Walden Community School

The Student-Edited, Weekly Blog of the Walden Community School

 

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Hello. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe winter break. This week, the Walnuts went on a field trip to the Orlando History Museum. From posing with cowboys to comparing artifacts, we all had a great time. Also there was a specail exibit there that was dedicated to photographs from the National Geograhic Magazine (Some as far back as the 40's!!) We learned so much and at the same time had a lot of fun. We hope to have many more field trips like that yet to come.

-Sidney McCall

        
A few of the amazing pictures we saw on our field trip to the History Center.

 

This week in the Arts at WCS, it was off to the races! We had our regular dance and drama class outside, to celebrate the wonderful weather. In addition to our usual warm-up and improv activities, Ms. Gale shook things up and added in some fun rely races. We raced across the Walden grounds, hopping on one foot, skipping,leaping, and hopping. It wasn't long before the entire gang was out of breath, from both the races and laughing so hard. Also while in the great outdoors, we worked on speaking loudly and clearly, as it is nessacary to do in outdoor theather. We also used the trees as part of our set, whic created some interesting scenes.  In Art, we organized our portfolioes and made lists of our art goals for 2009. At this rate, the new year will be full of artistic growth and quite a few new experiences. 

 

- Katie Mikulka

 

 

This week brought some exciting news to Walden Community School! On Thursday, January 15, we had our first ever open house! We all met and enjoyed an evening of fun and food, while meeting with both current and perspective parents. It was nice to get together and discuss the new year at Walden, and meet some new friends.

 

 

 

 

 

The Student-Edited, Weekly Blog of the Walden Community School!

 

Weekly

Big News!!!! This week a group of homeschoolers came. In honor of the winter season we planned a Gingerbread Supreme. Houses were all shapes and sizes. Some were traditional while others were their own creations. By the end of the day it was like an Extended Family First Time Reuionon!! The adults talked and laughed. The teenagers laughed and talked on their cell phones. And the kids played games from Go Fish to Hide and Go Seek. It was the perfect day!! I hope we do it again!!!!!!

Also on Monday we will be having our Walnut Winter Holiday Party. The Walnut Van will escort us to Park Avenue Pizza Place!! Goody!! And for those of you who don't know, we had our Secret Santa!! I sooo can't wait until Monday!!!!!!!

{Secret Santa is when you randomly draw a name from a hat whatever name you pick is your Secret Santa person. You can't tell a soul who your person is (Unless it's your parents for transporting reason). Also there is "A Budget". This how much money you will be able to spend on the present.}

Arts & Activities

This week at Walden was filled with all sorts of arts and activities! On Wednesday, the Walnuts made their way to the Florida Hospital to present our Holiday show to the patients. The show was well-received, by both the patients and the parents, and it was great to spread a little holiday cheer. We sang tradition Christmas favorites, such as "Jingle Bells," "Away in a Manger," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," as well as educating our audience about Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice. The Walnuts we paid in cookies and apple juice. On Thursday, we made gingerbread houses with a home-schoolgroup. It was nice to meet some new people, enjoy some sugary fun, and the finished product ended up looking quite delicious! See below for some pictures of the day. It's hard to imagine that there is only one more Wednesday, art day, left in 2008. What fabulous creations will 2009 bring?

 

Lists
This week in Science we learned about simple machines. Here are the simple machines and their functions:
1. Pulley - makes it easier to left heavy object. Where would you find a pulley? Shades and flags.

2. Inclined Plane - makes it easier to get an object from one level to the next. Where would I find a inclined plane? Stairs and roller coaster.

3. Lever - helps to lift things. Where would I find a lever? Hammer and stapler.

4. Wheel and Axle - makes it easier to move or lift loads. Where would I find a wheel and axle? Bike and pencil sharpener.

5. Wedge - cuts through wood or other objects. Where would I find a wedge? Tooth and nail.

6. Screw - holds objects together. Where can I find a screw? Jar with a lid and screw.

 

News & Need-to-knows
Here are this week's Need-to-knows...

- Just as a reminder Friday, December 19, 2008, will be the last day of school for 2008! Please clean out your cubbies, so that we can begin 2009 with a fresh, new start! Everyone also needs to bring home any projects that are still here, such as the cuneiform tablets, salt maps, and the gingerbread houses. The fridge needs to be cleaned as well!

- On Monday, as you read in the "Weekly" section, we will be taking a field trip to Park Ave. Pizza, to celebrate the Holidays. Please remember that everyone needs to bring $10.00 and bring in a signed permission slip. The slips should be sent home today, on Friday December 12. Also, please bring in your wrapped "Secert Santa" present. Remember, there is a $10.00 price limit and homemade gifts are encourged. And PLEASE DO NOT reiveal who you are buying a gift for, it takes a lot of the fun out of it!

- We also have a new chore wheel. Please remember to do your assigned job, even if it isn't your favorite. It is up to us to respect our school and keep it nice and tidy.

 

 

This week, we will be adding a new feature to the News and Need-to-knows section. An excellent piece of writing, the findings from a science experiment, lyrics to a song someone wrote, or a social cause are all things that can be new or something that you need to know. So, each week we will feature something special from a student. This new section will be called 

Understandings
This week, Carrie interviewed her "Understandings" partner-in-crime, Sasha Berman. Here is what she had to say...

MEET... SASHA BERMAN!!!

