Dear Friends,
I embrace whatever weather Mother throws at us.
So you will hear no complaint from me about potting Mother's Day Marigolds with snow falling and artic breezes tearing through the gardens,
nor,
will you hear me complain at midweek when temperatures rose above boiling,
and the Sun roasted every unsheltered living thing.
I am good with all of that.
Thank you Mothers.
Thank you for your courage and energy,
your exhaustion and despair,
your care, and caring.
Thank you.
Thank you waters community for the surprises staff were gifted everyday this week:
the physical (piles and piles of food devoured and dissappeared)
and the emotional support, messages public and private of love and appreciation.
For my part I ...
... am excited about each dawn, and the prospects for what will happen.
This morning, for example, is Chicago River Day,
and we are organized and ready to do lots of work by the River,
and host a big work crew.
But, the morning arrives rainy and cold.
We wonder who will show up.
We will drink hot coffee, and set up the tent.
Monday, May 14, 7th Grade Room 303, was set take the CTA to Montrose Point
to go fishing! With the help of the IDNR and Friends of the Parks,
many of our students will have their first experience hooking a fish.
We are going after round gobies,
an invasive "accidental" that lives on the bottom and likes to eat native fish eggs.
We are studying the Lake Michigan food web.
When they catch a gobie
we toss them onto the sidewalk where they are eaten by gulls.
Food web in action.
After lunch we go down by the beach and dune,
and in groups, scavenge the land for human and natural detritus,
ribbons with spent balloons,
tiparillo tips,
bones and feather...
The students create a canvas in the flat sand
and arrange the items to make some sort of statement
which they present to their fellows.
They always end up interesting, sometimes stunning:
like the barbie doll leg attached to the ribs of a large fish.
So far we have no volunteers to accompany this group.
We only need one to meet the requirement of a 10:1 student adult ratio.
Please consider joining us on this all day adventure to the wilderness just down the road.
We leave out at 9:00 and return at 3:00.
This outing has been postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.
On Tuesday, May 15, 2nd Grade Room 205 will walk to the Riverbank Neighbors site
on the east bank of the River south of Montrose
to learn about the spring flower community
and to have a look at the humble creatures that inhabit the hidden world of the riverbottom.
We leave at 8:30 and return at 10:30.
On Wednesday, March 16, 4th Grade Room 204 is
off to Sauganash to have a close look at the working parts of our native spring flowers
and pull weeds. Bus leaves at 9:30 and returns at 1:15.
Meet by the fish tank at 9:00 for a briefing.
On Thursday, March 17, 3rd grade, Room 201 goes to Sauganash
to study the Spring Ephemeral plant community,
to seek out invasive weeds for pulling,
and to learn the woodcraft of walking amoungst the plants without stomping on them!
Bus leaves at 9:30 and returns at 1:15.
Meet by the fish tank at 9:00 for a briefing.
On Friday, May 18, 6th Grade, Room 309,
returns to Sauganash,
dons waders and ventures into the riffles to seek out life in the river.
They will also conduct chemical tests
and do stewardship work in the preserve.
Picnic lunch after.
Bus leaves at 9:30 and returns at 1:15.
Meet by the fish tank at 9:00 for a briefing.
Saturday, May 19 is International Migratory Bird Day, at LaBagh Woods.
Our local Bullfrog Community Choir will be singing to the plants and birds at 10:00.
At the same time there is a community work day at Montrose Point at the dune.
And on Sunday we shall rest!
Mr. Leki
I embrace whatever weather Mother throws at us.
So you will hear no complaint from me about potting Mother's Day Marigolds with snow falling and artic breezes tearing through the gardens,
nor,
will you hear me complain at midweek when temperatures rose above boiling,
and the Sun roasted every unsheltered living thing.
I am good with all of that.
Thank you Mothers.
Thank you for your courage and energy,
your exhaustion and despair,
your care, and caring.
Thank you.
Thank you waters community for the surprises staff were gifted everyday this week:
the physical (piles and piles of food devoured and dissappeared)
and the emotional support, messages public and private of love and appreciation.
For my part I ...
... am excited about each dawn, and the prospects for what will happen.
This morning, for example, is Chicago River Day,
and we are organized and ready to do lots of work by the River,
and host a big work crew.
But, the morning arrives rainy and cold.
We wonder who will show up.
We will drink hot coffee, and set up the tent.
Monday, May 14, 7th Grade Room 303, was set take the CTA to Montrose Point
to go fishing! With the help of the IDNR and Friends of the Parks,
many of our students will have their first experience hooking a fish.
We are going after round gobies,
an invasive "accidental" that lives on the bottom and likes to eat native fish eggs.
We are studying the Lake Michigan food web.
When they catch a gobie
we toss them onto the sidewalk where they are eaten by gulls.
Food web in action.
After lunch we go down by the beach and dune,
and in groups, scavenge the land for human and natural detritus,
ribbons with spent balloons,
tiparillo tips,
bones and feather...
The students create a canvas in the flat sand
and arrange the items to make some sort of statement
which they present to their fellows.
They always end up interesting, sometimes stunning:
like the barbie doll leg attached to the ribs of a large fish.
So far we have no volunteers to accompany this group.
We only need one to meet the requirement of a 10:1 student adult ratio.
Please consider joining us on this all day adventure to the wilderness just down the road.
We leave out at 9:00 and return at 3:00.
This outing has been postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.
On Tuesday, May 15, 2nd Grade Room 205 will walk to the Riverbank Neighbors site
on the east bank of the River south of Montrose
to learn about the spring flower community
and to have a look at the humble creatures that inhabit the hidden world of the riverbottom.
We leave at 8:30 and return at 10:30.
On Wednesday, March 16, 4th Grade Room 204 is
off to Sauganash to have a close look at the working parts of our native spring flowers
and pull weeds. Bus leaves at 9:30 and returns at 1:15.
Meet by the fish tank at 9:00 for a briefing.
On Thursday, March 17, 3rd grade, Room 201 goes to Sauganash
to study the Spring Ephemeral plant community,
to seek out invasive weeds for pulling,
and to learn the woodcraft of walking amoungst the plants without stomping on them!
Bus leaves at 9:30 and returns at 1:15.
Meet by the fish tank at 9:00 for a briefing.
On Friday, May 18, 6th Grade, Room 309,
returns to Sauganash,
dons waders and ventures into the riffles to seek out life in the river.
They will also conduct chemical tests
and do stewardship work in the preserve.
Picnic lunch after.
Bus leaves at 9:30 and returns at 1:15.
Meet by the fish tank at 9:00 for a briefing.
Saturday, May 19 is International Migratory Bird Day, at LaBagh Woods.
Our local Bullfrog Community Choir will be singing to the plants and birds at 10:00.
At the same time there is a community work day at Montrose Point at the dune.
And on Sunday we shall rest!
Mr. Leki
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