A lot of people ask me what Free Time CLIC is all about.... Free Time CLIC is the opportunity for any child to utilize all the wonderful resources available to create a self-directed project, craft, or activity. CLIC has so much to offer - all different types of art supplies, Legos, clay, miscellaneous recycled items, plenty of cardboard, and pretty much every craft material under the sun. Sometimes students want to play a game of chess or create a game of their own. The possibilities are endless, and that is the beauty of Free Time CLIC. Every so often, based on random donations or acquired materials, we will have a "featured craft". If you find yourself with items you no longer need, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. The kids love working with odd materials and are always excited when a new box of "stuff" shows up in CLIC! "Creativity is intelligence having fun." - Albert Einstein
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Hi! Welcome to the 2018/2019 school year! I am so excited to help inspire creativity among our Proctor School community. Check in to the blog for project updates and pictures of CLIC'sters throughout the year. Here's to a new beginning and endless possibilities for imaginative learning!
Ms. Cahill Please follow us @clic_topsfield - I'll be posting ongoing photos of projects and exciting happenings going on in CLIC. See you on Twitter!
The fifth graders created, designed, and built cardboard creations inspired by Caine's Arcade and the Cardboard Challenge. What is the Cardboard Challenge, you ask? Check out the video about Caine and his amazing cardboard arcade. This was a three day challenge. We spent lots of time discussing and going over the engineering/design process. On day one, the students watched the Caine's Arcade video and began to brainstorm what game or activity they would like to create as a group. Next, the group designed a detailed plan of the game. The kids had the remaining two and a half hours of class time in CLIC to actually build their cardboard creation using only cardboard, tape, and minimal extra supplies. Students were encouraged to modify and adjust their designs along the way as needed. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving break was our big day. The fifth graders presented their games to the entire school. We spent half an hour setting up the cafeteria and transforming it into a giant arcade. Classes came down throughout the morning to play these incredible games and experience the joy of creativity.
For a little Halloween fun, STEAM Club was given the challenge to design a catapult that would launch a candy corn the farthest distance. We practiced every step of the engineering/design process for this challenge. The materials for each group were: - 20 popsicle sticks - 10 rubber bands - masking tape - 1 spoon - 1 binder clip Once the students determined what they were being asked to do, they began to imagine what their catapults would look like and brainstorm together as a group how they wanted to design their project. Once an initial brainstorm was done, the students were asked to come up with a plan and a rough sketch of their design. Next came the fun part: creating the catapults! Once the catapult was built, each group had five trial launches. During this time, students were asked to assess the success of their launches and modify their catapult if they felt the design could be improved. It was very exciting to see how far the candy corn would go! Our launches were incredibly successful! One group was able to launch their candy corn an amazing 85 feet!! It was a blast seeing how far the catapults could launch the candy corn. Once the fun was over, students reflected on their data and their designs. Each group made a successful catapult and were pleased with their final results. I'm one proud teacher! Happy Halloween!
It's been a successful few weeks here in the CLIC room! Our before and after school programs are off to a great start and classroom projects are underway. Please enjoy the slide show of photos highlighting a few September CLIC moments! Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! I hope all of you had a fun and restful summer! I look forward to fostering the growth and creativity of each and every child at Proctor. I'm excited to begin our before and after school clubs the week of September 18th. Parents, you can access permission slips by either clicking on the tab above labeled "Permission Slips" or by the links provided in the CLIC Corner of the Weekly Newsletter. Here's to a new and exciting year! Ms. Cahill I want to take a moment and thank the Proctor School community for welcoming me with open arms and for embracing the creativity within our students.
From fourth grade simple machines, fifth grade periscopes, and sixth grade atom models, it has been incredible seeing each student learn and discover the world around them. I wish you all a happy and relaxing summer! The fourth grade spent some time in CLIC the last few weeks designing trees out of recycled materials. The kids did a wonderful job and worked so hard! It's amazing what you can create with some imagination and some recycled materials.
You can check them out on display at the Topsfield Arbor Day celebration this Saturday. Great job, Grade 4! School vacation week is an excellent opportunity for parents and guardians to enjoy some hands-on fun with their kids. It's also a great time to beat the winter blues and travel into Boston for a visit to the Museum of Science! Whatever you decide to do, please know that any amount of time spent together is special. If you can add some science, engineering, or creativity to the mix, the time is even more fun! Here is a link to a blogger who has some cute Valentine's Day STEAM activities. Although many of them cater to younger students, they could be modified to work with any age child. littlebinsforlittlehands.com/valentines-day-science-stem-activities-kids/ Museum of Science Boston, MA There is a brand new exhibit about the history and science behind chocolate. This would be a fun one to see around Valentine's Day! Click on the photo below for more details on this exhibit. While you're there, enjoy some *free* activities to celebrate National Engineers Week! There are design challenges and all sorts of activities going on to celebrate. These activities are *free* with museum admission. To see a complete list of events going on over vacation week, click the photo below. I wish you all a wonderful vacation week! Mrs. Condon |
AuthorKristen Cahill, CLIC program teacher and coordinator at Proctor School. Archives
October 2018
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