End of the Year??

Where did the time go? 
There's a lot of accomplishment that we have to be thankful for this year. We had new programs, lots of fun activities all year, and the sense of community that's built around working collaboratively in school.

But it's still hard to believe the school year is over!! Already new plans are being laid out for the next school year. One new change I'm really excited about is the addition or upgrade to the new EV3 robotic platform for the robotic competition team. Thanks to mentor Tom Devine, we were able to secure several small donations to be able to buy one kit. Can't wait to see how this new system works :)

By far, one of the most challenging science days we had this spring was the day of the kayaking adventure to Galveston Bay.  Sponsored by the Artist Boat organization, the day included water sampling, art, and kayaking. 

On what was undoubtedly the coldest, overcast day of the spring, the Middle School students headed out into the bay with wind gusts of over 30mph. The forecast had called for a warm, sunny day...NOT!! I was hopeful right up to the point when our feet touched the water...freezing!! 

But the kids were real troopers ( so were the moms who headed out with us) and we survived with funny stories I'm sure we'll all remember!!
Of course, as soon as we were packing up to leave, the sun came out and the water was calm again...doh!

Our annual science festival in April was a tremendous success!! The LEGO Education Showcase received high praise from everyone who attended. Court activities were so much fun, and the science projects, both individual and class, were amazing! Huge thanks to all of you who supported the event- it was one of the best ones we've had! 

Special thanks go out to Karen Cohen and the students from the College of Technology at the University of Houston who volunteered their time and energy!!

I leave you with images from the day and wish everyone a fun and safe summer :D

LABRATS Celebrate!

The LABRATS Robotics & Engineering team has made Redd School history! This dynamic team won the top Champions Award in the Qualifier matches back in Dec. We were thrilled to be able to move on to the Lone Star Championship games held this past weekend here in Houston. Our goal? - to best our own top score and have fun!

We accomplished both. But, as testimony to the work ethic and teamwork that this group of students has excelled in, they brought home 3 more trophies!! AND, finished 5th in their robot game out of 62 teams! High score 345. An unprecedented record for one season. 

Team Spirit Award, 3rd Place Innovative Solutions (research project), 

3rd Place Champions Award

A special assembly honored their achievement on Monday morning at school. And yes, that's me in the chicken costume. I had told the kids that if we finished in the top 3rd of the 62 teams, I would dress up in the chicken outfit (graciously given to me by former team member Alex P at the end of last year).

Thanks to all of you who have offered support and good wishes all year!!! This season of First Lego League competition is over...we're already talking about next year :D

Follow this link to see a movie from the competition!

Video credit: Fred Morales Design

What's the Weather TODAY???

If you look at the calendar, we SHOULD be having "winter". However, we seem to be setting records for unusually warm temperatures this year. Scary to think of what summer might bring!

I heard Mrs. G's 1st Graders were studying the water cycle so I thought I'd pop in to find out what these young experts could tell me about what's going on in the atmosphere.

An explanation of the types of clouds and what they can tell us.

I was impressed by their new knowledge and decided to "test" them by doing some first-hand observations. So, we went outside...luckily, we had a nice sky to look at!

What kinds of clouds are these ??

Of course, it's always a good idea to check with a reliable source. A NOAA cloud chart is a handy tool to carry on these outdoor excursions.

Was your answer right?

And it's always fun to find cloud shapes - can you see the camel??

Great job Mrs. G's class!! Keep looking up at the sky :)

On the way back to the lab, I stopped by Ms. Crow's room to see what her and the boys were up to.

As usual, the room was rocking...literally ! They were anxious to show off the sedimentary rocks they had just made as part of their geology studies. 

They had also studied minerals and later enjoyed observing the crystallization process as they made their own rock candy.

A potential future geologist in the class?? 

Well done 4th grade :)

  Who'll be in the news next time??? Check back soon!

LABRATS WIN CHAMPIONS AWARD!!

The LABRATS Robotics & Engineering Team

won the Champions Award at the Woodlands Preparatory School Qualifying Tournament on Sat Dec. 15!!

As defined by the First Lego League, "this award recognizes a team that embodies the FLL experience, by fully embracing the Core Values while achieving excellence and innovation in both the Robot game and project".

Redd School is very proud of this 2012 team!!

Now, we move onto the regional Championship tournament to be held in Houston in late February. 60 teams from the Southeast Texas region will compete. 

More information on that event will be posted after the holidays. Thanks to all of you for supporting our robotics program!!!

