Life has gotten busy. A new puppy, two children in two schools, a job, a house that wants to be cleaned on a regular basis and an ever growing stack of books to be read.
We had our second PTA meeting two weeks ago. I sat down, called the meeting to order and then immediately started to wish for someone to swoop in and take over my duties. It was intimidating to run a meeting and to have 20 people looking at me somewhere on a spectrum of eagerly to indifferently.
The meeting was a success. Short, sweet and productive. We re-alloted some money from one fund into a new line item for our 6th grade camp. We talked about plans for our Fall Festival. Our treasurer taught us how to properly fill out the forms for reimbursement or petty cash. We talked about perhaps celebrating Pi Day on 3.14 with a breakfast for students and their fathers.
It was a great meeting and I am glad it is under my belt.
Our first major activity of the year was on November 1st. It was the Fall Festival and it was terrific! One of the added bonuses of hosting this Halloween themed event the day after Halloween was the sales. We got so much for cheap or free on the day of the festival, it really helped to keep costs down. It also helped families who are busy in the weeks before Halloween to not have conflicts with their schedules. So many families came! Our team leader was new to Fall Festival and did a bang up job on planning and preparing for this celebration. She was nervous but gained confidence.
One of the ways I saw our team leader gain confidence was through conversations that we had. Both the PTA VP and I are Bingley's. (Think Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Bingley is quick to approve of everyone and everything he sees.) VP and I know that in the scheme of things nitpicking and micromanaging are useless in creating a team atmosphere. We approve everything as long as it is inclusive of everyone at the school.
Be a Bingley. Find your one sticking point (ours is inclusiveness) and don't worry about anything else. Purple pumpkins at Fall Festival? GREAT! A child who can't paint the pumpkin because his wheelchair won't fit in the door? Unacceptable!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Fundraising.
Our school does one big fundraiser a year. Always at the start of the school year, we have a walk-a-thon. Students are asked to raise $40 each with the hopes that our school will raise about $10,000 to be used as PTA funding.
Our walk-a-thon was last week and it was terrific! Our students brought in $9720 and local businesses helped us out with donations of water and fruit for the kids to enjoy during the event.
We find that this style of fundraiser works so much better than the traditional selling of "things." No one has to organize orders and get them out to the correct students. There is no begging. Grandma and Grandpa are generally happy to toss a $20 at their precious grandchild for school. Our school really benefits from this fundraiser.
We also do Scrip, Market Day, and store reward cards. Those bring in another $2000 or so each year.
Our walk-a-thon was last week and it was terrific! Our students brought in $9720 and local businesses helped us out with donations of water and fruit for the kids to enjoy during the event.
We find that this style of fundraiser works so much better than the traditional selling of "things." No one has to organize orders and get them out to the correct students. There is no begging. Grandma and Grandpa are generally happy to toss a $20 at their precious grandchild for school. Our school really benefits from this fundraiser.
We also do Scrip, Market Day, and store reward cards. Those bring in another $2000 or so each year.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Type B.
I tell the parents in our PTA that I am "type B" all of the time. Type B meaning that I am not one for details. I live for creativity, flying by the seat of my pants when I need to, and the big picture.
I love to take a step back and to think about how my decisions as PTA president will affect the future of our school. I love to do large scale painting projects in the school building knowing they will be there for years to come.
I do not love spreadsheets, counting anything, or exact details. I want to hear that you got a special glue to make XYZ craft project work but I don't want to know what it was called, where you bought it or how much you paid.
I think that my type B'ness is paying off. There are so many type A's in our PTA. These parents really have it all together. They know how many bottles of water we need, what we did with the leftovers last year and where they are located in the school building. They make sure that everyone has the size and color of shirt they need for our fundraiser day. They keep the PTA machine running.
I have run into just a little push back from some parents who are married to "how we always did it" as an action plan. For instance, we planned our "Fall Festival" for AFTER Halloween this year. Revolutionary! A few were upset with me for changing it up but we want to try it this way this year and see how it goes. Maybe there will be less schedule conflicts. Maybe we will be able to get some good stuff on sale for our festival the day of! I will let you know!
I love to take a step back and to think about how my decisions as PTA president will affect the future of our school. I love to do large scale painting projects in the school building knowing they will be there for years to come.
I do not love spreadsheets, counting anything, or exact details. I want to hear that you got a special glue to make XYZ craft project work but I don't want to know what it was called, where you bought it or how much you paid.
I think that my type B'ness is paying off. There are so many type A's in our PTA. These parents really have it all together. They know how many bottles of water we need, what we did with the leftovers last year and where they are located in the school building. They make sure that everyone has the size and color of shirt they need for our fundraiser day. They keep the PTA machine running.
I have run into just a little push back from some parents who are married to "how we always did it" as an action plan. For instance, we planned our "Fall Festival" for AFTER Halloween this year. Revolutionary! A few were upset with me for changing it up but we want to try it this way this year and see how it goes. Maybe there will be less schedule conflicts. Maybe we will be able to get some good stuff on sale for our festival the day of! I will let you know!
Friday, September 20, 2013
First PTA meeting.
We had our first PTA meeting last night before curriculum night in the gym. We allotted 30 minutes to:
Introduce ourselves
Go over the mission of our PTA
Approve the last meetings budget
Approve the 2013-2014 budget
Announce the next meeting
Receive a donation from the local Jaycee's.
We got it done in 16 minutes. Woot! One of the teachers later commented to me that maybe we will see more attendance at our meetings if people think they will be quick!
I never thought that I would love being PTA president but I do. I love being in the hub of what is going on at the school. I love being able to make a difference. I love talking with other parents about our school. #winning!
Introduce ourselves
Go over the mission of our PTA
Approve the last meetings budget
Approve the 2013-2014 budget
Announce the next meeting
Receive a donation from the local Jaycee's.
We got it done in 16 minutes. Woot! One of the teachers later commented to me that maybe we will see more attendance at our meetings if people think they will be quick!
I never thought that I would love being PTA president but I do. I love being in the hub of what is going on at the school. I love being able to make a difference. I love talking with other parents about our school. #winning!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Open House/First day of School.
Last Tuesday was the first day of school for Kat. It was my mission as PTA president to ensure that the day went smoothly and that the children and their families felt welcomed. We started the morning by hanging out a banner that read, "Welcome to {the school I am PTA president of.}" As students began to congregate outside of the front door of the school many parents took pictures in front of our banner. It was very cute! We bought the banner using a Groupon deal for VistaPrint. Only $10 for a large vinyl banner. Good deal and we can use it again and again.
After the first bell rang we welcomed parents into the gym for coffee and doughnuts. We had about 40 people come and mingle, it was nice! We spent about $70 on the refreshments.
Once everyone cleared out, the PTA executive board and I got to work on the Open House. We had it planned that the PTA would have tables set up in the gym for different activities that go on throughout the school year. There were booths for:
PTA membership
Spiritwear
PTA reflections
Green Club
The local public library
Box Tops for Education
Scrip
Girl Scouts
Enrichment (our lunchtime clubs that are run by parent volunteers.)
Science Fair
We also had a sign up wall where parents could add their names to lists of activities they might like to volunteer for.
