Friday, Oct. 11, 2013 :-(

Well, the last day has arrived. The kids are sad as well as the adults. It has a been a fantastic week for everyone. Adults and kids alike are raving about it. The few bouts of homesickness quickly dissipated by Tuesday. Today the kids and adults will fill out evaluations about their experiences here at NC. Then it is on to cleaning the cabins. Our cabin had a plethora of unclaimed socks and various clothing. If your child is missing something it is on the floor of Chalet in Freedom, NH. It amazes me when I pick up a pair of sweatpants from the floor and ask whose they are and everyone of them says “Not mine”. Really!! Someone's parents had to pack them.

For our final breakfast we had french toast and bacon. They loved it. There was only 2 pounds of ORT. They'll have their last field group, eat lunch at 11, then pack the bus to head home. You will have very tired children on your hands. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don't forget to check out the pictures at:

Nature's Classroom Pictures

This picture says it all. "Bye  Bye".

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013

Happy Thursday!! This week is flying by. The children are having a blast. This morning started with, of course, a nice melody to wake up to from Metallica. Breakfast was great. They had the least amount of ORT because it was pancakes and sausages. Then they got play what is deemed the biggest game of tag in NH, Predator vs. Prey. First, they talked about food chains and food webs a big group. Then the kids were broken up in groups of different animals. As the game progresses the predators need to tag the prey. Then the prey now becomes the predator. They do this for an hour and a half.

I must say these kids are not neat freaks. As you look at the photo album you will see pictures of what a disaster the room (Aborn boys) looks like. And talk about the smell. Gross. Parents, I don't envy you washing their clothes. I think you'll have to fumigate their shoes.

After a meal of hot dogs, mac & cheese and chili con carne for lunch we celebrated Ashley's birthday with a couple cakes for dessert. Thank you Mr. Folan for supplying everything. The studetns headed into their field groups and practiced their skits for Thursday Night Live. Class selection today consisted of shark and rat dissections, float your boat, forest fires, and mini structures. Make sure you ask your child about the classes they took up here. I'm sure they'll have a lot to say about them. I watched the rat dissections and must say YUCK!!! However, the kids were cutting limbs and its insides without a problem. The skits tonight were hysterical. Everyone did a great job. Our hosts Rufio and Flynn also did some really funny stuff. I think we do have some future actors in our midst. Mrs. Hennessey was able to spider web the boys cabin while we were at TNL. Needless to say the boys want revenge. Perhaps tomorrow. Good Night.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013

Oh what a great day. The weather was fantastic and the kids, and adults, are having sooooo much fun. To start the day the boys were woken to the melodic sounds of Judas Priest. They were not ready to get up this morning. Once I got them motivated and showered we had a breakfast fit for a lumberjack. Bagels, eggs, and bacon. Yum!! The adults have been consuming an awful lot of coffee though.

After a short transition time of basketball, soccer, and football the kids had a class. Today they had a choice of shark dissection, tree tag, WWF, animal tracking, and deer survival. Watching the shark dissection I was thoroughly disgusted, but the kids loved it. After another transition the kids met in the dining hall and packed their lunches for their 4 hour hike. With their field groups the kids went on a looooong hike into the woods around the property. They learned many things such as how to recognize the different tracks of animals, survival techniques, played games, practiced skits for TNL, and many other activities. They got back at 4 and still stayed outside to play sports. These kids never tire.
Din Din tonight was a macaroni and cheese type dish with chicken and biscuits. The kids loved it. They ate a ton and had only three and half pounds of ORT. It was probably due to the fact that were outside hiking for four hours straight.

During the multicultural night the students learned about cultures from around the world. First, they discussed what cultures are and gave examples. They came up with some great examples. Some of the cultures they learned about was Japan. In this group they learned how to create oragami turtles. They did a great job. Another culture they explored was Scottish. For this activity they participated in the stone throw from the Scottish Highland Games. These kids are strong. The kids learned to hula and the meaning of the hand movements. I tried it too and Rufio said I move my hips very well. We ended the night with another quiet sing and back to wrestle the kids to sleep. With any luck they will fall asleep quickly because of the hike. Good Night.

