RED-TAILED HAWK ATOP PS 230!

This great photo was emailed to me by the mother of third-grade student, Basie. Apparently a bunch of P.S. 230 kids and parents witnessed this marvelous sight while in the school playground after hours. Wow, I wish I could have been there!

PLANTING GARLIC

The small pieces are the cloves. The larger piece is the bulb.

Today, students in the Urban Nature Club finished planting garlic cloves in the school garden. They'll be ready to harvest at the end of the school year.

When you plant garlic, you don't plant a seed. Rather, you plant the individual cloves from a garlic bulb.

While we were planting, a question came up: "What happens to the original garlic clove after its planted? Does it become part of the new garlic bulb?

Garlic cloves waiting to be planted

So Ms. Seitz did a little research and discovered that the original clove gets the new garlic plant going. Once the clove starts germinating, it sends green leaves above the soil's surface. As the new plant gets established, the original clove's job is done and it simply rots away. The new plant starts growing brand new cloves that are all clustered together in what is called a garlic bulb.

Established garlic plants

Saturday Science for Fifth Graders was a Big Success!

We expected a low turnout for the Fifth Grade Saturday Science on November 2, 2013 because of Math and Science Middle School tours and a new ESL program, but boy were we surprised when about 43 families showed up! We made tea bags using mint harvested and dried from the school garden, made lava lamps, illustrated birds, and practiced designing parachutes, among other things. But the coolest thing was when everyone got a chance to do a little chemistry. Using hydrogen peroxide, food coloring, yeast and warm water, students created an oozing, foaming, and quite colorful, mess of elephant toothpaste! What a surprise!

Eastern Phoebe Nest Visits Room 409!

Nathaniel and the nest

Nathaniel in Ms. Stewart's class recently shared an Eastern Phoebe nest with us. Given to him by his grandparents who found the nest in Massachusetts, Nathaniel explained that this was the third nest built by the Phoebes. His grandparents compiled excellent scientific research on the Phoebes, recording each of their broods and taking photos of each of the three nests. Young fledged the first and second nests, but because the third nest was built late in the season, the eggs were unable to hatch. So Nathaniel's grandparents carefully packed it up and included data and photos about the Phoebes, which Nathaniel generously shared with his class during science. Thanks Nathaniel!


To learn more about the Eastern Phoebe and to hear its song, CLICK HERE!

There were two eggs inside