We created a scavenger hunt and placed signs around the school with sheets of stickers attached. Once students found the locations listed on their scavenger hunt cards, they were able to add a sticker. Once their cards were full they went to the front door and were given a prize. We had leftover pencils, highlighters and school buttons to choose from. It was a really popular activity and mostly free! I bought sheets of stickers from the Dollar Store and made copies on the school copier. It was less than $10 for the whole school to participate.
We ran our Open House for 90 minutes and it was the perfect length. Just long enough to feel like an event but short enough to not overwhelm. The PTA was able to present the information we needed to share and teachers were able to meet families. No one much liked having it on the first day of school logistically but it was nice to do it right away and have it DONE by the second day of school.
After the first bell rang we welcomed parents into the gym for coffee and doughnuts. We had about 40 people come and mingle, it was nice! We spent about $70 on the refreshments.
Once everyone cleared out, the PTA executive board and I got to work on the Open House. We had it planned that the PTA would have tables set up in the gym for different activities that go on throughout the school year. There were booths for:
PTA membership
Spiritwear
PTA reflections
Green Club
The local public library
Box Tops for Education
Scrip
Girl Scouts
Enrichment (our lunchtime clubs that are run by parent volunteers.)
Science Fair
We also had a sign up wall where parents could add their names to lists of activities they might like to volunteer for.
We created a scavenger hunt and placed signs around the school with sheets of stickers attached. Once students found the locations listed on their scavenger hunt cards, they were able to add a sticker. Once their cards were full they went to the front door and were given a prize. We had leftover pencils, highlighters and school buttons to choose from. It was a really popular activity and mostly free! I bought sheets of stickers from the Dollar Store and made copies on the school copier. It was less than $10 for the whole school to participate.
We ran our Open House for 90 minutes and it was the perfect length. Just long enough to feel like an event but short enough to not overwhelm. The PTA was able to present the information we needed to share and teachers were able to meet families. No one much liked having it on the first day of school logistically but it was nice to do it right away and have it DONE by the second day of school.
Learning to accept what I cannot change.
I feel like I am caught up in a funny test of some sort. The universe is "just checking" to see how tolerant I really am.
Back before I had children I would look at stories of LGBT people and internally shame their families for not accepting them. I would say, "Of course we will continue to love our child if s/he is gay."
Well, the universe threw us a curveball and gave us an atheist. I have been running through the gamut of emotion on this one. What have I done wrong? How did I fail my child? How can I "fix" this?
I have tolerance for and acceptance for people who are gay. I've basically ignored atheism but when it comes down to it. I want to change atheists into a believer of any kind. Jesus, Mohammed, the universe, nature, pick a deity and we're good. This not believing in anything thing kind of freaks me out.
I am learning acceptance and it isn't super comfortable. I want my child to believe what they believe because it is important to them and it feels right. Not because I drill it into them.
(These are my preliminary thoughts on this topic. I will add more as time goes by.)
Back before I had children I would look at stories of LGBT people and internally shame their families for not accepting them. I would say, "Of course we will continue to love our child if s/he is gay."
Well, the universe threw us a curveball and gave us an atheist. I have been running through the gamut of emotion on this one. What have I done wrong? How did I fail my child? How can I "fix" this?
I have tolerance for and acceptance for people who are gay. I've basically ignored atheism but when it comes down to it. I want to change atheists into a believer of any kind. Jesus, Mohammed, the universe, nature, pick a deity and we're good. This not believing in anything thing kind of freaks me out.
I am learning acceptance and it isn't super comfortable. I want my child to believe what they believe because it is important to them and it feels right. Not because I drill it into them.
(These are my preliminary thoughts on this topic. I will add more as time goes by.)
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Cleaning the PTA room.
I was asked to clean up the PTA storage that is taking over the teacher workroom. I tackled it with help from my trusty first vice president in about 45 minutes last week.
We went through all of the posters and large items that were stacked on countertops and THREW IT ALL AWAY! Folks had saved posters from events long gone with dates on them. Posters made with photos of children that are now in high school. Wrinkled things, ugly things. We recycled it all.
After getting rid of the garbage we found that we had a ton of supplies in there. So many decorations for our 2 big family events that can be reused. It is budget friendly to be organized!
Now that the garbage is gone we intend to have a parent who enjoys organizing to come in and label and store items for us neatly.
Keeping our PTA items neat and put away is a way for us to show respect for the staff at our school. They need room to work!
We went through all of the posters and large items that were stacked on countertops and THREW IT ALL AWAY! Folks had saved posters from events long gone with dates on them. Posters made with photos of children that are now in high school. Wrinkled things, ugly things. We recycled it all.
After getting rid of the garbage we found that we had a ton of supplies in there. So many decorations for our 2 big family events that can be reused. It is budget friendly to be organized!
Now that the garbage is gone we intend to have a parent who enjoys organizing to come in and label and store items for us neatly.
Keeping our PTA items neat and put away is a way for us to show respect for the staff at our school. They need room to work!
Budgeting meeting.
Our PTA budgeting meeting was last Thursday. It was a great meeting! Our executive board met in the teachers lounge at the school and looked at how much money we have, how much we plan to spend and how we can better allocate our funds for next school year.
The most exciting thing that came out of the meeting is a new scholarship for a graduating senior who attended our elementary school for at least 3 years. We will award $500 to the student who writes the favorite essay as judged by our committee of three people. Such a wonderful legacy for our PTA to leave!
After all of the numbers were added up, we adjourned the meeting. It took about 2 hours. Once the meeting was over our treasurer took everything we planned and put it into a spreadsheet. We will present this to the PTA meeting in September for approval.
The most exciting thing that came out of the meeting is a new scholarship for a graduating senior who attended our elementary school for at least 3 years. We will award $500 to the student who writes the favorite essay as judged by our committee of three people. Such a wonderful legacy for our PTA to leave!
After all of the numbers were added up, we adjourned the meeting. It took about 2 hours. Once the meeting was over our treasurer took everything we planned and put it into a spreadsheet. We will present this to the PTA meeting in September for approval.
Mission accomplished!
The library at our elementary school was fairly dreary when Kat started first grade. White walls with dark grey accents, white blinds that were mostly broken. Gray carpet with burgundy office chairs. Lots and lots of books in blonde wood bookshelves. Drab.
Sitting through several PTA meetings the year before last I dreamed up the idea of painting blue sky and clouds on the 65 foot long wall in the back of the library. We gathered a team of parents and got the job done.
The students and teachers loved the update, it brought both beauty and science to the room. The clouds were accurate renditions of the 6 types of clouds and were labeled by one of our parents. Lovely!
This year I decided that I wanted to paint the portal hallway into the library. It is about 20 feet long and 10 feet wide at its narrowest spot. First we taped sections off for each color of the rainbow. With gifted children you had better make sure that you do Roy G Biv and you do it right! You will never hear the end of it if you mess it up!
After taping we painted every other stripe. Red, Yellow, blue, and violet. Once they dried we went back and painted in the orange, green and indigo stripes.
Very inviting! The entire project cost us about $300 and we used 5 volunteers.
