Summer Learning 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS: June 10th-13th, 2024

• Please call the school number 269.441.8477 if you are going to be late or absent. If you arrive after 8:15AM bring them into the main office first.

• We have had a wonderful week of exploring businesses and career pathways.  

• Please mark you calendars for June 26th from 9:00-9:45 AM as we showcase our hard work at summer school!

Mrs. Hooker's Learning Snapshot:

We have had a great week of learning and exploring. On Monday the students were introduced to a variety of careers. We had presentations on farming, medical, lifeguarding, zookeeping, food trucks, and even someone from the DNR came to visit.  Tuesday found us downtown where we heard from owners of a cafe and salon. There was also the visit to the Kellogg Foundation and Mike’s Bike Shop. On Wednesday and Thursday we spent time getting to know our new classmates. We made finger puppets and told stories to each other using them.

Mrs. Carpenter's Learning Snapshot:

Monday - We spent the morning learning about different careers, from farming to Full Blast to DNR(Department of Natural Resources)

Tuesday - We explored downtown Battle Creek, including the Police Department

Wednesday - We explored our classroom and started learning about drones! 

Thursday - We learned about how drones are used in the real world. They aren’t just for fun!

Ms. Durbin's Learning Snapshot:

My Special Talents: brainstormed  then made a poster college displaying the unique and special talents within each of us.

Created puppets and villages. Put on our own puppet shows.

Did teacher guided drawing. 

Field trip Downtown. We got to learn about local businesses and career opportunities. 

Ms. Richardson's Learning Snapshot:

This week has been an exciting week of exploring many different careers. The students had the opportunity to explore many different businesses downtown Battle Creek. They also were able to listen to many presenters that own companies in the area during their visit to our school. They have explored careers such as a baker, farmer, lifeguard, DNR and so many more. We spent our Thursday watching the first Inside Out in preparation of our movie theatre field trip.

Mrs. DeLand's Learning Snapshot: 

• We learned about and visited different local businesses/future career opportunities 

• We learned that drones can be used for firework shows- and are much safer than traditional fireworks

• We created our own paper airplanes to see which design style flew best

• We learned about anemometers and created our own to measure wind speed and wind direction, and how that can impact drone flights
  
  

Mr. Miller's Learning Snapshot: 

This week we have been able to lots of fun things to start off the summer. We had people from different career paths come and talk to us. We also had a chance to spend the day downtown and visit different businesses. Along with that we have been able to build some classroom relationships, reflect on our favorite places, and think about what we want to be when we grow up.

Mrs. Forrest's Learning Snapshot:

It was a fantastic week for getting to know each other!  We met our friends from the What-A-Do Theater on Wednesday and created a dance using moves from each student.  We will be performing this at the end of Summer School for everyone to see! We welcomed some new students on Thursday from the Middle School.  This gives us friends of all ages to work with on our production. We are hoping to create a scene to perform on June 26th as well as our dance.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: June 17th-20th, 2024

• Please call the school number 269.441.8477 if you are going to be late or absent. If you arrive after 8:15AM bring them into the main office first.

• Please mark you calendars for June 26th from 9:00-9:45 AM as we showcase our hard work at summer school!

Mrs. Hooker's Learning Snapshot: 

This week in our Arts/Communications class the students made bag puppets representing a career they have an interest in. They then roll played what someone with that job might have to say to do their job.  On another day we performed a dance using different colored streamers, which they all seemed to really enjoy.  The students did an activity where they had to pretend to be different animals by really thinking about how each animal moves and acts.

Mrs. Carpenter's Learning Snapshot:

Monday - We learned about the parts of our drone.

Tuesday - We went book “shopping” for new books to take home next week.

Wednesday - We started working on our “Book About Drones”.

Ms. Durbin's Learning Snapshot:

• We made spiral dragons
• Explored modeling clay
• Sock Puppet Creations
• Sock Puppet  Performances

Ms. Richardson's Learning Snapshot:

• Your students have been hard at work creating posters to model the career they have shown a great interest in. 

• Please allow them to dress as the career they chose to display on the poster they created June 26th.  They are very excited to dress up on the career they are displaying for that day. 