Happy Wednesday!!

Happy Wednesday!!!

Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013

What a great Monday night. The boys went to sleep around 11:45 and the girls around 11. Morning came nice and early for them. I, of course, am not sympathetic in waking them up. Today it was Motley Crue, Wildside. I hope you enjoy the video of it. Mrs. Hennessey was more subtle. She shook them awake. After a breakfast french toast sticks and sausages the kids went into their field groups. Some of them went on hikes and others learned sciency things. After that they had transition time in which they played basketball, football, and soccer. Some kids just sat around because they were exhausted. Rest? What rest?

For their first class they could pick from things like water rockets, alternative energy, and burma bridge building. These are the types of things that they would not get from a regular classroom lesson. Later, their second class was learning how to survive on the Appalachian Trail or pig dissection, Jelly Bellyology, egg drop, or grossology just to name a few. The classes are awesome and expose the kids to stuff they would never had thought of sitting in a classroom.

Tonight was Taco Tuesday. The kids gobbled them up. They then had an ice cream sandwich for dessert. After a short transition time everyone got ready and met at the rec hall for the night hike. The counselors take the kids out in the dark and they do neat little things you can only do in the dark such as seeing sparks when you eat a wintergreen lifesaver or sparks from a flint rock. They were excited to do this activity. After a quiet sing it was back to the cabins to put the little cherubs to bed. We put them put bed but it doesn't mean they sleep. Talk to you tomorrow.

Link to Nature's Classroom Picture

Some people have been asking to see more pictures.  Normally I put them up after we get back but here is a link to the pictures: 

Nature's Classroom Pictures

I will be adding more pictures as the week goes on so keep on checking back.

Monday Oct. 7, 2013

Well, we made it up here around 11 with only a couple of kids feeling car sick.  The good thing is there was no crying.  By the way, the kids have already forgotten about you. It was a foggy ride but the kids didn't mind because they were watching Monsters Inc. The rain started  about a half hour before we got here and got heavier just as we arrived. The kids didn't mind. They practiced a fire drill because safety is of the utmost importance up here.

For lunch they served grilled cheese, french fries, tomato soup, and there is also a salad bar. The kids also have a choice of a soynut peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Every student is going to get a chance to be the waitron of their table. The waitron shows up 15 minutes before the meal to set the table, serve the food, and picks up the table. Some kids signed up twice. At lunch they learned about ORT. ORT is the left over food on their plates and in their bowls. The staff weighs the ORT and then chart it for each meal. For lunch they had 15 pounds of ORT. Our goal is zero pounds. Hopefully they can do it.
After lunch they went with their field groups to get know each other for an hour. After they went back to the cabins to organize their beds and clothes. My cabin is already a pig sty because organized is not in a fifth graders vocabulary. During their field group the kids chose a class to take. Some of the choices were Camo/Stalking, wild edibles, roller coasters, shelter building, and hot air balloons. They are having a blast.

After a game of basketball in the rain it was dinner. Tonight's menu consisted of spaghetti, sauce, meatballs, bread, and asparagus. Yes, I was surprised too but couldn't believe how many kids ate it. There was 11 pounds of ORT.  We then had a trivia contest of kids vs. adults. I must say the kids came up with a few stumpers. Then they went to the rec hall and had a science fair in which learned about different experiments. Walking around I noticed how interested they were in what the counselor was talking about. After a quiet sing and it was back to the cabin. Needless to say I'm sure tonight will be a late night because they are wired.

Unloading the luggage assembly line

NC 2013 is almost here. Yipppeeeeee!!!!

Here we are less than a week left until our 2013 trip to Freedom, NH.  This will the first time that all of the students will be going to Nature's Classroom.  We are so excited.  Hopefully we will have a great week of weather.  However, sometimes it does rain so be prepared.
This will Mrs. Hennessey's eighth year going to NC and my seventh year.  We love going every year because it is great to see the kids just having fun and learning things they normally learn in a classroom.
We will see everyone next Monday, Oct. 7th, by 8:30 a.m. in the CVS parking lot in the back.