Sitting through several PTA meetings the year before last I dreamed up the idea of painting blue sky and clouds on the 65 foot long wall in the back of the library. We gathered a team of parents and got the job done.
The students and teachers loved the update, it brought both beauty and science to the room. The clouds were accurate renditions of the 6 types of clouds and were labeled by one of our parents. Lovely!
This year I decided that I wanted to paint the portal hallway into the library. It is about 20 feet long and 10 feet wide at its narrowest spot. First we taped sections off for each color of the rainbow. With gifted children you had better make sure that you do Roy G Biv and you do it right! You will never hear the end of it if you mess it up!
After taping we painted every other stripe. Red, Yellow, blue, and violet. Once they dried we went back and painted in the orange, green and indigo stripes.
Very inviting! The entire project cost us about $300 and we used 5 volunteers.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Since last Tuesday I have painted more of the library, we now have a yellow stripe and a blue stripe. Just 5 more to go! Unfortunately, I re-injured my arm painting today and am benched from painting. Hopefully, the volunteers I enlisted today will come through and we will start the school year with freshly painted walls that are complete!
We also had another new student play date this morning. Over 20 children came with many complaining that they did not hear about the play dates easily. We have to rethink our method of contacting new families for next year. As I don't have their names or addresses, this makes it difficult!
I also had a meeting with the principal of our school, the secretary, the PTA VP2, and one of the teachers. We went over our calendars for the year and double checked dates. We added an event of Mathlete Day. Our school serves two populations and everything the PTA needs to be inclusive of both the exceptionally gifted children and the children with moderate cognitive impairments. Because of this, our school has never had a field day. Many families are disappointed by this but I think that we found a way to host a field day for everyone. Mathelete Day will combine math with sports activities and physics. We will customize a roster for each class with activities appropriate for everybody's capabilities.
I was also asked to clean up the workroom in the school. ACK! Eight years of leftovers from eight years worth of activities. I need to sort, organize, store and toss many, many items.
Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend PTA training put on by our state PTA council. It went from 8 am to 4:30 pm. It lasted about 3 hours too long if you ask me. Very interesting topics were covered but maybe in too drawn out a fashion. They spoke about membership for 2 hours. How we can get more members. You could practically see the dollar signs in their eyes. More members = more money! ACK! That was so not for me!
One more meeting this week. On Thursday I meet with the PTA board and we will run through our budget for next year. We plan to add a line item for a new scholarship and a line item to pay the office back for the office supplies we use throughout the year. During the first PTA meeting we will vote to approve or amend the budget.
We also had another new student play date this morning. Over 20 children came with many complaining that they did not hear about the play dates easily. We have to rethink our method of contacting new families for next year. As I don't have their names or addresses, this makes it difficult!
I also had a meeting with the principal of our school, the secretary, the PTA VP2, and one of the teachers. We went over our calendars for the year and double checked dates. We added an event of Mathlete Day. Our school serves two populations and everything the PTA needs to be inclusive of both the exceptionally gifted children and the children with moderate cognitive impairments. Because of this, our school has never had a field day. Many families are disappointed by this but I think that we found a way to host a field day for everyone. Mathelete Day will combine math with sports activities and physics. We will customize a roster for each class with activities appropriate for everybody's capabilities.
I was also asked to clean up the workroom in the school. ACK! Eight years of leftovers from eight years worth of activities. I need to sort, organize, store and toss many, many items.
Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend PTA training put on by our state PTA council. It went from 8 am to 4:30 pm. It lasted about 3 hours too long if you ask me. Very interesting topics were covered but maybe in too drawn out a fashion. They spoke about membership for 2 hours. How we can get more members. You could practically see the dollar signs in their eyes. More members = more money! ACK! That was so not for me!
One more meeting this week. On Thursday I meet with the PTA board and we will run through our budget for next year. We plan to add a line item for a new scholarship and a line item to pay the office back for the office supplies we use throughout the year. During the first PTA meeting we will vote to approve or amend the budget.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Behind the scenes.
I've done a bit more PTA work this week. Yesterday, I printed out 20 fundraiser letters for our Walkathon, bought 20 Red Delicious apples and my daughter and I went around to local businesses to ask for their support. Kat did most of the talking and I supported her as needed. She explained who she was, where she was from, what she wanted and how each business could help. Kat was able to get one $250 check and two promises from the 6 places we stopped.
This was such a victory over last year. Last year we were only able to obtain 1 sponsor for our Walkathon. I think this is because I emailed businesses last year and this year had my sweet little girl hand over an apple and a smile to each representative. It is really hard to tell an 8 year old that you won't support her school!
Tomorrow we will drive to a few more businesses and ask for their support.
I also swung into the district printing office and asked them to make us 250 envelopes for our PTA membership drive. The past president printed the envelopes on her own and paid for all of the costs, that is not my cup of tea so I opted to have it done for us for $30. I prefer to use my time and money in other ways such as painting the school library...
Today, I woke early and threw on work clothes. I hit the school where I taped lines on the wall of the library. Our school library has a short hall that leads from the main hallway of the school into the main reading room of the library. The hall is low ceiling-ed and ugly. We decided to paint it as a rainbow, up the walls and across the ceiling for each color of the rainbow. I had to get the tape straight so that the paint lines would look nice. Now that the tape is up I am ready to paint and will start that job later this week.
After taping, I grabbed 600 feet of hose and watered our new trees. We have about 10 trees with Gator Bags to hold water and they need to be refilled once a week. This was my first stint with the hose, it was messy but it was a pleasant morning so I was happy to be outside!
I got home about noon, cleaned house for an hour and ran to work.
This was such a victory over last year. Last year we were only able to obtain 1 sponsor for our Walkathon. I think this is because I emailed businesses last year and this year had my sweet little girl hand over an apple and a smile to each representative. It is really hard to tell an 8 year old that you won't support her school!
Tomorrow we will drive to a few more businesses and ask for their support.
I also swung into the district printing office and asked them to make us 250 envelopes for our PTA membership drive. The past president printed the envelopes on her own and paid for all of the costs, that is not my cup of tea so I opted to have it done for us for $30. I prefer to use my time and money in other ways such as painting the school library...
Today, I woke early and threw on work clothes. I hit the school where I taped lines on the wall of the library. Our school library has a short hall that leads from the main hallway of the school into the main reading room of the library. The hall is low ceiling-ed and ugly. We decided to paint it as a rainbow, up the walls and across the ceiling for each color of the rainbow. I had to get the tape straight so that the paint lines would look nice. Now that the tape is up I am ready to paint and will start that job later this week.
After taping, I grabbed 600 feet of hose and watered our new trees. We have about 10 trees with Gator Bags to hold water and they need to be refilled once a week. This was my first stint with the hose, it was messy but it was a pleasant morning so I was happy to be outside!
I got home about noon, cleaned house for an hour and ran to work.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Summertime play dates.
Our school is a special place. We have two distinct programs that work together to create one, big happy school. Our ACT 18 program serves children in K-6th grade with moderate cognitive impairments and/or autism and our TAG program serves children who are gifted learners.