• Next week Tuesday we will be going on a field trip to Beadle Lake Vet clinic to learn all about being a vet. 

Mrs. DeLand's Learning Snapshot:

This week we flew drones! We practiced with them in the gym- a few crashes, but nothing horrible!

We also made weathervanes and took them outside and documented different wind directions. 

For our final project of the week we made pinwheel helicopters.

Special Note - Please send extra clothes with your student on Monday as we will be experimenting with water balloons :)

Mr. Miller's Learning Snapshot:

We have had a great second week of summer school. We have been able to start our deep dive in learning about farming and agriculture. Through that have been working hard journaling everything that we have learned. Another exciting thing is that everyone was able to get $40 worth of books from the New Story Book Fair to take home. One last reminder we will be going on a field trip to Beadle Lake Large Animal Clinic on Tuesday!

Mrs. Forrest's Learning Snapshot:

This week What-A-Do Theater taught us a new dance from the musical We Are Monsters.  We also learned about reading a real musical script and what stage directions are.  We finalized our script for our performance on Wednesday, June 26.  We will be performing a short musical in the style of Pete the Cat about the things we have done in summer school.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for sharing your child with us these last three weeks. It was a great time had by all! We hope they enjoyed it as well. Unit next time, enjoy the last month and a half of summer! 

From,

Harper Creek Summer School Team!

Mrs. Hooker's Learning Snapshot:

This week the students had a lot of fun when we acted out the story of the Gingerbread Man. We also played an energetic game of charades. It was fun to see them let loose and act their hearts out to help their team win.  On Wednesday they were so excited to show you all of their art work they had made these past couple of weeks. We did make necklaces on Tuesday out of fruit loops but I’m not sure how many actually made them home. Lol! 

Ms. Richardson's Learning Snapshot:

This week has been an exciting week of adventure. We got to spend some time at Beadle Lake Vet Clinic on Tuesday. This was a very exciting hands on experience with several different animals. Thank you to those of you that came to see your child's exhibit on Wednesday. They worked very hard during summer school and was excited to share their careers with you. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful children with us this summer. 

Mrs. DeLand's Learning Snapshot:

Woo Hoo- we made it through Summer School!   I greatly enjoyed spending the last few weeks with all the kiddos and I hope they have a great rest of their summer.  

This week we: 

Learned about air pressure and chemical reactions (we used baking soda and vinegar to expand a balloon attached to a water bottle, and we use it to shoot a “rocket” into the air)

Spent more time perfecting our drone flying skills

Experimented with water volume vs air in balloons to see which balloons popped first

Had a great time showing off our projects at the open house and enjoyed the movies with our new friends! 

Mr. Miller's Learning Snapshot: 

Wow the time flew. It is  crazy to think summer school is already over! This week was a fun one. We went to the Vet Clinic, had our presentation, and finished up our week going to the movie theatre. I am so glad I got the chance to get to know all of your great kiddos. I hope everyone has a great rest of your summer!

Ms. Durbin's Learning Snapshot:

This week we learned about bead weaving and the art macramé, a textile-making process using knots to make bracelets. Just like that summer school is coming to an end. We have worked hard, enhanced on learning, and abilities within the arts.  We have made new friendships and great memories. 

Mrs. Carpenter's Learning Snapshot:

Yay! We made it through the final week of summer learning.I greatly enjoyed getting to know all my kiddos the last few weeks and I hope they have a great rest of the summer! 

Mrs. Forrest's Learning Snapshot:

The students did an AMAZING job on their performance, showcasing their knowledge and skills learned with the help of What-a-Do Theatre. I hope the audience enjoyed themselves as much as we did! Have a great summer everyone! 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: June 10th-13th, 2024

We did it! We made it through the first full week of summer school! 

Students began exploring different career paths both at the high school and downtown Battle Creek. They were able to listen to career opportunities at the police station, Cafe Rica, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Goodwill Connects, Chris Edwards’ Salon, and Mike’s Bike Shop. As well as presentations from AcMoody Farms, Full Blast, the Zoo, our Harper Creek food truck, Bronson Hospital, What-A-Do Theater, and a DNR Officer!

