​Dear Eco-Friends, 
Three Beautiful, out of world experiences at the Lake last week. Beautiful, beautiful!  Our Friends of the Parks partner / teacher  Andrea taught us this beautiful Ojibwe song in homage to Water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks5IIzYX3t8  

She reminded us that if we were born in Chicago that most of the weight in our bodies was Lake Michigan water!!
We are related to Lake Michigan!
Kin!

On Monday, I will be teaching Tree classes for the 1st Grade, and putting together the 2nd grade River trip journals....

...which happens on  Tuesday, January 28, 2020!
2nd Grade Room 111 will sally forth to the river at Berteau to look at Winter, Wildlife and Weather. Today, in this half frozen, half melted winter, I saw a great activity in our multi-cultural bird community: junkos, cardinals, robins, three species of wood peckers, chickadees, and  blue jays! A rainbow of birds. 
We leave school at 8:30. If you would like to join us, meet at the fish tank. Back by 10:30. The kids will sing you this song written by Yoko Ono and myself (well, I just changed a few words):
We're all water from different rivers,
That's why it's so easy to meet.
We're all water in this vast vast ocean. 
Someday we'll evaporate together!

Perhaps, you noticed a Water strand, a stream, a trickle and wave. 
That is because water is life, 
and we are asking our students to know this and become water protectors. 
Water is Life!

On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 4th grade, Room 308, will travel to Sauganash to cut invasive brush, and witnessed the wonder of the woods in winter.  Join us for a briefing at 9:00 by the fish tank. Bus leaves at 9:30. Returns by 12:30.  Lunch will be at school. 

On Thursday, January 30, 2020, 4th grade, Room 307 does a repeat of the above. 
Please join us, and dress yourself and your child for the weather: cold and wet!

The best to all, 
Mr. Leki

​...and parents who find time time to help, 
and teachers working through the weekend to prepare, 
and students who get distracted from video games and school work,
to take note of the wonders of and dangers threatening our world....

Tomorrow, 
Tuesday, (yes) January 21, our 1st grade thespians will be performing for (and with) their classmates 
the Legend of Snake and Turtle, 
an origin story about Waters School and our gardens. 
8:30 Room 211
9:00 Room 208
9:30 Room 210

Right after that I will be teaching a class-prep for the 2nd grade, Room 111
(they will be going to the River at Berteau  Tuesday, Jan 28.)
They will be learning a new song, prepping their trip journals, and
creating (scientifically proper) snowflakes. 
If there is time we will also explore the endlessly amazing properties of H20:
surface tension, adhesion, cohesion, refraction...

Then, 
on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 
the 7th grade will be braving our beautiful, magical, majestic, 
and priceless Lake Michigan
to Learn, and Experience why it is so special. 

please join us on the Yellow bus to be part of this adventure, 
details will follow.

Mr. Leki

Dear Friends, 
We enter our first full school week of the new year!
I wrote a little note to myself, sealed it in an envelope, and placed it on my desk, facing me. 
"Open on first day of school 2021".
Last year the note said : "What happened?"
That is THE question. What will happen? And will we be able to shape our future? Will we have effect? We will see. Here we go.

On Monday, the two 8th grade classes will carry on a tradition of processing mint leaves that they harvested and hung to dry in the shed.  They strip the leaves and push them through a colander to create a fine tea mixture. Other kids spoon it into paper filter bags and staple shut.
While they are doing that, other students prepare mint tea in pots, and serve it to their classmates as they work. The tea is paired with small slices of french bread dabbed with gooseberry jam made from our berries. 
Still other students will spoon roasted pumpkin seeds into small envelopes that will be gifted to staff and the 8th grade. These seeds were taken from the left over pumpkins from harvest day, cleaned, spiced and roasted over my wood burning stove. 
It is a nice ritual, remembering the past seasons, and work done.

First Grade tree study will be up and running again, as well as rehearsal for the Snake and Turtle performances.  Snake and Turtle have a new address, on the south side of the big net by the sports field. 8th grade will be working on the finished installation in the Spring. The backs of Snake and Turtle adorned by beautiful mosaic paving stones created and donated by my neighbor Liz Chase.

I will be scheduling  prep classes for the winter field ecology program. The schedule is up and running on the Waters School site. 

Waters Ecology Incorporates!
Sounds scary, huh? Last year I was asked to create an entity that could receive funds from Waters Today, our fundraising organization. So, I created Waters Elementary Ecology, L3C.  Thanks to Jamie and Adi for doing the filing and translations. This is all new stuff to me. I will have to do some more filings, and due diligence on the book keeping side of things. I am wondering if anyone out there has experience or knowledge about what is required, what is urgent, and where you find Form llc49-3876-c9 (joke!).
Anyway, if anyone has a suggestion or a moment to consult, please let me know. 
Happy New Year to all, 
Mr. Leki