Happily, 
The rain has let up during the time of our trip to Sauganash.
It will be fabulous!
Join us, 
Mr. Leki

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.9466&lon=-87.7027&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=graphical

​This week's starts with a bang on 
Monday, May 20,  with the 3 first grade classes coming to the garden for three tree activities:
1) Family History in Annual rings, wherein the kids fill in the annual rings on a piece of paper, with event that have occurred in their and their families lives: births, moving, broken arms, etc. This is to help them with the idea that the growth rings travel backwards in time from the newest one, under the bark, to the first circle in the center.
2) Planting trees. The kids get to choose seeds from three different trees to plant in a pot. By the time the school year ends they should sprout their miniature, bright green distinctive leaves.
3) Tree medallion necklaces. The kids will choose a "cookie", a slice of the trunk (or branch) of a tree, sand it, oil it, have a hole drilled in it, have a loop of brass twisted through it, and a string to produce a beautiful medallion necklace about the same age as these kids. 
These activities need lots of help. I hope some of you can join us.
Room 205 8:40
Room 208 11:30
Room 210 2:30

On Tuesday, May 21, 2nd Grade Room 111 will walk to the Riverbank Neighbors site to
1) do weather station,
2) look for and draw spring wildflowers;
3) look for and ID riverbank trees,and
4) look at, draw and ID bugs that I have gathered from the river bottom.
I gathered them from the new 
"riffle" at River Park, that replaced the old dam.  If you have not seen the site recently, take a walk. It is spectacular, and is going to be more spectacular
in the future. 
We leave at 1:00 and are back by 3:00.
Come 15 minutes early to go over plans.

On Wednesday May 22, 5th Grade, Room 207 will have their last trip to Sauganash to consider how the fate of our natural areas, and our world, are dependent on the decisions we make everyday. They will also be pulling weeds and exploring. 
Join me at 9:00 in the Conference room. Bus leaves at 9:30, picnic lunch at the Grove, back to school by 1:15 or so. 

Thursday's Trip for 3rd Grade Room 211 has been re-scheduled for Tuesday, May 28.

We continue to feverishly remove plants from the Snake and Turtle Gardens and are still hoping that the construction team will take time to move some of the bigger trees and shrubs so that they are not destroyed. Garden Night Wednesday, 5 - dark. 

Hope to see you, 
Mr. Leki

​Dear Friends, 
Seventh Grade is going a-fishing this week, at Montrose Point.
On Wednesday May 8, Room 309,
Thursday, May 9, Room 302, and
on Friday, May 11, Room 311.
This is a lovely and relaxed trip, 
on the CTA!

First we have a slide show about Lake ecology and food webs.
Then we fish in the harbor for Gobies. 
Our host, Friends of the Parks, asks us to invite plenty of adult helpers
to help supervise.
After lunch to are off to the dune and beach
to do an art / ecology activity. 
Back by 3:00.

Saturday is Chicago River Day.
Riverbank Neighbors and Waters School is a host site,
meeting at Berteau and the River at 9:00.
Join the fun and help steward the river back to health.

Mr.  Leki