Blog

Book Bunch at Lunch Returning to Nerstrand

Submitted by Amy Harris on

Book Club for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders is returning to Nerstrand School thanks to Jenny Hegseth! Your student/students should have received an informational sheet from Jenny explaining how this book club works. If not, please call the school office and we can get you another sheet. Here is a brief explanation of how this book club will work. 

Once a month, at lunch time, students will get their lunch and bring in down to Tara's classroom. A book is chosen to be read by the students, (it's even a fun way for the family to read aloud the selected book,) and then the book is discussed during our club time. Books can be checked out from the Nerstrand Library, if available, through your local library, purchased at Monkey See, Monkey Read on Main Street in Northfield, (They will give club members 20%  off the selected book) or any other book store of your choosing.  Books will range in price from $5 to $8. The first meeting will be held Monday, October 28th. 

The following is the book list:

October: The Summer of Riley by Eve Bunting

November: The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman

December: No Meeting

January: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

February: Dogsong by Gary Paulson

March: Lunch Money by Andrew Clements

April: The BFG by Roald Dahl

If you are interested in joining Book Bunch at Lunch, please return your sheet by October 7th. 

 

A Pep Fest At Nerstrand School

Submitted by Amy Harris on

WOW! What a group of enthusiastic High Schoolers! Faribault Senior High has been celebrating Homecoming week by visiting Elementary Schools and bringing a lot of excitement with them. The Homecoming Court, Pep Band and various students representing their sports brought that excitement to Nerstrand by teaching the students some cheers and talking a little about their sport. The High School students were greeted by an equally enthusiastic group of School Spirt Task Force and Ambassadors from Nerstand School who were welcoming past students back to Nerstrand by holding up signs. But the real star of the show was Freddy Falcon who sprinted around the gym giving "high fives" to students!

NEW DICTIONARIES FOR THIRD GRADERS

Submitted by Amy Harris on

Third grade students were given new dictionaries courtesy of the local Lions Club in Faribault. Otto Luknic, representing the club, stopped by with 25 new dictionaries for Nerstrand Students. He explained to students that Lions Clubs are a volunteer service organization with members from 207 countries around the world and he also talked about some of the work they do. This year the Faribault Lions gave 600 dictionaries to students in Nerstrand, Faribault and Medford. The students were very excited to explore their new dictionaries. Thank you to the Faribault Lions Club!

Discovery Day at the Big Woods

Submitted by Maggie Kiley on

The Annual Discovery Day is a special day spent at the Nerstrand Big Woods State Park http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/nerstrand_big_woods/index.html concentrating on an environmental theme. This year's theme is Migration. 

"Many of the birds have already left.  Our barn swallows, tree swallows and bank swallows left a few weeks ago. They feed on flying insects which are no longer moving about. Most swallows spend their winter in Central  America.
 
On the prairie most of the meadowlarks & bobolinks have left. They are probably as far south as Nebraska & Iowa.When the really cold weather comes they will move south another 400 miles. When the Indians were the only people living on the prairie the buffalo migrated in great numbers.  It was necesasary for them to harvest and dry enough meat for the winter.
 
Other animals do not migrate as far.  The big snapping turtles will be gathering at the Cannon River  in large groups where they will bury themselves deep in soft mud to live out the winter. Snapping turtles travel up small creeks and across land  to find quiet ponds where they spend the summer.
 
Soon  the autum skies will be filled with long Vs of migrating ducks, geese, loons and swans who will be traveling south to warmer waters. Many will spend the winter along the Gulf of Mexico. "Kettles" of hawks and sometimes eagles are seen each fall drifting overhead circling on rising air currents which lift them higher and higher til they drift off farther south and catch the next one. 
 
My favorite story of migration is in the life of the Monarch Butterflies. It takes 7 generations of monarchs to travel from Minnesota to Mexico and back to Minnesota next spring. Most of them left 2 weeks ago, and are now as far south as northern Texas. Some of them will lay eggs their and die. The new butterflies will then go on to Mexico.
 
Migration is a facinating story filled with many mysteries. How do they know when and where to go?  Will they find food along the way? Will it be the stars, the magnetic poles, or, is it going to be one smart butterfly that will show them the way?"
 
Good Luck Travelers, 
 
~Larry Richie, Volunteer Naturalist     

About the park--When the first settlers arrived in 1854, they discovered an island of woods in the vast oak savanna prairie which now makes up Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. Sugar maple, basswood, oak, hickory, aspen, elm, ash, and ironwood trees shade the land. Over 200 varieties of wildflowers, along with countless varieties of ferns and mushrooms grew in the Big Woods.

 

Tags: 
Nerstrand Elementary

Prairie Appreciation Day, Sept. 13

Submitted by Maggie Kiley on

Caron Park

Environmental volunteer Larry Richie, a regional naturalist, worked with students and staff.

Before our journey, Larry told us, "We will see tall waving grasses and beautiful flowers! The monarch butterflies have begun their migration south to Mexico. Butterflies from Canada are starting to drift in now and within the next week, large numbers will be gathering in clover fields and prairies where they can feast on nectar from all the flowers. By the time it cools off and the first frost arrives the monarchs will have left. There will still be some late hatching monarchs around but they will have difficulty finding food. The cooler weather will make flying much harder as they will have to wait until later in the morning to get their wings warmed up before taking flight! You can follow the monarch migration at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/

http://entomology.unl.edu/images/spiders/spiders2.shtmlThe big garden spiders, the Orb Weavers, will have thier webs set up through out the prairie. photo: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/spiders/spiders2.shtml

With the lack of rain to destroy their webs, the garden spiders can be found in great numbers. Each night they repair an existing web or they spin a new web among the tall grasses and flowers. Many times you will see a female spider stationed on the watch on the web. . .if an insect flies into the web, the spider will run on its hairy feet across the web and quickly wrap the insect up and it will become a meal for the spider. Hopefully, on Prairie Day, we will see it all -- spiders, butterflies and all kinds of plants!" ~Larry Richie 

The section of the prairie we will be visiting is located at Caron Park, this 60 acre park is located north of County Road #88 (170th Street) and three miles from Nerstrand Woods State Park in the eastern part of the County.

Thank you to parents who are able attend and help. We will enjoy the prairie, the tall grasses and beautiful wildflowers, then return to school in time for regular dismissal. The students will be paired in groups of two from their homeroom - one older student with one younger student for the experience.  We are asking parents to pay close attention to the weather that day and dress students appropriately. 

A few points to consider:

  • All students are asked to wear long pants that day.  We’re hoping the mosquitoes won't be bad, but in case they are, the kids will be protected by their clothing.  Also, the grasses at the prairie are quite long and sharp, so we don't want anyone to cut their legs on the tall grasses!
  • Parent and adult volunteers can meet us on the prairie.  We plan to arrive there by 1:00 p.m. 

Thank you so much for your help and cooperation. 

We look forward to a wonderful day on the Prairie!

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the school office at 333-6850.

Pages