Girl Scouts: Independent MovieMaking!

Hi everyone,

I hope we're all staying healthy and happy.

If you're looking for something to do over the next couple weeks, the girls could certainly independently work on vignettes for the Pedestrian Safety movie.

Feel free to be creative--take a camera on a walk to school and count how many streets you cross and how safe you feel, interview parents about driving safely, make a short clip of someone being safe (or unsafe) as a pedestrian, or any idea the girls can come up with.  

If you want equipment like a camera, microphones, tripods, etc. let me know and I can figure out how to get it in your hands.

Save those bloopers too; the blooper reel can be the most fun part!

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Update--all cookie booths cancelled

Hi everyone,

I just got word that all "in person" girl scout activities are being shut down starting this afternoon.  That includes cookie booths.

Since they plan on stretching the cookie season out, we'll likely get a chance to reschedule in April.  But I'll keep you all informed.  This may even include troop gatherings like the school/park/beach cleanups I imagined doing during this break from school.  

I'll keep you all in the loop.  In the meantime stay healthy,

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Updates and Info

Hi everyone,

Just some info and updates:

#1)  Obviously, no meeting next Wednesday.  But I will be looking into ways we can get the girls together to do something.  If the weather's nice, maybe we do some spring cleanups outdoors around school, in a local park, or maybe back to our beaches.

#2)  Cookie booths are still on, but don't feel pressured to do them!  With the health concerns going on now, it is perfectly acceptable to not do cookie booths.  Feel free to keep promoting cookies, and I'll still be able to get you more cookies if you sell more, but the cookie sale exists to support scouts, scouts don't exist to support the cookie sale!  So the priority always goes to scouts over cookies!  IF YOU WILL NOT BE ATTENDING A BOOTH YOU SIGNED UP FOR THOUGH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

If you were scheduled for a Piggly Wiggly Booth on 3/22, and got the email that we had moved those booths to Discovery World, well, we're back to Piggly Wiggly since DW is closed.  Girl Scouts is stretching the cookie season out, and will be allowing booths through April, so we may get back to Discovery World for a booth, depending on what they open up for us.

Also, because many booths were shutting down, Girl Scouts opened up some more, including booths at Pizza Shuttle on Farwell on the East Side.  They've allowed our troop to do booths at Pizza Shuttle on Friday 3/20 and Friday 3/27 from 4:00-7:00.  I've added them to the sign up.  Assume any girls doing a cookie booth at Pizza Shuttle WILL get pizza that night!    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4fa5ad22a13-cookie5

That's about all for now,

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Updates and Meeting Recap

Hi everyone!

Just a quick recap of the meeting (FUN!) yesterday, and some info about our field trip to the Robotics Competition.

First the sad news:  FIRST robotics suspended all competitions and ended their season, so there won't be a robotics competition to go to this year.  So our field trip on 3/20 is also suspended.  :(  

Second:  A recap of what we did Wednesday, which was much more fun than a virus!

We started with our story/experience warm-up.  The girls brought back the inspiration stones they've been carrying since last meeting and all shared experiences that connected to the word on their specific stone.  Then we shuffled up the stones and drew new ones for next week.  The girls are doing a great job putting themselves in the way of being courageous, imaginative, hopeful, dreamers, and strong!

After that, since I promised fun, we had some fun doing the "Iron Artist Challenge".  We spread piles of random materials around the room and gave the girls 10 minutes to be creative using any of it any way they could imagine--with no instructions and no interference from adults.  Then the girls shared about what they made.  We followed that up by splitting into teams of 4 girls, and doing the challenge as teams.  Afterwards we briefly talked about what was easier (most thought it was easier to work alone) but what was more fun (there sure seemed to be more giggles when the girls worked a s group!)

Then we had snacks and got to planning for the Father Daughter Dance (fingers crossed to keep that scheduled!)  the girls decided to do a Hawaiian theme, and decided we would do cork tiki-face necklaces as a craft ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41c07ZhPqOU ).  We're still hammering out details on food--the finalists for the entree are Pizza (Pro's: relatively inexpensive, very very easy to prepare (just open the boxes), and possible to have a variety, including of course hawaiian, Con's:  not everyone likes pizza, and it is more expensive than some other choices) and chicken tenders (Pro's: more universally liked, Con's:  Hard to prepare enough for everyone--how do you prepare and serve 800 chicken strips/tenders?) But we have some good ideas for sides.  (Fruit skewers, goldfish, cake pops.)

