November was generous in the weather department; the cold weather has shown up in only small bursts so far, so we were able to get outside often in addition to our time spent crafting ornaments for next week’s Advent Walk. We’ll be open from 5:00-7:30pm on Dec 07, 08, and 09 for you to visit at your convenience and to reflect on this wonderful season!

Kindergarten

Kindergarten was the last group to get a chance at cider making and did a great job taking turns smashing the apples for cider. Later in the month they went on a hunt around school for pinecones.  The hunt was a lot of fun and the cones were used by 1st grade to make ornaments.  Kindergarten made their own ornaments creating trees from Christmas trees from twigs and wrapping them with a yarn garland.

1st Grade

First grade had a special visitor come to share some of his life story. With all the work on cider last month, it seemed fitting for a visit from Johnny Appleseed. He shared his story around a campfire and helped create a picture of early American life. The next week the first graders worked through a number of tasks and locations to consider what some of the chores were for the early Americans. First grade also created their pinecone ornaments adorned with bells to ring in the joy of Christmas.

2nd Grade

As part of their lessons on pioneers, 2nd graders made their own candles by dipping wicks in colored wax.  Each student made a pair of candles which will be used to decorate trees in the Advent Walk.  The next week they took some time to learn what pioneer kids did for fun.  It was a great lesson in having a lot of fun with such a simple task.  As their studies move towards Native Americans, second grade was able to hang around the campfire and enjoy parched corn and popcorn prepared over the fire and enjoy the same ancient treats that were part of many people long before them. 

3rd Grade

Third grade helped to simulate the size of the Great Lakes by creating them to scale and consider the importance of this source of water.  Later they were able to learn about how corn is processed by shucking, grinding, and sifting their own. The next day they used the cornmeal to make cornbread and stone soup (made from scavenged veggies)! They also got in on the ornament fun by creating ornaments out of bird seed as a gift for their feathered friends and made art from seed pods collected in a nature walk.

4th Grade

Fourth grade spent a couple weeks comparing ecosystems.  First they looked at similarities and differences in ecosystems and visited different ecosystems at Ada Christian.  Later they participated in simulations to consider what factors affect populations in ecosystems.  They had a great time with a social studies tie-in where students used a variety of tools that were used by Michigan lumberjacks--like the two-person cross-cut saw and cant hook.  For their ornament contribution the 4th grade made angels from corn husks from the garden cleanup they have been diligently working on.

5th Grade

Fifth grade students spent some time working at the Native American Village to consider what life was like for Native Americans in a hands-on way. The next couple weeks they focused on concepts connected to the water walk. They considered where all the rainwater traveled at school. The next week they looked at the importance of the ground as a filter and tested their own filters made from sand, gravel, charcoal and a coffee filter.  They’ve also been learning about the systems of the goat and tested their knowledge in a rousing game of jeopardy!

6th Grade

Sixth grade applied their science knowledge about magnetism to create their own compasses and learn about navigation. They then learned how a compass is used and will soon apply that knowledge to orienteering and map reading.  The wreath ornaments they created were shaped from vines foraged from our woods and decorated with yarn and beads. The (now) chicken experts also spent some time testing the properties of an egg, such as the strength of the shell and the permeability of the egg membrane. Our Egg Club is (finally) off to a great start and students have been hard at work feeding, watering, and cleaning up after these beasts and selling their eggs.

7th Grade

Seventh grade began construction on the wigwam, adding to the sides with materials from our own garden as some of the insulation. Later they took some time to apply their rock skills on a tour around the school grounds, competing with their classmates to determine whether they were igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary. They also had the opportunity to create an ornament, making a tiny baby Jesus in a walnut shell. 

8th Grade

Eighth grade students took a quick trip through the solar system by traveling along a scale model of the solar system across campus, taking turns sharing about the planets they researched at each stop.  Over the next couple weeks, they considered their legacy as students at ACS.  With a number of ideas proposed to add as a legacy project, small groups were tasked with researching the feasibility of the projects and benefits as we continue to whittle down our list and eventually decide on what will be the next addition to the campus.