The Washington Monument

Do you remember what shape the Washington Monument is? We were also told how many steps to the very top. Which monument or memorial was your favorite one on our trip?

Our East Coast Trip

This overview gives you a good idea of what a
great time we had on our trip back east. From
the San Jose Airport to Washington Dulles Airport,
to hopping on our great bus with Odesta behind the
wheel, we all had a great experience.

Inside the Capitol

Here is a clip from our visit inside the Capitol
Building and our walk down to the front of
the building for our group photo and then
onto the bus!

We Are The Penguins!

Live... a week ago from the steps of the
Supreme Court after a tour through the
United States Capitol Building.

Arlington Cemetery

What song did the soldier play on his horn during the ceremony? Do you remember how many steps the guard took and how many seconds he waited between actions?

Magical History Tour

Penguins,
Please post a comment and let us know your favorite spots on our tour. We want to hear what you liked and why! Also, keep checking the website because we will continue to update the photo gallery. We got so many GREAT shots from our trip that it will take a few days to get them all online. Thanks again for a fun week.

Washington DC

I will use this old blog site to upload video clips from our trip.

Our first destination is historic Jamestown!

A tour of Washington DC

Favorite Team Sport

It has been fun learning your favorite team sport! Answer this blog and let's record Room 12's favorite sports.

Last Blog!

Some words from Wordle about Room 12! Have a SUPER SUMMER! Send me one last comment over your vacation and let me know what you are doing! See you in August.

Proper Pet Care

Here is a link to see a short presentation on how to care for your pet! This is a picture of the Scottie dog our family had when I was just a baby. She had some really cute puppies that needed a lot of special care. I hope you enjoy this:  Pet Care Presentation 

PETS!

We are sure having fun with our pet unit. The kids loved meeting Siuee, Patricia's hamster, Dub and Cutie Pie. Each table will have some goldfish starting next week. These are exciting times! I just got this picture of Riley after he spent the day at work with my daughter. Too cute! It was fun to hear your favorite wild animal. What would be your favorite pet and why?

Riley Boy

Click on the link below to see a short music video clip with my granddog Riley! Animoto is a website that allows you to download your pictures and  then add music. They take your choices and turn it into a fun little slideshow. The short 30 second clips are free for anyone!

http://animoto.com/play/791O9gzo51SWEsEu1nVQ

The Frog and the Penguin

The Frog and the Penguin

By Room 12!

It looks like Room 12 likes the Little Blue, Rockhopper, and Emperor penguins the best!

Penguin Slideshow

Have fun trying to identify these penguins!

PENGUINS!

    We are taking a trip to Antarctica (At least we will be pretending to anyway)! Our passports are made and we're making a list of things we should bring. Try going to a few websites and learn more about where they live, what they eat, and what their enemies look like.

    This is a fun unit and we weigh and measure things along the way. We were talking about the stars and the southern hemisphere today. It would be great to go online and get some more information about why penguins see different stars than we do.

Lawrence Hall of Science

We had an exciting assembly this afternoon. We learned all about fire and some tips about fire safety. Please add a comment about something you learned. What three things do you need to produce fire? What are the three things you need to do if you might have your clothes catch on fire? Is water a fuel? Tell me some things you learned and what you liked the best! Why did the last balloon make an explosion and the first two only a slight noise? I am looking forward to hearing your responses in the next week.

Leo Lionni

We have started an author study. Please go to the library and check out a book from the author Leo Lionni. Comment to this blog giving the title of the book, a short summary, and make a connection to yourself, to the text, or to the world.

You can go to http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/books.html

to check out some of his history.

Have fun!

Family Traditions

Every year after Thanksgiving we go up to the Santa Cruz mountains to cut down our tree. This is a ritual the Smithwick family has been doing for over thirty years!

If your family does not yet have a family ritual or tradition I would like to recommend a trip up to San Francisco's new California Academy of Arts and Science. I went today and it was a magnificent way to spend a Monday off. The new building (which is on the previous blog-I hit the wrong button), the exhibits like the rain forest, and the whole day would make a great family tradition.  Have you been there yet? Let me know by adding a comment and tell me about it.