During PEH I read, I did mystery science, and I listened to The Golden Compass. We played with magnets and we mixed oil and iron powder and we took droppers and we dropped them into jars of water. We took a magnet and we moved it around the jar so then the iron powder and oil mixed together would come with the magnet. Then we took silly putty and iron powder and mixed it together and tried to turn it black. It was light pink so we couldn’t turn it fully grey. The silly putty did not work the way the guy showed in the video, but it did get attracted by the magnets.

New things I did:

We made a Spanish restaurant in school and the waiters (Nancy and her Spanish friends) only spoke in Spanish for about 40 minutes. They couldn’t understand any English. So we had to order in Spanish and I got Pho (mostly everyone got Pho, if you don’t know what Pho is it’s a Vietnamese soup that has noodles & chicken, and you can put in Siracha).

I walked to a butterfly garden. It was very mosquito-y but very beautiful. I got to see some butterflies, but mostly caterpillars. I got to hold one. I learned the stages of a caterpillar.

 

During PEH I read a lot. Also I listened to The Golden Compass. I also did Mystery Science. We played with magnets and watched a video about them and got some pretty cool ideas for what to do with magnets. We saw some projects but Nancy didn’t have all the material to do them, but hopefully next week we will have that material. So one of the projects we did do was take a paper clip and tie a small string to it and put a magnet above it and the paper clip will levitate.

Something new I did this week was play basketball. I felt really good when I was reading and writing. Speaking of writing I did writer’s workshop (not during PEH) but it was very fun to write in writer’s workshop. We did an off campus writer’s workshop and an on campus writer’s workshop and they were both very fun.

Next week I plan to do more reading, do more writing, and maybe start the ukele.

(dictated to Nancy)

 

 

During PEH (personal engagement hour) I read, I listened to the golden compass, and I did mystery science. First I did sight words with the words you can’t sound out, you just have to know them. I had some somebody tell me what the words were. Then they did it one more time and then I memorized them. I would keep saying them over and over and over again. Then I wrote them. And that was one of the projects. I read some easy books and it feels good to know that I can read at least some things, because now I know what it feels like to read them.

During mystery science they talked about how to win a tug of war with an elephant. I didn’t think it was very interesting because the answer was put roller skates on it or put ice under it and I thought it was going to be a sciency thing. And then they talked about how to explode a watermelon and this answer was a little bit more interesting. What you would do is take one rubber band and put it around the watermelon, and then another, and on and on and on and then finally, once you put on the last rubber band it would finally explode. We also made hoppers.

I also encourage you to try mystery science it’s very fun and cool, I don’t know if there is always a project at the end but last time it was very fun to make hoppers.

 

**Bonus Writing Prompt**

How old were you four years ago? Describe some things you can do now that you could not do then.

When I was four years old I couldn’t do a lot of things. I couldn’t read at all, I couldn’t do a full split, also I couldn’t respond to people as well as I can now.

Imagine you woke up and saw a dinosaur in your backyard. Write a story telling what you see and do.

First I would calm myself down. Then I would make sure it knew that I was safe and I wouldn’t hurt anything. Then I would take a moment to sit down and think about “Wow, there is a dinosaur in my backyard.” Then I would freak out a little bit. Then I would take pictures and tell other people there’s a dinosaur in my backyard. Then some sort of animal control would probably come and take it.

Imagine you opened your own restaurant. Tell the name of your restaurant. Explain what the restaurant looks like, who works there, and what you serve. 

It would be a small pescatarian restaurant. If you don’t know what pescatarian is, it’s not vegetarian. You can’t eat any other meat but fish, crabs, and that kind of stuff. It would be turquoise with a purple door and it would be called “Healthy Foods.” I want it to be one of those places where you see how they make the food, like Chipotle. There would be lots of salad options and lots of fish options. They would have those counters you eat at, with the long chairs with no back to help people with their posture, so they can notice that they are slouching. They would have green seats. My employees would be very happy and I would let them take breaks whenever they wanted to and I would make sure they felt good with what they were doing. And I would make sure my customers were having good food and they felt good. I would have a gluten free/dairy free dessert menu.

This year I hope to:

• Write lots of children’s books
• Practice more gymnastics
• Do more Crossfit
• Look up the places I want to travel to
• Practice organizing more: my day, my room, my life
• Practice yoga more

Next week I intend to:

• Capture more ideas for books
• Practice gymnastics
• Go do a Crossfit kids workout

My week

Monday:

Biztown – I don’t actually do Biztown, but since we had the interviews, I got to help out. I had fun helping because I got to run back and forth calling people for interviews.

NeverEnding Story- You guys know already about the NES from my last blog, so all I’m really going to say was it was good and I love hearing the NeverEnding Story.

I did gratitude circle. I love gratitude circle because I feel like I can express myself in whatever way I want.

Math U See – I love Math U See because it is very fun and I end up feeling like it’s not even math, but I’m still learning math.

Tuesday:

NeverEnding Story- you guys already know about that.

Make Sandwiches for the neighbors/homeless at Urban Ministries – I like making sandwiches because I feel like I’m working in a factory and that feels fun. It felt like I was contributing to our neighbors.

Ayan’s around the sun – I don’t have much to say about Ayan’s around the sun because it’s mostly like every other birthday that we do at the school.

Group game – I like group games because it’s where the whole group gets together and plays a game.

Evan’s trip report – If you’re wondering what Evan’s trip report is, he went to see the founder of Amazon, named Jeff Bezos, and he brought stuff back to show everybody.

