Hi everyone,
Thanks again for being a part of Girl Scouting. Special thanks to Michelle and Michelle (Lauren and Kendra's moms) for helping out today. Without them, the meeting could not have happened!
We had a lot of fun today tying our Girl Scout meeting in with the girls' "Long Ago" unit in school. We played some games that the kids back then would have played. If anyone is interested in more, those came ( loosely adapted) from "Kate Greenway's Book of Games" written by a woman who was born back in 1847. I'll include the rules and the games we played at the end of the email.
We also played some old fashioned outdoor games that the girls really seemed to have a lot of fun doing. We rolled hoops, just like the kids did long ago, and used sticks to play throw-and-catch with smaller hoops.
Finally we went very very very long ago and put on our scientific goggles to do some genuine paleontology. We went back 400 million years (that's pretty long ago indeed) but stayed close to home. We used real paleontologists' tools to clean off fossils from right here in WI. The girls seemed very excited to take them home. If anyone is curious, those fossils were called "pentamerus" and they were brachiopods common in Wisconsin during the silurian era 200-400 million years ago.
Here are the games we played, and the rules we used:
Cat in the Corner
The child who represents the cat stands in the middle. The other children stand around at fixed places. One of the outer children beckons to another and says: “Cat, cat, give me a drop of water!” and the two run to switch places. The “cat” tries to get into one of the spaces. If the cat succeeds, the child that lost a spot is the new “cat.”
Earth, Air, and Water
The children sit in a circle, and one sits in the middle with a handkerchief wrapped in a ball. The child in the middle tosses the handkerchief to one of the others, and says either “Earth,” “Air,” or “Water,” and starts counting to 10. The child that caught the handkerchief then has to say an animal (for earth), a fish (for water) or a bird (for air.) If they can’t do it in time, they move to the middle.
The Feather Game
The players sit close together and one of them takes a feather and blows it into the air. Then they try to keep it afloat just using their breath. The players must sit in their spot, and not stand or move about when keeping the feather in the air.
Hunt the Ring
A ring is threaded on a long string with the ends joined. The players stand in a circle, and the string goes around them. One child stands in the middle. The other children pass the ring from one child to another behind their backs, while the child in the middle tries to guess who has it. If the middle child guesses correctly, they switch places with whoever had the ring.
Who Loves Me?
One child leaves the area while everyone else writes something nice about that child on slips of paper. The first child comes into the room and tries to guess who wrote which slip. Play rotates until everyone gets a turn.
That's about all. I hope to see you at the Lighthouse on Saturday! (As always, if there's a girl that needs a ride, or watching before/after, let me know and we can make any arrangements!)
Aleks Skibicki
Troop 8035
Monday, December 3, 2012
Nov 13th Meeting Recap and Notes
Wow!
It was amazing to see our budding rocket scientists, chemists, and electrical engineers get so into SCIENCE! I don't know if it was cooler to hear the girls shrieks when their rockets launched, or to hear them applaud when they got their electrical circuits to light up. And everyone loves getting messy making silly putty!
A huge huge huge thank you to all the parents today. Our co-leader Kelly, Sue (Katie's mom) and Jenette (Elli's mom) made the meeting a success! And let's also thank our Junior Girl Scout helper, Brooklyn (Elli's sister) for being a big help too!
A couple notes from the meeting, then a couple notes on upcoming stuff (IMPORTANT):
1) On the rockets--I have a few corks left behind. If the girls want to fly their rockets again, they'll need the black rubber stoppers, so let me know if yours is missing. The "rocket fuel" is just 5ml of water and an alka-seltzer tablet. Put the water in, drop in the alka-seltzer, then jam the cork on as tightly and as fast as you can. Set the rocket down, and watch it go!
2) On the electrical kit--there's not much to say. Just experiment and have fun. We had circuit diagrams for the girls to work on at the meeting, but a lot of the fun comes from experimenting and "discovering" something new that works. They have the basics down (electricity needs to go in a circle) the rest is imagination and experimentation.
