Discovery Academy Joins the Hour of Code – December 5th to the 16th, 2016

hour-of-code

Discovery Academy is joining the largest learning event in history. The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify “code“, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. Over 100 million learners in 180 countries will be coding in schools the first weeks of December! The International Hour of Code 2016 goal is to reach 100,000 events and Discovery will be one of sites. As a part of their weekly Design Lab class, students in Kindergarten-Gr. 5 will be exploring code.org and learning about computer programming with self-guided tutorials. Families and students can also code at home through:

https://code.org/learn

  • Star Wars: Building a Galaxy with CodeMake
  • Minecraft
  • Box Island
  • Lightbot
  • Adventure on the High Seas
  • More turtorials are being developed for the event

CODE ON! Discovery Academy

Upcycling Club

Discovery Academy’s first Upcycling Cub is starting this week for 4th graders. Students who are curious about re-purposing fabric will be meeting to talk about ideas and get started on their own upcycling project. If there are any parents interested in helping we will meet once a week on rotating between Monday, Tuesday or Friday from 12:30 to 1:00.

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up·cy·cle – ˈəpˌsīkəl/ – verb

  • reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original.

Join other 4th graders as we re-purpose fabric to make new items. Bring your ideas to the first meeting and see if this club is something you would enjoy. We will meet once a week on Monday, Tuesday or Friday during recess. Students can pop in if they have a project or just come for inspiration.

Design Lab Provides
Sewing machines
Needles and thread
Measuring Tape
Scissors
Iron
You Bring
Old clothing or fabric
Creative ideas
Open mind
Great attitude
Willingness to learn

First meeting this FRIDAY 12:30 in the Design Lab

Mindfulness and Science

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PreK students practiced mindfulness yesterday as they explored our bioswale (rain garden). The area around Discovery Academy’s flag pole is called a bioswale and it is chock full of beautiful natural plants and helps manage the rain water that flows off our driveway.

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The PreK students sat quietly and focused on the plants they would take as sample specimens.

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They then turned to the other side of the bioswale to get a different perspective.

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The students took their specimens back to their classroom to draw representations.

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Along with science and vocabulary the lesson integrated listening skills, concentration, taking turns, and drawing.

The Science In Pumpkins

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Our preschoolers spent time exploring pumpkins. How they grow, what they weigh, their texture and the surprises inside.

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Last year’s pumpkin was watched through the decomposition phase and was thrown out on the classroom garden. When the summer came the seeds germinated and grew the pumpkins that we are using this year. Isn’t the growing cycle amazing?

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