Since our return from vacation we have been talking about animals in winter and the various ways animals survive cold weather.  We have read many books on the subject and while some make the distinction between hibernating and being dormant, for the sake of simplicity we are focusing on three things that animals do in winter:  migrate, hibernate, or stay active.  Our discussions have included what it means to migrate and how a woodchuck's true hibernation is a bit different from that of a chipmunk or bear, as well as the many ways that active animals adapt to winter conditions from growing a thicker coat to changing color to blend in with the snow.  We have also been talking about the signs that active animals leave in winter and the stories that these signs can tell.  On Wednesday afternoon we took advantage of having the whole school to ourselves and had a tracking scavenger hunt.  Students worked in small groups to follow six sets of tracks through the school- lots of fun!
Weather permitting, Angie Barger, our ECO leader will join us next Wednesday for some more tracking activities.

REMINDER:  The school wide winter concert is next Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the gym!