1. Q. How long have you been coming to Walden Community School? 

    A.  This is my first year at Walden.

2. Q. If you could change anything about Walden, what would you change? 

    A. I think that there should be an extra building.

3. Q. What is your favorite part of Walden Community School? 

    A. Probably the kids, all my friends.

4. Q. Do you feel left out being one of the yougest?

    A. Of course not, I have many friends that are older than me and they are my best friends.

5. Q. Since you are new, how are you fitting in? 

    A.  Great, they treat me like I've been here for centuries.

6. Q. What is your favorite school subject? 

    A. Lunch! I'm just kidding, humanities.

 

 

Trivia

This week's trivia is all about Christmas carols, in honor of our show at the Winter Park Hospital. Who would have known that there are so many interesting tid-bits about the songs we sing every December?

- “The Holly and the Ivy” is thought to have Pagan origins and could therefore date back over 1000 years.

- The carol "Good King Wenceslas" is unusual as there is no reference in the lyrics to the nativity.

- The tradition of bringing a tree inside and decorating it with candy, baubles and bells was started in the nineteenth century and is immortalized in the carol “O Christmas Tree” lyrics.

- The origin of the Christmas carol we know as “Silent Night” was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr.

- The “Wassail Song” celebrates the New Year, not Christmas! "Wassail" is an olde English word for a toast similar to "Good Health" and the wassail is the content of the glass or goblet (spiced or mulled wine or ale).

 

 
The Student-Edited, Weekly Blog of The Walden Community School!

 

Weekly

V.I.W.L
(Very Important Walden Lookers)

This week was a very busy week for the Walnuts!! First we had two visitors!! Both of them were very interested and considered joining the Walden gang next year!!

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
(And Other Winter Holidays)

Also the Walnuts are packin' their bags and are hitting the road.....TO THE HOSPITAL!!!!

Luckily, none of us are going there for any treatment though. We are going over to perform Christmas Carols to bring the Christmas cheers for the people that are staying their for the holidays.

- Sidney McCall

Arts Activities
This week in the arts at WCS, we continued our work on self-portraits. Each student has created a background, and is now is the process of adding their face in! Kim stresses the importance of proper proportions, to create a realistic looking finished product. For example, the eyes are found in the center of the head, and that the mouth extends to the pupils of the eyes. We also learned that the width of the human head is equal to the length of five eyeballs, that the nose is halfway between the eyes and the chin, and that the mouth is halfway between the nose and that chin. We are applying what we have learned in drawing lessons to painting, such as lights, darks, and shading. Kim also reminds us that in art, you can always add more, be it lines or layers of paint. In dance and drama, we continue to break for our Winter/Holiday show. The final preparations are being made, and we should be all ready by the time next week rolls around. We will be performing on Wednesday, December 10 at the Florida Hospital, ready to bring some holiday cheer to the patients! That's it for arts and activities. It's never dull at Walden Community School.
- Katie Mikulka

Lists
This week, Karin's science lesson was all about physics. Here is a list of Physics related terms, enjoy!

Sir Issac Newton, Famous Physicist!

1. Newton's First Law of Motion - This law states that an object in motion will stay in motion, or an object at rest will stay at rest, until another, unbalanced force acts upon it. This law is also known as the law of Inertia.    

2. Newton's Second Law of Motion - This law has three parts. First, if a force is put on an object, it will continue to travel in the direction the force sent it in. Second, if you put twice the force on an object, it will travel twice as far. Third, If you put the same amount of force on an object that is twice as heavy, then it will travel half as far.

3. Newton's Third Law of Motion - This law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. For example, if you put  a force of 100 pounds on a wall, it then  pushes back with the same amount of force, 100 pounds.

4. Gravity - The force which pulls us, and keeps us on earth.

5. Matter - Something which has mass and takes up space. Everything is made up of matter.

6. Weight - The combination of mass and gravity. The amount of gravity affects the weight of an object. This is why the weight of an object changes on different planets, where the amount of gravity is different.

7. Potential Energy - The energy that an object has stored.

8. Sir Issac Newton- A famous physicist, who was born on December 25, 1642 in England. He is credited with the discovery of gravity.
- Katie Mikulka

News & Need-to-knows
This week brought the arrival of two new full time students! Olivia and Emma Miller will now join us 5 days a week, instead of just on Fridays. All of the Walnuts are very excited, and welcome the Miller girls with open arms. The total of full-time students now totals 10! Check out the "Understandings" section for an interview with Olivia and Emma.

To the Millers, the newest full-time Walnuts!

In Humanities this week, we continued our discussion on Sparta versus Athens. We made travel brochures, trying to encourage visitors to our assigned city-state. Abby, Emma, and Katie stressed how strong the Spartan army was and how tough all the people are. Sidney, Olivia, and Carrie told about how valued the arts were in Athens. While there were some smear tactics used, everyone realized that both city-states had favorable qualities. 

A map of Ancient Greece. See if you can find Sparta and Athens!

Mrs. Miller has started a new parking and drop-off program at the school. A new "round about" will make dropping off and picking up an easier process, and limit any traffic confusion. All parents should look for an e-mail explaining the new procedures in greater detail. Also, all parents need fill out the medical forms and return them to the school office. The sooner, the better!

New Parking Procedures at Walden!

As a reminder, please bring in a box of graham crackers for Thursday. We will be making ginger-bread houses with a home school group. You can also bring in any additional treats you would like to use to decorate your house. It should be a lot of fun!

Next week, the Walnuts will be ginger-bread architects!

- Katie Mikulka

 

Understandings
This week, Carrie and Sasha interviewed Olivia and Emma Miller. Here is what they had to say...

MEET... EMMA AND OLIVIA MILLER!!!

 

Question #1:  On a scale of one to ten how would you rate Walden? (Ten is the best)
Emma's Answer:  I would give it a ten.
Olivia's Answer:  A nine because there are some things about Walden that are kind of long and I am used to short things.

