Center for Creative Learning
December 2011
Scenes from Second Grade
Dare to Wonder!
Return to the
Moon
Ms. Nobbe
Mrs. Uding
...This time we stay!
5…4…3…2…1… Blast off for the lunar
colony! We are busily engaged as we try
to answer the questions, "How can we
build a colony on the Moon to meet the
needs of people in a harsh lunar
environment? Why would we want to?”
Students explored why we might want to
live on the Moon, human survival needs,
and how lunar colonies and buildings might
look. Students are working in small groups
to design and to market lunar colonies to
“win” the “Joe Edwards Lunar Colony X
PRIZE.” Colonies will premiere at The
New Horizon in Space Symposium and
will be judged by aerospace experts.
New Horizons in Space Symposium
Excitement is building for our special
event held on Friday, January 6, 2012,
from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Selvidge Middle
School. Students, Families, and Friends are
welcome to arrive at 6:30 to view student
projects informally. This evening is like a
a
keynote
mini-conference,
with
presentation and an Exhibit Hall with
space experts, space artifacts, hands-on
activities, and special surprises. Family and
friends of Return to the Moon and Mission to
Mars are invited to explore and to
discover!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We are looking for a few good volunteers
to help the New Horizons in Space
Symposium run smoothly. We can use
assistance in getting organized for the
event in early January, and we can use help
the afternoon and evening of the event to
transport projects, set up, and take down.
If you would like to help, please e-mail
Mrs. Uding.
[email protected]
Whether you are a volunteer or an
adventurer, the Symposium is a fantastic
night of discovery!
Bernie Mossotti and Stacy Shupe
November brought a glorious show of
nature as the place around us transformed
colors before our eyes! CCL Naturalist
students have been taking digital photos
throughout the semester, capturing their
personal encounters with the wild world of
nature. These photos were then taken into a
photo editing program, where students
transform a selected photo into a piece of
art expressing nature in a wild new view.
These photos are on display in our hallways
as our Nature Photo Gallery. Naturalist
students gave voice to their photos in a
piece of writing designed to show (and not
just tell) about nature captured in their
photo art.
Naturalists explored the fall forest with
lovely evidence of nutrients being returned
to the earth on the nature trail at the
Intermediate Campus. What a feast for our
senses to witness how nature recycles life!
Expect to see photos from this event along
with our whole semester of nature
explorations in our final projects, where
students create their own narrated video
using Microsoft software.
Mark your calendars!
Final Projects from 1:15-2:45 each day
in the classroom the last full week of school
for the semester (December 15-21).
Our Nature Symposium event offered a
family event designed to bring nature home.
Using all that we have learned about the
system of life around us, students will
enhance our Naturalist Prairie site, which
was a gift from the last four years’ CCL
Naturalists. In a “pay it forward” spirit, as we
have enjoyed this gift of nature from those
who were here before us, we will leave our
legacy to those yet to come.
Following winter break, naturalists will be
transformed into naturalist poets, launching a
lifetime of deep connection to the power of
words and wonder of nature! Wishing you
joy for the holidays!
“There was a child went forth every day. And
that first object he looked upon, that object he
became. And that object became a part of him
for a day or a certain part of the day, Or for
many years, or stretching into cycles of years.”
~Walt Whitman
Arlene
Sommer
As our summer weather surrenders to
autumn and winter temperatures, we will
transition our P.E. classes and activities
indoors on a more frequent basis. As this
semester has unfolded, our 2nd grade classes
have enjoyed the expansive outdoor setting
that the Primary Campus provides for our
students, both in P.E. and during recess.
Most CCL-PC students seem to have
adapted to their new friends and
acquaintances on the recess playground, as
well as making positive social strides in P.E.
classes.
A reminder to all students and their
families as we approach the holiday season:
keep exercising and washing those hands! If
we all heed these words, together we can
keep the CCL Primary Campus happy and
healthy throughout the winter months.
Finally, thank you to all the parents who
have volunteered to assist in the cafeteria.
You are a huge help!!
Please Help!
Now that the weather is getting
cooler, kids are bringing jackets,
hats, gloves, and mittens to school
– and leaving them! Please write
your child’s name inside his or her
clothing so that we can easily
return them. This helps all of us.
Thank you!