Students have plenty to keep busy Kindergarten...

Students have plenty to keep busy

Kindergarten students have been studying the farm. They visited

Centennial Farms in Costa Mesa and have been reading stories and

creating art projects all related to farm life.

First-grade students are finishing up their study of sea life and

will visit the Long Beach Aquarium to see sea creatures in their

environment. They are also learning how to write reports by writing a

report on a tide pool creature.

Following a rigorous unit on dinosaurs, second-grade students

visited the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. Students and

parents experienced a close up view of creatures that once roamed the

earth.

The second-grade classes are now in the process of observing their

cocoons, eagerly awaiting the transformation from pupae to

butterflies.

Third-grade students are preparing to star-gaze at the Tessmann

Planetarium at Santa Ana College as part of their studies of Earth

Sciences. Students are studying how objects in the sky move in

regular and predictable patterns, including constellations, the

four-week lunar cycle and solar changes.

Fourth-grade students are learning about the water cycle,

terrariums and aquariums as part of their ecosystem unit. And as part

of their Gold Rush unit, students are reading “By the Great Horn

Spoon,” by Sid Fleishman. They are also writing in their own

authentic gold rush journals.

Fifth-grade students are preparing for their Medieval feast as a

culminating activity for studying Medieval times and reading the

Castle in the Attic (a core literature piece). In another unit,

Karen Kettner is teaching kids all about the human body including

creating a cell mobile.

Open house at El Morro for grades three through five is set for

May 26, and kindergarten through second grade will be May 27.

Lagunan Bruce Cahill joins MIND

Laguna Beach resident Bruce Cahill has joined the Mind Institute

Board.

In its efforts to significantly strengthen the organization’s

ability to meet its mission of providing state-of-the-art educational

tools to elementary school educators, MIND has accepted seven new

members including Cahill.

Ted Smith, chairman of the board is also a Laguna Beach resident

and said the institute continues to be encouraged by large increases

in test scores. He said testimonials from involved teachers,

principals and parents are making program expansion a top priority in

2004.

Gordon Shaw, chairman emeritus of the board and institute

co-founder, is a Laguna local as well. He said that they are

extremely fortunate to have accomplished community leaders of this

caliber as part of their organization.