Engineering ~Ms. Reagle

Week 1 started with getting to know one-another. We learned a lot from the career fair on Monday and even more from downtown businesses on Tuesday, the students especially enjoyed the Police Department! 

Although we struggled with some technology issues this week, we still managed to get an introduction to the 3D Printer.

The students will soon learn about other careers in the engineering and Industrial technology trades and what skills are needed to be successful in those positions.

Art & Communication ~Ms. Fronsman

So far week one started off great!  The kids loved career fair and the field trip in downtown Battle Creek. We learned a lot, and all of that information we gathered helped us start our projects: making food trucks.  The kids started brainstorming ideas for what type of food they would like to sell, the design of their trucks and possible t-shirt designs.

Art & Communication ~Mr. Crackel

Students began the week by visiting and interacting with business leaders and entrepreneurs from around the Battle Creek area. They learned insights like selecting an ideal business location, how to recruit and hire employees, and how to effectively advertise their businesses. Students will be applying these lessons throughout the rest of their time as they create a product or service, develop a comprehensive business plan for their ideas, and utilize creative communication strategies as they bring their ideas to market. 

Entrepreneurship ~Mrs. Crackel

Early in the week students had the opportunity to hear from various small businesses and tour downtown Battle Creek. They were able to ask questions about marketing and becoming an entrepreneur. Later in the week students competed in building the tallest tower and were able to reverse engineer a pen while thinking about how they can make improvements. Students then started developing a prototype for a potential problem a business may encounter.

Art & Communication ~Ms. Jenkins

Students had the chance to see how different businesses work and use arts and communication. Then, we started units and projects using animation and 3D printing. We explored making flipbook animations using drawing and digitally using the website called brush ninja. We also started 3D printing by practicing skills on TinkerCAD. We learned about applications of CAD programs in different industries, brainstormed solutions to problems and designed solutions on TinkerCAD.

Humanities ~Mrs. Herney

Mid and end of the this first week students brainstormed careers that help people and animals.  After choosing a career path, students began to draw and create an invention that would make people or animals' lives better.  The invention focused on a service that can eventually be mobile and taken to their people or animals. Wednesday, students put their idea to work and made sketches and built their invention.  Ultimately, students will plan, design, create, and market their service.

Engineering ~Miss Whitmyer

We kicked off the week exploring countless career options!  It was fantastic to see so many students interested in the opportunities that the future holds! We just started to learn about UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) aka drones.  Our class learned about the parts of a drone, operation, real-life applications  and safety guidelines. We are super excited to take flight next week!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: June 17th-20th, 2024

Please mark you calendars for June 26th from 10:00-10:45 AM as we showcase our hard work at summer school!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! 

New Story Community Books is a locally owned bookstore located in Marshall. They load hundreds of books ranging from K-8th for our students to pick from. Students were able to shop for books to take home with them. This is always an exciting experience for our students and we are very grateful for the bookstore’s willingness to support our students.

Engineering ~Ms. Reagle

Week 2 has been full! We started the week by researching different careers within the Engineering, Manufacturing, and industrial trades. Students were able to get 3D prints printing, enjoyed a fun day at Full Blast, visited KCC’s RMTC, and became Aerospace engineers. In the coming days we will learn more about the career possibilities in the Engineering & Industrial trades and even learn a little about blueprints as students design their own water parks.

Engineering ~Miss Whitmyer

…and we’re off!  The drones have taken flight!  This week we worked on basic commands, control and even explored some of the neat features like flips and filming! Our students raced the drones and even competed in a heated game of tic tac toe.  We also worked with an elementary class to help them with the operation of the drones. We are very grateful for all the help we have received as we navigate drone operation and the legalities surrounding it. Did you know… you can pull a permit for your UAV online?  We were up in the air within seconds after using the app to clear for flight with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Art & Communication ~Ms. Fronsman

Things are really starting to take “shape” with our food trucks. The kids are using 2-d nets to build 3-d models of their designs from last week.  We have also been comparison shopping to decide where the best deals are to purchase our ingredients.

