Solstice Candles

Mrs. Brandt led Team Couloir earlier this week in creating candles in walnut shells. Today, we went to the Covered Bridge and set our lit candles afloat, down the Browns River. Students made wishes for the New Year as their candle went down stream.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful vacation and a happy, healthy New Year.

TShirts and Questions

Today Team Couloir students worked with Mr. Pajala(art teacher) to create our team tshirts. The Students looked great walking around the school!

Trimester Celebration

Today we sat down for lunch together in honor of all the hard work students have put forth in their first trimester of Middle School. Bravo Team Couloir!

Favorite Thanksgiving Dishes Spreadsheet

At the end of the Ecosystem Unit, students had a lesson on entering data on a Spreadsheet. Yesterday, students entered the data we collected on 'PH levels of ecocolumns' which we added pollutants to over a 5 day period. Students then created a graph to support 'the story behind the numbers'.
In addition, students collected data on 'favorite Thanksgiving dishes' and created graphs. It was quite telling!
Be sure to ask your child to show you their creations which are on their Google Drive.

Watershed Visit Part 2- How is the health of our river ecosystem?

Team Couloir students took a visit to the river this morning with teachers from 'The Watershed Alliance'. Students first drew the section of river their group was looking at; identifying biotic and abiotic things, noticing river flow, etc...Next they used a net and other tools to gather macro invertebrates from the river. Back in the classroom students worked to identify the macro invertebrates as tolerant or intolerant and used the data to analyze the overall health of the river.

Watershed Alliance Visit

The Watershed Alliance visited Team Couloir this morning. The two guest speakers, who are juniors at UVM, brainstormed vocabulary connected to 'the water cycle'  and used a watershed model to demonstrate  how pollutants such as fertilizer, and road salt can impact the health of 'the water cycle' and therefore the overall health of an ecosystem.

Ecocolumns!

Team Couloir students have been fully engaged with building their aquariums and then terrariums. They have been focusing on observation skills. Most recently, they connected the two systems to form an ecosystem. We are now talking about dependent and interdependent relationships within the ecosystem.

The Completed Ecocolumn