Photo by A. Boozcko We've crossed that threshold!
I like to pause and take note.
The Equinox: night and day in balance,
each 12 hours long.
The sun rises due east and sets due west.
The motion of the seasons is very much like the movement of a roller coaster with two hills and two dips.
The Equinoxes are at the two dips.
The solstices are at the crests of the two hills.
As the car approaches the top of the hill it slows,
and slows,
and slows until it theoretically stops! (Solstice meas "sun stops").
But at exactly that moment the car starts forward again, very slowly, and very slowly starts to pick up speed.
The speed of the car is analogous to the change in the length of the day / night.
Near the summer solstice, the difference in the length of that day from the preceding day is minute. It is the longest daylight in the entire year. But once past the solstice the increase in the length of the night starts to increase, until it reaches a maximum increase at the bottom of the hill, where day and night are of equal length.
And then, immediately the reverse happens, with the increase of night-time (the shortening of daylight) gradually slowing down as the car approached the top of the Winter Solstice hill, the shortest day (longest night) of the year.
I think this is one reason that this season, with school back in session,
the first cool breezes of fall breaking the domination of summer's heat,
is so tingling and refreshing.
This is the part of the roller coaster when people are screaming with excitement (or throwing up).
Sorry for the digression but can you believe this world we live in, floating around in space?
Monday morning, 8:15, I will be continuing work of preparing the Mighty Acorns journals. We are more than half way finished. We just need to tape leaves to 50 more cover!
I will also be preparing trip journals for 2nd and 6th grade river studies, and 7th grade Lake Michigan studies. These involve counting, folding and stapling booklets together. I am prepping the two 6th grades for their first field trips Monday at 1:30.
If you have a spare hour please come by the Conference room and we will get this done!
On Tuesday, the 1st grade will be coming out to render one of our huge trees for the cover of their Field guide to the trees of Waters School.
12:30 -111
1:20 - 205, and
2:15 (or so) 211.
Wednesday night is garden night 5 until dark.
Thursday, Sept 24, after drop off, I will be doing a Mighty Acorns parent workshop in the Conference Room. This work shop will explain the important role that parent (as teachers) play in the Mighty Acorns excursions in the wild. This workshop last bout an hour, and I will have some coffee an rolls. Please RSVP so I can plan.
Also on Thursday, at 1:15 8th grade, room 311, will come out to continue our gardening work and bench repair. Room 301 will repeat this activity on Friday, same time. It is great to be in the company of these young souls. Please join us to help supervise.
On Friday, Sept 25, 6th Grade, Room 305, will be our first class to take to the field in ecology, a trip to River Park to do chemical and biological tests of the water quality. It is a walking trip, leaving at 9:30, with a picnic lunch. We should be back by 1:00. Please join us.
On Saturday, September 26, Waters and Riverbank Neighbors will be participating in the National Green Apple Day of Service, at a workday on the Riverbank between Berteau and Montrose. There will be wood chipping of paths, fence building, weed pulling, seed collecting and seed spreading. We will work from 9 until 12 noon.
Then, at least some of us will get cleaned up and prepare for a fun, fundraiser for Riverbank Neighbors at Pensacola and the River. There will be delicious food and drink, lots of live music, and games for kids. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. It runs from 2:00 until 6:00.
Come join the fun, and see how the riverbank is shaping up. We have installed 450 feet of new split rail fencing, a beautiful new, wide set of steps to the canoe launch at Berteau, and many, many thousands of new plants along the bank.
And then! On Sunday, Sept 27, the final culminating day of a week-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Forest Preserve District will feature performances by the Bullfrog Community Choir, and the Cajun Vagabonds dance band, in the forest at Caldwell Woods. There will also be poetry readings, in the woods, and a huge tree hugging event. This link will show you all the events.
The Cajuns and Bullfrogs start at 3:00. Join us!
Mr. Leki
I like to pause and take note.
The Equinox: night and day in balance,
each 12 hours long.
The sun rises due east and sets due west.
The motion of the seasons is very much like the movement of a roller coaster with two hills and two dips.
The Equinoxes are at the two dips.
The solstices are at the crests of the two hills.
As the car approaches the top of the hill it slows,
and slows,
and slows until it theoretically stops! (Solstice meas "sun stops").
But at exactly that moment the car starts forward again, very slowly, and very slowly starts to pick up speed.
The speed of the car is analogous to the change in the length of the day / night.
Near the summer solstice, the difference in the length of that day from the preceding day is minute. It is the longest daylight in the entire year. But once past the solstice the increase in the length of the night starts to increase, until it reaches a maximum increase at the bottom of the hill, where day and night are of equal length.
And then, immediately the reverse happens, with the increase of night-time (the shortening of daylight) gradually slowing down as the car approached the top of the Winter Solstice hill, the shortest day (longest night) of the year.
I think this is one reason that this season, with school back in session,
the first cool breezes of fall breaking the domination of summer's heat,
is so tingling and refreshing.
This is the part of the roller coaster when people are screaming with excitement (or throwing up).
Sorry for the digression but can you believe this world we live in, floating around in space?
Monday morning, 8:15, I will be continuing work of preparing the Mighty Acorns journals. We are more than half way finished. We just need to tape leaves to 50 more cover!
I will also be preparing trip journals for 2nd and 6th grade river studies, and 7th grade Lake Michigan studies. These involve counting, folding and stapling booklets together. I am prepping the two 6th grades for their first field trips Monday at 1:30.
If you have a spare hour please come by the Conference room and we will get this done!
On Tuesday, the 1st grade will be coming out to render one of our huge trees for the cover of their Field guide to the trees of Waters School.
12:30 -111
1:20 - 205, and
2:15 (or so) 211.
Wednesday night is garden night 5 until dark.
Thursday, Sept 24, after drop off, I will be doing a Mighty Acorns parent workshop in the Conference Room. This work shop will explain the important role that parent (as teachers) play in the Mighty Acorns excursions in the wild. This workshop last bout an hour, and I will have some coffee an rolls. Please RSVP so I can plan.
Also on Thursday, at 1:15 8th grade, room 311, will come out to continue our gardening work and bench repair. Room 301 will repeat this activity on Friday, same time. It is great to be in the company of these young souls. Please join us to help supervise.
On Friday, Sept 25, 6th Grade, Room 305, will be our first class to take to the field in ecology, a trip to River Park to do chemical and biological tests of the water quality. It is a walking trip, leaving at 9:30, with a picnic lunch. We should be back by 1:00. Please join us.
On Saturday, September 26, Waters and Riverbank Neighbors will be participating in the National Green Apple Day of Service, at a workday on the Riverbank between Berteau and Montrose. There will be wood chipping of paths, fence building, weed pulling, seed collecting and seed spreading. We will work from 9 until 12 noon.
Then, at least some of us will get cleaned up and prepare for a fun, fundraiser for Riverbank Neighbors at Pensacola and the River. There will be delicious food and drink, lots of live music, and games for kids. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. It runs from 2:00 until 6:00.
Come join the fun, and see how the riverbank is shaping up. We have installed 450 feet of new split rail fencing, a beautiful new, wide set of steps to the canoe launch at Berteau, and many, many thousands of new plants along the bank.
And then! On Sunday, Sept 27, the final culminating day of a week-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Forest Preserve District will feature performances by the Bullfrog Community Choir, and the Cajun Vagabonds dance band, in the forest at Caldwell Woods. There will also be poetry readings, in the woods, and a huge tree hugging event. This link will show you all the events.
The Cajuns and Bullfrogs start at 3:00. Join us!
Mr. Leki
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