Posted on December 7th, 2009
Hello Everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving! I thought you would like to know that the 4/5 Classroom’s Ethnic Thanksgiving Lunch was a smashing success! A wonderful time was had by all! We are so lucky to have such an ethnically-diverse class and to be able to sample some delicious Thanksgiving dishes from around the world!
Our Thanksgiving table was decorated with lovely holiday tableware, and here is what was on the menu:
Turkey breast, homemade cranberry sauce, Chinese sticky rice (it is pronounced U Fun), roasted chestnuts, pomegranate, fennel, Irish soda bread (with Irish butter!) and sausages (a.k.a. Bangers), pierogi with sour cream, maple carrots, Chinese cookies, Chinese mango jello squares, English pudding and cookies, homemade squares and an incredible Apple Pie! There was also apple cider for our toast to friendship! Invited guests for our Feast included Jeani and Mrs. Arcand.
After our meal we made an adorable Turkey craft made of pinecones and foam feathers (which I am sure you have seen by now).
Thank you so much for the dishes you prepared which were not only delicious but educational too! It meant a lot to me to be part of this celebration, and I will keep the memory with me always.
Happy Holidays!
Lisa
Posted on December 1st, 2009
James Hayes-Bohanan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geography and Co-Coordinator of Project EarthView, Bridgewater State College, brought Project EarthView to The Pinecroft School on Monday, November 30th. The visit took place in the field house of Wheaton College.
EarthView is a hand painted inflatable globe, 22′ in diameter and about 19 feet tall, which gives observers the opportunity to view the world inside and out.
The K/1 class arrived in time to watch Dr. Hayes-Bohanan inflate the globe. They then journeyed inside the structure for a short visit. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades were able to experience a longer amount of time inside the globe before Dr Hayes-Bohanan had to return to Bridgewater State College where Project EarthView is based.
EarthView is both a fascinating teaching tool and a delicate work of art. It is made from translucent sail fabric which creates an effect similar to stained glass. The outside is a hand-painted, large-scale map of the Earth’s surface, showing biological communities, rivers, seas, landforms, continents, islands, oceans, and major cities. The inside reveals the positions of tectonic plate boundaries and ocean spreading centers, along with all of the detail visible from the outside.
After unzipping an opening located near New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean, visitors can step in to see a three-dimensional view of the world from inside of the earth’s core.
The goal of the program is not only to teach students about the world, but also to emphasize the need for more geography instruction in primary and secondary schools.