No one at our school is there by chance, and the kids are bussed in from all over the county. Because of this unique set up our school hosts play dates in the summer for students to come and make friends before the first day of school.
I've mentioned before that Kat is in the TAG program. This will be her 3rd year and her classes have been almost entirely new children each year. There is a lot of turn over and a lot of new students that come in each year. Hosting these play dates is an important service our school provides to families.
We had our first play date this week and had 5 returning students and 16 new students attend with their families. The students spent time playing while the adults chatted. Students were able to exchange numbers with others and to make connections with other families. Friends were made.
These play dates are free to the PTA. The only cost incurred is printing up tags for the students to write their name and number on to share with new friends they meet. We made a stack last year and still have enough for the other two play dates to be held this summer.
We invite families to come to our school playground, for parents to bring lawn chairs and a picnic and for students to come ready to play. Play dates last about 2 hours and we host 3 each summer before school begins. One person is needed to coordinate the play dates. They decide the place and time and advertise using our school website, Facebook page, and email. On the day of the play date they bring pens, the tags I spoke about, and a willingness to mingle.
Sample Tags:
We just printed these up on regular paper about 8 to a page and cut them into small rectangles. We keep them where kids can get to them to exchange numbers. It is a very little thing and it makes the kids so very happy!
No one at our school is there by chance, and the kids are bussed in from all over the county. Because of this unique set up our school hosts play dates in the summer for students to come and make friends before the first day of school.
I've mentioned before that Kat is in the TAG program. This will be her 3rd year and her classes have been almost entirely new children each year. There is a lot of turn over and a lot of new students that come in each year. Hosting these play dates is an important service our school provides to families.
We had our first play date this week and had 5 returning students and 16 new students attend with their families. The students spent time playing while the adults chatted. Students were able to exchange numbers with others and to make connections with other families. Friends were made.
These play dates are free to the PTA. The only cost incurred is printing up tags for the students to write their name and number on to share with new friends they meet. We made a stack last year and still have enough for the other two play dates to be held this summer.
We invite families to come to our school playground, for parents to bring lawn chairs and a picnic and for students to come ready to play. Play dates last about 2 hours and we host 3 each summer before school begins. One person is needed to coordinate the play dates. They decide the place and time and advertise using our school website, Facebook page, and email. On the day of the play date they bring pens, the tags I spoke about, and a willingness to mingle.
Sample Tags:
NAME OF SCHOOLNamePhoneLet's be friends!
We just printed these up on regular paper about 8 to a page and cut them into small rectangles. We keep them where kids can get to them to exchange numbers. It is a very little thing and it makes the kids so very happy!
Just to be clear...
I have never been president of ANYTHING! I have no idea what I am doing as PTA president and feel like I must be dropping balls left and right. Invisible balls that I have no idea where or what they are.
Hopefully, I don't mess it up too badly!
Hopefully, I don't mess it up too badly!
Starting out as president.
It was at the June meeting of the PTA that I was elected as PTA president. July 1 was the first official day of my presidency. Since then I have had several meetings, over 100 emails sent and received and kept up with our schools online presence.
The first meeting I had as PTA president was with the principal of our school, the secretary, and the VP of PTA to discuss the calendar for next year. We hammered out dates for each of our big events including Halloween, Open House, all PTA meetings, Science Fair, field trips, and staff appreciation. Once all of these dates were agreed upon we high tailed it to the school webmaster to get the dates put on our website.
The second meeting, held 3 weeks later, was with our PTA executive board. They came over to my house, we tossed our kids in the pool and sat poolside with iced tea to discus our goals for the upcoming year, to select which committees we would mentor, to tie up loose ends from the year before, and to get to know each other. It was a great meeting!
We decided in this meeting that our PTA would start a scholarship fund for graduating seniors who had gone to our elementary for at least 3 years. We also decided that each member of our executive board would serve as mentor for up to 6 committee chairs, or as we decided to call them, team leaders. This will reduce the amount of different people asking PTA related questions in the school office. The team leaders will have the name, number and email for an executive board member and when they are stumped or need information (where can we meet? how much juice did we have to buy last year?) they can turn to one of us for answers. Even if we don't have the answers right away, we are a resource for them so they don't feel abandoned and without information.
The concept of using "Team Leaders" is a new one. We were hoping that being a leader would be less intimidating than being a committee chair, we were also hoping that by placing the names of executive board team members at the top of each sign up it would relax people more to volunteer. Our school has a lot of type A parents who want to know that they can do things perfectly. We don't need perfect, we just need help!
A typical sign up is going to look like this:
Sock Hop
February 14
6-8pm
The sock hop team will provide a dj, snacks including popcorn, juice, and cookies, two quiet games to be held in room 12. Budget of $500.
Mentor:
Suzy of Suburban Rebellion
Team Leader:
1.
Teammates:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The rest of the meeting was discussing old business, like who is going to send in our forms to State? and how do you like to be contacted?
The first meeting I had as PTA president was with the principal of our school, the secretary, and the VP of PTA to discuss the calendar for next year. We hammered out dates for each of our big events including Halloween, Open House, all PTA meetings, Science Fair, field trips, and staff appreciation. Once all of these dates were agreed upon we high tailed it to the school webmaster to get the dates put on our website.
The second meeting, held 3 weeks later, was with our PTA executive board. They came over to my house, we tossed our kids in the pool and sat poolside with iced tea to discus our goals for the upcoming year, to select which committees we would mentor, to tie up loose ends from the year before, and to get to know each other. It was a great meeting!
We decided in this meeting that our PTA would start a scholarship fund for graduating seniors who had gone to our elementary for at least 3 years. We also decided that each member of our executive board would serve as mentor for up to 6 committee chairs, or as we decided to call them, team leaders. This will reduce the amount of different people asking PTA related questions in the school office. The team leaders will have the name, number and email for an executive board member and when they are stumped or need information (where can we meet? how much juice did we have to buy last year?) they can turn to one of us for answers. Even if we don't have the answers right away, we are a resource for them so they don't feel abandoned and without information.
The concept of using "Team Leaders" is a new one. We were hoping that being a leader would be less intimidating than being a committee chair, we were also hoping that by placing the names of executive board team members at the top of each sign up it would relax people more to volunteer. Our school has a lot of type A parents who want to know that they can do things perfectly. We don't need perfect, we just need help!
A typical sign up is going to look like this:
Sock Hop
February 14
6-8pm
The sock hop team will provide a dj, snacks including popcorn, juice, and cookies, two quiet games to be held in room 12. Budget of $500.
Mentor:
Suzy of Suburban Rebellion
Team Leader:
1.
Teammates:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The rest of the meeting was discussing old business, like who is going to send in our forms to State? and how do you like to be contacted?
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Madame President.
I love being involved in my children's schools. I like being in the buildings, I like talking to the teachers, I like seeing my children when they don't know I am there and watching their faces light up. I spend hours each week working at both of my children's schools. Each day, Kat is bussed to Drew's school and is there 1/2 hour before Drew's bell rings. Kat and I spent those 30 minutes making ourselves useful to Drew's teacher or anyone else who needed the help. It was a great way to model citizenship for Kat and a great way to get involved in my son's education.
