Mrs. Cowan's Class

Guess where Santa is?

2009-12-24T23:30:00.001-05:00

Check it Out!

2009-12-24T15:03:00.000-05:00

2009-12-23T21:47:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-21T21:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays to all of my 4th graders!

Good Luck!

2009-09-08T14:02:00.001-04:00

Good luck to all of my 4th graders! I hope you are doing your best for your new teacher.

Love,
Mrs. Cowan

President Obama reads Where the Wild Things Are

2009-07-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

Aim High!

2009-07-13T20:19:00.002-04:00

If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything! Check out this former Stanton Graduate to see what she is doing now.

Ladybugs! Ladybugs! Ladybugs!

2009-07-12T17:01:00.001-04:00

You have to see this to believe it. It is really neat and impressive! Any ideas why there are so many? Hmm....

It's a boy!!

2009-07-10T13:21:00.001-04:00

Tuesday evening, the Jacksonville Zoo proudly welcomed a baby boy giraffe. Congratulations!

2009-06-20T14:15:00.000-04:00

For a fun place to visit, try Blue Springs down in Alucgua County near
Gainesville. The cost is $10 per person over the age of 5. They have
picnic tables, grills, restrooms, showers, tube rentals and much
more. It is a beautiful place to visit.

Farmers market opens in Town Center | Jacksonville.com

2009-06-13T08:02:00.001-04:00

Farmers market opens in Town Center | Jacksonville.com

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4th Grader Gets Presidential Pardon for Missing Class | Firstcoastnews.com | U.S. and World News

2009-06-12T21:35:00.001-04:00

4th Grader Gets Presidential Pardon for Missing Class | Firstcoastnews.com | U.S. and World News

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Photostream

2009-06-05T23:06:00.001-04:00

The White House Photo Office has just posted 94 new photos on the White House photostream.

Have a look.

(President Barack Obama cheers for his daughter Sasha's soccer team at a park in
Washington, D.C. on May 16, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(Security guards pet a Cheetah that animal expert Jack Hanna and his trainers brought
to the White House, May 13, 2009. Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

(President Barack Obama is reflected in a mirror during
an impromptu drop-by visit with speechwriters in David
Axelrod's office in the West Wing of the White House on
May 21, 2009. Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Read more…

The First Lady: "Today is Just the Beginning"

2009-06-05T23:05:00.001-04:00

In her address to the graduating seniors of Washington Math and Science Technology Public Charter High School today, the First Lady told graduates they would be more than ready for the world after high school.

(First Lady Michelle Obama hugs a student during the graduation ceremony for the Washington Mathematics
Science Technology Public Charter High School in Washington, D.C. June 3, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton.)
The First Lady said she wanted to speak at a DC public school to celebrate the achievements of young people in her new hometown. WMST, which aims to provide a rigorous education integrating science and mathematics with technology, has a 99% graduation rate this year. The First Lady said the school helped prepare its students for success:
They are coming from a school that believes that all children, young people, can learn -- that's an important start; just hearing the stories of these speakers, a school that is welcoming, that is open, where teachers know and love their kids; a school that believes that all students should be able to succeed and should be held to the highest standards; a school that challenges stereotypes and proves that African American and Latino students can excel in math and science. (Applause.) That's amazing. So let's be clear: These graduates will be just as prepared for anything they do, they will be just as prepared as any other student that will arrive at their new schools.
Despite this preparation, the First Lady said it is natural for graduates to doubt themselves and question their abilities when they first set foot onto their new college campuses. She said that she had these same feelings when she first attended Princeton, but she told students they shouldn't be intimidated:
When you set foot on the soil of whatever campus that has admitted you, understand that you are responsible for your own experiences. So what I want you to do is own your voice. Own it. Don't be intimidated by your new surroundings. Remember, everyone else is in the same position that you're in. Be an engaged and active participant in all of your classes. Never, ever sit in silence, ever. That first day, raise your hand, use your voice, ask a question. Don't be afraid to be wrong, don't be afraid to sound unclear, because understand this is the only way you'll learn.
The First Lady concluded her inspiring message by saying that graduates need to have confidence in themselves, and that they have what it takes to succeed:
So graduates of 2009, with a solid education foundation and a firm hold of your dreams, and with the support of your families and a willingness to work hard, I can assure you, you're more than ready.

Read more…

A Neat Bill Peet Video

2009-06-02T08:10:00.001-04:00

2009-05-20T14:08:00.000-04:00

Dear Parents,

Good afternoon! We just needed to remind you of a few things before tomorrow's field trip. First of all, please remember to bring a bagged lunch to school tomorrow. We will be returning to school late in the day and we will have to eat our lunch in the room.

