Classroom Reports 06-07

NEWS AND EVENTS 2006-2007
Reports from the Classroom
(Recent news here, scroll down for prior events.)

On April 2nd, the Hillsborough County Courthouse was inundated with curious third grade students, ready to learn all about our judicial system. The day began with a tour of the waiting room for potential jurors. Everyone was sworn in and ready to perform their jury duty, if needed. Tours of three courtrooms provided invaluable information about the proceedings, the seriousness, and the consequences involved in daily court cases. Judge Robert Foster (a former St. Mary’s dad!) gladly answered questions about his life as a judge. Judge Walter Heinrich was overseeing the closed circuit court and the students were impressed with the speed with which he handles over 200 cases per day! Finally, our own Judge Gaston Fernandez allowed us to perform our mock trial in his courtroom. Mr. and Mrs. Devon Diaz were found guilty of animal cruelty and the jury decided they must volunteer in an animal shelter to make up for their poor judgment. Judge Bella Giordano presided over this impressive case. Judge Fernandez’s bailiffs fingerprinted each child in 3^rd grade. Our day ended with lunch at the park with our parents. That was quite an educational adventure!

Students in Mr. Luikart's fourth grade science classes picked a famous volcano to research and report on. They discovered the location, history, and other details regarding the destruction caused by their volcanoes. They culminated their studies by creating erupting models. Science rocks!

Tampa Museum of Art provided an enlightening afternoon for the third graders during their visit on Wednesday, February 7^th. Mrs. Carte fully prepared the students for all the oils and sketches of landscapes, waterfalls, and sunsets from across the country. Docents highlighted some of the beautiful works of Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Moran. These landscapes of the late 1800’s provided great images of far away places such as the Catskills, Niagara Falls, The Adirondacks, as well as the western state parks. Though most people couldn’t travel there during those times, they had an opportunity to see what the other parts of the country looked like.

The third graders also had the chance to see the art exhibits of many talented school students in Hillsborough Country. They were quickly able to locate the artwork of two fellow St. Mary’s students, Josie Little and John Brady Morris. It was another educational and enlightening trip to the Museum. The third graders were grateful to Mrs. Carte for arranging this outing.

Third grade brought a bit of history to life during their February 2^nd assembly performance. While studying the history of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in relation to their novel study, Listen for the Whippoorwill, they came across a related play for assembly. Dressed as slaves and slave catchers, the class demonstrated the hardships that the slaves faced during their treacherous routes to freedom in the play, The Railroad to Freedom by Tonya Leslie. This performance was capped off with a phenomenal singing performance by Mary Olive Gauthier. She led the entire third grade with “Do You Want To Be Free?” The audience was not only able to witness a historical performance, but a talented singer as well.

Wednesday January 17, 7th grade took an all day field trip to Tampa Bay Watch to participate in their Estuarine EDventures program. As part of a global study of water and an introduction to the Keys Trip later this year, the students focused on the local water issues of Tampa Bay. They learned about causes of stress to Tampa Bay and it's habitats, including such things as storm drain runoff and various ways to help restore these vital habitats, such as, building oyster bars and replanting grasses. The students also netted and looking at various marine organisms, including a seahorse, sea stars, pufferfish and crabs to name a few. The trip concluded with a beach scavenger hunt at Ft. DeSoto.

On Friday, January 12^th, 3^rd grade took a trip to The Dorothy Thomas Center where the Kids and Canines Program is located. We arrived with shopping bags filled with donations for each of the dogs. All the items were collected during the month of December. It felt good to help with this wonderful program.

We had an opportunity to visit with a few of the students involved with training the dogs. They demonstrated how they groomed and taught each of the necessary skills to help handicapped individuals. Some of the dogs we got to visit with and pet were the “G” Dogs: Gio, Gracy, Gus, Gwyn and the “H” Dogs: Hutch, Higgins, Hope, and Hunter. The students showed us how they brush the dogs’ teeth, check for fleas, comb and brush their coats, and check for ear infections. We saw how the dogs can turn on switches, open doors, walk along a wheelchair, and learn to ignore food on the floor. They were beautiful and well trained dogs.

We ended our visit by sharing a great pizza lunch and lots of conversation with the students who gave so willingly of their time. It was a great experience and we saw that this is truly a worthwhile program. In the spring we’ll have another one of our famous “ice pop sales” to continue raising money for Kids and Canines. Please help us support this worthy cause.

The Gamble Plantation proved to be an exciting and informative field trip once again. The third graders boarded the buses early on Dec. 1^st for their trip to Ellenton. Major Robert Gamble had an impressive sugar plantation that once encompassed 3,500 acres with the assistance of 191 slaves. He purchased those acres for a quarter each. What a bargain! The third graders learned what life was like on a plantation, from cooking early in the morning in the cookhouse; to sweeping gravel for three fourths of a mile past his mansion (Major Gamble didn’t even want footprints in the gravel!). We were able to visit this beautiful site and learn all this history because the United Daughters of the Confederacy helped to purchase and restore this landmark. The weather was beautiful, lunch was delicious, and we ended with a great class picture. We’re looking forward to our next field trip to learn about Kids and Canines. Stay tuned for that field trip!