The teachers at Drew's school all started to know me. When we went in to ask for accommodations for Drew for next year, we were met with smiles.
Being at the schools so much made me quite a target for "favors." Lots of people wanted a piece of my time and I was happy to give it or to say, "Not this time." One of the places where I found I was being asked to help a lot was in the PTA.
The PTA at Kat's school is intense. There is a dedicated core group of parents who come to the meetings and run most of the programs. Most of these parents are type A. They get things done, they pay attention to detail, they ask questions, they are serious about PTA. The first year Kat was at this school, I struggled to fit in. I went to every meeting, I volunteered, I offered suggestions, I was cheerful, positive, and proactive. I was disliked. My ideas were called "horrible," I rarely got taken up on my offers of help. I hung in there. I kept offering ideas. I kept volunteering. I kept trying.
It paid off. The second year at Kat's school was much easier. I was trusted, I was utilized. I helped with the Walkathon fundraiser, with science fair, with teacher appreciation. I organized a painting party where parents came in and painted a mural that was 15x65 ft in the library depicting 6 different types of clouds. Yet, there was still a couple of PTA members who did not care for me at all. I heard from other parents that they did not want to go to the PTA meetings because of the "mean girls" and I actually ended up approaching the principal of the school about it.
The principal asked me to run for PTA president. NO WAY! NA-UH! NOT HAPPENING!
A month later, my mind was made up. I was going to be the change that I wanted to see in our local PTA. I was going to be a harbinger of respect, kindness, and inclusivity in our PTA. I know that I am going to make mistakes along the way and that I won't be able to please everyone but I am hoping that the other parents who feel badly about not participating in the PTA will feel comfortable joining us and will feel like they have a place at our school.
I plan to share my experiences over the next year. During this time I will also be working part-time, leading a troop of 12 Brownies, acting as VP of the PTA at Drew's school, and trying to keep my house running.
Wish me luck.
The teachers at Drew's school all started to know me. When we went in to ask for accommodations for Drew for next year, we were met with smiles.
Being at the schools so much made me quite a target for "favors." Lots of people wanted a piece of my time and I was happy to give it or to say, "Not this time." One of the places where I found I was being asked to help a lot was in the PTA.
The PTA at Kat's school is intense. There is a dedicated core group of parents who come to the meetings and run most of the programs. Most of these parents are type A. They get things done, they pay attention to detail, they ask questions, they are serious about PTA. The first year Kat was at this school, I struggled to fit in. I went to every meeting, I volunteered, I offered suggestions, I was cheerful, positive, and proactive. I was disliked. My ideas were called "horrible," I rarely got taken up on my offers of help. I hung in there. I kept offering ideas. I kept volunteering. I kept trying.
It paid off. The second year at Kat's school was much easier. I was trusted, I was utilized. I helped with the Walkathon fundraiser, with science fair, with teacher appreciation. I organized a painting party where parents came in and painted a mural that was 15x65 ft in the library depicting 6 different types of clouds. Yet, there was still a couple of PTA members who did not care for me at all. I heard from other parents that they did not want to go to the PTA meetings because of the "mean girls" and I actually ended up approaching the principal of the school about it.
The principal asked me to run for PTA president. NO WAY! NA-UH! NOT HAPPENING!
A month later, my mind was made up. I was going to be the change that I wanted to see in our local PTA. I was going to be a harbinger of respect, kindness, and inclusivity in our PTA. I know that I am going to make mistakes along the way and that I won't be able to please everyone but I am hoping that the other parents who feel badly about not participating in the PTA will feel comfortable joining us and will feel like they have a place at our school.
I plan to share my experiences over the next year. During this time I will also be working part-time, leading a troop of 12 Brownies, acting as VP of the PTA at Drew's school, and trying to keep my house running.
Wish me luck.
Friday, February 22, 2013
How to Host an Elementary Science Fair.
How to host an elementary science fair
Hosting an elementary school science fair is a lot easier than it looks! A little imagination, a lot of encouragement and a crew of 5-7 helpers is all you need! This year our school hosted a science fair with 62 projects for under $150.
Timeline:
Start of school year. Meet with your committee and choose a date
for the Science Fair. February is a good
time of year at our school, gives the kids something to do inside while the weather is cold. Plan for a science themed
assembly three months before the fair to kick of science fair and to get kids
excited. Science assembly can be done in
house by parents who show kids experiments, talk about the scientific method
and how to do a project or by a professional assembly group with a mention of
science fair. Decide on theme for fair.
Three months before
science fair. Email home packet with
project information, rules, and commitment form. Have science assembly.
Two months before
science fair, speak with art teacher about having students make posters to
advertise science fair. Resend packet
via email and in paper form.
Three weeks before
science fair. Have students turn in
commitment forms. Tally how much table
space will be needed, how many ribbons to order, how many refreshments to
provide (each student usually brings an average of 4 guests.), and organize
parents to donate refreshments. Call
local paper to let them know about science fair so they can send a
reporter. Ask Busch’s grocery store for
donations of water. We used 75 bottles
in 2013. 6 dozen cookies all gone in 60
minutes, 12 dozen cookies would be better.
Molecules were popular, we had 5 dozen and they were all eaten in 80
minutes. We used 3 2-litres of Sprite
and 2 jugs of juice. Double that would
be better. We had 15 lbs of apples. They all disappeared, 30 lbs or 50-60 apples
for next year.
Week before science
fair. Buy decorations.
Day before science
fair. Accept science projects. Ask kids to label every single part they
bring in or to put them in a labeled bag.
Store science projects behind the chairs in the lobby in grade
groupings.
Day of science fair. Get crew of 5-7 people to decorate lobby, set
up projects, set up hands on, and prepare snack tables. Set out lunch benches so people have a place
to sit. 60 projects used 6 two-sided
lunch tables in 3 perpendicular lines in 2013.
One side of the gym for projects and the other for hands on
science. Hands on science is really
popular. Have at least 3 tables of hands
on available. One parent brought in everything to make slime in 2013,
super popular! Have other parent
stations if possible with the kids doing more complicated take home things like
this. Toothpick/marshmallow structures
were popular, paper airplanes weren’t.
Hands on Science
Activities:
Sink or float.
Paper airplanes.
Toothpick/marshmallow structures.
Gak.
Slime. (Different from Gak!)
Tornado tubes. School
has two.
Prisms.
Balloon static electricity.
Rub balloon on head and stick on wall.
Music videos: They Might Be Giants- Here Comes Science.
Ideas for next
year:
Set up a photo booth.
White paper background with *School* Science Fair printed out at the
top. Lab coats, beakers, other science
equipment to take fun pictures with.
Set out more places to sit.
Make science fair 1.5 hours instead of 2. Everyone went home around 7:30.
Snacks:
6 dozen cookies cut into stars, circles or gingerbread
people.4 jars of white frosting. 2 jars of sprinkles. Let kids decorate science themed cookies.
6 dozen Trix Treats.
One large box makes 60 ish treats.
Follow recipe for Rice Krispies Treats and substitute Trix cereal for Rice
Krispies. These are our Magnificent Molecules
6 2-litres of Sprite and 6 bottles of juice to make punch. Mad Scientist Punch. Add Dry Ice and hot water to a bowl in the center of punch bowl for a cool, smoking effect.