Question #2: How long have you been coming to Walden Community School?
Emma's Answer:  Maybe about two years, I’m not sure.
Olivia's Answer: Full time I have been coming for a week, but I have been coming here part time ever since 1^st grade.

 

Question #3: Would you change anything would you change anything about Walden Community School?Emma's Answer: No
Olivia's Answer:  Yes, The building  to have an upstairs.

Question #4:  What is your favorite school subject?
Emma's Answer: I would say math.
Olivia's Answer:  I like typing.

- Interview conducted by Carrie Mikulka and Sasha Berman

 

Tarantula Trivia

In honor of Abby's pet tarantula laying eggs, this weeks trivia is all about tarantulas. It's kind of ironic that our trivia expert is aracnophobic...

- Tarantulas have re-tractable claws, just like cats.

- The largest spider in the world is the Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula. With legs stretched out, it could cover a Frisbee.

- A male tarantula might live about 5 years, but a female can live to be 20 or more.

- The Chilean rose hair is the most common tarantula. As it is hardy, docile, and inexpensive, it is a great choice for people's first tarantula.

- Tarantulas are arachnids. The word arachnid comes from arachne, the Greek word for spider.

- Rose-haired Tarantulas feed well on a variety of insect prey including crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and others.

 
Abby's pet Tarantula, Roosevelt, who recently laid about 1,000 eggs!

- Skipper Williamson

Thank you for reading this week's edition of the W.A.L.N.U.T.!
Check back next week for an all new post!

- Katie Mikulka, Editor-in-Chief
And the rest of the W.A.L.N.U.T Staff...

Abigail Anderson............................................................ Head Photographer
Sasha Berman.......................................... "Understandings" Interview Conductor
Sidney McCall................................................................. "Weekly" Columist Maddy McCallister......................................................... Junior Photographer Carrie Mikulka.......................................... "Understandings" Interview Conductor Skipper Williamson............................................................. "Trivia" Columist

 

 

 

The Student-Edited, Weekly Blog of the Walden Community School

Weekly

OPEN HOUSE!

Attention Everyone!! This Monday, Walden had its 1st open house!! It was a huge success. Everyone did great and the parents loved it!!

NEW NEWS

This week, the Walnuts learned about SPARTA!! Although most of us have not seen it do to being restricted from children under 17, we still learned a lot about their life style. The men and boys fought the ladies and girls stayed at home and were the cheerleaders from the side lines. Also we learned about Greek Mythology. Abigail, Sidney, and Skipper presented an elegant show about the Greek Family Tree and boy was it big!

HAVE A HAPPY HAPPY THANKSGIVIG!!

- Sideney McCall

Arts Activities
As the temperature drops, things start to heat up in the Arts at WCS. Kim and Byron, our fine arts teachers, are enjoying their second week back after maternity leave. All of the Walnuts are enjoying the company of their new family member, a happy and healthy baby boy. While he naps through lessons on portraits and other techniques, there is no doubt that the newest Walnut will have artistic talents of his own. Currently, the rest of the Walnuts are experimenting with acrylic paints, and learning about accurately portraying the human face. In Dance and Drama, there is a mad dash to complete our Holiday/Christmas/Winter show. A full out production with costume changes, songs, readings, and dance, it will be exciting to perform. We are also learning a lot about Christmas around the world, and about Kwanzaa and Hanukah, from Sidney and Sasha respectively. It looks like the WCS department of performing arts will be taking this show on the road! We may be performing at Florida Hospital, on December 10. It seems like the winter holiday spirit has hit Walden a bit early this year, considering that it isn't even Thanksgiving yet...Oh well, a little Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukah/Winter Solstice cheer never hurt anyone!!!
- Katie Mikulka

 

Lists 

It looks like the Walnuts just missed America Recycles Day, on November 15. But, recycling lasts all year long! So in honor of America Recycles Day and the Going Green Fair that WCS was a part of last weekend, here is a list of the Top Ten Ways to Recycle, compiled by Office Depot and take from the Environmental Protection website...

 

Top Ten Ways to Recycle

1. Buy recycled paper and print on both sides. When using paper in the office, print on both sides of the sheet and recycle the paper when you are finished. By recycling one ton of paper, you can save 17 trees, almost 7,000 gallons of water and more than three cubic yards of landfill space.

2. Recycle your outdated technology. According to EPA, Americans throw out two million tons of e-waste each year. Avoid adding to that waste by recycling your old technology. For more information on electronic recycling, visit http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm.

3. Make recycling bins readily available. Make sure your home and office are outfitted with recycling bins for paper, plastic and metal. Keep them out in the open and label them appropriately. Sometimes the convenience factor is all that is needed.

4. Recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges. Almost eight cartridges are thrown out in the United States every second of every day. That's almost 700,000 cartridges per day.

5.Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges. Each remanufactured cartridge keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills and saves about a half gallon of oil.

6.Recycle old newspapers laying around the office. When finished reading the newspaper, either leave it for someone else to read or recycle it.

7. Look for the recycled option in all the products you buy. It's not just paper that is recycled.

8. Buy rechargeable batteries. It takes 1,000 regular batteries to equal the lifespan of one rechargeable battery. When you are discarding your batteries, recycle them.

9. Purchase rewritable CDs and DVDs so that you can reuse them from project to project.

10. Reuse your morning coffee cup. Or better yet, buy a mug to avoid the waste caused by throwing away the paper or Styrofoam.
 

News & Need-to-knows

This week, there are many necessary news and need-to-knows to share, so let's get started...

 

First off, let's all wish our wonderful life skills teacher, Mrs. Ellen Miller, a very, very Happy Birthday, on November 22! We aren't going to reveal how hold she's turning, but let's just say she's turning older than 40, but less than 42...Mrs. Miller, you are the best life skills teacher we could ask for. We love you and hope that your birthday is nothing less of FABULOUS!

