Chinese Cultural Days

What a week this has been!

Actually, first we have to back up to last weekend, and our special Saturday field trip to Chinese Culture days at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was a beautiful day to be outside, we had a lot of fun, and we all learned something!

Now, let’s cut to the chase. Yes, various students continued to work on things like translations, reflections, and dilations (geometry), conversions using the metric system (5th grade math), and subtraction (K math). We also continued to learn about Rome, moving on to Octavian. We’re also still making progress reading through Henry V and Julius Caesar, in addition to everything else everyone is working on. The most notable event this week, though, was Dissection Day. It was rough, but Turkey, Bunny, and I survived (I think). They dissected an earthworm, a crayfish, and a frog. Even though I dissected a frog on more than one occasion as a student, I was surprised by how…froggly it was! Turkey and Bunny did NOT enjoy the task, and there was a lot of apologizing to the specimens, but they did a good job of it. I’m just relieved that I don’t have to think about it again for several years!

There was one other big event this week, that would have taken the spotlight were it not for the dissection. Turkey, Bunny, and Ladybug each took a test in choir on Tuesday in hopes of advancing to the red RSCM medal. I am proud to say that Bunny passed with honors, and Turkey and Ladybug passed with distinction! They work very hard in choir all year, not only singing, but also learning about music, and I am thrilled that they will be recognized for their hard work.

Today we had a P.E. morning and visited a fitness park in Caseyville. There are cool, outdoor fitness machines that use body weight instead of adjustable weights. The children had a fun time trying out each apparatus, and we got a good workout on a very pleasant morning!

If I’ve counted correctly, we have less than three weeks of school left in this school year, and a lot to accomplish in that time!

On Saturday the weather was beautiful, and festival season has begun in the St. Louis area, so we spent the afternoon at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Chinese Culture Days!

We started at the Cohen Amphitheater, where we saw the “Ethnic Charms of China” demonstration, which included various forms of dance, martial arts performances, and lions and dragons:

We stopped by the Chinese Garden, where we saw a demonstration of a traditional Chinese wedding:

We saw a dragon dance around the Central Axis reflecting pools:

And we saw a Chinese Square Dance, which is VERY different from American square dancing!

The highlight of the day may have been the grand parade, though. We got to see dancers and drummers, lions and dragons, acrobats and martial artists, all in beautiful costumes as they walked by, some performing as they went!