3 cases of Bottled water.
Small bottles would be best.
50 apples.
Decorations:
17 (Dollar Store) plastic tablecloths.
2 for snack tables. 6 for hands
on science tables. 9 for hanging from the
ceiling as banners.
Stars from Dollar Store to hang from ceiling.
Latex exam gloves to blow up as balloons.
2 printed banners from MS Publisher and school printer. “Welcome Scientists” and “*school* Science
Fair 201X” mounted on roll paper.
Posters to advertise made by art classes. (Graphic design and science go hand in hand!)
Hands on Science
Table Supplies:
On Hand:
2 Twister tubes to put on pop bottles to make tornadoes.
2 tubs for sink or float game.
1 electricity tube.
Put your hands on either end to complete circuit and make lights glow. Steve Spangler Science Brand.
Paper for paper airplanes.
Make runway with 12 inch marks to measure how far planes went.
To buy each year:
2 boxes of toothpicks and soft candies to make
structures. 1000 toothpicks was enough,
8 medium bags of candy ran out.
Clay for sink or float game.
Supplies for Gak.
Elmers Glue, borax.
2013 Elementary Science Fair
February 21,
2013
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Sponsored by Our Elementary PTA
The
Science Fair is coming! All students are invited to create a project
for the Fair. This page has a summary of the dates and times for the Fair and
related events. More information can be found on the following pages.
Science
assembly for all students Thursday,
January 31
Entry
forms sent home Thursday, January 31
Entry
form deadline Friday, February 8
Bring
project to school Wednesday, February
20th
Classroom
viewing Thursday, February 21,
during the school day
Science
Fair family viewing Thursday, February
21, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Take
home project February 21, at the end
of the Fair
Questions? Contact Committe member name and number.
Dear Parents,
In this day and age, we all know how important science,
engineering, technology and math are to our students. What better way to foster a lifelong
enjoyment of science than by participating in the *school* Elementary Science
Fair.
You can be a real help and truly enjoy working on a Science
Fair project with your child. Don't worry if you haven't created a project
before – anyone can do it! First, become familiar with the guidelines for the
fair. Tape the fact sheet from your packet on your refrigerator for easy
reference. Next, allow plenty of time to do the project, at least 4 weeks. Try
to set aside time every few days or so for work sessions. Make them short,
about 20 minutes, to allow for slow, but steady, progress. This will
accommodate a child’s attention span and ensure that each session is pleasant.
Try not to get possessive about the project. Let it end up
looking like exactly what it is: the work of a youngster learning about
something that interests him or her. You will both feel considerable satisfaction
when the project is complete. Your child may be asked to explain the project.
It is wise to practice this so your child will feel more comfortable. Simply
encourage your child to go through the project as if explaining it to someone
who knows nothing about it. He or she might begin by telling how he or she
became interested in doing this project, and then simply talk their way through
the project step by step.
We hope this information will assist you in the role of
guide. Have Fun!
Science Fair Safety
Rules
In order for the Fair to be an enjoyable experience for all
persons involved, there are a few safety guidelines that must be followed.
· They must incorporate the Scientific Method.
· Please do not use glass in the student's display. Glass
will not be allowed.
· Please do not use liquids in the display. If liquids are
needed before the judges, have the child
bring it in a separate container, so it may be used, and
then put back in the container. Our space is
crowded, and spills are hazardous.
· If your child's project is bigger than the space in front
of the display board, please take pictures of it
and put those on the board. Do not bring a large project—we
simply don't have the room for it. We
encourage your child to be creative, but to keep the space
limitations in mind when building the
display.
Please return this form if your child is interested in
participating in Science Fair 2013
Child’s
Name________________________________________________________________________________
Teacher____________________________________________________________________________________
Grade_____________________________________________________________________________________
Project Title:_________________________________________________
What is the *school* Science Fair?
The Science Fair is an opportunity for our students to
study a science-related topic outside of the classroom, and to either write a
report about it, display it as a model or collection, or perform an actual
science experiment. The purpose is to encourage in each student a sense
of wonder and curiosity, and to increase self-direction in the study of the
world around them. Also, it is going to
be an incredibly good time! Hands on
experiments for everyone, refreshments, music and more!
Is the fair judged?
No. Our Science Fair is not structured as a
competition, and all students will receive recognition and feedback from their
teachers.
How do I get started?
First, decide what kind of project you'd like to create -
there are several different kinds:
1) Experimental Project, for which you follow the Scientific
Method in pursuit of an unbiased result.
2) Special Interest Project, for which you study a
science-related topic, including mathematics, technology or even something
you've invented!
3) Collection Project, for which you assemble a collection
of related items, showing what you've learned from it.
4) Model Project, for which you can create a model or
demonstration of your topic, showing how it works.
To get some ideas, look further in this packet. You can also
stop by the Media Center where there are books with project ideas. Check out
the public library or the Internet. Ask your parents and friends. Just don’t
give up. When considering a topic for your project, do not forget about
technology and mathematics. Your project does not need to be from one of what
we think of as a scientific field (e.g. biology, chemistry, earth science,
physics), but it can investigate a mathematical question, learn about how a
particular technology works, or use technology in an unexpected way. Inventions
developed by the students are also welcome. In the past, some students have
displayed biographical information about famous scientists. Every topic and
project related to science, mathematics, and engineering is a good topic!
Does my child have to
participate? Or Will this be graded?
This is just for fun!
Students will not be graded on participation in the Science
Fair.
Who can I work with?
Scientists often work with other scientists on their
projects. You can do a project with a friend or group of friends. You can also
work with you parents, your brother, your sister, or other adults. The only
rule is to give credit to everyone who helped with your project. Parents:
Remember, the purpose of the Fair is to encourage kids to be curious about our
world, learn to study independently and above all, to enjoy science! Your
guidance will be necessary, especially for the younger kids, but keep in mind
that this is their project. A kindergartner’s project should look like a kindergartner's
project, and they (and you!) will be proud of their own accomplishments.
I've decided on my
topic. Now what?
Here are some steps you can take to have a successful
Science Fair Project:
1. Ask yourself: “What is the question I want to answer?”,
or “What do I want to know more about?’
2. Decide if you are going to work alone or with a
friend(s).
3. Fill out and turn in your registration form by Friday,
February 18. Parents must sign the form and for groups, each child must submit
a signed form.
4. Research and read about your topic. Contact people who
may help you.
5. Refer to the list of questions below for your project
type. These will help you plan your project. By following this plan, you will
answer your question.
6. Gather and list your materials.
7. Begin following the steps you have outlined in your plan.
8. If appropriate, organize your results in charts, graphs,
or illustrations.
9. Look carefully at the results. Write down the answer to
your question.
10.Make an interesting display board.
11. (Optional) Make a notebook about your science project.
12. Prepare to tell your teacher or classmates all about
your project, if asked.
13. Bring your project to school on Wednesday, March 23,
between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
14. Retrieve your project after the fair and take it home.
15. HAVE FUN!!
How do I display my
project?
