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).