 

We also have another birthday coming up at Walden! Miss. Katelyn "Skipper" Williamson will celebrate her 13th birthday on November 28. Happy happy birthday Skipper, from all of us to you!

 

On a more serious note, it has come to our attention that some students are having trouble respecting other's personal space. While we all love a hug in the morning, or a hand to hold on a field trip, we need to remember good boundaries. Since our discussion a few weeks ago, we haven't had any problems, but it is nice to remind everyone to keep up the good work.

 

Last Saturday, the Walnuts had a booth at the Go Green Fair at the Winter Park Public Library. It was a huge success, and we had a lot of fun. Ms. Gretchen and Dr. Mikulka led fun crafts, such as all natural bird seed center pieces, and bags made from recycled tank tops. Our fabulous 5th graders also entered a diorama contest, with a theme of "the earth is not a trash can." Both Sasha and Maddy did an amazing job, and received ribbons for their hard work. It was great to get out in the community and spread the word about Walden Community School.

 

  

That's it for news and need-to-knows for this week. A week at Walden is never boring, so check back next week for all new news.

- Katie Mikulka

 

Understandings

This week, Carrie and Sasha interviewed Carrie's mom, the director and founder of Walden Community School, Dr. Carol Mikulka. Here is what she had to say...

 

MEET...DR. CAROL MIKULKA

 

Q1: How did you get the idea of Walden?

A1: I decided that Katie and Carrie needed something unique, child-centered, and non-competitive. 

 

Q2: At the time when you thought of Walden, what was going through your head?

A2: I was thinking big and out of the box and maybe out of my mind.

 

Q3: How did you come up with the name "Walden"?

A3: Henry David Thoreau, an American philosopher, wrote on Walden Pond. I really like his thoughts on individuality and self refection.

 

Q4: How did you get the teachers?

A4: Mrs. Miller was Katie's second grade teacher. She had such a powerful and positive impact on Katie, I had to hire her.

 

Q5: Who were the first students?

A5: Katie and Carrie

 

Q6: How has Walden changed through the years?

A6: Though Walden has changed over the years, our philosophy and roots on which Walden was grounded remain strong.  

 - Interview Conducted by Carrie Mikulka and Sasha Berman

 

Trivia (for Thanksgiving!)  
- Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

- The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

- 8 is the number of places and townships in the U.S. of A. that are named "Cranberry" or some variation of the name.

- 13.7 pounds is the amount of turkey consumed by the typical American -- no doubt a good bit of it at Thanksgiving time.

- One sixth of the turkey raised in America is eaten on Thanksgiving.

- Every year two turkeys are pardoned by the President, and the American
- Skipper Williamson

 
The Student Edited, Weekly Blog of the Walden Community School!

 

This week, Carrie and Sasha interviewed our 5th grade teacher, Gretchen McCallister. Here is what she had to say about Walden Community School...

 

 

MEET...GRETCHEN MCCALLISTER!!!

 

 
Ms. Gretchen and her daughters, Molly and Maddy.

 

Question 1: How long have you been teaching at Walden Community School?
Answer 1: 2 years

Question2: What is your favorite part of teaching?
Answer 2: The children.
 

Question 3: What are some of your methods?
Answer 3: I  like hands on learning. and discovery learning

 

Question 4: What ages do you teach?
Answer 4: 2 year olds to collage.

Question 5: What is your favorite subject to teach?
Answer 5: English

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Student Edited, Weekly Blog of the Walden Community School

 

Weekly

Hello Everyone!!

This week we had our Halloween preformance!! It was amazing and a huge success. From the costumes to practincing, everyonre did great. Now that we finished the Autum preformance, it is now time to do the Winter preformance....

P.S This time we're taking the preformance on the road!!

- Sidney McCall

 

Arts Activities
This week in the Arts at WCS, we put on our first dance and drama performance! Halloween, The Story That Never Ended was written by our very own Sidney McCall and was directed and choreographed by our dance and drama teacher, Paula Gale. Everyone worked hard learning their lines, poems, and dances, and according to our friends and families, we did a great job! We have now begun working on a Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukah/Winter show. While we are still in the early stages of planning and writing, we are really looking forward to presenting our new show and taking it on the road. The Walnuts may be performing in local banks, hospitals, and nursing homes. For art this week, Ms. Gretchen helped us create Halloween themed drawings and paintings. They helped to create a spooky atmosphere for the classroom. Check in next week for more about the arts at Walden Community School.

News & Need-to-knows
In Florida, most Halloween pumpkins are grown in the Northeast and shipped here.  But, it is possible to grow your own with some effort.

Pumpkin growing requires much effort to control all the weeds, pest, and disease that are native to FL and not prevalent in the Northeast.  Pumpkins require well-drained soil with lots of 10:10:10 fertilizer with a slightly acidic soil. Some of the species of pumpkins that grow best in Florida gardens include 'Spirit,' 'Half Moon,' 'Big Moon,' 'Howden', 'Jackpot', 'Munchkin' and 'Jack-Be-Little.'

When planting, put three seeds together, and remove all plants except the strongest one when they are 4 inches tall. Give the remaining vine plenty of room - typically 8 feet in all directions. Pumpkins have both male and female flowers on the same plant. Bees are the best pollinators for pumpkins. Since most varieties mature in 3 to 4 months, seeding should occur by July 4th for Halloween sales. Happy Pumpkin Planting!

- Karin Williamson

Understandings

This week, Carrie and Sasha interviewed our oldest student, Abigail Anderson. Here is what she had to say...

MEET...ABIGAIL ANDERSON!

