Sunflower, funflower! 2nd Nature planting day

2nd Nature Academy took a trip over to the science center building today to plant a beautiful row of sunflowers, just like we had last year!

Grades first through sixth all participated, having previously planted their seeds in pots in their classrooms. Today, they each dug a hole, mixed in our homemade organic compost, and nestled their seedlings into place!

Each student's flower is designated by a name tag and throughout the end of the school year, they will all measure and graph the growth of their sunflowers. They will also be conducting comparative soil studies.

Mrs. Gleeson gives instructions to the eager students

The proud, little seedlings, waiting to be given a new home

Weeding is hard work!

But rewarding when you see the results!

"A jiggly abdomen and a jiggly snout." -- 4th grader Matty's description of an ant he found

Shoveling is no walk in the park either!

We measured...

Mixed...

Planted...

Tagged...

...And we can't wait to see how our sunflowers grow!

Keeping kids sniffle-free during allergy season

Seasonal allergies have the family feeling less than springlike? Click on the link below for some helpful tips on dealing with and prevention of seasonal allergy symptoms from WebMD:

Keeping Kids Happy Despite Allergy Symptoms

Some of our favorite tips from the list that we practice at the school:

• Stay Hydrated. All that sneezing and blowing can leave a child parched. Keep a water bottle full and close to hand and encourage your children to stay well-hydrated.
• Keep It Cool. To keep pollen out when the weather’s hot, air condition your car and home and keep windows closed.
• Deal With Dry Air. A little moisture in the air makes breathing easier for most, so if you suspect the air in your house is dry, you may want to turn on a humidifier. But be careful: Humidity over 40% can encourage the growth of indoor allergens like mold and dust mites.
• Go Cold. When itchy eyes are driving your kid crazy, try a cold compress, says Chiu, which may help reduce the itch and inflammation.
• Keep Your Hands to Yourself. And encourage kids to avoid rubbing their itchy eyes. Rubbing will only irritate them -- and could make the itchiness even worse.
• Rub Jelly On It. And if your child’s nose is raw and red from blowing, you can soothe their sniffer with a dab of petroleum jelly.
• Avoid Certain Foods . If your child is allergic to ragweed, they may also have an allergic sensitivity to certain foods. Symptom-provoking foods to avoid may include bananas, melons, chamomile tea, sunflower seeds, and cucumbers.

Hot Diggity Dog!

Our elementary school, 2nd Nature Academy, conducts a service learning project each month. This month, the class coordinated a hot dog sale to benefit Heifer International. The students did it all: budget and price setting, a field trip to the store to cost compare and purchase supplies, food and handmade good preparation, and they provided excellent customer service. Their hard work really paid off... far more than they ever anticipated!

For more information on what Heifer does, visit heifer.org/.

Environmental Science Highlights

It feels as though spring is in the air, even though it is only mid-February!  Though 2012 has been a nearly snowless year, students at 2^nd Nature Academy and Nature's Pathways did have opportunities to look for mammal tracks this winter.  Our environmental science teacher instructed students on mammal track patterns and led students through the forest to discover signs of animal activity.  Many different animal tracks were seen.  These included deer, snowshoe hare, fox, squirrels, mice, and even a partridge!  Our kindergarten class was fortunate enough to see a snowshoe hare on two occasions; once when there was no snow on the ground, and once with snow cover.  The tracks in the snow gave a clue as to who had recently been there, and then upon looking around, the children were the first to spot the camouflaged hare in close proximity.  NH State Fish and Game provided us a Furbearer Kit on loan which gave students the opportunity to learn about these animals and to touch and examine the fur pelts and skulls of 14 different animals. 

Earlier this school year students washed, dyed and carded wool from the sheep that were sheared last spring.  They learned about the properties of wool and how warm wool is, even when wet.  Older students examined wool and other fibers under a microscope in the science center after a parent directed lesson.

As part of our Earth Science curriculum last fall, students collected soil samples from different locations to compare and determine sand, silt, and clay content.  They learned that different soil types support different flora and can help determine land use.

Autumn rains gave rise to a diverse assortment of mushrooms and other fungi which the younger students delighted in discovering and noticing how many had been nibbled by forest animals!  These students are also very adept at finding animal scat and other signs of animal activity.  True nature detectives!!

This spring we will be learning about wetland ecosystems and plan to explore the vernal pool to observe fairy shrimp and evidence of wood frog and salamander breeding.  We will also collect swamp and pond water samples to identify macroinvertebrate life.

Learning To Grow!

Playing in the dirt is a fun for a child of any age and at The Nature of Things we like going home with a little dirt under our fingernails.  Gardening with children offers many benefits besides tasty food and beautiful flowers.  It teaches patience, responsibility, and accountability.  Growing schoolyard gardens also instills a sense of pride and accomplishment.  Through gardening, children also learn the importance of taking care of living things and begin to appreciate the value of the physical work that goes into such tasks.  Moreover, they realize what fresh picked vegetables look like before they are cleaned, waxed, packaged, shipped, and displayed in a grocery store.  Children also learn valuable lessons such as eating healthy, respecting their environment, working cooperatively with others to help their garden grow, hands-on exploration, the wonders of science, and a plant’s life cycle.

First Roll-A-Thon

On June 1^st and 2^nd, 80 children from the preschool, pre-kindergarten, interim-kindergarten, kindergarten, and elementary classes rode for a cause at our first annual roll-a-thon!  The children raised over $2000 in pledges to help local child cancer patients from the Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon, NH.  A raffle, bake sale, and lemonade stand also raised funds for this amazing cause.  The kids had a blast riding around our own circle and were so proud of the number of laps they did!  Almost all of the children rode over a half mile (7.14 laps) with most riding between a mile (14.27 laps) to almost four miles!  Their smiles and laughter were a testament to a successful couple of days and the knowledge that they were riding “to help sick kids get better.”

Annual Sheep and Alpaca Shearing

 The students of Nature’s Pathways and 2^nd Nature Academy recently observed the annual sheep and alpaca shearing.  The animals grow warm waterproof coats to insulate them from the elements in the winter.  Each spring Malcolm Cooper visits the school and shaves the animals with electric shears.   Malcolm explained to the children that shearing alpaca and sheep is similar to giving boys a “buzz haircut” and that it doesn’t hurt them at all.  The fiber is then washed, dried, and used for various crafts both at school and at summer camp.