ALL NEW website 2011

The strawberry plants that Timor the grounds keeper planted are blooming now.  Won't be long for those who love them so much--might be a share challenge, though???

Spinach!!  Rachel is hoping to have Spinach to make her spinach and strawberry salad that she loves so much.  The covered markets here have the imported strawberries this week, and soon the local strawberries will be for sale.  They are much smaller, but reportedly also much sweeter.

The radishes in the school garden are up and abundant.  The 3 and 4 year olds planted them.  Can you tell?

 Spring

has

spung,

Yippy!!!!

The grade 6 student has finished his unit on Geometry and is "teaching" a few classes for the 4th graders as they begin their Geometry unit.  "Mr. Slava" has been quite effective.

Our biography unit included one about Rachel Carson, PA native who wrote a book called "The Edge of the Sea", while the science units included geology  and properties of matter.  We had a really nice Spring afternoon of learning at the beach.  We picked up a lot of litter, too--as we talked about pollution and ecology.

This was taken at Dinara's birthday dinner.  From left to right are:

Madina,

Dinara's Mother,

Dinara,

Dinara's Grandmother,

Gunay,

and Anya

Notice the bulletin board the class made in the background of the large photo above the cardinal stained glass project.  The social studies units were studies of The Middle Ages and The Renaissance, during which time stained glass artistry developed.  The reading unit focus was the creation of, and expression of, the mental images one forms while reading text.

ABOVE is a shot of my apartment building beyond the hilltop statue honoring a famous Musician whose name I do not know how to write.  My apartment is on the south side (right in the picture) of the section closest to the statue.

BELOW is my colleague and friend, Rachel, being chased by one of her 3 year-old students.  The rule is they have to stay in the tracks.  The children all have to wear their winter garb to school and it is great to be able to go out and play in the snow.  The school yard is a protected area where they can enjoy productive, safe activity.  [Sad, but safe--the rule is no throwing of snow!]  Building is okay. 

Caspian Sea Coquina is a conglomeration of ancient shelled animals.  It is used as a building material here in Aktau.  Some of it has a pinkish color.  I have a chunk of it made into a doorstop.  It can be quite beautiful because of it lace-like texture.