The Garden's first harvest

3rd graders helped cut the first crop from Eastover's garden. We delivered 4 pounds of lettuce, 2 pounds swiss chard, and 3 pounds of spinach to Friendship Trays on Friday Oct. 26th. They were very excited about our contribution and invited the school to join with the delivery during the next drop-off. That means we will get to take the students to Friendship Trays to drop off the vegetables, and then they will hand us meals to deliver to the elderly in the Cherry neighborhood which is next to our school. Everyone should visit Friendship Trays to see one of Charlotte's great charity organizations.

The Swiss Chard

The Onions that aren't quit ready for the pulling.

Eastover Garden Sign

We know have a beautiful sign for the garden. Thanks to Eastover's talented art teacher, Mr. Clifford.

Bee Hive Presentation

Eastover Science had its first Bee Hive presentation a couple of weeks ago. Chris Folk, who is one of our parent volunteers, brought a live hive to the kindergarten classrooms. He gave a wonderful explanation of how bees make honey, and he then unveiled a glass enclosed hive with hundreds of busy bees. The kids promised to let bees live when encountered outdoors.

The Live Hive

Mr. Folk the beekeeper

Eastover has been SLIMED!

Eastover Science presented their "Slime" presentation to each 3rd grade class on Wednesday and Friday last week. The presentation was done by a parent volunteer, and it included 3 different types of slime that are related to their current science curriculum.

Flip-Flop Slime-is it a solid or a liquid?

Bird feeders on the Windows

Eastover Science has started putting bird feeders on the windows of our classrooms. We also have feeders in the gardens. Hopefully the birds will also eat the bugs that are trying to invade our garden.

Window Feeders

Terrariums and Aquariums in the Classroom

Eastover Science has been busy setting up terrariums and aquariums in our classrooms. The first terrariums went in Ms. Hooper and Ms. Jones' kindergarten class. They both have desert ecosystems that include their very own Bearded Dragon lizard. The lizards have been a big hit with the kids especially at feeding time. Ms. Hooper can often be found walking around the class during instruction with "Hoppy" sitting on her shoulder. One of the neat things about the food for the lizards (besides the crickets) is that they love to eat the greens grown in the school garden.
We also set up Ms. Hooper's and Ms. Peterson's 1st grade class with aquariums that have a tropical ecosystem complete with a couple of beautiful beta fish, water frogs, and snails. Ms. Yonkovig's 3rd grade class received a couple of water frogs and fresh water shrimp.
Ms. Frazier's 3rd grade class got a terrarium with a Leopard Gecko named Oscar. She has come up with an essay contest for the students to determine who will get the chance to take the lizard home over the long breaks. Eastover Science has provided take-home terrariums that are easy to transport so that students get a chance to take care of their desert terrariums at home with their parents.
We already have plans set up the 5th grade classrooms with Leopard Geckos and a Russian Tortoise. The TD Science Lab is also getting a Bearded Dragon in the next couple of weeks.

Ms. Jones' Bearded Dragon Terrarium

Ms. Hooper's Aquarium and Terrarium Combo

"Matter of Science" Assembly by Discovery Place

A couple of weeks ago, Mrs. Frazier contacted Eastover Science about Discovery Place's "Action Reaction" classroom presentations offered on the Eastover Science website. She explained that the 3rd grade was about to start the Matter and Earth Properties curriculum in Science. Discovery Place's classroom visits only allow 25 students. Lucky for us, they also offer assembly size presentations for an additional fee. This allowed us to invite the entire 4th, 3rd, and 2nd grades. Mr. Tampa was able to reserve the auditorium for us (Thanks Mr. Scotland), and the date was set.
The presentation was very exciting and informative at the same time. Discovery Place knows how to entertain and educate without the kids knowing it. It started off with a fire ball explosion of solid plant material ground up into a powder. Then the big kaboom of hydrogen gas balloons got everyones attention. The frozen nitrogen was used to shrink or convert gas in balloons into a liquid. A volunteer from the audience got to have her hair stand on end with an electrical charge, and the final act was another gas explosion from the hydrogen balloons. The presenter also had a real brain in a jar for the kids to view on the way out the door.
Eastover Science is a PTA committee that organizes and pays for presentations such as this to help assist our wonderful teachers and school. Click on pictures and video to enlarge.

Hydrogen balloon explosion

Liquid Nitrogen

Brain Jar

Eastover Garden

Eastover's first garden has now been installed in the courtyard outside the kindergarten class windows. 

This is not your normal vegetable garden. Eastover has teamed up with Friendship Gardens of Charlotte to donate food for Friendship Trays. Friendship Trays generally delivers more than 600 meals daily to elderly, handicapped, and convalescing people who are unable or greatly restricted in their ability to prepare or secure meals. Deliveries are at the lunch hour but the meal is a full one, more like what many people are accustomed to for dinner.

We also planted some new flowers in the outside lunch area where parents often eat with their children. We had many parent volunteers show up and ready to work with the building of the above ground beds. Most of the hard work involved filling up the beds with dirt. After lunch, we had about 20 students show up to help us plant seedlings. We planted spinach, collards, cabbage, onions, broccoli, and lettuce. The kids were a huge help. 

Special thanks to Henry Owens from Friendship Gardens, and the parent volunteers especially Rick Mcmillon. Click on pictures to enlarge.