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We're looking for rare individuals. Teachers with degrees in early childhood or environmental education and a fire in the belly to make a difference. Administrators with a head for business and a heart for helping children reach their full potential. People who are so invested that they'll stay with us for years, growing and developing our educational community. Is that you?
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Kids learn through play, but what about the grown ups? The Grove School is a playground for everyone. Join the fun!
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We had pet goldfish!

Our summer camp class been studying the theme “Under the Sea” and “Water World” for the past couple of weeks.  We each brought a fish bowl to Camp and were given a goldfish of our very own!  We filled our fishbowls with water.  We picked one fish out of the bag and put them into our own fish bowl we brought from home.  We fed our fish goldfish flakes.  We fed him every other day for one week.  We also cleaned out the bowls and gave our fish fresh water.  After one week, we took the fish home to the families that wanted a pet.  The rest of the fish went into the Camp Aquarium.  This was so much fun to watch our fish grow.  It taught us a great deal of responsibility!

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Michaela is joining us for the summer as a substitute teacher. She is currently a student at Oklahoma State University, studying Elementary Education. Michaela has volunteered in early childhood programs in the past and has demonstrated that she is a very flexible and energetic teacher.

We’re happy to have her here!

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Ms. Lindsay is the new teacher joining Ms. Cristen in our EPS classroom. Ms. Lindsay is from Michigan, and she has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She’s been working in the EPS class for a month now, and the children adore her.

Ms. Lindsay is excited to be here. She says, “My philosophy on teaching is I believe that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It is my desire as an educator to help students meet their highest potential in these areas by providing an environment that is safe, allows child’s natural curiosity, and provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth”.

What a great fit for the Grove School!

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In summer camp we have been studying the Arctic.  We have been learning a lot about the cold and ice.

Today, we studied dry ice.

The students could only touch the dry ice with rubber gloves on.  It is so cold that if you touch it with your bare skin, it could burn you!  We were very careful when handling the dry ice.

We started out by sticking a block of dry ice into a plastic tub.  Immediately, it started sublimating, or turning from a solid to a gas.  We poured water on top of the dry ice to make a lot of fog appear.  Next, we poured soap in with the water to create foam and bubbles!

Each student had a turn to put on the rubber gloves and hold the dry ice.  It started fogging a lot!  The students were thrilled at watching the sublimation and they commented on all the things of which it reminded them: ghosts, movies, fog and steam.

All of us had a blast.

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Are you looking for something fun to do with your 2 to 5 yr old? How about attending a Growing and Gardening session with Ms. Miranda? This is a no cost program offered on Wednesday mornings at 9:30.

Ms. Miranda will read stories and participate in gardening and outdoor activities with you and your children.

Please call ahead (972-618-3523) if this is something you would like to attend.

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Are you looking for something to do with your toddler this summer?

Mommy and Me is a class for toddlers ages 1 year to 18 months. This program provides interactive and imaginative experiences to enhance development for your child. Each class will form its own chemistry as the parent and the child share a sense of togetherness with other parents and children.

Classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:30 am.

Please call the school for fees and availability. Bring a friend who signs up and you will both receive a discount on the program. Join us for a unique and special experience with your child!  Registration ends July 1.

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A student holds an owl pellet during their dissection activity.

During the school age student’s Eco-Friend strand, students were posed with the question, “What is an Owl Pellet?” Throughout the Wild Animals unit, students explored characteristics of owls including the following facts they shared prior to our dissection: “Owls sleep during the day and are awake at night because they are nocturnal” and “Owls have big eyes that see very well at night so they can catch food when it is dark outside” and “Owls like to eat mice and rodents.”

Remnants from the dissected pellets.

This previous knowledge spurred on a thoughtful discussion about why owls cannot digest an entire animal causing them to cough up remains of animals leaving us with owl pellets to dissect!

Students dissect their owl pellets.

Students were encouraged to observe drawings and diagrams to identify what may be found in an owl pellet and what items to look out for in the dissection.

Next, prior to the dissection, students were asked to make predictions of what they might find in their owl pellets. Most students wanted to find fur and bones in their owl pellet and some wanted to find animals skulls!

The school age class is so brave to take on such an activity and had a wonderful experience! Students were encouraged to gently dissect their owl pellet to prevent breakage of animal bones and to look very carefully for even the smallest bones! Each student found: fur, bones, teeth, jaws and at least parts of an animal skull! Some students discovered an entire mouse skull!

Students were also encouraged to run water over their findings to remove any excess fur from the bones for better observation.

Students were encouraged to describe and look for detail in their findings. The description conversation that followed included, “The bones were so tiny,” “the fur smells bad” and “the mouse teeth are so long!” Finally, students placed their findings in plastic bags for further observation and discussion.

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Students use their special loupes (magnifying glasses) to find insects in the garden.

During our Eco-Friends class time over the past few weeks, students were posed with the question, “What makes an insect and insect?”  Our students combined their prior knowledge with their immediate observations of similarities and differences to discover the unique characteristics of insects.

Our students were introduced to an insect’s three main body parts through a rendition of the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” entitled, “Head, Thorax, Abdomen.”  After observing toy insects, student participated in sorting a variety of different “bugs” using a Venn diagram on the SmartBoard.  Students were asked to label the bugs by moving them on the screen into a circles labeled “Insect” or “Not an Insect.”

The students drew and labeled the parts of the ant.

After sifting through scorpions, spiders and worms, students became comfortable with identifying insects through these characteristics: 1) Three Body Parts (head, thorax, abdomen),  2) Eyes, Mouth and Antennae, 3) An Exoskeleton.

While observing and describing pictures, drawings and toy insects helped us learn what to look for when we went outside. Students had the most fun going on an insect hunt in the garden.  Our classes identified flies, bumblebees, ants and beetles all living in our garden!

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Well the first harvest of the season is in: RADISHES!  After planting the radishes in our garden, our students waited patiently each day to see the results of their efforts.  Finally, we noticed little red vegetables peeking out above the soil. This meant it was time to harvest, and more importantly, time to eat!

Here are some thoughts about the growing and harvesting of the radishes:

1) The students observed the radishes in the ground during their gardening class;

2) Once they saw the redness peek from the soil, the students picked the radishes that looked most ready;

3) The students washed off the harvested radishes in their classroom sink;

4) The students made observations and asked questions about the radishes.  They discovered that they are root vegetables because we eat the root of the plant.  They also observed that the inside is a different color than the outside.  Most students predicted that they would be red on the inside;

5) The best part was sampling them.  Each student tasted the radishes, but most did NOT enjoy the flavor.  After tasting them, most students said, “They’re too spicy!”

Even though they were not fans of the flavor, the students were most certainly fans of planting, growing and harvesting the radishes.  We are now looking forward to the next harvest from our organic garden.  The challenge is that we are competing with a little bunny rabbit who also likes our garden.

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The Grove School of Plano welcomes Heidi Summers as the new Head of School.

Heidi is new to Texas, having relocated from Richmond, Virginia. Heidi brings with her a wealth of experience working with children and families across the country. She grew up in Washington and has a degree in education and English/Language Arts from Washington State University.

Heidi’s professional background includes managing an early childhood center, directing a learning center, and teaching in both private and public schools.

Please join us in welcoming her to The Grove School family.

The Grove School will be hosting a drop-in meet and greet for Heidi on Tuesday, May 24 from 5-6p.  We hope to see you there!

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