Otter Memories

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Dear Otters,

It’s been an amazing journey! I’m so proud of how hard you’ve worked and the empathy you’ve demonstrated this year. I will treasure the memories we’ve made together and the things you’ve taught me along the way. Some of you will soon be embarking upon new journeys. No matter where you end up, I have no doubt that you will continue to make the world a better place. I’m better for having known you. Remember that you will always be a part of our ELC community. Please stay in touch and come back to visit any time. Have a wonderful summer.

Love,

Ms. Aja

Our Favorite Memories

Preschool buddies and cracking geodes- Landon

Freeze tag- Ivan

Freeze tag and playing in the sandbox- Maiya

Sandbox, tag, and the obstacle course I made- Neil

Getting to join in activities- Jayne

Obstacle course, geodes, tag- Carina

Everything- Margaux

Wetland visit- Nora

Mr. Fox and obstacle course- Sawyer

Farm visit- Tilly

Acting out the play- Roxinny

Freeze tag and making book bags-Max

Everything- Juliana


Outdoor Week

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It’s Outdoor Week at ELC Online! Here are some of the outdoor activities and science explorations that our Otters have been up to the last couple weeks. May the outdoor fun and learning continue all summer…

Thank you Volunteers

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Dear Parent Volunteers,

There are no words to express the depth of my gratitude for your contributions to our community. I am in awe of your talents and your generosity with your time. Every time I asked for support, you went above and beyond. This year our students were able to sew book bags, practice coding, crack geodes, learn new board games, cook, experience field trips, attend peace rallies, perform songs, restore a wetlands, enjoy stories and songs in Spanish, engage in hands-on science explorations, and receive extra literacy support, in large part thanks to your efforts. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you, also, for trusting me with your children this year. It was a joy to spend my days laughing and learning with the Otters.

With Gratitude,

Aja

*I apologize that some of our numeracy, reading, and writing volunteers weren’t photographed. There weren’t photos taken at those times of day since I was simultaneously teaching a small group. You are equally appreciated!

Food Science and Chemistry

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Otters have been immersed in chemistry activities, food science explorations, and cooking projects. Students are also making time for art and outside explorations.

Food Spherification Video

Happy Birthday, M

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Dear M,

Happy birthday! We love your energy, your creativity, and your spunk. Your silliness brightens our days and brings joy to our lives. We hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Love,

Ms. Aja, Ms. Julie, and the Otters

Flat Stanley Travels

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Our Flat Stanleys have been busy traversing the globe! Check out some of their adventures below.

Flat Jeffery in Ecuador (including Galapagos Islands)

Flat Stanla in Ukraine

Flat Pickles in Arizona

Fred the Girl in the United Kingdom

Flat Rose in Washington, D.C.

Flat Violet in Fiji

Flat Jeffery in Washington

Flat Stanla in Australia

Flat Rose in Ohio

Animal Reports

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Haast Eagle Presentation by Ivan

Click on images below to view Ivan’s presentation slides.

All About Red Pandas by Landon

Click on the images below to view the pages of Landon’s book.

Summer Birthdays

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Wishing the happiest of birthdays to Max, Ivan, Nora, Henry, Landon, Sawyer, and Ms. Julie. Our community wouldn’t be the same without you. Sending birthday wishes and virtual hugs your way.

Max, we love your spunky energy. Happy early birthday!

Ivan, we love your mischievous smile. Happy early birthday!

Nora, you are loyal friend. Happy early birthday!

Henry, we appreciate your determination. Happy early birthday!

Landon, we love your kind heart. Happy early birthday!

Sawyer, you give the best hugs. Happy early birthday!

Ms. Julie, we love your warmth. Happy early birthday!


States of Matter

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This week Otters are studying the states of matter. We are conducting some science demonstrations and experiments. I’ll post photos or videos here as I receive them.

Happy Birthday, F!

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Dear F

Happy, happy birthday!!! We hope your upside-pineapple cake is delicious and that you are having a fun day!! We loved getting to see your smiling face today. You looked so handsome in your bow tie. We are so glad that you are in our classroom community. 