It has also come to our attention that the Marriott now charges $5.00 for parking near the riverboat for the first time. Third grade will be working hard to fit all of the chaperones on the buses in order to spare this added expense.

The end of the year is fast approaching and we have many events planned between now and the end of the year. Field Day will be one day next week. We will be sending you additional information regarding this next week. We will also be sending you information about our end of the year party on Friday, May 22.

We have also been asked about FCAT scores. As soon as we have them, we will be contacting you with them. As always, thank you for your continued support!

Thanks,

Mrs. Cowan and Mrs. McGeachy

Fwd: Secretary Clinton Launches the Virtual Student Foreign Service Initiative

2009-05-13T21:46:00.001-04:00

I recently signed up to receive e-mails from the White House Blog. I really like the way President Obama is utilizing technology to keep people informed and to get people involved. The program below sounds like a very interesting program. Feel free to read more about it. As a sidebar, I am posting this via email rather than actually going to the blog and posting. Blogger now has a wonderful feature that allows you to post entries from email and from texts. Check it out some time!

Secretary Clinton launched a new initiative today to allow for a rising generation of citizen diplomats to conduct digital diplomacy.

Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) Internships, announced by Secretary Clinton at the 2009 New York University commencement speech, are part of a growing effort by the State Department to harness technology and a commitment to global service among young people to facilitate new forms of diplomatic engagement. The VSFS Internships will be developed over the next year and will seek to harness the energy of a rising generation of citizen diplomats.

Working from college and university campuses in the United States, American students will partner with our embassies abroad to conduct digital diplomacy that reflects the realities of our networked world. By combining the talents of young people across America and the right technology, we can forge the solutions that our century demands.

Sign up to receive more information and updates on Virtual Student Foreign Service Internships.

Join the Virtual Student Foreign Service Facebook community.

Read more…

Lunar and Solar Eclipse

2009-05-13T08:45:00.006-04:00

Our class has been learning about lunar and solar eclipses. A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is between the sun and the moon. The earth then casts a shadow on the moon. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the earth and the sun causing the sun to appeared to be blocked out. These events occur only when the three are perfectly lined up. Below are some videos that demonstrate these events. You will also find some links below and even a few games. If you have a chance, please feel free to check it out.

Links:

NASA: Lunar Eclipse

Sky and Telescope

Mr. Eclipse

BBC Kids

Compare and Contrast Lunar and Solar Eclipse

Videos:

Games:

2009-05-12T19:25:00.001-04:00

Here are Sheffield's newest additions!

The Lionfish Invasion

2009-05-11T15:42:00.003-04:00

Today we read about species invading areas that are not their usual habitat and causing problems. Apparently the lionfish is one of those species. The lionfish has begun invading the eastern Atlantic Ocean (near the eastern coast of the United States). This is now causing problems because the lionfish is a predatory animal that has few enemies in our waters. It is consuming near 80% of the younger fish in coral reefs in the Bahamas. Someone might think this is not a big deal but the slightest change in the food web of a habitat can be devastating. The lionfish consuming that large of a percentage of the juvenile fish depletes the food supply for other species as well. This ca cause those species to reduce in number and so on and so forth. Please check out the video above as well as the ones below for more information regarding the introduction of a new species into a habitat and the effects of that introduction.

2009-05-10T10:44:00.001-04:00

The Phases of the Moon

2009-05-06T14:00:00.005-04:00

The class learned today about the phases of the Moon. Below are several videos that illustrate these phases. Please take a moment to check them out.

Phases of the Moon @ Yahoo! Video

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

2009-05-05T19:51:00.001-04:00

Shackleton's Antarctic Voyage

2009-05-04T19:24:00.002-04:00

Our current theme in reading focuses on voyages or journeys. This past week was spent reading Trapped by the Ice by Michael McCurdy. It describes the ill-fated journey of Robert Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Expedition. His ship ended up being crushed by the ice and sinking in the Antarctic leaving his crew of 27, including himself, stranded in the freezing climate. Miraculously, all 27 members of the crew survived the ordeal. What is even more miraculous was that this took place back in 1916 before computers, GPS, and all of those other things that would have made a rescue easier.

Here is a link to an even more in-depth video about the journey of the Endurance and its crew. There are 11 additional videos of almost 2 hours in length total that you can view. Check with your parents before visiting though.

Here are some additional links relating to Shackleton's voyage:

Shackleton Expedition Photography

American Museuem of Natural History

Cool Antarctica

Ernest Henry Shackleton

The Earth's Seasons

2009-05-04T19:18:00.002-04:00

Our current unit of study in science is devoted to the Solar System. The class observed a video today that described the causes for the seasons. Please check it out.