Happy Earth Day!

Thank you to all the families that helped make PS58's Earth Day Celebration such a success!  

Thank you for volunteering to help run our activity booths, our critter releases and our bake sale.  We raised over $500 to help save the Malayan tiger (there are only 250 left in the wild) and will donate the money to the Bronx Zoo's WCS tiger program.  

Most importantly, thank you to all the PS58 students who made pledges on how they will help keep our Earth healthy!

Earth Day Celebration starts!

Earthworm release.

Making Ladybug observations.

When you release over 2,000 ladybugs, they are everywhere!

Audra Rox keeps the celebration going!

Making musical instruments from recycled materials.

Making bags out of old t-shirts!

Recycling bowling!

Delicious goodies at the bake sale.

Our hands can make a difference!

Additional photos by Mrs. Vanegas!

The Duck Eggs are Here!

The duck eggs are here!  I picked the 10 eggs up at the Hart's Brook Preserve yesterday.  

We have 4 Pekin eggs.

The ducklings.

The adult ducks.

And 6 Rouen eggs.

The ducklings.

The adult ducks.

The eggs are now in the egg turner that slowly rotates the eggs.  The temperature is a steady 100 degrees with a 55% humidity level!

Once a day, the eggs are turned over.  The x
helps keep track of the turning.

And now the waiting begins!  It takes 28 days for the eggs to hatch.  Our hatch date is around May 15th!  Stay tuned!

PS58 Earth Day Celebration Tomorrow!

Pre-K Goes on a Magnet Scavenger Hunt!

Pre-K has been very busy exploring how magnets work.  Earlier in the year, pre-k used horseshoe magnets to test a multitude of objects and determine if the objects were magnetic or not. 

So many things to test!

  
Last month, we decided to look around the classroom and see what objects the magnet sticks to.  We drew a picture of what the magnet would stick to and what it didn't stick to (with an X on the picture).  Some of us thought that the  magnets would stick to metal, but were surprised to discover that the magnet didn't stick to all metal objects....only some.

The magnet definitely sticks to the white board!

Look!  It sticks to the door frame.

It really sticks on the white board!

Drawing what the magnet sticks on to.

The magnet sticks on the bell!

What about the filing cabinets?

So fun to put the magnets on the white board!

Our Garden is Awakening!

First grade had their last gardening class this week.  While we were outside, we noticed that some of our plants are starting to grow!

Daffodil leaves.

Tulip leaves.

Our chive is looking great already!

A butterfly bush!

Purple Aster just starting to push up through the ground.

These daffodils have buds!

I am so excited to see how our garden does this season!

Investigating Paper with Kindergarten!

We are starting the second half of our unit by looking at properties of paper.  Kindergarteners have been exploring 8 different papers: wax, tag board, chipboard, newsprint, craft paper, paper towel, cardboard and corrugated cardboard.

We investigated what it was like to write on all eight papers with pencil, crayon and marker.  Some papers were very hard to write on with anything - wax paper and corrugated paper - while some were relatively easy - tag board and craft paper.

The tagboard is so smooth and slippery.

All these papers were hard to write on.

The papers have different colors.

It's not easy to write on the paper towel.

I can only draw lines on this paper.  I can't make circles.

The papers on the left were hard to draw on.
The papers on the right were easy to draw on.

A bin of papers!

 Does it make a difference if you draw or write on
the papers?

I have all 8 papers.

Crayon on paper towel is hard.

This paper is so hard to write on!

The cardboard is easy to write on, except the pencil.  It's hard
to see.

Look at the corrugated paper.  I can make so many lines.

Balancing with 2nd Graders!

2nd grade has started their new unit, Balance and Motion.  They started by thinking about balancing on one foot.  Is it easier to balance with ones hands by their side or stretched out?  Is it easier to balance on one foot with their eyes open or closed?

No general consensus on what was the easiest
way to balance on one foot.  

Next we balanced a cup on top of our head while walking around the classroom.  Was it easier to balance the cup when it was right side up or upside down?

Most people felt it was easier to balance the cup right side up!

Now to find the balancing point on a crayfish with your finger. No, not a real crayfish, a paper crayfish.

It can be tricky to find the balancing point, but when you do..
it's so awesome!

Everyone has their own technique.

Confidence!

Next we investigated whether using clothespins as counterweight, would help us to balance the crayfish in other ways.

"If you put the clothespins even, it will balance."

Once you get the hang of it, balancing is fun!

I balanced it on the nose!

Walking and balancing.

Trying to figure out how to balance the crayfish on the side.

Crayfish everywhere!

2nd graders agreed when using the clothespins as counterbalance, you could balance the crayfish in so many different ways.