Friday, December 11, 2015

Fifty Nifty United States / Flag Raising Performance


Fourth grade will be performing during January's flag raising.  Here are the lyrics to one of the songs the students will sing, so they can start practicing next week and over Winter Break:


FIFTY NIFTY United States

Fifty nifty United Stated from thirteen original colonies
Fifty nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze
Each individual state contributes a quality that is great
Each individual state deserves a bow; Let’s salute them now


Fifty nifty United States from thirteen original colonies
Shout em, scout’em, Tell all about’em
One by one, ‘til we’ve given a day to every state that’s
In the USA,


Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois
Indiana.


Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada



New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York
North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio


Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas


Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
Wisconsin, Wyoming
North, South, East, West….
In our cool, considered, objective, unprejudiced
Opinion, FLORIDA is the best of the


Fifty nifty United State from thirteen original colonies
Fifty nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in
The breeze
Each individual state contributes a quality that is great
Each individual state deserves a bow; Let’s salute them now!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

St Augustine (Fort Menendez) Field Trip





What a perfect day to participate in several reenactments of Florida's history!  We got tattoos, made candles, impressed our docent with our knowledge of Florida's history (thanks, Ms. Kirkham!), and have a new appreciation for indoor plumbing and toilet paper.  A special thanks to the parents who chaperoned for being extra sets of eyes and ears.  If you took any good pictures, please share as I didn't have the chance to!

We participated in three programs:

Florida Natives Program
Students experience the daily life of the Timucua Natives firsthand. Participate in Native American games, jewelry making, corn grinding and gardening, and learn to use a bow drill. Student take-home project is a shell necklace.




Timuqua Native American war paint

Spanish Colonial/Fort Mose Program
Students experience life as a Spanish settler in St. Augustine including learning about Fort Mose, the first free Black Settlement in Colonial America. Students participate in period appropriate activities including candle dipping, colonial games, tabby making, weaving, woodworking and corn grinding. Student take-home project is a hand-dipped candle taper.

A brief historical reenactment of the Spanish and French in Florida


Early Florida Pioneer Program
Attend class in a one-room schoolhouse and experience a day in the life of a child of the 1800s. Students participate in corn shelling and milling, write with a quill pen, draw water from a pitcher pump, play pioneer games, try out their roping skills and garden with a push plow. Student take-home project is a quill pen writing sample on parchment paper. 

Grinding dried corn into corn meal

 The boys' side of the schoolhouse

Water break, anyone?

Recess!