A week of gifted kids leads to Widespread Panic!

Last Sunday the clouds rolled over Seattle and stayed around until mid-Wednesday. It was cool, almost cold in the mid to low sixties. The perfect weather to start summer school. We are teaching incoming or outgoing 6th graders about Energy. It is a gifted school on campus and connected with University of Washington. These kids had to score within the 95th percentile on a standardized test in math or science to enroll. We're talking super smart kids, all in one room!

Monday was the longest. We were learning about them and they were sorting out the pecking order and figuring us out. I'm used to high schoolers so that really made things tough. They would run rings around some of my former students any day. Fortunately not all. I've had a good number of years teaching honors Geometry to 8th graders bussed over from the middle school. They just LOVE learning and are the best kids to teach. Just like the kids we have for summer challenge.

The rest of the week went awesome (not that the first day was bad - just LONG). We had a guest speaker talk about global warming and went on a field trip to a solar cottage community. That was neat. The kids had a blast! Finally, the end of the week we created a lab where the kids attempted to generate a horsepower. Very cool!

We are finally at a point in the year where we never ever thought we'd get to. The first week of the energy class is done, two more to go then ITALY!!! Woo Hoo! It is becoming real now. Also, tonight we are going to see Widespread Panic, a band we have loved for years and years. Oddly enough it is in the park where we take Abbey to run around in the designated off-leash area. We can walk there and stumble home!