Dear Friends,
I'd hoped to have invited all Mighty Acorns families to come watch the brush piles be burned today at Sauganash.
The piles were huge, even prompting a complaint to the District about unsightliness!
But the forecast was for rain and 50 degrees: not good for burning or working,
and certainly not the winter restoration experience I hoped for my students to see.
So I burned the piles with just two, very experienced associates.
There was no rain!
It was crazy warm, and the fire was very intense.
I had my annual, ritual burn / trimming of my beard and eyebrows!
The ground was muddy,
thawed and vulnerable.
The piles were reduced to ash,
which will blow around Sauganash,
gracing the soils with minerals recycled,
and help create strong new growth in spiring.
What strange warm weather.
But not unheard of.
Listen to this from Marcela,
a 3rd grader on Jan 10, 2014:
Snow is not here this year
Not here that much
Oh! How I miss the snow!
Where did it go?
My backyard is brown
and green with grass
No need for cocoa.
On Monday, February 13, a group of 1st grade actors will start a series of performances of
"The Legend of Snake and Turtle"
for Kinder, 1st, and 8th grade.
It is an attempt to enlist the help of these young ones to
stay on the paths and not cross fence lines
and trample the plants
(in this case, the plants that grow on top of the Snake and Turtle effigy mounds
in the garden around the NE playground.
It is alot of fun,
and I hope to record the accompanying song,
and post it soon for you to hear.
On Tuesday, Feb, 14, Valentine's Day,
Day of love and romance,
and love and friendship,
Room 205, 2nd Grade will visit the
River at Berteau in Winter.
It will in some ways be just like Fall.
But, one never knows.
If you can join us,
meet at 1:00 by the fish tank for the low down.
Back by 3:00 or so for pick-up.
On Wednesday, February 15, Room 201, 3rd grade
will be our last Winter Mighty Acorns trip.
Weather predictions are still unseasonably warm.
But you should see the enthusiasm of these little ones,
for the work of chopping down invasive trees.
Join us at 9:00
by the fish tank. Back by 12;30, or so.
On Thursday, February 16, Room 203, 2nd grade
repeats the Berteau landing river trip.
We meet at 1:00,
back for pick up.
We're all water!
On Friday, February 17, 6th Grade Room 305
explores the Chicago River system
traveling through 5 towns to see how it all hangs together.
Ready to rappel!
Meet at 9:00 to hear the low down.
Back by....2:30 or so.
Many thanks .
On Saturday, there is the
Wild Things Conference
at the UI Forum.
This is a smorgasbord
of workshops and presentations by
experts and brilliant, passionate amateurs
about every imaginable aspect of ecology in the Chicago region.
Treat yourself and attend.
Our choir, the Bullfrogs, will croak a few tunes at lunchtime!
Mr. Leki
I'd hoped to have invited all Mighty Acorns families to come watch the brush piles be burned today at Sauganash.
The piles were huge, even prompting a complaint to the District about unsightliness!
But the forecast was for rain and 50 degrees: not good for burning or working,
and certainly not the winter restoration experience I hoped for my students to see.
So I burned the piles with just two, very experienced associates.
There was no rain!
It was crazy warm, and the fire was very intense.
I had my annual, ritual burn / trimming of my beard and eyebrows!
The ground was muddy,
thawed and vulnerable.
The piles were reduced to ash,
which will blow around Sauganash,
gracing the soils with minerals recycled,
and help create strong new growth in spiring.
What strange warm weather.
But not unheard of.
Listen to this from Marcela,
a 3rd grader on Jan 10, 2014:
Snow is not here this year
Not here that much
Oh! How I miss the snow!
Where did it go?
My backyard is brown
and green with grass
No need for cocoa.
On Monday, February 13, a group of 1st grade actors will start a series of performances of
"The Legend of Snake and Turtle"
for Kinder, 1st, and 8th grade.
It is an attempt to enlist the help of these young ones to
stay on the paths and not cross fence lines
and trample the plants
(in this case, the plants that grow on top of the Snake and Turtle effigy mounds
in the garden around the NE playground.
It is alot of fun,
and I hope to record the accompanying song,
and post it soon for you to hear.
On Tuesday, Feb, 14, Valentine's Day,
Day of love and romance,
and love and friendship,
Room 205, 2nd Grade will visit the
River at Berteau in Winter.
It will in some ways be just like Fall.
But, one never knows.
If you can join us,
meet at 1:00 by the fish tank for the low down.
Back by 3:00 or so for pick-up.
On Wednesday, February 15, Room 201, 3rd grade
will be our last Winter Mighty Acorns trip.
Weather predictions are still unseasonably warm.
But you should see the enthusiasm of these little ones,
for the work of chopping down invasive trees.
Join us at 9:00
by the fish tank. Back by 12;30, or so.
On Thursday, February 16, Room 203, 2nd grade
repeats the Berteau landing river trip.
We meet at 1:00,
back for pick up.
We're all water!
On Friday, February 17, 6th Grade Room 305
explores the Chicago River system
traveling through 5 towns to see how it all hangs together.
Ready to rappel!
Meet at 9:00 to hear the low down.
Back by....2:30 or so.
Many thanks .
On Saturday, there is the
Wild Things Conference
at the UI Forum.
This is a smorgasbord
of workshops and presentations by
experts and brilliant, passionate amateurs
about every imaginable aspect of ecology in the Chicago region.
Treat yourself and attend.
Our choir, the Bullfrogs, will croak a few tunes at lunchtime!
Mr. Leki
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