By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
At the science night held at Valley of Enchantment Elementary School on Wednesday, April 22, each grade level demonstrated fascinating science facts with many hands-on activities.
The addition steps at VOE.
The kindergarteners had a display on ladybugs and were giving out a ladybug to each child that wanted one. They were told to release the ladybugs so they could eat aphids. The kids also got to paint the red on top of ladybug sculptures for the class garden.
On other tables, the preschoolers were combining primary colors to make new colors and creating crystals out of baking soda and vinegar. The power of sound was also explored with tuning forks vibrating water and other items. All the kids were invited to try all the experiments from all grade levels. Then they played on the school’s play equipment with their friends.
Students were able to hit geodes with hammers to find the crystals inside; they got to take the crystals and rocks home. The first graders had written research papers on various birds they had been studying. The essays, many with illustrations, were on display, and the kids were building bird feeders to hang in trees. They were given bird seed to put in their feeders.
The ELOP after-school studies program leaders were showing off the many things they are studying in their sessions, such as bird feathers. They also constructed binoculars to take home to do other examinations at home.
School board members Bill Mellinger and Dana Ridland had a booth with cookies, inviting parents to ask them questions, which proved to be quite popular. They were sharing about the special Blackhawk helicopter that had visited VOE school a few days earlier. The helicopter pilots gave coins to the essay winners and all the children in the fifth grade got to tour the helicopter and talk to the pilots.
One of the dinosaur dioramas at VOE.
The second-graders had a special exhibit where kids could have their photos taken with dinosaurs. This was a special treat after walking up the stairs and into the classrooms. At the bottom of the stairs children could make huge bubbles a foot wide and feet long.
A separate table encouraged all to be aware that eagles Jackie and Shadow need to have their habitat saved. Now that they have babies, the eaglets need to have foraging land. They were promoting everyone go to www.savemooncamp.com and see how they can donate to support purchase of the land, instead of allowing it to become condos and a developed marina. The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust needs $10 million to buy the land and protect it from development.
Smokey Bear was sighted at the VOE science night.
Buddy’s BBQ was on hand and many community groups had booths, promoting the services offered to families in the community. Smokey Bear came to visit the children and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust had a pinecone display to help the children learn to identify the cones they find in the forest.
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