1. Q. How do you compare Walden to your old school?

    A. I like it better. I miss my friends, but I made great new friends!

 

2. Q. Was it hard to leave your old school?

    A. Yes, I had been there since 6th grade.

 

3. Q. How did you hear about Walden Community School?

    A. My teacher, Mrs. Bentley.

 

4. Q. What is your favorite part of Walden?

    A. My friends and the laid-back enviornment.

 

5. Q. What is your subject?

    A. I like chemistry.

Trivia (For Trick or Treaters!)

- Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday called Samhain Eve of All Hallow's Eve celebrated on October 31.

- Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

- Turnips and beets served as the original jack-o-lanterns.

- Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

- The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

- Samhainophobia is an intense fear of Halloween.

 - Skipper Williamson  

 

 

 

 

  The student-edited, weekly blog of the Walden Community School!    

Weekly

This week, the guinea pigs are adapting nicely to their new home. Now that they are nice and cozy, they are becoming more rowdy too. Jacob is as wild as a hurricane. Louis can never keep still and whenever you turn around, he’s bouncing off the cage walls!! Henry is the only one who is close to calm. Henry will simply hide in Fort Walnut (that’s what we call the igloo.) Also, because they're all boys they like to show off and rough house a lot. But we still love them. 

All three of them will turn 11 weeks old on Sunday, October 19^th 2008.

 

GO HAWKS!!!!

On Thursday, we had a surprise visit from a beautiful hawk!!

 

Next week the Walnuts will be going on TWO field trips!! The first one will be to Mr. Williamson’s office to learn about chemistry. The second one will be to one of the students', Abigail Anderson’s, home to admire all of her pets (which include a tarantula, a red toed tortoise, three cats, and a terrier.   

- Sidney McCall

The Walnuts hit the road!

 

Arts Activities

This week in the Arts, an entirely new masterpiece was introduced. Kim Crane, one of our visual arts teachers, gave birth to her fourth child, a healthy baby boy. The child was born at home, weighed about seven pounds, and was welcomed by two older brothers, Tazz and Adrian, and an older sister, Bell. We are all very excited to meet the newest little walnut! While Kim and Byron are getting to know the newest member of their family, Karin, our science teacher, will be filling in as art instructor. This week, we worked with clay, and made pots similar to those found around the Indus River Valley. In dance and drama, we continue to prepare for our Halloween/Fall production. Congratulations to all our Walden actors and actresses for having their lines learned! 

- Katie Mikulka

The pottery we made on Wednesday.

Lists

Because we are heading off on a chemistry-themed field trip next week, here is a list of chemistry related terms...

 

1. Proton - A particle with a positive charge located in the nucleus of an atom.

 

2. Electron - A particle with a negative charge located in the area outside of the nucleus of the atom.

 

3. Neutron - A particle that is electrically neutral located in the nucleus of the atom.

 

4. Atom - The smallest unit of an element. It has all the properties of the element and is made up of protons, electrons, and neutrons.

 

5. Covalent Bonds - These are bonds that hold atoms together by sharing electrons.

 

6. Isotopes - These are atoms of the same element that have varying numbers of electrons.

 

- Katie Mikulka

 

Source:

Chemistry Glossary, By David Shaw (Madison Area Technical College) for The Chemistry Place.

http://www.factmonster.com/chemistry/glossary/ 

 

The Walnuts are crazy about chemistry!

 

News & Need-to-knows: 5^th Grade Edition!

 

This week, the fifth graders took over the "News & Need-to-knows" section of the blog. Here is what they had to say.

 

We have had a great time in fifth grade at Walden! We have done lots of things like...

 

In Grammar we have learned plural, possessive, proper, common, and collective nouns. Then in writing we have learned the body of a paragraph. We have also learned the long e spelling words, but our teacher, Ms.Gretchen, has made it fun!! More fun stuff we've learned is the Kingdom of Kush in Africa. Even in science we have been studying what's in atoms. We have been reading Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, it is a great book! The story is about a pioneer boy who lives in New York State in the late 1800's. In dance class with Ms. Gale we have been working on our Halloween show which we are performing on October the 29th. In Art we have been sketching and playing with clay. 
     

So we have been doing some great and fun stuff at Walden!!!

 

- Sasha Berman and Maddy McCallister

Sasha and Maddy, our fabulous fifth graders!!!

Understandings

MEET...BYRON WILDING

One of the Visual Arts teachers at WCS 

 

 

1. Q. Art is great! What are some tips for Walden art?

    A. Having a party, have fun. Always laugh when you draw. Don't forget to breath.  

 

2. Q. What is your favorite part about Walden Community School?

    A. Listening, to everyone.

 

3. Q. What are you most looking forward to this year?

    A. Learning.

 

4. Q. How do the kids inspire you?

    A. Yes, everyone is really great. If I was teaching at college you guys would be in it.  

 

-Interview conducted by Carrie Mikulka and Sasha Berman.

 

 

Trivia

In honor of our hawk sighting, this week's trivia is all about the Red-shouldered Hawk.

 

- This bird has also been called the Red-Shouldered Buzzard, Red-bellied Hawk, and the Winter Hawk.

- Unlike most hawks, the Red-shouldered Hawk hunts from a low-lying perch.

 

- A Red-shouldered Hawk continues to feed its fledgling until the young one sets off to establish its own territory.

 

- Red-shouldered Hawks have loud, distinct calls.

 

-Skipper Williamson

 

Doesn't this hawk look just like our new friend?

 

Thanks for reading this week's edition of the W.A.L.N.U.T.!
Check back next week for a whole new post!

-Katie Mikulka, Editor-in-chief and the rest of the W.A.L.N.U.T. staff.
- Proofread by Ellen Miller

   

The student editied blog of the Walden Community School!