Art & Communication ~Mr. Crackel

This week, students continued their exploration of entrepreneurship, gaining hands- on experience with concepts such as invention, prototyping, and wireframing. In addition, students learned about the basics of a business model as they consider the logistics of actually bringing a product or service to market. Finally, students launched their final projects by considering a field or occupation of interest to them, brainstorming a problem that people in that industry face, and proposing a product or service that could address a problem in that field. Students began prototyping their ideas, which they will eventually market using a variety of creative formats. 

Entrepreneurship  ~Mrs. Crackel

Students began the week by creating a survey to better understand the wants/needs of their clients. Students then developed a business plan so they could determine costs, profits and how they would market their business. In addition, students were able to purchase several books that they will be able to take home during the last week of school. On Wednesday, students went to the RMTC to explore trade jobs. On Thursday, the week concluded with students creating physical and digital prototypes of their inventions and services.

Art & Communication ~Ms. Jenkins

During week two we continued work on both animation and 3D printing. After working on 2D animation last week, students learned about stop-motion animation, brainstormed ideas and stories for their movies, and made puppets, scenery, and props for their movies. They used Cloud Stopmotion on Chromebooks and Stop Motion Studio on iPads for the animation.  We also continued work on designing solutions to problems on TinkerCAD to 3D print.

Humanities ~Mrs. Herney

Week two, students took their invention to the next level.  They began construction of a service truck built around their initial invention from week one.  Their service truck is designed to have a positive impact on human and animal lives. Students also designed an app to help support & organize their service truck.  A carefully designed logo and slogan have been added for marketing purposes. These kids have some amazing ideas!

Thank you for sharing your child with us these last three weeks. It was a great time had by all! We hope they enjoyed it as well. Unit next time, enjoy the last month and a half of summer! 

From,

Harper Creek Summer School Team!

Engineering ~Ms. Reagle

Week 3 Students began preparing and practicing for their presentations on Wednesday. Our class got the opportunity to visit the Small Engine Repair Lab at the middle school and got a brief introduction to some common hand tools and the parts of a Small Engine. 

This week Students also became architects in class by learning how to build a house of cards. This activity tested our problem-solving skills and patience! 

Engineering ~Miss Whitmyer

Our class wrapped up session one of summer school this week!  We were able to check out so many career options in the engineering field, code and operate drones, and build waterslides!  We had a ton of fun with career exploration downtown Battle Creek, at Full Blast and at RMTC! I am so excited to see what the future holds for our students!  They will continue to do great things in and out of the classroom!

Art & Communication ~Ms. Fronsman

In our final week, students presented the creation of their food truck business. The students displayed their hard work and dedication with pictures, a 3D model of their planned Food Truck, and the menu. On Tuesday, students got to prepare and cook a dish of their choice from their menu for the class. Students learned the ins and outs of becoming a food truck entrepreneur during their summer school learning experience. 

Art &Communication ~Mr. Crackel

During our last week together, students have been busy putting the finishing touches on their projects and preparing for their final presentations. Throughout this experience, students have considered problems that people in certain industries encounter, and have applied their entrepreneurial skills to develop products and services that would address these issues. After creating detailed business plans and physical and digital prototypes for their ideas, students utilized a variety of creative marketing strategies to advertise their products. Needless to say, they can’t wait to share their creative ideas with the community! 

Art & Communication ~Ms. Jenkins

For week three we worked really hard to finish our stop motion movies. Everyone enjoyed sharing the movies at the project showcase on Wednesday. We also spent time learning about theme park design and flow after the trip to Full Blast. We finished up 3D print our last designs and ended the week watching Inside Out 2.

Entrepreneurship  ~Mrs. Crackel

What a fun and busy week! We started with finalizing our business presentations and learning about how to pitch our ideas. We had our final presentations on Wednesday. Thank you to those of you who were able to make it out!  Summer learning concluded with a field trip to the movie theater to watch the new Inside Out 2. I hope you all have a fun and safe summer!

Humanities ~Mrs. Herney

Wow, it was a productive final week for us.  Students put finishing touches on their service trucks and designed a banner for their business.  The banners showed their perfected logo and their slogan.  As a class,  students determined the best way to market their business.  Of course, through social media!  They really enjoyed making a plan for an app (on paper) and coming up with creative hashtags to promote their service.  On Wednesday, students presented their business plan to one another, and then to community members.