Oil usage in the United States is becoming a bigger and bigger concern. Oil prices, its availability, and pollution are major problems with using oil as fuel. We need an alternative to oil in this country, and simple vegetable oil could be it. If our country used vegetable oil to run our cars, then oil wouldn’t be much of an issue. We could grow our own crops from which we could manufacture more vegetable oil and not have to buy it from other countries. Vegetable oil will end up costing us much less than what we normally have to spend on gasoline. If our cars ran on vegetable oil, it would help our economy and environment in many ways.

Oil prices in the United States keep growing. When many of our parents were children, the prices for gasoline were around forty cents per gallon, but now we are paying over two dollars a gallon. If cars and other means of transportation used vegetable oil as an alternative fuel, then the prices would go way down. Since vegetable oil costs less, we could use the money that we usually spend on gas for other things we need. Our government could use the money they save to help the people that are hungry and poor. Overall, changing to vegetable oil would help our everyday lives in many ways, but most of all, it would prevent us from being dependent on other countries for fuel.

Every time you use your car, it pollutes our environment. Even everyday things like driving to work pollute the air. It doesn’t seem like much, but over time, pollution causes serious environmental and health issues. For instance, all the pollution in the air makes the people who breathe it more prone to develop lung cancer. Pollution from cars also contributes to global warming, which can cause the polar icecaps to melt and flood the oceans. These are just some of the effects car pollution has on our environment.

In America, we depend on the Middle East for our oil. If one day they decide to stop exporting oil, all of the people in America would have nothing to run their cars on or heat their homes. Alternative resources for fuel are necessary. Vegetable oil is one we can grow in our own back yard. Oil is also a non-renewable resource, and it will eventually run out. People will keep using it, the price will go up, and eventually it will be all used up. When there is no oil left on our planet, the American people will need an alternate fuel source, and it will be too late to start developing one then.

Right now, we have the technology to change to a different fuel source that will be better for our economy and environment, like vegetable oil. Vegetable oil will never run out, and it burns much cleaner than gasoline. Since we know how to make the change, why not do it now when it could make a difference for the whole world, and in each and everyone of our lives?

I love candy! However, I am not the only one who enjoys candy. In fact, Americans eat an average of twenty-five pounds of candy per person, per year! Since candy is mostly made of sugar, it is important to limit how much we eat. This includes adults, because 65% of the candy that is produced each year is consumed by Americans over eighteen years of age. If you want to avoid painful dental work, lack of concentration issues, and health problems, it is important to LIMIT YOUR CANDY!

I am a kid so I love candy, but I hate going through all of that painful dental work! When you eat too much candy, the sugar settles on your teeth and causes a cavity. When you get a cavity filled, you are in a chair for at least an hour. During that time, the dentist puts a shot in your mouth to numb the area. The numbing cream is gross! The worst part is when they stick this laser gun in your mouth to fill the holes. Cavities are not fun!

Hyperactivity and lack of concentration may be effects of eating too much sugar. Most candies contain large amounts of sugar. Eating too much candy can be bad if you need to concentrate or perform an important task. Although candy may give you a quick burst of energy, eating too much can have negative consequences. For example, some people may choose a candy bar for an afternoon snack instead of a healthier choice, because they think it will give them more energy. The truth is, sugar does nothing for you; all it does is hurt your concentration and make you tired. We should limit how much candy we eat to avoid these effects.

Too much candy can lead to an unbalanced diet. Candy is mostly sugar, and therefore offers little nutritional value. While our bellies may feel full, we have not yet eaten any healthy foods. Skin problems, weight gain, and other conditions may happen over a period of time. Candy might be a sweet treat, but it should only be eaten in moderation.

It is clear that Americans love candy. Candy is a delicious treat that is loved by kids and adults. Since candy is mostly sugar, we must be aware of the hidden consequences it has. Dental work is not fun, health problems can be serious, and too much sugar can make it hard to concentrate. Like my mom says, “ Everything is good in moderation!”

Fall is the best season ever out of the other four seasons. It smells like a gigantic maple tree with sap and leaves falling down it in the bright, yellow, sun. Fall sounds like the soft crunching of the leaves when you jump in them. Fall feels like a soft bundle of bright colored leaves around you. It looks like big, bright, orange pumpkins with the blowing of the wind around them. Fall tastes like red, juicy, apples that came straight from a big apple tree. That’s what I think fall smells like, sounds like, feels like, looks like, and most importantly, what it taste’s like.
By Chandler

In Autumn it is cool, not hot or cold. Autumn tastes like pumpkin seeds freshly baked right out of the oven. It looks like big, fat trees with red and brown leaves on top. Autumn sounds like birds chirping in the clear, blue sky. It feels like your falling in a big crunchy pile of leaves. When your outside playing with your friends Autumn smells like fresh air filling the Earth with peace. Now you know why I like fall so much, so play outside before Autumn ends.
By Julia