Weekly
This week’s field trip took us to our neighboring county, Oviedo. We weren’t just there for any regular field trip; we were here hunting for Guinea Pigs. At this farm, we saw almost every little farm animal that’s considered a pet in America: bunnies, roosters, chickens, ducks, rats, mice, and,of course, guinea pigs. While there, we found three little men that caught our eyes immediately. Charlie Jacob Masen Black, a long haired black/speckled brown boy, is the biggest of them all and not to mention the most cuddle-friendly one too! His brother, Louis (LOO-ee) Milton Cullen-Walden, is a curly haired white and brown-faced gentleman. Sadly, he lost his gentle side and is now a gnawer/wiggler maniac, but we still love him! Last, but certainly not the least, is Henry Edward Anthony Cullen-Walden, a multi-colored curly haired guinea pig. At first he was timid and withdrawn to most people, but now he welcomes us with his warm “love nuzzles.”
-Sidney McCall

Arts & Activities 
This week in art, we learned all about color. We talked about complementary colors, and looked at how they are used to create value and shadows. Next week, we will start working on a group mural. Ms. Kim divided a painting into 10 sections, and we will each draw a piece of it, then we will desplay it on the wall. This project will allow us to display all of the skills we have been working on. See the "Understandings" section for an interview with one of our art teachers, Ms. Kim. In dance and drama, we continue to work on our Halloween/Fall production. We are making progress, and worked on our blocking this week. The date of our show was also set, and we will present to our parents on October 29, 2008, right before Halloween!
- Katie Mikulka

Lists
And now for some guinea pig dating profiles:

Available Bachelor-Guinea Pig #1

Name: Charlie Jacob Masen Black--but some of the girls just call me Jacob

Age: 8 weeks

Appearance: I have soft, straight, and long black hair with brown highlights. My eyes are round and black, and I have broad, masculine cheek bones.

Personality: I am the most hardy and well-liked of all the guinea pigs. And I can definitely see why, considering my good looks and soft hair.

Hobbies: I love to take jogs off and around Skipper's lap or climb into Katie's hair. I also enjoy keeping my two friends warm by sitting on top of them--not to mention how much I love my baths underdeath the leaky water bottle.

Available Bachelor-Guinea Pig #2

Name: Henry Edward Anthony Cullen-Walden, but I prefer Edward

Age: 8 weeks

Appearance: I have curly hair, which is white along my body and russet brown along my bottom half. My face is black and has a brown spot above my left eye, complementing my dark eyes.

Personality: I am rather quiet and easy-going. I usually end up on the bottom when my friends and I huddle in the corner.

Hobbies: I love to recline quietly near Madelaine's neck, but I am pretty easy going and not too picky as long as you keep still. I will also cuddle you and purr if you rub the side of my belly.

 

Available Bachelor-Guinea Pig #3

Name: Louis (pronounced as in its French origins) Milton Cullen-Walden

Age: 8 weeks

Appearance: I am small, cute, and irrestible. I have a red-brown face and a creamy white body with tan tinting.

Personality: Some say I should have been named Nibbles, but I say that they should just keep their fingers out of my face! Of course, I can't say it is their fault if I like how their shirts and fingers taste. I would also say that I am the most high energy, but most fun-loving, of the three guinea pigs.

Hobbies: Well, as I mentioned already, I do enjoy nibbling people. I always purr when someone pets me behind the ears. I can't help it! I have yet to decide if I really like being held, though--I tend to get a bit jumpy when anyone opens the cage.
-Madelaine Romito

 Slideshow compiled by Katie Mikulka

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News & Need-to-knows
This week in humanities, we explored more of the Fertile Crescent area as inhabited by the Hebrews, the Assyrians, Chaldeans, more commonly known as the Babylonians. Coincidentally, we studied the Hebrew culture during the week of Yom Kippur, a holiday celebrating the Jewish new year. Out of the three civilizations, the Assyrians definitely fought the fiercest battle of conquest. They built their empire by ravaging existing towns and exploiting the conquered peoples' resources. The Assyrains also contributed much to world politics, however, through their communication systems, road ways, trade, well-organized government, and taxation policies. The Babylonians created an even greater empire in turn. Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, built one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, for his homesick wife. Next week we will continue our studies with Persia and Africa.

 

Sadly, Mrs. Miller and her daughters, Olivia and Emma, were unable to come this week because of the flu. All of the students and faculty at Walden send them a get-well wish!
-Madelaine Romito

Understandings

 

MEET... KIM CRAYNE! One of the visual arts teachers at Walden.
Q. Art is great! What are so some tips for the Walden artists?
A. My tip would be to play. Try to do something you're not used to. See yourself as an artist. Mix in things you have learned in class.

Q. What is your favorite part about Walden Community School?

A. I like all the people and I like the sharing that goes on. I really like concept of this school and seeing people figure out it's safe to explore.

Q. What are you most looking forward to this year?

A. I am looking forward to painting, displaying our work, learnung how to look at work and talk about it, art field trips, art outside, and murals. I'm also looking forward to doing more with bodies and self portraits.

Q. How do the kids inspire you?

A. I am inspired to see what skilled them have and show them tricks to build on their skills. The modeling is also helpful. During studio time people can bring stuff they want to do.

-Interview conducted by Carrie Mikulka and Sasha Berman

Trivia

To go along with our humanities lessons for the week, here are some facts about the Hebrew culture:

• Did you know that the first five books of the Old Testament comprise the Torah?
• Did you know that the menorah represents the eight days of light only one day's worth of oil lasted?
• Did you know that the Hebrew word "Shalom" means "peace"?
• Did you know that, according to the Jewish calendar, this year is actually 5769?
• Did you know that only 2% of the world's population is Jewish?
  -Madelaine Romito

Hope you enjoyed this week's edition of The W.A.L.N.U.T.!

