REACHing toward Spring

We are in the process of finalizing the Sring Semester 2014. We have full year curriculums, for which you need to register each semester, that will continue.  Having attended in fall is not a prerequisite for joining in the spring and new students are welcome. 

We are excited to add Beginning Sewing into the mix. This class will take a maximum of 8 students. The Beginning Sewing and Cooking classes are each half of a semester. Sewing will be the first 8 weeks followed by Cooking. You can take them independently of each other. 

 We will end the year with an all school pot luck party. Students will have projects to display from their classes and can invite grandparents or other special guests to attend.

We will be shortening the window for registration to allow for easier planning so get your registrations in as soon as you can. Returning fall semester students only need to turn in their registration form and payment but do not need to complete another contract. You will be able to register for spring the last week of fall classes. Registration for everyone else will open after that. 

We are hoping to give a brief glimpse into school year 2014-2015 soon. (Did I really just type 2015!?)

Thanksgiving Break

REACH will not meet the week of Thanksgiving, November 26.  

Reading Rewards

Due to the Thanksgiving break the November Reading rewards will be done the last week of the semester, December 3.

Campfire Meetings!

Beginning this week we will have short "campfire meetings" with the kids at the end of lunch period, right before afternoon classes. Our goal is to create a better transition from free time after lunch to the first afternoon classes. Kids will eat and enjoy some free time with friends as they do now. (All play in the back half of the gym away from tables please.) Then a few minutes before classes we will gather together around our "fire".  We may not make smores but we will have a time of sharing and maybe some simple game/activity to help prepare their bodies and minds to resume their studies. It will also help signal to any who don't stay for afternoon classes that its time to quiet down as they prepare to leave so that their friends can go back to class.

We like having the free time available for students after eating to interact with each other out of the classroom and wish to retain that opportunity; however, going from that smack into class is a hard transition. To make this easier and help the first part of class time be more productive, we will start to gather the kids for this group time before dismissing them to class. Thank you!

I will also take this time to remind everyone that while there is a big exodus of people at 1:00, we still have a class going until 1:55. Your cooperation in not allowing your kids to run and play in the gym during this time is appreciated.

School Lunch for Nov 12:

Rene will be bringing meatless lasagna. Please email in lunch counts to the REACH email address.

News From A Couple of Classrooms:

Geography students finished their pinatas! It will be interesting to see who hangs them as decoration and who choose to break them!

We are now visiting Norway and will be making a Lapland Felt Square this week and doing  a Norwegian language game as we study their culture. Students should be working on their geography vocabulary cards as outlined in the parent email.



Science students did a great job on their homework! I love how excited they are when they share what they did. This last class they were treated to a portion of a video by Answeres in Genesis: Buddy Davis' Amazing Adventures, Extrememe Caving. They enjoyed making their own caves which they got to take home.  The clay represents the sandstone and the sugar the limestone. After their clay has dried begin introducing water to the exposed sugar. Do this in increments without totally soaking the clay. As the sugar dissolves it will leave the hollowed out space. Students are welcome to bring their resulting caves back to class to show.

If your kids would like to grow their own stalagmites:

Supplies: 2 cups of hot water, charcoal briquettes, Epsom salts, shallow dish, food coloring optional

In the shallow dish stir one-half cup of epsom salts into the hot water. Add the rest of the Epsom salts and sir the mixture for 5 minutes. Place 3 charcoal briquettes in the dish and add a few drops of food coloring to the briquettes if you wish. Place the dish on a windowsill undisturbed. Within a few days crystals will have "grown" on the briquettes.

School Lunch for Nov 5:

Cheesy potato soup with bread. Please email in lunch counts.