3) On the silly putty--First, keep the putty in a sealed bag or container or it'll turn more rubbery than putty-ish. Second, the recipe is simply borax (a soap you can find in hardware stores and some grocery stores) plus water plus white school glue. Different mixes will make putties with different consistencies. Feel free to play around at home if you want some simple fun science time. If you can't find borax let me know. I got a king-size box, so I can sure share!
4) UPCOMING INFO: The Holiday Lights Kickoff is Wednesday. I have to look at a map to find a place for us to meet up there. I've never been before, so if someone can suggest a good meet-up point there, please let me know and I'll go with that and pass word out to everyone!
5) UPCOMING INFO: I still have a few of the invitations to the Victorian Holiday Celebration at the Lighthouse for families that weren't there, left early, , or accidentally left theirs behind today: Lia, Isabel, Kennedy, Adriana, and Kendra. I'll get them into BEE folders tomorrow. Keep an eye out for them.
6) UPCOMING INFO: Don't forget this Friday is the Highland View Around The World Festival. It should be a ton of fun again, so plan to come if you can!
That's about it for the moment. Thanks to all of you for letting your girls be a part of our Troop. Without the scouts, it would be pretty boring.
See you soon!
Aleks
It was amazing to see our budding rocket scientists, chemists, and electrical engineers get so into SCIENCE! I don't know if it was cooler to hear the girls shrieks when their rockets launched, or to hear them applaud when they got their electrical circuits to light up. And everyone loves getting messy making silly putty!
A huge huge huge thank you to all the parents today. Our co-leader Kelly, Sue (Katie's mom) and Jenette (Elli's mom) made the meeting a success! And let's also thank our Junior Girl Scout helper, Brooklyn (Elli's sister) for being a big help too!
A couple notes from the meeting, then a couple notes on upcoming stuff (IMPORTANT):
1) On the rockets--I have a few corks left behind. If the girls want to fly their rockets again, they'll need the black rubber stoppers, so let me know if yours is missing. The "rocket fuel" is just 5ml of water and an alka-seltzer tablet. Put the water in, drop in the alka-seltzer, then jam the cork on as tightly and as fast as you can. Set the rocket down, and watch it go!
2) On the electrical kit--there's not much to say. Just experiment and have fun. We had circuit diagrams for the girls to work on at the meeting, but a lot of the fun comes from experimenting and "discovering" something new that works. They have the basics down (electricity needs to go in a circle) the rest is imagination and experimentation.
3) On the silly putty--First, keep the putty in a sealed bag or container or it'll turn more rubbery than putty-ish. Second, the recipe is simply borax (a soap you can find in hardware stores and some grocery stores) plus water plus white school glue. Different mixes will make putties with different consistencies. Feel free to play around at home if you want some simple fun science time. If you can't find borax let me know. I got a king-size box, so I can sure share!
4) UPCOMING INFO: The Holiday Lights Kickoff is Wednesday. I have to look at a map to find a place for us to meet up there. I've never been before, so if someone can suggest a good meet-up point there, please let me know and I'll go with that and pass word out to everyone!
5) UPCOMING INFO: I still have a few of the invitations to the Victorian Holiday Celebration at the Lighthouse for families that weren't there, left early, , or accidentally left theirs behind today: Lia, Isabel, Kennedy, Adriana, and Kendra. I'll get them into BEE folders tomorrow. Keep an eye out for them.
6) UPCOMING INFO: Don't forget this Friday is the Highland View Around The World Festival. It should be a ton of fun again, so plan to come if you can!
That's about it for the moment. Thanks to all of you for letting your girls be a part of our Troop. Without the scouts, it would be pretty boring.
See you soon!
Aleks
Thursday, November 8, 2012
November Information
It’s that time again! Our next meeting is November 13th, same scout-time, same scout-channel! It’s going to be a fun science-day for our scouts. We’re going to do some chemistry (making silly putty!), some physics (making electric circuits!), and some biology (using some big-screen microscopes!). It should be a fun time.