I love the feeling of Autumn in Tampa. The feeling and smells in the air are like an apple pie fresh out of the oven. While riding my bike I see beautiful leaves that crunch beneath my feet as I walk. I wish Autumn was like a toy. You can take it out and enjoy it whenever you want, so I could store Autumn for the harsh cold winter.
By Marcus

In the Fall there is a smell of sweet pie, cherry, apple, blueberry, cranberry, the list goes on and on. When you are outside in Fall away from all the music on the radio and yelling on the T.V. you can here the sound of rustling leaves and the sound of birds chirping. You see the leaves on the trees changing colors from green to yellow, yellow to orange, orange to red, and red to brown. While you’re relaxing outside you also feel the dead leaves falling on your hands. What’s that you hear it’s a chorus of birds off in the distance. You also see a doe. Next to it you see a fawn running up to its mother. It is truly a beautiful sight. You see your mother signaling for dinner. When you go back inside for dinner you will probably be having something like apples, pie, potatoes, gravy, turkey, and cranberry sauce. That is Fall, and Fall is a beautiful thing.
by Rachel

We have been awfully busy third graders!! We had a tough mission, find a way to combine water information and math in a meaningful task and then share what we find with the entire school!! First, we had to decide what type of questions would make a good survey for water use. Once we developed that list, we were busy at home with the help of our entire families. Every single time we flushed a toilet, brushed our teeth, washed hands, showered or bathed, washed the dishes or our clothes and used the sprinklers, we had to keep a log. Wow!! We gathered a tremendous amount of information. Once we were in our small groups, we calculated all the totals, and then multiplied that number by the gallons that each event would normally use. We got those amounts from the helpful Southwest Florida Water Management District website. Finally we had the chance to show all our information and data at assembly in October. It was FANTASTIC! Our four graphs were accurate, colorful, and detailed. WE sure use a lot of water in third grade and will now work harder to conserve it. What if you try to conserve as well?

Ben’s Wooly Worm Adventure

Thursday, November 19, 2006
This was my first day in the mountains. I woke up and ate breakfast. I looked out the window and I saw beautiful leaves, red and gold, and orange, and yellow. I got dressed and went outside to look for wooly worms for the wooly worm festival. At the wooly-worm festival you bring a wooly-worm and you race them on a string. Then I went to Fred’s store to have lunch. I didn’t eat anything though. Then we watched a movie. And then we cooked on our bonfire. We cooked hot dogs and s’mores.
Friday, November 20, 2006
Today we got up and we went to Fred’s to have breakfast. Then it started raining so we rented a movie. Then we drove someplace where there was wooly-worms. We got there and the people there said that they were collecting wooly-worms for the wooly-worm festival, not selling them. Then we saw a store with a pumpkin patch. We bought three small pumpkins and one large pumpkin. We went in the store we got a scarecrow. Then we got apple cider. Then we went to Mamavon and Daddyjim’s house. We watched a movie and then had a sleepover.
Saturday, November 21, 2006
Today when I woke up I was sooo excited! Today was the wooly-worm festival! But I don’t have a wooly-worm. But they sell wooly-worms at the festival! We go to the festival. It has tons and tons of people. I get a wooly-worm that looks really fast. I race my wooly-worm, he goes up the string he comes back to me! Uh-oh, I’m in last place. We walk around. We did bungie cords. I jump high! We play some golf. We go home and get pizza. Yum!
Sunday, November 22, 2006
Time to go! We pack up for the airplane. It takes lots of time. We go to Fred’s for lunch. It’s too crowded. We go to McDonald’s. Then we had to head to the airport. We board our plane. Goodbye North Carolina!

September 2006 ~ Reading is always fun in Kindergarten! Not only do the students practice reading… they have special guests that read to them! We started the year with many important St. Mary’s guests visiting the kindergarten classrooms. Mr. Laird, Mrs. Lockhart, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Valentine and Mrs. Malafronte all read to us! Tsion loved to learn about dinosaurs from Mr. Valentine. She “loved to see the dinosaurs fighting!” Tyler said “I just loved it when they came and I just had fun!” Parents are now visiting our rooms as our special guests! Mrs. Graff has parent readers on Thursday and Miss Brightwell has parent readers on Mondays! The children are always excited to bring books from home and have their parents read to their classmates! The children are very excited about reading!

September 2006 ~ The Kindergarten students are busy learning D’Nealian handwriting. They are practicing correct letter formation for both uppercase and lowercase letters. Each child is making their own Alphabet Book. The children write the alphabet letter and illustrate a picture of something that starts with each letter of the alphabet. They have come up with some very creative ideas! We will celebrate our alphabet knowledge by having an Alphabet Picnic with our students and parents. The children will bring food that begins with the first letter of their name. We will have a picnic just like they did in Potluck by Anne Shelby!