Engineering is Elementary

We are excited to introduce "Engineering is Elementary" into our science program this year.  Over the next few weeks, I will explain a few of the engineering programs which we will begin implementing this year.  Second grade will explore acoustical engineering in conjunction with their sound unit.  We will begin by reading a story of a young boy from Ghana who is blind.  In this story, he must engineer a way in which he can communicate his drumming patterns to his cousin in another village.  By designing a pattern of string and blocks he is able to “see” the properties of sound and communicate his rhythms.  In class, the students will have the opportunity to engineer a visual representation of a bird song to include pitch, volume, and duration of sound. By using the Engineering Design Process, they will plan, build, and improve their designs. They will then create their own waveforms and spectrograms while listening to various birdcalls.  We hope this engineering program will not only enhance our science curriculum, but will enhance our IB ideals as the students learn about children throughout the world.
Sharon White

Check Out Some Fabulous Items Available at This Year's Auction

Cayman Islands
Vacation in the Cayman Islands on Seven Mile Beach for 1 week in a 3 bedroom condo. Limited to months of January, April, June, August, October, or December. Airline Tickets included in this package.

Glitz and Glamour Included in this package is a $2500 shopping spree at Boozer's Premier Jewelry Store accompanied by a two night stay at the luxurious Five Star Wynn Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Sold Out! Enjoy 4 tickets to see Hannah Montana in concert on Wednesday, November 14, 2007. Your child will love this event!

This Week at St. Paul's

October 16 ~ Windy City Players visit St. Paul's
October 16 ~ 3:45 ~ Football versus St. Louis 4th
October 17 ~ 12:00 ~ School Board Executive Committee meeting
October 18 ~ 6:00 ~ Volleyball versus St. Louis White @ Live Oak Gym

IB in Action

Fifth grade - Fifth grade has been studying government. We began with a case study of our own government where students participated in a simulation of the Constitutional Convention. They took on the role of delegates and had to make decisions that would result in a new government for their country. The class then studied the three branches of government and worked in groups to create visual representations of what each branch does. We have also discussed various aspects of our government including the Electoral College and political parties. Next week we will discuss the various levels of government and duties each level is responsible for. Then we will begin our project on other forms of government. Students will work cooperatively to research another type of government and create a presentation for the class. As part of this IB unit, the students also read biographies of leaders in history and created box reports to tell what they learned.

Second Grade - Second grade began the year with an informative IB Unit entitled “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”  We studied many types of communities beginning with our classroom.  Brainstorming and group discussions helped unify our class community.  Students shared what their class and what their next community, St. Paul’s, meant to them.  Concentric circle maps helped students visualize the number of communities they are involved in, even at this young age.  Realizing they are a part of the global community surprised a number of students.  The class decided on these communities for them: classroom, St. Paul’s, family, extracurricular activities (church, sports teams, special classes, etc.), Waco, Texas, U.S.A., and the world. We read many books on communities, including fiction and nonfiction.  Students illustrated one of their communities and described their role as part of the community.  Responsibilities of community members, such as neighbors living close to each other, were discussed. Students completed an in-class project, constructing a house and describing and illustrating the “do’s and don’ts” of being a good neighbor.

Hot Lunch Menu & Servers

Tuesday ~ Fazoli's Trio Sampler ~ Roxann Samples
Wednesday ~ Pizza Hut Pizza ~ Valerie Robinson
Thursday ~ Hamburger ~ Shelly Negrete
Friday ~ Chick-Fil-A Sandwich ~ Ellen Hack