Here are the important upcoming dates to remember:
Nov. 13th and 29th, November meetings.
Nov. 16th, "Around the World" celebration at Highland View. Not a Girl Scout Event per se, but it was a ton of fun last year, so keep it in mind this year!
Nov. 15th, Milwaukee Holiday Lights Kick-Off. A parent sent this idea over, and it looks like it would be great to do as a group: City's largest holiday party with specialty acts, guest of honor Santa Claus who will lead the countdown. Then with a flip of the switch he'll light the night with thousands of lights and a thrilling fireworks display. Afterward, free Jingle Bus rides will take families past all the festive lights. 5:45 pm Intro & 6:00 pm Kick-off, Pere Marquette Park
Nov. 24th, “Green Corners” Girl Scout movie Day. Join other Girl Scouts from Hales Corners, Greendale, and Greenfield at the Franklin Showtime Cinemas to watch either Wreck it Ralph or Rise of the Guardians at 10:00. Tickets are $5.00, or if you want popcorn and a soda with it there’s a $10.25 bundle. (The ticket price may change. I’m waiting to hear the final word from the Service Area folks.)
AFTER Nov. 17th, Pick up any Nut Orders you placed. Call me to let me know when. 414-423-1224, or email kwaterk1978@yahoo.com
BEFORE Nov. 28th, Turn in your money for any nuts you ordered.
Dec. 1st, Homemade Holiday Open House at the Wehr Nature Center: “This year, enjoy a homemade holiday! Bring your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, the neighborhood gang or scout group to Wehr for this holiday open house. Your children will enjoy creating homemade treasures for the special people in their lives. Your child's unique gifts will be created from natural and reusable objects.” $6.00 Admission includes three projects—pencil holders, tree ornaments, cookie coasters, etc.
Dec 31st, There are special Girl Scout advance-ticket prices to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Bradley Center. Tickets are $17.00. If you are interested, let me know and I’ll get the form to you.
Here are the important upcoming dates to remember:
Nov. 13th and 29th, November meetings.
Nov. 16th, "Around the World" celebration at Highland View. Not a Girl Scout Event per se, but it was a ton of fun last year, so keep it in mind this year!
Nov. 15th, Milwaukee Holiday Lights Kick-Off. A parent sent this idea over, and it looks like it would be great to do as a group: City's largest holiday party with specialty acts, guest of honor Santa Claus who will lead the countdown. Then with a flip of the switch he'll light the night with thousands of lights and a thrilling fireworks display. Afterward, free Jingle Bus rides will take families past all the festive lights. 5:45 pm Intro & 6:00 pm Kick-off, Pere Marquette Park
Nov. 24th, “Green Corners” Girl Scout movie Day. Join other Girl Scouts from Hales Corners, Greendale, and Greenfield at the Franklin Showtime Cinemas to watch either Wreck it Ralph or Rise of the Guardians at 10:00. Tickets are $5.00, or if you want popcorn and a soda with it there’s a $10.25 bundle. (The ticket price may change. I’m waiting to hear the final word from the Service Area folks.)
AFTER Nov. 17th, Pick up any Nut Orders you placed. Call me to let me know when. 414-423-1224, or email kwaterk1978@yahoo.com
BEFORE Nov. 28th, Turn in your money for any nuts you ordered.
Dec. 1st, Homemade Holiday Open House at the Wehr Nature Center: “This year, enjoy a homemade holiday! Bring your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, the neighborhood gang or scout group to Wehr for this holiday open house. Your children will enjoy creating homemade treasures for the special people in their lives. Your child's unique gifts will be created from natural and reusable objects.” $6.00 Admission includes three projects—pencil holders, tree ornaments, cookie coasters, etc.
Dec 31st, There are special Girl Scout advance-ticket prices to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Bradley Center. Tickets are $17.00. If you are interested, let me know and I’ll get the form to you.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
October 25th Meeting Notes and Announcements
Hi everyone!
