Victoria students and teachers prepared a wonderful Open House held on March 31. Students excitedly shared all of the interesting information they have been learning and the fun activities they've completed. Open is a time for then to show off all of their hard work!
Above, Anthony R. shows his mom and sisters how a lung works. Students is Rooms 1 and 2 built working models of a lung using a plastic cup (torso cavity), a straw poked through the bottom of the cup and connected to a balloon (the trachea and lung), some clay (to form a seal between the straw and cup) and a balloon stretched over the mouth of the cup (diaphragm). When they blew in the straw, air would go through the trachea and then lung would fill with air! Life size (or at least 5th grader size) drawings of the human body, including all of the major systems – circulatory system, digestive system, etc. – lined one wall of their classrooms. Who knew learning could be so much fun? Thank you Ms. Santana and Mrs. Younan!
Students and parents who visited Ms. Murtaugh's Special Education classroom helped plant vegetables in their garden. They also got to husk one of their harvested loofahs and take it home. Students planted this trailing vine plant alongside a fence last spring. All summer, I watched them grow. They looked like cucumbers or squash. I learned they were loofahs when the students posted a sign that read, “Please do not eat these. They are loofahs. Loofahs are like a washcloth.” Although loofahs can be eaten before they are mature, when left on the vine they dry up and become like a sponge. I appreciate all of the beauty Room 4’s gardens bring our campus, as well as all of the wonderful learning opportunities for all at Victoria.
This was not only a night to see and hear about all of the amazing things our students are doing and learning, it was also a night for parents to meet other parents. Victoria’s PTA was here selling spirit wear and recruiting help for our upcoming Spring Carnival (to be held on April 21). Outdoor Education also held a bake sale to begin raising money to send next year’s sixth graders to science camp. Mrs. Gonzales and Mr. Kaufhold invited parents to join them in the computer lab where they discussed tips to help prepare our children for the upcoming California Standards Test (CST), including utilizing the computer program Study Island. I love the sense of family that is here at Victoria!
Thank you to all the teachers and students for "showing off their smarts" and for all of the parents and family members who came to our Open House.
I really enjoy the garden at Victoria! Ms. Murtaugh was kind enough to give my family a little tour of the garden. As for the loofah's? I had no idea that was what they were growing along the chainlink fence. I even peeled one myself! ;)
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