Projects should be displayed on a 36"x 48"
three-sided display board. You may also use the table in front of the display
board (about three square feet of space). Here is an example of a basic
three-sided display:
The middle panel is two feet wide. The “flaps” on both sides
are one foot wide. The board is three feet high.
Content
Use the questions listed under each type of project to
organize your display. You can either use the questions or the scientific terms
to label it. The main thing is to make it easy for your parents, teachers and
friends to look at your display and know what you did and what you found out.
If you have a collection, model or demonstrations, prepare your display board
telling about what you’ve done, and place the collection, model or display in
front of your board.
Lettering
Large letters for titles and headings are easier to read.
For the three-sided display boards, we suggest 2" to 3" letters for the
center, 1"to 2" letters for the side panels.
Hand-written lettering
is encouraged!
Hands On/Hands Off
Decide if you want people to be able to touch your display
or not. Displays that allow viewers to interact with your experiment or topic
can be very interesting and fun. There will be Hands On/Hands Off signs
available when you bring your project to school. Please understand that
hands-on materials will be left in areas where there often will be no
supervision, and we cannot ensure that items will not be broken, mishandled, or
stolen. Plan your hands-on materials with this in mind.
Putting it all
together
When you have decided what to put on your display, lay the
whole thing on the floor and look at it. Arrange it to your satisfaction, and
then glue it on. Every person who helps with your project should be given
credit somewhere on your display. Use your creativity to make it interesting!
Examples of things to include are: large, bright or black lettering, pictures,
diagrams, a catchy title, and a photo of yourself working on your project. When
making the display, we suggest that everything be blocked in first with pencil.
After changes are made, felt pens or cut stencils can be used for the final
form. Put your name prominently on your project, in the lower right hand corner
of your display.
There are plenty of pictures and examples of Science Fair
projects on the internet. Spend some time looking at what others have done to
get some good ideas for your display. Also, consider the grade level of the
student before deciding on a project – younger students will want to pick
simpler projects.
And remember: it’s supposed
to look like it was created by an elementary aged student!
Project Types
and Descriptions
Project Type 1:
Experimental Project
An experimental project can be done by anyone. The hardest
part is thinking of a question that interests you. Once you’ve done that, using
the scientific method to learn about it is fun and exciting.
Guidelines
Use the Scientific Method, described below, to perform your
experiment. Base your conclusions on your data, and create a display board
showing that you understand what happened. Include some ideas of your own in
the project!
What is the Scientific Method?
The Scientific Method is simply an orderly way to find an
answer to something. The basic steps are illustrated by the questions below.
Using these steps as a guideline, you can conduct an investigation that will
make it possible for you to convince someone else what you discovered is true.
It allows others to repeat your experiments and verify your results. Scientists
have specific words for these questions. They are listed after the question.
The Questions for an Experimental Project
1. What is the question I want to answer?
2. What do I think the answer will be before I start?
(HYPOTHESIS)
3. What did I do to test my hypothesis? (METHOD)
4. What materials did I use? (MATERIALS)
5. What things did I change? (VARIABLES)
6. What things did I keep the same? (CONTROLS)
7. What happened as a result of what I did? (RESULTS/DATA)
8. What is the answer to my question based on my experiment?
Does it match my hypothesis? Why or why not? (CONCLUSION)
9. What books or resources did I use? (REFERENCES)
10. Who helped with my project? (COLLABORATORS)
Experimental Project Terms
A hypothesis is a guess or speculation about how or why
something happens. You should form a hypothesis or guess about your questions
before you begin your experiment.
Methods and Materials: Decide how you can test your
hypothesis. Write out your plan. You should plan to run your test a number of
times.
Next, change one part of your test and see what happens
(while keeping everything else the same.) Change another thing, and see what
happens. The things you change are called variables.
The thing or things you keep the same are called controls.
Test only one variable at a time, and repeat the tests several times to get
good data. Make sure your test is fair, so that it doesn't only show the
results that support your hypothesis. You should look for the answer, whatever
it is - proving your hypothesis is wrong is just as valid as proving it right!
If you do prove something wrong, try to figure out why, and write it down in
your conclusion.
The information gathered during the investigation is called data.
After collection, data can be put in chart or graph form if a more formal and
concise presentation is desired. From looking at the data or results, you can
answer the question that started the whole adventure. The answer is the
conclusion.
List any books, magazine articles, or any other sources of
written information you used to learn about and do your project, and their
authors. These are known as references.
Collaborators are the people who helped you with your
project. This may include your family, other adults, and friends.
An Example of an Experimental Project
Question: Will different surfaces affect how far a toy car
rolls?
Hypothesis: I think a toy car will roll farther on a smooth
surface than on a rough surface.
Method: I will set up an inclined ramp and put different
surfaces on it (variables), such as: a) rough sandpaper b) linoleum c)
indoor/outdoor carpet d) a mirror (or glass). I will keep the incline and the
car the same for each trial (controls). I will run three races on each surface and
measure how far the car rolls from the end of the ramp. I will graph the
results for each surface and find the average distance the car travels on each
surface.
Results: The car traveled the furthest distance on the glass
surface and the shortest distance on the indoor/outdoor carpet.
Conclusion: The smooth surface provides the least amount of
friction.
Project Type 2:
Special Interest Project
Special interest projects are an opportunity for students to
study a science related topic they are interested in and create a display
showing what they have learned. The display could include a report, pictures,
drawings, charts, photographs, etc.
Guidelines
• Pick something that you are interested in studying.
• Learn about that topic through books, computers, magazines,
etc.
• Create a display showing what you’ve learned.
Questions for a Special Interest Project
1. Why did I choose this topic to study (i.e. what was my
question about this topic?)
2. What did I learn about this topic? Where did I get
information about my topic?
3. Who helped me with my project?
Project Type 3:
Collection Project
Collection projects help students to learn observation and
classification skills. It is hoped that each student will reach a conclusion
about their collection and then be able to generalize that information. The
display of a collection could include an actual collection, a report,
photographs, graphs and charts, or anything that shows what was learned by
doing the collection. It is more appropriate if the collection is somewhat
science related (i.e. not a collection of Pokémon cards, Hot Wheels, etc.)
Guidelines
• Sort your collection and tell why you collected it. Tell
when and for how long you collected it.
• Tell where you collected it, and how many items are in
your collection.
• Create a display board showing what you learned. If you
are able to bring your collection to the Science Fair, you may do so, as long
as the items are not too valuable. Take pictures if your items are too valuable
to leave unattended.
Questions for a Collection Project
1. What question did I ask about my collection?
2. What materials did I use, including what I collected and
tools I used in my collecting?
3. What did I do? How did I do my collecting?
4. What did I notice when I sorted my collection?
5. What is the answer to my question?
6. What books or resources did I use?
7. Who helped me with my project?
Project Type 4:
Model/Demonstration Project
Model/Demonstration projects give students the opportunity
to research a topic and/or build a model of something they are interested in
and then present it. Learning about the heart, the digestive system, or the
solar system can be very exciting. How does an internal combustion engine work?
Find out, and share your answer!
