TAYLOR SUMMER ACADEMY: Students take trip without leaving school

Teachers Caryn Dean and Erin Sutphen took their students on a road trip across Michigan during a recent portion of the Taylor Summer Academy.  

By reading maps and other resources such as books and articles, the kids were able to find out all kinds of fascinating facts about our Great Lakes State.  Then the students created books where they wrote and illustrated their findings. What a fun souvenir to have.

The kids also celebrated that Traverse City is the Cherry Capital of the World by making and eating cherry pies.

TAYLOR SUMMER ACADEMY: Getting up close and personal with cockroaches

Recently the students at the Taylor Summer Academy attended an assembly presented by Dynamic West Assemblies called "Exotic Animals Around the World."

Students “got up close and personal” with Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.  Did you know that you can tell the difference between a boy and a girl cockroach?  The boys have two horns on their head that they use to battle other boy cockroaches to win the girl cockroach's heart.  The students were given the chance to identify the differences.

Students were able to touch the rough and bumpy tortoise shell.  A tortoise is a land dweller, while a turtle swims in water -- cool fact

Students got to see the difference between two lizards from Australia -- the Blue Tongued Skink and the Bearded Dragon.  

Do you know how the Blue Tongued Skink got its name?  It has a blue tongue and it's a skink.  The Bearded Dragon is a desert dweller and looks like its surroundings.  Try and guess which one is the Bearded Dragon.

The students also got to see, touch , and learn about frogs and toads, a python snake, and a ferret.  The teachers had a lot of fun getting into the action too!

BLAIR MOODY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Think Stretch...

Blair Moody Elementary School hosted a “Think Stretch” party on July 8.  

Although the weather did not cooperate, students brought their workbooks and met up with classmates. Mrs. Tetreault was very pleased to see that students were working hard on their workbooks.

Students received stickers and freeze pops. Mrs. T. even made a visit to Nanny's Daycare to deliver a sticker and freeze pop to a very deserving student. Keep up the good work and we will get together again in August.

TAYLOR SUMMER ACADEMY: Summer is a great time to learn!

The students of the Taylor Summer Academy are learning and having fun.  

A few of our classes include Super Hero Stories, Solar Powered Living, Building Famous Structures, Art Around the World and Zoo Animal Study.

TAYLOR SUMMER ACADEMY: Let's make a volcano!

A recent Wild and Wacky Weather experiment from the Taylor Summer Academy had students replicating underwater volcanoes.  

Students used recycled canning jars, water, vegetable oil, food coloring and table salt to mimic air bubble and lava coming up through the ocean floor, thereby making a volcano.  

Underwater "weather" events are fun!