-Katie Mikulka and Madelaine Romito, Editors-in-Chief

 

    The student-edited blog of the Walden Community School  

Weekly
This week’s fieldtrip took us to PetSmart. While their we came across some very cute animals such as kittens, birds, fancy mice, fish, and Guinea pigs! While we were debating what pet we should get, Mrs. Karin found a website that was selling two female Guinea pigs! So there is a 99.9% chance that these two little ladies will become Walnuts! See below for a list of the various guinea pigs breeds.
-Sidney McCall

Arts & Activities
This week in art, we worked on using view finders while drawing pictures. We also applied what we had learned about gesture drawing, value, and contour drawing. We continue to become more familiar with new materials, such as charcoal, and are learning to use them without making a huge mess, although Carrie and Abby seem to still be struggling. In our dance and drama class, we continued to work on our Fall/Halloween production. Make sure to check out the "Understandings" section for an interview with our wonderful dance teacher, Ms. Paula K. Gale. As a note to all our Walden Actors, REMEMBER TO LEARN YOUR LINES FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!
-Katie Mikulka

 

Lists

In lieu of our long-awaited decision on a pet, the list below details the multifarious breeds of guinea pigs:

• Abyssinian: these guinea pigs are unique because of their medium length fur which swirls around their bodies in endless cowlicks.
• Alpaca (Boucle): these guinea pigs have a long waxy coat that almost forms a sphere around its poor little body.
• American/English Smooth Coat: the smooth-coated guinea pigs have short, slick hair that grows in a multitude of colors, both solid and multi-colored.
• Coronet: these guinea pigs slightly resemble maltese puppies with long, smooth hair that parts down the guinea pigs' back, but also have a crest on their foreheads 
• Hairless: there are two varieties, the skinny pigs and balwins, which only have tufts of hair on their nose and feet or have no hair at all, respectively.
• Merino: this guinea pig has long hair similar to a coronet except for the wavy texture.
• Peruvian: this guinea pig has long, straight hair which grows towards it face.
• Sheltie: similar to the Peruvian breed, this guinea pig's long hair grows away from its face.
• Teddy/Rex: actually two different breeds, the Teddy and the Rex have identical short, thick, soft hair but differ in genetic make-up.
• Texel: this guinea pig has medium length hair which growths in waves and curls.
  
  
  Who knew so many breeds of guinea pigs existed?
  
  
  (information gathered from http://www.diddly-di.fsnet.co.uk/Breeds%20&%20Varieties.htm)
  -Madelaine Romito 

Aren't they sweet?

News & Need-to-knows

    It seems we have found some available, and conveniently economically friendly, guinea pigs right here in the Orlando area. The two litters of available pigs range from eight to three weeks old, the younger cavies being the more expensive at $20 each. The-eight week-old guineas are actually free to a good home with the purchase of a cage and are otherwise $10 as compared to the much more exorbitant prices at the local pet stores. What matters most, however, is that these guinea pigs need homes, and the Walnuts are eager to provide a most loving one.

       This Friday, Mrs. Miller distributed Individual Study Plan forms to the Upper School students. The forms outlines each student's anticipated accomplishments for the school year, including his or her FLVS courses, Walden courses, independent studies, community service activites, and standardized test preparation. Parents, please review these forms with your student(s) to keep track of their progress. Feel free to contact Mrs. Miller with any questions you may have.

         Also for the upper school students, there will be a performing and visual arts college fair in Tampa on Sunday, October 19th.The fair starts at 1:00 P.M. and ends at 3:00 P.M. Due to the location and date of the fair, this is not scheduled as a school field trip; however, a few of our students plan to attend, so we encourage you to travel together.

    One last note for the tenth and eleventh graders only, the PSAT will be held on Wednesday, October 15th at all Orange and Seminole County public schools and most private schools. The only test center for Saturday, October 18th is Trinity Prep. Be sure to sign up as soon as possible if you need to do so.

-Madelaine Romito

 

 

Understandings

This week, Carrie and Sasha interveiwed Ms. Paula K. Gale, our dance and drama teacher. Here is what she had to say:

MEET...PAULA K. GALE!

Q: What do you like most about teaching dance at Walden? 

A. The children; I love the kids.

Q: Do you like there should be more schools like Walden? Why or why not? 

A: Yes, because it is all about learning and fun, doing and experiencing. 

Q: What kind of performances are you planing for this year?

A: First of all we do our fall festival/Halloween dance, Christmas/Hanukkah dance, Spring festival, and end of the year play. 

 

Q: Do you think there should more of less kids in you class? Why or why not?

A: I have no problem with the number of kids, I can have 2 kids or 99 kids!

 

Q: How do you manage all the different age groups in your class?

A: Cleverly!

-interview conducted by Carrie Mikulka and Sasha Berman

 

Trivia

And now for some small animal trivia:

 

All pet hamsters are descended from a single female wild golden hamster found with a litter of 12 young in Syria in 1930.

A rat can last longer without water than a camel can.

The mouse is the most common mammal in the US.

Guinea pigs are rodents that originated in South America.

A chinchilla’s tail looks like a squirrels' tail and accounts for about one third of their length.
-Skipper Williamson

 

       

"To think, to grow, to make a difference" is the Walden School's mantra, and to honor that spirit, here are some simple ways to contribute to our world. Just click on the boxes below.

Every time you win an educational game, you donate rice to feed underprivileged people. You can learn while helping others who really need!