That wrapped up our meeting for the day.  

Looking forward, I've reached out to Michael Anderson of "MilWALKee Walks" to be our interview guest for next week--he'll be great if we can get him.  Girls:  Could you think of questions to ask him?  Here are some articles about who he is, and why he and MilWALKee Walks connects to us: 

https://milwaukeecourieronline.com/index.php/2017/04/29/milwalkee-walks-pleads-drivers-to-pause-for-pedestrians/

This quote might be helpful:  ""Every 6.9 hours a pedestrian is hit by a car in Wisconsin.  Many are killed and this is unacceptable."

https://wisconsinbikefed.org/blog/2019/07/25/milwalkee-walks-creates-awareness-for-people-walking-to-summer-events/

If some of you can write some questions to ask him, like why he got involved, what the big problem is, what people can do, what people should consider when driving/walking, etc. that would be AWESOME.  I don't know yet if he can make it, but if he can it would be great to be ready!

See you Wednesday!

Aleks

 

  

Girl Scouts: Meeting Wednesday and other info

Hi everyone!

Just a quick reminder we have a meeting this Wednesday after school until 4:30.

The original plan was to tape our interview of the family of the girl in the memorial in downtown Greendale, but I haven't heard about whether they've agreed to speak with us or not.  So, we'll adjust our plans accordingly.  

I think we're due for some fun time too, so expect something fun/team-building for the group as well on Wednesday.

Also, Father Daughter Dance!  The Flyer is posted here:  http://greendaledaisies.blogspot.com/2020/03/blog-post.html

And attached to this email.  Obviously there's space reserved for all of our girls, so no particular rush for you all.  It's going out to all the Girl Scouts in the Greenfield/Greendale/Hales Corner area in the next couple days, so you still might want to get in front of the crowd.

If we choose not to do taping at the meeting this Wednesday, we can also plan out the dance (activities, food, etc.) and divide up jobs for that.

Aleks

Father Daughter Dance Flyer

Robots and STEAM and Dancing

Hi everyone!

Just one more mention of the trip to the FIRST robot competiton on Friday 3/20. (Info at the end of the email.)

But also I figured I'd mention an opportunity for the girls to help out at Highland View's STEAMfest event coming up this Friday.  A few fun areas are still open for them to supervise if they want.  I know some girls have done it in the past and had fun.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4fa5ad22a13-steamfest

And finally, we were able to lock in the GMS gym and MPR on Friday April 17th for a Father Daughter Dance, so block that date off.  We'll send invitations out to Girl Scouts in our area in the next week or so, and the girls can start dividing up jobs so we have the best Daughter Daddy Dance EVER.

Aleks

Robot Battles Info

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Something that has become a bit of a troop tradition is to go watch the robot competitions at the Panther Arena for the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition.  We've also usually been lucky to have a day off during the competition to make it easier to attend.  Our luck continues this year, since the competition is 3/18-21 and the girls have off from school 3/20!

Traditionally, we head over in the morning, watch the robots battle for a bit, then go visit the teams in the "pit" area to see the robots up close and ask questions (and collect team memorabilia like pins, stickers, etc.)  Then we usually find a local place to go eat (the mini-food court at "The Restaurants at eleven25" the girls have enjoyed in the past, and is in walkable distance in good weather, but there's a new Food Hall on Farwell, "Crossroads Collective" that might be  worth the drive. ) 

Then, we usually head back for a few more robot battles and plan to be home around 3:00-ish.  

This year's battle game is called "Infinite Recharge" and it looks super fun!  You can see the rules and a demo video here:  https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/game-and-season

I recommend watching it for any girls who plan to go so they'll know what they're looking at.

Speaking of wanting to go then: 

WHO WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND INTERESTED?  

Assume we'd leave our house around 9:30 and be back around 3:00.  (Girls could arrive earlier or be picked up later if necessary.)

Aleks