Beautiful Day for Yoga

Here are a couple of pictures from yoga class this past Friday! Spring has definitely sprung, it almost feels like summer.

Shoulder Stand - Sarvangasana

Tree Pose - Vrksasana

Earth Day Science Projects: a Big Hit!

The students of Hearthstone School should be very proud of themselves! The entire student body, except for the kindergarten/1st grade (they will join next year), participated in the second annual Hearthstone science fair. This year the theme was Earth Day! The projects ranged from saving rain forests to solar ovens. Below are pictures of some of these magnificent projects! Well done kids!

Clay Frogs for a Cause

The chytrid fungus is spreading throughout South and Central America and causing frogs and salamanders to die in large numbers, thus negatively affecting these delicate eco-systems.

Fortunately there are concerned people who are trying to find a cure for the infections this fungus causes, and they are saving local frog populations by putting the frogs in a safe place to reproduce and then putting the frogs back after the fungus has been regulated.

Jill Fetterman, our pottery instructor at Hearthstone School, has decided to create colorful clay frogs with her class. These frogs will represent the frogs being affected by the fungus. They will be sold to raise money to donate to various projects that are helping to deal with the fungus epidemic. The third, fourth, and fifth grades are the creators of these beautiful frogs!

Stay posted to see when and where you can get your very own Hearthstone frog!

In the Garden

Miss Kitty's movement class will have a sharing with the Youth Performing Arts Ensemble at the BB&T Center on Saturday, May 30 at 7 pm.

For more details contact the office at (540)987-9212 or check back with this blog soon!

Childhood is a journey, not a race...

Here is a collection of photos I thought would be nice to share.

Trusten's guitar pick to add to his collection, given to him by Mr. Paul Reisler.

Kids playing at Darden Towe Park after the hike!

Jasper jumping a creek by the Rivanna River!

Thiassi the Storm Giant disguised as an eagle. (Norse Mythology)

And they're off!

Snoopy!!! The Musical

The play is moving along as planned! Rehearsals have been going smoothly and the students are in preparation with Frances & John Miller (directors extraordinaire) for the two performances! The musical will be open to the public on May 7 in the afternoon and May 8 in the evening. Reservations will be taken through the office at (540)987-9212, admission as a donation only. If you are interested in posting an ad or congratulations in the program please contact the office. Stay posted for more details!!!

Artwork done by Trusten Murrah, grade 3

Hearthstone Garden Beds Prepared

Thursday, April 9, the Hearthstone students gathered during the morning lesson time to pitch in and help clear the garden beds of rocks, and till the soil. We will be ready to plant starting next week. Our plants have been growing healthfully in the cold frames the high school built in woodworking class. We plan on growing greens, tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, horseradish, eggplant, and squash.

Easter Egg Hunt

Thursday afternoon the children of Hearthstone School searched the play yard for brightly colored eggs. It was a beautiful day for such an event!

Intergenerational Songwriting with Paul Reisler

Paul Reisler, musician and founder of Kid Pan Alley, invited the Hearthstone lower grade students to join him at the Rappahannock Senior Center for a morning of questions and answers between the seniors at the center, and the children of Hearthstone.

We learned a lot of interesting facts about growing up in Rappahannock County from the talk. We also learned how easy we have life compared to yesteryear. It was humbling, rich, and sometimes comedic hashing out the differences between generations. Paul will come to Hearthstone next week, April 15 & 16 to write a song about what we learned from the folks at the senior center. He will also be meeting with the people at the senior center to write a song about us next week.

There will be a concert at Rappahannock Elementary School on May 1st. More information to follow.

Celebration

The fifth grade completed their study of ancient India on March 30th, and Kalila's birthday just happened to be that next Wednesday! The class decided to take a trip to Charlottesville for the day to eat lunch at The Royal Indian Restaurant and then take a hike by the Rivanna River in Darden Towe Park of Charlottesville, VA.

Eel on the Playground

Last week one of the fifth grade students, Leif, found a dead eel on the playground! This was a first for our school. We are located on the Thornton River, adjacent to the Shenandoah National Park. The eel had been caught and partially eaten by either a hungry bird of prey or raccoon, then it was left on the edge of the play yard.