Thanks for letting your girls be a part today. We all had a lot of fun.
Our meeting had two themes:
1) Birthdays! Juliette "Daisy" Lowe, the founder of Girl Scouting, has her birthday October 31st. To celebrate, we decorated a beautiful bottle to give as a birthday present to someone we love. We also made a giant birthday card, showing her our favorite parts of being a Girl Scout.
2) Making the World a Better Place. Our pink Daisy Petal represents the Girl Scout's promise to "Make the World a Better Place." We talked about, came up with ideas about, and drew pictures of what we could do to make the world a better place. We also read and talked about a "Flower Friends" story where the Flower Friends worked on making the world a better place. Finally we heard a story about Martin Luther King Jr. who definitely made the world a better place.
A couple announcements:
1) I only have 5 Nut Order forms turned in. They make great gifts, and are priced pretty reasonably--within the same ballpark similar products sell for at the grocery store--and these really do help the Troop out. And of course, if you skip the Nut Sale, I'll really have to hound you when Cookie time rolls around! :)
2) STEMfest special sessions seem to be filled up. However, if you want to join us, everything else at Discovery World is wide open to Girl Scouts Friday and Saturday. Admission is free for Scouts and their families, so come right along. Parking might be tough, so carpooling is encouraged.
3) I don't have Health Information/Emergency Contact Cards from some of you. I'm going to the Girl Scout Headquarters tomorrow, and I'll pick some up. I'll send them home with the girls who need them--so if you see a card in the BEE folder, please fill it out and send it back. It's important for us to make sure we have information on record about allergies, emergency contacts, and the like. We've not had any emergencies so far, and with any luck at all it'll stay that way forever, but "it's better to have it and not need it,", as they say.
Thanks for letting your girls be a part today. We all had a lot of fun.
Our meeting had two themes:
1) Birthdays! Juliette "Daisy" Lowe, the founder of Girl Scouting, has her birthday October 31st. To celebrate, we decorated a beautiful bottle to give as a birthday present to someone we love. We also made a giant birthday card, showing her our favorite parts of being a Girl Scout.
2) Making the World a Better Place. Our pink Daisy Petal represents the Girl Scout's promise to "Make the World a Better Place." We talked about, came up with ideas about, and drew pictures of what we could do to make the world a better place. We also read and talked about a "Flower Friends" story where the Flower Friends worked on making the world a better place. Finally we heard a story about Martin Luther King Jr. who definitely made the world a better place.
A couple announcements:
1) I only have 5 Nut Order forms turned in. They make great gifts, and are priced pretty reasonably--within the same ballpark similar products sell for at the grocery store--and these really do help the Troop out. And of course, if you skip the Nut Sale, I'll really have to hound you when Cookie time rolls around! :)
2) STEMfest special sessions seem to be filled up. However, if you want to join us, everything else at Discovery World is wide open to Girl Scouts Friday and Saturday. Admission is free for Scouts and their families, so come right along. Parking might be tough, so carpooling is encouraged.
3) I don't have Health Information/Emergency Contact Cards from some of you. I'm going to the Girl Scout Headquarters tomorrow, and I'll pick some up. I'll send them home with the girls who need them--so if you see a card in the BEE folder, please fill it out and send it back. It's important for us to make sure we have information on record about allergies, emergency contacts, and the like. We've not had any emergencies so far, and with any luck at all it'll stay that way forever, but "it's better to have it and not need it,", as they say.
Thanks again, and have a great weekend!
Aleks Skibicki
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Great October everyone!
What a busy, but fun October!
The UWM Women's Soccer Girl Scout Day was great fun. The weather was perfect, and even though our UWM Panthers didn't get the win, everyone had a lot of fun.
Just a few reminders:
1) The first of our "Last Thursday" meetings is this Thursday (Oct. 25th) right after school, and goes to 5:00. We'll be doing some painting, so dress appropriately.
