PHIPPSBURG EXPLORER'S LOG

I hope that everyone was able to enjoy the long weekend. With a Monday holiday, the week flies by here at school. We have several events coming up next week. On Monday, we will practice our first lockdown drill of the year. This is a safety drill that we practice, much like our fire drills. Students will go to a safe location, which is designated by the classroom teacher, and wait quietly for a brief period. Teachers will go over this in advance with students, and debrief afterward. On Tuesday, we will have special guest speakers from the Phippsburg Fire Department that will bring their trucks and speak to us about fire prevention and safety. It should be an exciting day!

As a reminder, students who are dropped off at school should arrive at 8:20. When waiting for students to enter or exit the school building, please be mindful not to block access to the school's parking lot.

Did you know glaciers store approximately 75 percent of the world's fresh water? Fourth and fifth grade students from the district’s Gifted and Talented program learned this fun fact and much more on their first GATE Day of the year! This year’s GATE topic of study is ice, and our first day of shared learning focused on Earth's cryosphere, glaciers, and climate science.

Students brainstormed about concepts such as why it is colder at higher altitudes and why there is ice at the poles, then they learned scientific answers. Many thoughtful ideas were shared throughout the day before, during, and after watching videos, reading handout materials, viewing slideshows, and conducting brief experiments.

Through one experiment, students learned that saltwater and freshwater have different freezing points. Another experiment simulated the relationship between glacier recession and sea level rise. While analyzing photographs during a partner activity, students discussed their observations of glacier change over time and hypothesized why so much glacier recession might be happening.

Toward the end of our day together, students were asked to consider how glaciers and ice change the shape of the world. They also were asked to discuss the questions what happens if all the ice melts, and what can we do to help stabilize the climate? Based on some of their questions and insights, it seems we have some future scientists in the making!

For their next scheduled GATE Day in November, students will head to the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College to learn about Arctic culture and traditions.