Hang out with Nancy – I did some stuff with Nancy that was fun.

Wednesday:

I watched A Christmas Story which was really fun and funny. I like A Christmas Story a lot because it’s funny and kind of weird, but if you really think about it it’s cool.

Urban Ministries trip – We delivered the sandwiches and got a little tour of Urban Ministries. I felt very grateful that I could come and see them.

Thursday:

Saw the Nutcracker – I loved the Nutcracker. For one, my friend named Isabella was in it. She was a mouse. Second of all, there were really, really good dancers and I loved watching them dance. I also loved the music and the scenery.

Show practice: I like show practice because I am a little sister in the show and I love acting that I am younger than my actual age.

Played Squirrels and Trees (human rights game) and had human rights discussion with Tina – I had fun learning about human rights and the refugees. I learned new things like what human rights are and some about why refugees leave their home countries. I shared at the discussion that I wish that people could just talk things out instead of fighting.

Friday:

Sewing – I had a lot of fun sewing because I am planning to make a zoo with all the animals I sew. I have a panda, an elephant, and I’m working on a flamingo. Jess, one of the facilitators, gave me a really good idea for the beak of the flamingo.

 

Monday:

The NeverEnding Story: I like the story because it is an adventurous story. I get so absorbed in the book that I feel like I’m in it, just like Bastian in the book when he is reading it. He turns out to really be in it.

I played Sardines with the whole school. I thought that was really fun because the whole school was playing it together and I like when that happens.

Gratitude Circle: I love Gratitude Circle because it makes me feel very happy and it makes me feel calm and joyous. And this week we did gratitude outside and it made me feel even more happy because it was a beautiful day.

Tuesday:

My friends at school are making a TV show and I am in it. It is really fun to practice and I feel very happy doing it.

I drew and drawing makes me very happy and excited. My drawings had bright colors and dark colors, sparkly colors. The drawings were lines.

I celebrated Louisa’s birthday.

Wednesday:

Ella’s Big Chance: I saw a play at the children’s theater. It was called Ella’s Big Chance. It was like Cinderalla, but not completely the same. There was a prince in Cinderella and a duke in this play. In this one Ella made clothes and in the book she did servant stuff. At some parts it was funny, at some parts sad, at some parts happy.

I played Epic Rock Paper Scissors where the whole school found a partner and played rock paper scissors. The person who lost became a cheerleader for them until the last two people did rock paper scissors and the winner became the champion.

Thursday:

I went on one of the best hikes I have ever been on. It is in my top four. We went to the White Water Center. I loved it so much because Jess brought a tree guide and Charlotte brought a wildflower so I could identify leaves and trees and wildflowers.

Friday:

I walked to The Plaza, mailed something for Nancy, went to Harris Teeter, and went to a clothes store.

It was a great week.

MONDAY:

Fantastic Mr. Fox. I like Fantastic Mr. Fox because the book and the movie were very funny. They were disturbing at some parts but not really scary. The movie was different from the book. I had a lot of fun listening to the book and watching the movie. I liked the book better because it had more details.

I liked gratitude circle because it was a peaceful time in the day and I got to share my gratitude with the people I have gratitude with. And I like it because because people share their gratitude with me and that feels really good.

I like group games because the whole school gets together and plays a game together. I feel happy when we do that because I get to play with the people I rarely play with and don’t know very well and I get to know them better.

TUESDAY:

We started The NeverEnding Story. I really like it because it has a lot of adventures, it’s a little bit sad. I love that it’s a long story because when it’s a long story I feel like it never ends. That’s why I like the NeverEnding Story.

I drew the whole day on Tuesday – while we read the NeverEnding Story and the rest of the day. I had a sad morning and didn’t feel like having a packed day, so I planned to draw all day and read The NeverEnding Story. Drawing is peaceful and keeps me distracted.

WEDNESDAY:

I did group game, drew again, read The NeverEnding Story, and did Change UP.

THURSDAY:

Crafts. I did a bunch of crafts. It was very fun. I talked to people while I did them.

FRIDAY:

I drew, I read the NeverEnding Story, I did crafts, and I am going to sell the crafts this weekend to make money for climbing shoes.

 

 

Most exciting day of the week: Wednesday because I did a performance with the Amy Steinburg Theatre Group. I sang two songs and I acted in two plays. I got nervous at the start and it was kind of weird to be looking at a bunch of people in the audience. I tried to look at the performers more than the audience. It helped.

Most mysterious day of the week: Tuesday because I read Bunnicula in the room where we have the bunny. By the way, Bunnicula is a book about a bunny that is a vampire.

Happiest day of the week: Monday. We finished Mrs. Fisby and the Rats of NIMH and we selected a new book, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I wrote a note to Duck Donuts saying “You guys and girls need to make gluten-free donuts.”

My favorite day of the week: Wednesday because I performed with the theatre group. It made me feel happy, I was full of joy because it was fun doing the play.

 

 

What was your favorite day of this week and why?

Thursday because we went to Hideaway Woods. I loved that there was a lot to do there. At first it seemed like just a treehouse but there was a lot more to do.

What did you do this week that you are proud?

I’m proud of what we accomplished in Theatre Workshop with Amy Steinberg. We are working towards four different performances. I’m also proud of how quickly we’ve been reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm.

What was your favorite activity of the week and why?

Theatre with Amy Steinberg, because I love stretching my body and doing stuff with my body.

I also had a really fun time marbling paper a few weeks ago and bookbinding and I’m remembering that now.