Guidelines
• Pick something you are interested in studying, and show
that you understand what you studied.
• Make a model that shows things completely and correctly,
so someone who hasn’t studied your subject understands your topic.
• Create a display board showing what you learned. There is
space in front of your display to place your model if you'd like.
Questions for a Model/Demonstration Project
1. What is the question I want to answer?
2. What materials did I use to build my model? How did I use
those materials to build my model?
3. What books or resources did I use?
4. Who helped with my project?
Snack table labels:
Cookie
Conundrum
The conundrum is…how will you decorate your
cookie?
Mad
Scientist
Punch
Juice, Sprite and a bit of wacky science!
Newton’s
Apple
Organic, because that is how Newton ate them!
Magnificent
Molecules
Trix, marshmallows and butter.
H2O
Donated by our friends at Busch’s
Hands on Ideas:
Clingy Balloons
Materials
·
Balloons
·
Wool
Step 1: Blow up a balloon and tie them off. (Ask a parent for help!)
Step 2: Rub the balloon vigorously on your head.
Step 3: Put the balloons up on the wall and be amazed! The balloons will remain there for a few hours.
Step 2: Rub the balloon vigorously on your head.
Step 3: Put the balloons up on the wall and be amazed! The balloons will remain there for a few hours.
Why does this work?
As the surfaces of the balloons are rubbed, negatively charged electrons are lost and the balloons become statically charged. Since charged objects attract uncharged objects (in this case, the ceiling), the balloons will stick to the ceiling until the charges of the two objects become equal.
As the surfaces of the balloons are rubbed, negatively charged electrons are lost and the balloons become statically charged. Since charged objects attract uncharged objects (in this case, the ceiling), the balloons will stick to the ceiling until the charges of the two objects become equal.
Buoyancy
Materials
·
Modeling
clay
·
Bowl
or tub of water
·
20-30
paper clips
·
20-30
pennies
Do
This
- Using the same amount of clay each time, mold modeling clay into these shapes: round ball, flat triangle, long round tube, bowl, canoe-shaped boat, or another style boat
- Test each clay shape in the container of water to see if it floats or sinks.
- Using one of your clay boats that floated or a toy boat, float the boat in the water and mark the water level on the side of your boat
- Load your boat with small items, such as paper clips and pennies, a few at a time. Watch your boat float lower and lower in the water.
- Determine how much cargo your boat can carry before it will sink.
What
Should Have Happened
The shape of an object does play a role in whether something
floats or sinks. A solid ball of modeling clay will sink straight to the
bottom. The same amount of modeling clay in the shape of a boat with high sides
will float. Even though boats and ships will float, they may sink if they are
overloaded. All ships have a mark on their side called the Plimsoll line
after its inventor, Samuel Plimsoll. This mark tells the captain of the ship
how low the ship can float in the water without sinking.
TORNADO
IN A BOTTLE
MATERIALS:
- 2 2-liter clear plastic pop bottles
- water
- Tornado Tube
PROCESS:
Fill one of the bottles two-thirds full
of water.
Take the Tornado Tube and twist it on
the first bottle. Then, grab the second bottle and attach it to the Tornado
Tube.
Or use duct tape to fasten the two
containers. Make sure to tape tightly to make sure that no water will leak out
when you turn the bottle over.
Turn the tornado maker, so that the
bottle with the water is on top. Swirl the bottle in a circular motion. Most
tornadoes form counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. A tornado will
form in the top bottle as the water rushes into the bottom bottle.
*If you want to get creative, you can
also use food coloring to make the tornado have a color and glitter to
represent debris.
EXPLANATION:
The swirling motion you give the bottle
forms a vortex and is a easy way to create your own tornado.
Geodesic
Gumdrops
Materials:
·
Candy
·
Toothpicks
Process:
Use toothpicks held together by candy
to create incredible structures.
Experiment with making shapes out of triangles, squares or
hexagons.
What happens?
Even
though your gumdrop structures are standing absolutely still, their parts are
always pulling and pushing on each other.
Structures remain standing.
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Paper Airplane Science
Material:
- An 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper
To Do and Notice
Build a paper airplane.
Initial observations
Notice how the airplane flies.
Try to fly it backwards.
Notice that it definitely has a front end and will not fly backwards.
Try to fly it backwards.
Notice that it definitely has a front end and will not fly backwards.
How far can you get your plane to fly?
Gak
Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? Just what is this slimy, stringy, rubbery stuff? This variation on slime will probably remind you of a similar substance found in many toy stores. This is the most popular version of "slime" because it's so easy to make and serves as a great visual tool for introducing students to the properties of polymers.
Materals:
- Elmer’s Glue®
- Borax
- Large mixing bowl
- Plastic cup
- Spoon
- Measuring cup
- Food coloring
- Water
How to make Gak:
- This recipe is based on using a brand new 8 ounce bottle of Elmer’s Glue. Empty the entire bottle of glue into a mixing bowl. Fill the empty bottle with warm water and shake. Pour the glue-water mixture into the mixing bowl and use the spoon to mix well.
- Go ahead… add a drop or two of food coloring.
- Measure 1/2 cup of warm water into the plastic cup and add a teaspoon of Borax powder to the water. Stir the solution – don’t worry if all of the powder dissolves. This Borax solution is the secret linking agent that causes the Elmer’s Glue molecules to turn into slime.
- While stirring the glue in the mixing bowl, slowly add a little of the Borax solution. Immediately you’ll feel the long strands of molecules starting to connect. It’s time to abandon the spoon and use your hands to do the serious mixing. Keep adding the Borax solution to the glue mixture (don’t stop mixing) until you get a perfect batch of Elmer’s slime. You might like your slime more stringy while others like firm slime. Hey, you’re the head slime mixologist – do it your way!
The mixture of Elmer’s Glue with Borax and water produces a putty-like material called a polymer. In simplest terms, a polymer is a long chain of molecules. You can use the example of cooking spaghetti to better understand why this polymer behaves in the way it does. When a pile of freshly cooked spaghetti comes out of the hot water and into the bowl, the strands flow like a liquid from the pan to the bowl. This is because the spaghetti strands are slippery and slide over one another. After awhile, the water drains off of the pasta and the strands start to stick together. The spaghetti takes on a rubbery texture. Wait a little while longer for all of the water to evaporate and the pile of spaghetti turns into a solid mass -- drop it on the floor and watch it bounce.
Many natural and synthetic polymers behave in a similar manner. Polymers are made out of long strands of molecules like spaghetti. If the long molecules slide past each other easily, then the substance acts like a liquid because the molecules flow. If the molecules stick together at a few places along the strand, then the substance behaves like a rubbery solid called an elastomer. Borax is the compound that is responsible for hooking the glue’s molecules together to form the putty-like material. There are several different methods for making this putty-like material. Some recipes call for liquid starch instead of Borax soap. Either way, when you make this homemade Silly Putty you are learning about some of the properties of polymers.
Elmer's Slime is very easy to make, but it's not exactly what you'll find at the toy store. So, what's the "real" slime secret? It's an ingredient called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The cross-linking agent is still Borax, but the resulting slime is longer lasting, more transparent... it's the real deal.
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