  This site is just like any other search engine, but every search donates money to a worthy cause.
    Thanks for reading this week's edition of the W.A.L.N.U.T. Check back next Friday for an all new edition!   - Madelaine and Katie, Editors-in-cheif

 

The Student-Written Blog of the Walden Community School!

Weekly

This week's field trip took us to UCF. While there, we visited the SMA (Stormwater Management Academy.) The SMA strives to find ways to use cleaner and environmentally friendly products. One of the things that they are working on is using better products that will prevent runoff water (water that doesn't make it to the sewer system). An example of one of their experiments is green roofs. Green roofs are flower beds that are on roof tops. One of the positive things about these is that on flat roofs, water usually sits and creates mold, but if there is a green roof on top of it, then all the water will be absorbed into the soil. Not only that, but the plants will help lower air temperatures, reduce heating and cooling bills, clean and retain rainwater, and add beauty to roof tops I mean would you want have a hotel room or apartment building overlooking a dirty, smelly roof or would you rather wake up in the morning smelling Jasmine and honeysuckles looking down to down at a green paradise?   

 

Postal Script: WE ALL LOVED IT!!
-Sidney McCall

Please view the slideshow of pictures from our trip!
(If you cannot see the slideshow window, try doubleclicking in the space below.)

Arts & Activities
This week in art we worked on negative space and volume drawing. We then used charcoal paper to practice the principles of the new drawing techniques. Needless to say,  Carrie + Abby + Maddy + Charcoal = A Big Mess ² . Unfortunately, we don't know how much longer Kim and Byron will be with us because it looks like Kim will give birth to their fourth child within the next few weeks. In dance, we made great progress on our Halloween production. Sidney finished her script, and we are working on learning our lines. Sadly, Skipper landed wrong on her right foot and is now recovering from a slight fracture. In science related news, we will begin planting our garden on Monday. Remember to dress for a mess!
-Katie Mikulka

Lists
This week's list of tidbits includes a bit about our field trip. These are the types of pervious pavements by Stone Age Pavers, as introduced to us by our friend Mike Hardin at UCF:

1. Flexi-pave: Mike's personal favorite, Flexi-pave not only makes use of a non-disposable material but also helps diminish stormwater collection. The pavement is made of bits of rubber tire and small stones cemented together with a water-activated polyurethane binding agent. Underneath the Flexi-pave lies an embedded foundation of larger rocks, allowing stormwater to seep through the Flexi-pave and into the ground rather than puddle and collect chemicals on a regular impervious surface such as asphalt. 
2. Pavers: These bricks are no ordinary pavers! Before laying the bricks, layers of rock, similar to the foundation under the Flexi-pave, create a foundation. The company's design is effective because they leave gaps between the pavers that they fill with pea gravel to enable the water to filter through to the ground.
3. Pervious Concrete: Along the same principle of the Flexi-pave, pervious concrete consists of bits of concrete with enough holes to enable water to filter through to the ground.
4. Pervious Asphalt: Mike's least favorite product due to its relative ineffectiveness, the pervious asphalt follows the same principle as the Flexi-pave and the pervious concrete except with small stone and asphalt. As Mike demonstrated, the water does not seep through this material nearly as well as the other products.
To think that all of these products have a life just as long as the asphalt and concrete we have on our streets and sidewalks today. And they cost approximately the same amount as standard paving. Ms. Karin may even consider ordering a Flexi-pave driveway for Walden!
-Madelaine Romito

News & Need-to-knows
In keeping with our field trip to UCF, this week's science lessons focused mainly on environmental studies, specifically the negative effects of stormwater. We also discussed green roofs and their benefits. In addition to the possible Flexi-pave driveway, Ms. Karin wants to apply for a grant for a green roof at Walden to support our environmental awareness. We even traveled the world again with Ms. Gretchen and her humanities lessons. This week we learned about the three kingdoms of Ancient Egypt, which collapsed around 671 B.C.E. We even took a virtual tour through an excavated pyramid in Giza, Egypt.

 We also excavated our "mummified" apples. As a group we concluded that, should you ever need to mummify a piece of fruit, definitely go with a mixture of epsom salt and table salt.

And just a note for those of you who love animals as we do: poor Herman the Tortoise passed away on Wednesday night due to a vitamin deficiency. As hard as Abigail tried to restore his health, Herman's soft shell never healed. Please bow your head for a moment of silence in honor of our departed friend. On the brightside, Abby now has a new and slightly larger tortoise named Billy Redfoot!
-Madelaine Romito

Understandings

MEET MARK HARDIN, UCF Environmental Engineer
Q: 

What do you do at your job?
A: Basically, a large part of my job is to conduct research on storm water management practices.

Q: Why did you choose to be an environmental engineer?
A: Well, I love problem solving math and science.  I wanted to do a job that I would have a positive impact on the environment.

Q: What is your favorite part about working at UCF?
A: I guess I would have to say going out and having tours to groups like yours.

Q: Why are green roofs important?
A: I would have to say the reason they are so important they mimic our natural environment in our most urban areas.

Q: What are some of your life goals?
A: My life goals line up with most people I want to have a positive impact on my community and support my family.
-interview conducted by Carrie Mikulka and Sasha Berman

Trivia

Here are a few facts about water conservation:

• Close to 50% of the water used in a home originates from the bathroom.
• A small drip from a faucet can waste up to 50 gallons of water daily, which is enough water to run a dishwasher twice.
• The average person can live about a month without eating any food, but can only live about a week without water.
• Approximately 70 percent of the Earth is covered with water. Only 1 percent of the water is drinkable.
  -Skipper Williamson

We hope you enjoyed this week's edition of the W.A.L.N.U.T.!
-Katie Mikulka and Madelaine Romito, editors-in-chief