Open Door, Open Minds Conference- Fun and Exciting

On Tuesday, Oct. 18,  sixteen 6th grade girls, as well as several 7th and 8th grade girls,  had the opportunity to spend a day at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.  Each girl was assigned two different classes to attend that introduced them to the field of medical science, engineering, computers, math, chemistry, and many other career fields.  After the hands-on classes, the girls had the opportunity to eat lunch in the Coe College cafeteria.  Believe me..... the girls enjoyed getting to choose whatever they wanted to eat.  I don't think the "heathy kids act" would have appreciated what the girls choose.  I saw a lot of cookies, ice cream, slushies, and chicken nuggets being consumed!!  The girls loved it! After lunch we attended an expo fair where the girls got to hold snakes, look through microscopes, see a robotic demonstration, play with magnets and electricity, and several other fun exhibits.  Lastly, we attended a gross anatomy demonstration by the medical school at the Univ. of Iowa.  The girls had the opportunity to feel a real brain, lungs, and heart.  It was a great way to end the day!
  

Author Carol Gorman Visit to Lincoln Elementary

Carol Gorman, author of Dork in Disguise and Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid will be a guest at Lincoln Elementary on Friday, November 4.  She will speak to each grade level, answer questions, and autograph copies of her books.  Teachers at Lincoln have been reading aloud from Carol’s books so students are familiar with Carol’s writing.
The following titles by Carol will be available for purchase at Lincoln starting Thursday, October 20^th - Dork in Disguise $5, Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid $6, and Stumptown Kid $8. 

Conference Schedule

I will be at Stewart for conferences on Tuesday evening, Oct. 18 from 4:00-8:00, and then at Lincoln for conferences on Thursday evening, Oct. 20 from 4:00-8:00.  If these times do not work for you, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Black Angel Visit Exciting

     I am here to announce that a week after many 6th grade ELP students kissed the Black Angel..... they are still attending Lincoln Elementary with no signs of missing fingers, immediate death, or black clouds of danger hanging over their heads!!
      The fieldtrip on Oct. 4 was absolutely fantastic.  We arrived at the Hoover Historical site about 9:45 and then found our seats in the auditorium.  Julie Zahs, wife of former Jr. High teacher, Mike Zahs, first talked about cemeteries and showed various monuments and gravestone symbols.  Then the author of the book that we read together, "Here Lies Linc", Delia Ray, talked to the kids about how she researched the Black Angel and facts about the book.  It was very interesting to hear her talk about the writing process.
     After the book talk, we were treated to a free lunch on the Herbert Hoover Memorial site.  The children got to choose between ham, roast beef, or turkey wraps.  The lunch also included string cheese, oreo cookies, and juice boxes.
     Our final stop of the day was the Oakland Cemetery.  We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to walk through the cemetery and observe the unique stones, including the Black Angel.  The kids thought it was pretty cool to view and touch the stone.  I have to admit that I still find  the angel kind of freaky.  I only took pictures of the KIDS touching the stone.... I wasn't willing to take any chances!!