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Nov. 14th, 2014 09:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_rckThe Expo last night was long and very, very crowded. I meant to take an ativan before going, but I forgot, and, as I didn't bring my purse, I didn't have the option of taking it there. Between 6:00 and 7:00, every single classroom in the school had presentations going on with the kids getting up and talking about their projects. Even the kindergartners did presentations.
Cordelia wanted to see as many of the sixth grade presentations as she could (there are two sixth grade classrooms, so we were able to see half of the sixth grade present), so that's what we did. The teachers had told all the kids in advance that they had to have a 'trusted adult' with them at all times. I think that's a good idea in general, but sixth graders should be a little more independent.
The sixth graders were trying to come up with ways to help with the global water crisis. Most of them built filters of various types. One group built a set up to distill sea water into fresh. One group designed a suction flush toilet. Cordelia's group didn't finish their model because they were quite ambitious. They had a filter that drained into pipes that lead to a cylinder made from pop bottles. The idea was that the cylinder would roll, making carrying the water easier. In practice, they couldn't get it both to roll and not leak. More time and better materials would make a difference.
They wanted the forty pounds of weights to demonstrate just how hard it is for people (mostly women and children) to carry enough water for their families. I think they'd have liked to have everybody in the room lift the bag containing the weights, but they didn't have time for that.
Before and after the classroom presentations, there were events in various parts of the school. Before, we crowded into the computer lab for a robotics demonstration, but Cordelia and I really couldn't see anything. Cordelia also wasn't impressed because it was boys from her class demonstrating what everybody's been working on. I think she was hoping for something new to her.
After the classroom demonstrations, I went home. Cordelia wanted to stay to find out which design for the school's new logo had been accepted. All the kids were able to submit designs, and the kids voted on them. Cordelia says that the design that won was by a sixth grader. Cordelia also wanted to stay because she'd heard that there was going to be a demonstration of a glow in the dark trebuchet out on the playground. (Scott says that wasn't nearly as cool as she hoped it would be.)
I very nearly went to bed before Scott and Cordelia got home, but I knew we needed to start packing for UCon. I think Scott's signed up to be on a panel at 6:00 (I can't find the email or piece of paper where I read that, so I'm not sure, and Scott doesn't know), and getting there in time will be really, really tight.
This morning, I didn't get back to sleep after Scott left, so I got out of bed half an hour early and had my coffee while I wrote some emails. When Cordelia got up, I went to shower and discovered that the handle on the toilet is broken. I took the lid off the tank. The thingy that connects the handle to the chain that lifts the flap to flush has snapped off. We can still flush by pulling on that rod, so I've left the lid off the tank. My guess is that we'll live with it that way until next weekend when Scott has time to fix it. I don't see it happening this weekend, and during the week is pretty unlikely, too.
Cordelia wanted to see as many of the sixth grade presentations as she could (there are two sixth grade classrooms, so we were able to see half of the sixth grade present), so that's what we did. The teachers had told all the kids in advance that they had to have a 'trusted adult' with them at all times. I think that's a good idea in general, but sixth graders should be a little more independent.
The sixth graders were trying to come up with ways to help with the global water crisis. Most of them built filters of various types. One group built a set up to distill sea water into fresh. One group designed a suction flush toilet. Cordelia's group didn't finish their model because they were quite ambitious. They had a filter that drained into pipes that lead to a cylinder made from pop bottles. The idea was that the cylinder would roll, making carrying the water easier. In practice, they couldn't get it both to roll and not leak. More time and better materials would make a difference.
They wanted the forty pounds of weights to demonstrate just how hard it is for people (mostly women and children) to carry enough water for their families. I think they'd have liked to have everybody in the room lift the bag containing the weights, but they didn't have time for that.
Before and after the classroom presentations, there were events in various parts of the school. Before, we crowded into the computer lab for a robotics demonstration, but Cordelia and I really couldn't see anything. Cordelia also wasn't impressed because it was boys from her class demonstrating what everybody's been working on. I think she was hoping for something new to her.
After the classroom demonstrations, I went home. Cordelia wanted to stay to find out which design for the school's new logo had been accepted. All the kids were able to submit designs, and the kids voted on them. Cordelia says that the design that won was by a sixth grader. Cordelia also wanted to stay because she'd heard that there was going to be a demonstration of a glow in the dark trebuchet out on the playground. (Scott says that wasn't nearly as cool as she hoped it would be.)
I very nearly went to bed before Scott and Cordelia got home, but I knew we needed to start packing for UCon. I think Scott's signed up to be on a panel at 6:00 (I can't find the email or piece of paper where I read that, so I'm not sure, and Scott doesn't know), and getting there in time will be really, really tight.
This morning, I didn't get back to sleep after Scott left, so I got out of bed half an hour early and had my coffee while I wrote some emails. When Cordelia got up, I went to shower and discovered that the handle on the toilet is broken. I took the lid off the tank. The thingy that connects the handle to the chain that lifts the flap to flush has snapped off. We can still flush by pulling on that rod, so I've left the lid off the tank. My guess is that we'll live with it that way until next weekend when Scott has time to fix it. I don't see it happening this weekend, and during the week is pretty unlikely, too.
