We have arrived!!

As you must have heard already, Upper Elementary students, teachers and chaperones had an awesome time at Camp McDowell, learning in the 1200 acre environmental classroom.  We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to our parent chaperones; Mr. Michael DeSocio (Carson DeSocio's dad) and Mr. Spencer Atkins (Trey Atkins's dad) for providing their time, expertise and transportation to our luggage.  We couldn't have done it without their support!!
We took A LOT of pictures while the kids were in action, which will be posted on the blog soon, so keep checking.... 

Here is a group picture of students before departing the camp Wednesday afternoon.  Say Cheese!!! 

 
and here's a silly one....

Rain or Shine....Here we come!!

Luggage is on....We are ready for Camp McDowell!!

Newsletter: April 2nd, 2014

Time for Camp McDowell

Are you ready to have fun while you learn?

The most awaited field trip of the school year is here already!  We are extremely excited about the camp next week and looking forward to one of the most memorable camping experiences.  Students are required to arrive at their regular time of 8:00 am on Monday, April 7^th.

Helpful Hints for packing:

·        Limit yourself to one duffel bag or small suitcase and a rolled up sleeping bag.
·        Put your name on everything
·        Bring old clothes and shoes.  You will get wet and muddy.
·        A rain coat or poncho is essential because classes are held outdoors rain or shine.
·        Refer to your student packet for what to bring and what not to bring. 
Be prepared to have fun!
 

Medications

ALL MEDICATIONS must be given directly to a teacher in a labeled zip lock bag (with student’s name on it) by Monday morning. 

 Important Note for Parents

As there is no reliable cell service at Camp McDowell, we will call Ms. Joan upon successful arrival to the camp site on Monday.  A text message will also be sent to all parents who have provided their cell phone numbers.  A text message will also be sent on Wednesday approximately thirty minutes away from arriving back at school.  The expected arrival is between 2:00pm and 2:30pm.  

 

Emergency Contact Info:

In the event of an emergency, the daytime phone number at Camp McDowell is 205-387-1806.  Camp McDowell website address is:

www.cmec.dioala.org

 

 

Musically Talented

Sixth grade student Gabe Baldone and eighth grade student, Jazzy Cooper have formed a band!   Gabe plays piano and Jazzy plays guitar.  They met last November after both performed in the JBMA Talent Show.  They have been getting together to practice for the last few months.  They worked very hard and learned 22 songs to play and sing together.  They performed their first show on Saturday, March 22nd at the Hart and Soul Cafe in Homewood.  They played and sang beautiful harmonies on songs from the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons and many more.  Also, Gabe is an extremely talented song writer himself so they performed several of his original songs.  They did so well that the cafe immediately booked them again for April! 

On the Calendar: April 2014

Dates To Remember:
(We are SUPER BUSY this month)

 

April 1st- April 7th       JBMA Scholastic Book Fair
April 7th - April 9th    Upper El to Camp McDowell
April 15th                         Field Trip to Children's Theatre
April 16th                        Science Fair
April 16th                        Science Club (3:15pm-4:30pm)
April 17th                        Dismissal at 1:00pm (No Aftercare)
April 18th                        Good Friday (No School)
April 21st                        Easter Monday (No School)
April 22nd                      Math Club (3:15pm-4:15pm)
April 29th                       JBMA Annual Art Show

Oh! All the places we went...

We are hopeful that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break.  Here are few of our classmates participating in different activities and visiting various places over the break:

Virginia enjoying her trip to Dominican Republic



Virginia at a beach, Dominican Republic

Aleah riding her horse Sahara


 



Carson H and her sister at St. Simon, Georgia



Daniel and his family at the Space Camp, Huntsville




Carson H. visiting Fort Frederica National Monument




Daniel's building a tall block tower (Space Camp, Huntsville)

 

Aleah at Panama City Beach

Goodman relaxes in a horse-drawn carriage at a ghost town museum

  


 


Goodman and his mom at the summit of Pikes Peak (14,110 feet)

 

Jordyn relaxing at the beach in Sandestin Florida



Jordyn relaxing at the beach in Sandestin Florida

  

Kimberly feeding sea lions at Sea World, San Diego



The Hodson sisters at the San Diego Zoo

  

Lexi and Kimberly visiting the USS Midway aircraft carrier, CA



Lexi, Kimberly and their parents at the San Diego beach

Zane and his siblings at the Montgomery planetarium

 

Zane along with his siblings on a hike to Turkey Creek





Ms. Salima and Suhanna spending an afternoon at the Space Camp, Huntsville