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Hello! Here is quick synopsis of our day so far as I dash off to go crabbing!

We arrived at Nature’s Classroom around 11:30 am following an exciting bus ride and scenic stop at the Charlton Rest Area. Students helped to unload the buses, and then visited their cabins for the week. The boys are staying in Aspen, while the girls own The Condo. Lunch was the crowd pleasing duo of chicken tenders and french fries. The students take turns being waiters here, and so the first group got to work.  At my table, we gave Max A. a huge tip for all the schlepping of french fries he needed to do for us! And yes, a few students did partake in salad as well. We are sharing the facility with the North Brookfield School this week, and while the BCD students will have their own field groups, we are combining for a large array of elective classes. Currently the students are signing up for the 4 pm sessions: yoga, eyeball dissection (not sure whose), crabbing, aeronautics, bird dissection, and water ecology. Tonight we will have a round robin of group challenges (which in NC lingo is called a quest.) Stay tuned for more adventures tomorrow and more pictures, I promise!

Jilly (and Tim and Jim….and Max, Max, Tucker, CJ, Gabriel, Daniel, Jack, Isaac, Arden, Rafi, Gus, Sam, Eli, Gavin, Prem, Via, Esme, Olivia, Petra, Sammy, Lilah, Lana, and Gevi)

Our week in Fifth Grade seemed to be inspired by contrasting characteristics of the rulers we are studying in Mesopotamia. We began the week by considering the contributions of Hammurabi, who is credited with the first set of written laws in ancient world. Students crafted their own sets of laws (see pix); many of them just and fair, while others were harsh and punitive in nature. The duality of Hammurabi’s Code (fair in that everyone had to follow them, yet violent and narrow in scope) was reflected in many of the students’ projects. We continued to explore the duality of the ancient world by learning about Ashurbanipal, a ruthless Assyrian dictator, who in addition to murdering people, also was the first to set up a library. Nebuchadnezzar II also falls in to this paradigm–The architect of the Hanging Gardens forced a selfish marriage on a Persian princess for political reasons—and yields an equally provocative discussion. Students have also written their first drafts of their Civilization Creation geography piece, and are learning to follow a rubric closely for both content and presentation.

In English, in Where the Red Fern Grows, the students are observing the unique nature of each of Billy’s pups, Old Dan and Little Ann. We are highlighting and using sticky notes to mark places in the book where this is illustrated. This week, two students, Gevi and Max A. presented their PTR projects to the class. What a treat!

In Writer’s Workshop, most of the students have moved onto to a second draft of their personal narrative stories. They are adding in details and “zooming” in in order to create drama and excitement to the pieces. On Grandparents’ Day, we plan to share the “Secret Rules of Grown-ups: 2015 version”. It’s going to be full of surprises!

Important Dates:

• Tuesday–we leave for Nature’s Classroom at 7:30 sharp. Please be sure to bring an appropriate snack in a disposable bag, and a water bottle.
• October 21: PTR presentations are due.

Helpful Hints for Packing:

• Label everything!
• Warm clothes, waterproof rainboots for wading into the water, and extra socks are a must!
• The mattresses are not as clean as the ones in your house… I recommend a fitted sheet to cover the mattress and then a sleeping bag to sleep in. Don’t forget a pillow!
• Please pack a few plastic bags (like Price Chopper or Stop and Shop). These are helpful for when shoes get soggy to keep feet dry, and to put in wet clothes.
• Towel. (We will make the kids shower at least once.)
• Please do not send makeup, facepaint, any food (other than snack for the bus) or jewelry that will be missed if lost.
• The kids need a daypack–if you have a string bag that will work just fine.
• Waterbottle!

Have a wonderful week!

Jilly