On Earth, our view of the illuminated part of the Moon changes each night, depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, or path, around Earth. When we have a full view of the completely illuminated side of the Moon, that phase is known as a full moon.

But following the night of each full moon, as the Moon orbits around Earth, we start to see less of the Moon lit by the Sun. Eventually, the Moon reaches a point in its orbit when we don’t see any of the Moon illuminated. At that point, the far side of the Moon is facing the Sun. This phase is called a new moon. During the new moon, the side facing Earth is dark.

Fifth grade created a personal Lunar Calendar recently. Students were able to choose any month/year-past,present,or future; some chose their birthday month/year, some chose a significant month/year in history such as July 1969-First Lunar Landing and September 2001, and some students randomly chose the month/year.

Students started by constructing a calendar, researching the lunar phases for that month/year, illustrating and labeling each day with the correct moon phase, and making a presentation to the class.

We have a slightly different view of the Moon each night. We describe how the Moon looks with the eight Moon phases, or shapes:

🌑 New

🌒 Waxing Crescent

🌓 First Quarter

🌔 Waxing Gibbous

🌕 Full

🌖 Waning Gibbous

🌗 Third Quarter

🌘 Waning Crescent

We convert measurements to ensure accurate comparisons between different quantities by expressing them in the same unit, allowing for meaningful calculations and understanding across various fields like science, engineering, cooking, and even everyday life. This is especially important when dealing with different measurement systems like metric and imperial/customary units.Essentially, it lets you understand and utilize measurements from different scales in a consistent way. 

Fifth grade worked in pairs moving through different measurement conversion stations. The stations included units such as grams, milliliters, feet, inches, and even time!

By Kandice Kimmel, Latin & History, 5th-8th Grade

Project-based learning involves students designing, developing, and constructing hands-on solutions to a problem. Can you think of a better way to end a study of the Thirteen Colonies than having your students build a Colonial village? The fifth grade students researched daily life of Colonial Americans and the occupations that were needed for survival during Colonial times. Daily life looked much different without indoor plumbing or electricity, not to mention restaurants, entertainment, Amazon Prime, Door Dash, or grocery pick ups!

The fifth grade students researched, built (yes, built! They each constructed their part of the village from the ground up with the help of our extremely talented Mrs. Denise), stocked their station with items from the time period, and shared their knowledge with all of our the preschool, Kindergarten, and lower school students. Every stop in the village provided a presentation, demonstration, and an interactive activity for the younger students to role play and learn by doing. This years Colonial Village included an apothecary, candle making shop, cobbler, general store, farm with farm house and kitchen, and a blacksmith shop.

According to Merriam-Webster, refraction is a deflection from a straight path undergone by a light ray or energy wave in passing obliquely from one medium (such as air) into another (such as glass) in which its velocity is different.

During a lab, students were able to see for themselves a phenonemon that makes an object seem to disappear, but it reality, it is just an effect of refraction. Students were to view the object placed under the empty cup first, then water was poured into the cup (that’s when the object “disappeared”) and suddenly the object “disappeared.” This was due to the scientific principle of refraction.

The root of refraction is seen in the notion that the path of a ray of light or wave of energy is "broken" when it is deflected or turned. The effects of refraction can be seen in a rainbow, which is formed when light rays passing into (and reflecting out of) water droplets are bent at different angles depending on their color, so that the light separates into bands of color. The amount of refraction depends on the angle and the type of matter; refraction can occur even when passing through different kinds of air. A mirage, such as you might see in the desert or over a patch of asphalt in the summer, occurs when light passing through warm air meets the very hot air near the surface; reflecting the sky, it often resembles a lake.

“Every person can make a difference, and every person should try.” -John F. Kennedy

Middle school students made a visit to Cornerstone Retirement Center on December 10, 2024. Students sang Candlelight songs celebrating the Advent season. Both the residents and students enjoyed the time hearing and singing the songs.