2) Nut order forms are due October 26th. Feel free to turn them in at the meeting on the 25th. Bring in the permission slip too if you haven't filled it out yet.
And, November dates to remember:
1) Nov. 2nd and 3rd, STEMfest at Discovery World. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fest. We'll go both days, but the programs repeat so pick one day to go. You only need to be registered if you want to do any of the special programs there (squishy circuits, carbonation chemistry, the Tesla electric show). Let me know which day you want to go, and which programs you want to register for and I'll get it all set for you. The program times and descriptions are here: https://www.gswise.org/events-and-activities/stemfest.aspx
2) Nov. 13th and 29th, November meetings.
3) Nov. 16th, "Around the World" celebration at Highland View. Not a Girl Scout Event per se, but it was a ton of fun last year, so keep it in mind this year!
4) Nov. 15th, Milwaukee Holiday Lights Kick-Off. A parent sent this idea over, and it looks like it would be great to do as a group: City's largest holiday party with specialty acts, guest of honor Santa Claus who will lead the countdown. Then with a flip of the switch he'll light the night with thousands of lights and a thrilling fireworks display. Afterward, free Jingle Bus rides will take families past all the festive lights. Thursday, Nov 15th, 5:45 pm Intro & 6:00 pm Kick-off, Pere Marquette Park
The UWM Women's Soccer Girl Scout Day was great fun. The weather was perfect, and even though our UWM Panthers didn't get the win, everyone had a lot of fun.
Just a few reminders:
1) The first of our "Last Thursday" meetings is this Thursday (Oct. 25th) right after school, and goes to 5:00. We'll be doing some painting, so dress appropriately.
2) Nut order forms are due October 26th. Feel free to turn them in at the meeting on the 25th. Bring in the permission slip too if you haven't filled it out yet.
And, November dates to remember:
1) Nov. 2nd and 3rd, STEMfest at Discovery World. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fest. We'll go both days, but the programs repeat so pick one day to go. You only need to be registered if you want to do any of the special programs there (squishy circuits, carbonation chemistry, the Tesla electric show). Let me know which day you want to go, and which programs you want to register for and I'll get it all set for you. The program times and descriptions are here: https://www.gswise.org/events-and-activities/stemfest.aspx
2) Nov. 13th and 29th, November meetings.
3) Nov. 16th, "Around the World" celebration at Highland View. Not a Girl Scout Event per se, but it was a ton of fun last year, so keep it in mind this year!
4) Nov. 15th, Milwaukee Holiday Lights Kick-Off. A parent sent this idea over, and it looks like it would be great to do as a group: City's largest holiday party with specialty acts, guest of honor Santa Claus who will lead the countdown. Then with a flip of the switch he'll light the night with thousands of lights and a thrilling fireworks display. Afterward, free Jingle Bus rides will take families past all the festive lights. Thursday, Nov 15th, 5:45 pm Intro & 6:00 pm Kick-off, Pere Marquette Park
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Mid October Announcements
First of all, thanks to everyone that came out to the Jungle Explorer Night at the Domes. It sure was fun. It was cool to see another Girl Scout Troop there too!
Second, our next meeting will be Oct. 25th, the last Thursday this month. Meetings go until 5:00, but if a girl needs to leave early, they certainly can! It's going to be tough to top last month (making those happiness necklaces was a huge hit!) but I have some ideas! We may do some painting, so keep that in mind when picking clothes for the day.
Third, I sent Nut Sale information home with the girls on Friday. If you didn't get it, let me know and I'll send out a new packet. The important things to know right away are:
Fourth, some shameless beggary: As far as I can see, no one has signed up to help out at the meeting on the 25th. The Troop is big enough that I really need the extra hands, so if anyone at all can spend the time after school that Thursday to help out, I would really really REALLY appreciate it.
Second, our next meeting will be Oct. 25th, the last Thursday this month. Meetings go until 5:00, but if a girl needs to leave early, they certainly can! It's going to be tough to top last month (making those happiness necklaces was a huge hit!) but I have some ideas! We may do some painting, so keep that in mind when picking clothes for the day.