The eel happened to be an American Eel in its adult stage. The eel was approximately 12 inches long, with a girth of about five inches. These eels like freshwater, and live most of their lives in rivers and estuaries from the Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The females spawn in salt water, going as far as the warm waters of Bermuda. These eels hunt at night, eating dead fish, carrion, invertabrates, insects, and in extreme situations other eels. During the day they hide in sand, gravel, or mud.

We decided to leave the eel for another hungry creature. The next day the eel was gone.

Junior Ranger Program to Continue in April

Shenandoah National Park offers a Junior Ranger Program, where children complete a series of worksheets in the Jr. Ranger book, and attend two or more ranger led hikes or lectures. The third, fourth, and fifth grades have completed two ranger led programs this past fall. The programs will begin again on April 4. We plan on attending the Appalachian Trail hike and the ancient volcano hike. By May our third, fourth, and fifth grade students will all be official Junior Rangers of the Shenandoah National Park!

Video Contest - High School Video on Recycling

The more views their video gets, the better. This is a contest to spread awareness of recycling and its benefits. If their video gets the most views by April 22nd they will win $500.00. The class decided that half of the money won will be used to fund their beach trip at the end of the year, and the other half will be donated to Hearthstone School.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7hGXB1li2c

Adventures at Rikki's Refuge - Febraury 2009

Ms. Liz's class has been working with Rikki's Refuge since 2007. Last year the class raised over $100 for Rikki's Refuge by growing organic vegetables and flowers and selling them at the Waterpenny plant sale. This year the class will be making a book about the animals at Rikki's Refuge to sell at the Rainbow Market. In preparation for the book the class (along with the first and fifth grades) went to Rikki's Refuge in Orange, VA for a day of feeding, petting, and sketching the animals. We were also able to meet with Kerry Hillard, founder and director of Rikki's Refuge, for some questions and answers as well as a few stories about living with 1,200 animals.

Rikki's Refuge in Orange County, Virginia, is a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals. The refuge is home to over 1200 animals of 20 different species, including but not limited to cats, dogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs, emus, chickens, ducks, geese, a chukar, peacocks, and more. Visit their flikr site to see the refuge in action! It is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc. an approved not-for profit Virginia Corporation and IRS tax code 501(c)(3) corporation as determined by the IRS. Federal Tax-ID number 54-1911042. A financial statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs.

Lower Grades Shelter Construction Complete

Hearthstone lower grades, third through fifth, completed the construction of the Plains Indian tipi. The tipi is located in our beautiful play yard, just beside the herb and vegetable gardens. The tipi measures 14 feet in diameter and approximately 18 feet tall. The tipi door faces east for maximum sunlight in the mornings. There is a smoke flap and rain guard that can be utilized if needed. We have decided fires will be off limits inside the tipi. It will be used as a classroom for various lessons, and a meeting room for mediation and story-telling.

While constructing the tipi the students engaged in hands-on learning utilizing various information they have learned throughout the year. For example, when positioning the tipi poles to the north, east, and west they used their geographical knowledge, and when spacing the tipi poles the students used their measurement knowledge. The children's craftsmanship and determination truly showed when they were stripping the trees of their bark and applying the oil to protect the wood. History and creative play were evident when the classes imagined they were Sioux Indians building their home in the windy prairies in the west, hunting bison and telling stories of Wakan Tanka.

The tipi has already withstood strong winds and heavy rains, the structure is sound. The class decided while building, that the best way to keep the tipi grounded would be to bury the three main poles in the ground. This may be something we will have to remember for the next tipi we build.

This spring the lower grades will be painting the tipi. The classes have brain-stormed various ideas for designs, and we have the plans down. Unanimously the classes decided that the Hearthstone symbol will be the main focus of the tipi. Geometric shapes and perhaps an eagle may adorn our tipi by summer. Stop by and check it out if you are in the area!

Thank you to Jane Mullan for the tipi canvas, and to Christina, Eric, and Leif for the donation of the poplars for the poles. Also a big thanks to Ms. Liz, Mr. Aron, and the third through fifth grades for a job well-done.