More pictures and video courtesy of Fred Morales Design available by clicking on this link:

http://www.fredmoralesdesign.com/labrats.html

ROBOTICS RULE!!!!

At least, that’s what the students who participate say!

The LABRATS Robotics & Engineering After-School program has been a favorite of students in grades K-8 for many years. Participation has only been limited by the amount of equipment available.

However, thanks to the generous support of several corporate sponsors, and the historic fundraising by the 2011-12 competition team, we have expanded our LEGO education into the classrooms and after school, and will prepare for another year of underwater robotics in the spring!

For anyone who wasn’t here last spring, the First Lego League competition team was honored by an invitation to the National North American Championship games at LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, CA.

We had just over 2 months to raise the money needed to send the team to the games, and we did it!!

There are still fun stories being told about the bajillion tacos, homemade chili, and spaghetti dinners that helped fund the trip. But the real support came from the generosity of our Redd School families, staff, and community. If I haven’t already told you: Thanks for all you did to make it happenJ

We now have 26 students in the after school program, and 4 on the competition team. And, we’ve added new programs to the school curriculum!

Our youngest roboticists are the K-3 JR.ROBOTICS. This enthusiastic group enjoys creative, open-ended constructions with a theme. They just finished several weeks of building community service structures. Then, they create a story to go with their work. The idea is to link developing Language Arts skills with something they enjoy- building with LEGOS!

                              

The 4^th- 8^th Grade EARLY Robotics program engages students in building simple machines that work. Developmental challenges move them through building that teaches progressive skills in how machines work, and why.

The NXT ROBOTICS elective for students in grades 6-8 raises the bar for design and engineering with building and programming of

autonomous robots. The competition team is made up from students in this group.

2012 Competition Team

As I mentioned earlier, we’ve added 2 new LEGO programs into the classroom. I’ve traditionally used LEGOS in Middle School for teaching about alternative energy and force/motion. This year I’ve added a new program into the 5^th Grade studies: LEGOS in Space!

Students use the newest version of the Simple Machines kits, along with a special Spaceport component to build machinery- tools and machines that astronauts use in space. After construction, they test their machinery to see how it works on Earth.

Then, astronauts from the ISS space station guide the students through lessons and demonstrations FROM the space station to see how their constructions work in space!

Another new program is the WeDo Robotics for grades 2-4. Ms. Aurora Clarke has integrated this LEGO program into our technology education classes to introduce young students to beginning programming as well as beginning engineering skills. WeDo gives students early experiences in data collection using Excel and provides exciting themes for creating photo storybooks using publisher or Word.

Our newest competition team has a Qualifying meet on Dec 15.

They’ve been hard at work since September working on their research and game. My next post will focus on their newest challenge and provide more information on the upcoming tournament!

Check back!!
Lollie

Oct. 15, 2012

4th Grade Eats Plant Cells!!

Last week I told you about the Garden Club and introduced the sponsors Mrs. Williams and Ms. Crow. I recently visited Ms. Crow’s classroom at her invitation to look at her 4^th graders’ plant cells models. And what an awesome job they had done! 

Making vacuoles

Students show their work- great job!!

Not only had they begun work on their individual models, but had worked to build a giganimo plant cell together.

4th graders around the giganimo plant cell!

This is a great example of making science fun! The enthusiasm filled the room as they explained and showed me their work. Learning about the parts of a cell included looking at slides through a microscope, constructing their cells, and then…..eating some!!

 yum!!!

This is learning they’ll remember!! Way to go 4^th grade!!

Silly Ms. Crow !!!

SPROUTING GREEN THUMBS

Our newest after-school club is all about digging in the dirt and breaking a sweat!
Middle School Language Arts teacher Emily Williams and 4th Grade teacher Kendall Crow are the club co-sponsors.

 Mrs. Williams explains:
"At Redd School we often ask the question 'what's best for the environment?' Although the answers are endless, one thing we can do is to teach our children how to love and respect nature. This year Redd School established a Garden Club for grades 3-8. A garden is  an excellent place to encourage a child's creativity and develop self -discipline."

"The club exposes students to the beauty of nature and the impact we can have on the local and global environment. We hope to reap the fruits of our planting and participate in a local farmer's market in the fall/spring! Details about the farmer's market can be found on the following website: www.feastofartisans.com "

Ms. Crow and Mrs. Williams are dedicated to teaching students the immediate and long-term benefits of planting and maintaining their own gardens. 

Check back in a couple of weeks for a progress report on the "crops"!!

Happy planting!