own salad mix from what the classes had planted.  It was great to see the kids trying and enjoying a variety of fresh greens.  We also spent some time continuing our search for changes in spring by making observations and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation this time of year.

1st Grade

First Graders had a chance to visit the goats and think about how different animals care for their young, like the goats and how that is different than how a frog cares for their young.  We also spent a couple sessions exploring sound outside, using sticks for drumming and scraping sounds and using cups to make shakers out of a variety of materials. 

2nd Grade

Second graders learned an old skill to tie their Alaska unit into the new rocks and minerals unit.  They learned and practiced how to pan for gold. No luck in our Michigan gravel though. We also spent some time making observations of rocks and getting a super close look at rocks, sediments and soil with pocket microscopes. It was fun to see a whole new part of God’s world revealed as kids were exclaiming how cool sand is. 

3rd Grade

Third graders were able to wrap up their birdhouse project by helping to hang the houses in a variety of locations around school.  It might be late for this spring, but we’ll see if we get any visitors.

5th Grade

Fifth graders met with Mr. Sportel a couple times in science to learn about trees and vascular systems.  After an overview of how trees pull up water, we tried to pull water up a tube ourselves and it proves to be a difficult task, and almost impossible to pull water to the heights that trees are able to.  Even a vacuum pump can’t pull it high enough.  Scientists are just beginning to understand the ways God created the trees to be able to pull water to the heights that they do. 

6th Grade

Sixth grade students also met with Mr. Sportel during their science class to start a project on decomposition. Students buried cotton underwear in different locations around school to see which areas and types of soil will have the best microorganisms to break down the underwear.

8th Grade

8th graders harvested the seeds from their fast plants and replanted them.  They will soon be looking at the new sprouts to see how their pollination affected the offspring through their genetics unit in science.