FRIDAY FOLDER edgewood campus january 14

SHOW & TELL
JK to the Ocean Institute

On Thursday, January 6th the two Jr. Kindergarten classes went on our second field trip of the year to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point.  The first excitement on our trip was when our bus turned toward the ocean and we saw a beautiful ocean view.  The students were very excited to see the water.  We were then divided into four groups and rotated through learning stations inside the institute.  At one station the students were each given a photo of a type of ocean life; dolphin, shrimp, whale..., and they listened to the sound the items made.  After learning eight or nine sounds the students were challenged to name the sounds without assistance.  They did a great job!  At a second station the students were given a pile of plastic ocean animals.  They were asked to be scientists and sort the animals into like groups.  They then put their sorted animals on a graph.  The objective of third station was to learn about where different types of ocean animals live.  Each student was given a small picture of an animal and was asked to find their animal in one of four aquariums.  The students then were able to see where many animals lived (in the rocks, on the sandy ocean floor, in the plants).  In one of these four aquariums is a bubble that the students could stand in to get a "fish's eye" view of a tank and swimming fish.  The last station was an open aquarium.  The students first learned about sea stars, and then they were invited to roll up their sleeves and touch sea stars and a sea cucumber.  Almost all of the students took the opportunity to touch a new animal.  A fun memory I doubt they will forget.  Please return to the Ocean Institute with your families, it is great fun for all ages and a bit educational too!

4th Grade Science Presentation: Dr. Khan visits 4th grade 

Biodegradation and gene cloning may sound intimidating to some people, but ask any 4th grader at Edgewood, and they will let you know what it means!  The 4th graders welcomed Dr. Nasreen Khan to science class on Wednesday, January 12th.  

Dr. Khan taught the students about both the harmful and beneficial uses of bacteria!  The children enjoyed learning how some bacteria can cause sickness such as pneumonia, yet others are essential to breaking down food in their bodies and the environment. The highlight of the presentation was when the students acted like scientists, and modeled how insulin is cloned into bacteria to help those who suffer from Type I diabetes!  This was at first a difficult topic to understand, but with the help from Dr. Khan, it was enjoyable and easy to learn!  

Nishant Chaturvedi presents Bionic Bot Challenge

 Nishant had a great opportunity to share his Bionic Bot and the mission with his homeroom, Mr Williamson and Mrs White's class during science session. He shared his project presentation and a robot game, where the robot performs on an 8 x 4 foot playfield to accomplish selected missions in order to earn points with the class. The kids had a great time interacting with the robot and learning about the mission.

Nishant's team, The Bionic Bots competed in the First Lego League 2010 Challenge - Body Forward.  The FFL competition consist of three categories; first a project presentation, second,  a technical review of the robot's design and programming and then a robot game. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about science and robotics.

The Challenge theme was Body Forward and after conducting research on the human body, the Bionic Bots selected a broken spinal cord as their real world problem.  They then had to research and create an innovative solution to fix a spinal cord. The Bionic Bots team coach Jon Friestedt helped tremendously to encourage the kids and guide them on their research with the help of mentor Dr. William Loudon, PhD, MD from CHOC Hospital in Orange, CA. The Bionic Bots presented their project to Dr. Loudon who provided valuable medical feedback and many stimulating insights. Dr. Loudon's specialty Surgery, Neurological.   Additionally, Sapphire Perez a senior at the University of California, Irvine, and a member of the Society for Women Engineers provided a lecture on Biomedical Engineering to the Bionic Bots.

The Bionic Bots competed in the Orange County FLL Qualifying Tournament at the Jewish Community Center, Irvine, CA during November.  The team won 2nd place in the "Presentation" category and moved on to the Southern California LEGOLAND CUP on December 5th, where the team earned a 1st place in the "Research" category.  

Nishant has been taking ROBOTICS classes at Mathobotix in Irvine.  The classes are designed to promote the support and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) using robotics through a grade level structured curriculum.  

Nishant had a great time sharing his robot with his classmates. He will be starting on his next challenge for FLL 2011 Qualifying Tournament which will be sponsored by the City of Irvine and will be called the Mayor's CUP.  Nishant is looking forward to another great year of having fun on the robot playfield with his teammates.

Hanukkah in 1st Grade

Before our winter break, Mrs. Brown's first graders had the privilege of learning about Hanukkah from Sam and Madeline's mom.  Mrs. Gregor gave a wonderful presentation about the Hanukkah celebration and traditions during this festive time.  We were able to taste some scrumptious latkes with our choice of toppings and traditional bread.  The students enjoyed learning how to play the Dreidel game and enjoyed winning the chocolate coins while listening to Sam and Maddie's aunt sing songs on her very own musical CD!  Thank you Mrs. Gregor for allowing us to share in such a special experience! 

Chalk Talk 2011

 Kick Off the New Year with Healthful Cooking

Chef Tanya Petrovna

Thursday, January 20th, 6-7:30pm

Anaheim Hills Campus, Anaheim Hills 

Keep your New Year's Resolution to eat healthy! Learn how to add some spice and creativity to your family's meals with a presentation by Chef Tanya, founder and executive chef of Native Foods. The expert in making vegan appealing to vegans, vegetarians, omnivores and anyavores alike, Tanya will share her tips on making healthy plant based food fun and delicious for even the pickiest of eaters and creating a balanced diet for your family. First 5 RSVPs will receive a copy of Tanya's Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook.

Space is limited! Click here to RSVP  

January Field Trips & Assemblies

2nd Grade to Ocean Institute

Wednesday, Jan. 19th

4th Grade to Discovery Science Center

Thursday, Jan. 20th

8th Grade to Juvenile Justice Center

Tuesday, Jan. 25th

Edgewood's Sports Corner

Tuesday, Jan. 18th

JH BB @ Carden Hall

Girls play at 3:00 & Boys play at 4:15 pm

Thursday, Jan. 20th

JH BB @ Calvary

Girls play at 3:00 & Boys play at 4:15 pm

Monday, Jan. 24th

DSL BB @ Mable

Girls play at 3:00 & Boys play at 4:00 pm

Tuesday, Jan. 25th

JH BB @ Heritage Oak

Girls play at 3:00 & Boys play at 4:15 pm

Wednesday, Jan. 26th

DSL BB @ Oakridge

Girls play at 3:00 & Boys play at 4:00 pm

Thursday, Jan. 27th

DSL BB vs. Camelot

Boys only at 3:00 pm

WEEK IN REVIEW 

SNACK TIME sweet tortilla snowflakes

CALENDAR 

Monday, Jan. 17th

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School

Wednesday, Jan. 19th

Second Grade to the Ocean Institute 8:30-2 pm

Thursday, Jan. 20th

Fourth Grade to Discovery Science Center 8:15-2 pm

Tuesday, Jan. 25th

Eighth Grade to Juvenile Justice Center 8:15-1 pm

Thursday, Jan. 27th

6th Grade Show at 7:00 pm

Contributed by Jonna, Edgewood Campus