Love,

Ms Aja and the Otters

Flat Stanla in Australia

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Today we were thrilled to have Kayla and her family join our Zoom meeting! Kayla is a former Otter and her family now lives in Australia. They were kind enough to host Flat Stanla this year as part of our Flat Stanley project. During our Zoom meeting today Kayla shared a powerpoint presentation about Flat Stanla’s adventures in Australia. We got to learn more about Kayla’s life in Australia and also about some of the animals that live in Australia. We enjoyed fairy bread (a birthday tradition in Australia) and sang happy birthday to Kayla. You can check out some of Flat Stanla’s adventures by scrolling through the photos of Kayla’s powerpoint slides below.

Animal Research Week

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This week Otters are researching different types of animals. Otters are also continuing to add to their fairy gardens, examine plant growth, and spend time outside. We are excited to meet with our friend Kayla who lives in Australia this week. We will get to celebrate Finn and Kayla’s birthdays. Below you’ll notice some of Finn’s plants- they are growing quickly!


Fairy Gardens

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This week Otters and their families are creating their own fairy gardens! Otters are invited to go on quests around their homes and into nature to find interesting objects for their fairy gardens. On Friday we will be sharing our fairy gardens with classmates

Here are some other fun activities from the week…

Pause Week

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We hope you are having a great pause week full of lots of mud puddle splashing, nature walks, free time to play, snuggling, journaling, and family memory-making.

Mason Bee Update

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Our mason bees have been busy! Watch the video clip above and examine the photos below. What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Happy Birthday, R

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Dear R,

Happy, happy birthday! We are so happy that you are a part of our classroom community. We love your determination, your contributions to our discussions, and your kind heart. We hope you have a great birthday!

Love,

Ms. Aja, Ms. Julie, and the Otters



Backyard Explorations and Graphs

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This week we are exploring our own backyards! Below you'll find photos from our backyard shape hunts, bioblitzes, and other backyard projects.

This week we’ve also been learning about graphing. Students are creating graphs of the plants or animals that they find during their backyard bioblitzes. Students were also invited to create their own graphs about a variety of topics.

More Otter fun this week…

Happy Birthday, J

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Dear J,

Happy Birthday! We had so much fun celebrating you at our digital meeting this week. We love your imagination, your stories, and your contributions to our community discussions. We hope you have a fun day celebrating with your family. We miss you. Sending virtual birthday hugs to you!

Love,

Ms Aja and the Otters

Mason Bees

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This week we are learning about mason bees. Mr. Mark has been keeping on eye on our mason bees and documenting the process in our absence. Here are some photos of the mason bee house that Mr. Mark installed on the back of the Cedar Classroom.You’ll notice the tubes where the mason bees will lay their eggs and also the clay that they need to seal off the tubes after laying the eggs.

This is what the cocoons looked like after the bees emerged.

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Post-hatching…

What do you notice about the cocoons now?

Check out Tilly’s mason bee house:

During our class meeting on Friday we shared things we’ve learned about bees. Here are some of the facts we shared…

  • If there were no bees, half of our fruit would be gone.

  • There are over 20,000 kinds of bees

  • Mason bees do not live on the ground or in hives. They live in mason bee boxes or natural crevices/holes in the wild.

  • Mason bees can pick if egg is male of female. (We need to verify this)

  • Female bees live in the back because female bees hatch last.

  • In Egypt they put honey in tombs.

  • Honey bees and bumble bees are the most common kinds of bees.

  • Mason bees lay 5-6 babies per tube.

  • They usually fill up about 4 tubes.

  • A female will lay about 20 eggs in her life time.

  • Bees help plants grow.

  • Male mason bees emerge from tubes first.

Things we still need to clarify:

  • Since mason bees always lay female eggs in back of the chamber, how do they know which are female?

  • Are they able to pick which are female? How?

  • How many miles per hour can bees fly?