Third, I sent Nut Sale information home with the girls on Friday. If you didn't get it, let me know and I'll send out a new packet. The important things to know right away are:
- Your girl must be registered to participate in the nut sale.
- You have to sign the permission form and get it back to me at some point.
- You don't need to collect money or pay for anything until the week after you pick up your order (Nov. 17th pickup).
- The timeline is Oct. 12--start selling. Oct. 26--turn in forms. Nov. 17th--pick up order. Nov. 28th--money due.
Fourth, some shameless beggary: As far as I can see, no one has signed up to help out at the meeting on the 25th. The Troop is big enough that I really need the extra hands, so if anyone at all can spend the time after school that Thursday to help out, I would really really REALLY appreciate it.
Fifth, I still have some tickets available for the UWM Women's Soccer Team Girl Scout Day. $3.00 gets the ticket, a patch, a hot dog, and soda. The game is this Sunday (21st) at 1:00 at UWM's, Engelmann field. If you're interested, let me know. If your girl needs a ride, or just wants to go with the group, let me know too and we can totally arrange it!
Sixth, don't forget the Halloween Haunt this Friday. If you are using the tickets I got, remember to show up at 7:00 to watch the magician while we wait for our walk at 7:33. Speaking of that, one parent doesn't need her ticket, so if you know someone that wants to join in, I have a spare!
Monday, October 8, 2012
A BUSY October!
Just the quick list of upcoming events:
October 9th Our first "Second Tuesday" meeting
October 9th Our first "Second Tuesday" meeting
After school, we’ll meet in our usual meeting room—Mrs. Bushman’s classroom #103. We’ll have a story, snack, and make magic necklaces. As usual, the permission slip is at the bottom to let me walk your girls over after school.
October 12th Jungle Exploration Night at the Domes
6:30 Friday Oct. 12th, explore the rainforest dome with just your flashlight. Learn about the resources of the rainforest, and even make a sundae with ingredients from the jungle! $5 for kids, $6.50 for adults. As always, if someone needs a ride, or wants to carpool, let me know!
http://county.milwaukee.gov/RainforestNight13118.htm
Also October 12th The Girl Scout Nut Sale Starts
The Girl Scout Nut sale starts the 12th. I'll give out packets at the meeting. If you have any questions, ask!
October 13th The Park Clean Up
This Saturday, since there’s no Soccer Game, we’ll be meeting up at 1:00 at the playground at Scout Lake Park to do
the clean-up the girls planned. I have rubber gloves and plastic bags. Come dressed appropriately, and we can play on the playground afterwards!
October 18th Marquette Women's Soccer Girl Scout Clinic
The MU Women’s soccer team is hosting a clinic for Girl Scouts on Oct. 18th. I emailed registration forms and will
have some at the meeting. I’ll be taking them in the Wednesday after the meeting, so get them back to me at the meeting or fill one in there. It’s $10 and you get a ticket to the game on the 20th, a t-shirt, and a snack, as well as the clinic itself.
October 19th Halloween Haunted walk at the Wehr nature center!
The Halloween Haunt walk the Wehr center comes HIGHLY recommended. We have a lot of families going on walks between 6:50 and 7:30 on Friday Oct. 19th if you want to join in, and don’t have tickets yet, make sure you get them before they’re sold out! ($7).
http://county.milwaukee.gov/HaloweenHaunts11368.htm
October 21st Girl Scout Day with UWM Women's soccer
Girl Scout Day at UWM Women’s Soccer! Game is 1:00 at Engelmann Field at UWM. $3.00 gets a hot dog, soda, ticket, and patch! (Or Everything but the patch for parents and siblings.)
October 25th Our "Last Thursday" meeting for October
That’ll be our first “Last Thursday” meeting. After school, we’ll meet in our usual meeting room—Mrs. Bushman’s classroom #103.
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