1. Tide pools: ecology and species variety
2. Orcas: anatomy and lifestyle
3. Northwest connection to whales; baleine and tooth whales compare and contrast
   
   

From the Art Studio- Click on the Pallete

Q & A with Julie

By Parker L.

Q.   Did you like going to school and being a student?
A.   I liked being a student, although sometimes I found it hard. I wish I had a school like Thornton Creek to help me stay interested in the things I was learning!

Q.   What inspired you to be a teacher?
A.   I was inspired to be a teacher by my family. My mother, sister, cousin and uncle are all teachers, and it always felt like something I would like to do.

Q.   Do you like teaching?
A.   I love teaching! I feel very lucky to have this job!

Q.   How long have you been a teacher? How long have you taught at Thornton Creek?
A.   I have been a teacher for almost 7 years. I have worked at Thornton Creek that whole time.

Q.   What was the first grade you taught? Or was it kindergarten?
A.   The first grade that I taught was Kindergarten. I taught it for five years before changing to a 1/2 split.

Q.   What was your first expedition that you taught?
A.   The first expedition I taught was on the human brain and all the cool ways people learn.

Q.   How did you choose this year’s expedition?
A.   When we went to Camp Cornet Bay last year, I became inspired to do an expedition on whales. The camp is near the San Juan Islands, which is my favorite place in Washington state. I used to go there each summer to whale watch.

Q.   Why did you get interested in dolphins and whales?
A.   I have always loved whales! Especially orcas. I have seen them so many times that I miss them when I do not get a chance to whale watch. It has been a couple of years now, and I am feeling ready to see them again.

Math is Fun
By Alex B.
Math is fun and it is good for you. You do it like this: Ten plus ten equals twenty. Five plus five equals ten. Forty plus forty equals 80. It is brilliant!
The End.

J1 / Ruffles
By Isaac K.
Ruffles is one of the oldest males. He is the easiest to spot by its wavy dorsal fin.

Orcas,  by Isaac K.

Orcas are black,
Orcas are white.
Orcas swim day and night.
They swim for miles around.
They don't care what they find in their underwater town

King Tut Died
By Isaac K.

King Tut died when he was 19 years old. King Tut has been buried underground. King Tut has been dead for over 3000 years. If King Tut had a wife, we would have proof.

Room 9’s Orca Whale

By Parker L.

In October, the Room 9 students and Julie adopted a whale. We went onto the Whale Museum Web site (www.whale-museum.org) and clicked on “class adoption.” We looked in the J Pod. We looked around and read descriptions on whales in the J Pod. Many kids liked Cookie and Princess Angeline, but when it came time to vote, Ruffles was the clear winner.

Ruffles is great. He’s the oldest in the J Pod. He is known by the wavy shape of his dorsal fin. 

Now that we have adopted Ruffles, the Whale Museum will send us pictures of Ruffles, and we will learn about where the J Pod is going.

Each student received an official adoption certificate with a photo of Ruffles.

We adopted Ruffles because we are studying Orca whales and dolphins in our expedition. We will learn a lot about J Pod, where they are going, what they eat, how long they stay in one place and more.

Rumors by Omar B.

There have been rumors this year, such as a ghost in the boys bathroom. A monster in the boys bathroom. Bloody Mary and a witch in the girls bathroom.

The Three Preposterous Purple and Pink Penguins from Pluto by Parker L.