Dream - Our First Motivational Tribute

Motivational Posters

Last week, the staff and students made some of our own motivational posters. Each week I will post a picture and how the staff and students decided we do it here at ALTC. This was a great motivational activity and showed the kids just how much we learn here at school. Everyone participated and enjoyed this activity! Two hours of cooperative learning - there is nothing more positive!

Reading is alive and well!

This morning, I saw one of the most wonderful sights and needed to take a picture of it. How often do you see a high school aged boy reading to his teacher. The picture speaks for itself.

The results are in

The results for both of the science experiments were very interesting. Tyler decided that the food coloring the was very concentrated killed the flowers. They did absorb some, but ended up dead prior to the ones with the less concentrated food coloring. The less concentrated ones ended up alive and conintinued to absorb the color.

Roger and Ian's experiemtn with the leaves ended up as they expected. The water inthe bowls changed the color that the leaf was, wither brown, yellow or orange. The leaves in thedye did coninute to rely on the water, as the veins of the leaves did change tothe blue color!

Nice work on these self-guided experiments. They are already planning somenew ones!

Chemistry Science Project

Ian and Roger, two of our chemistry students, have designed an experiment.

First, we went over the scientific method:

1. Ask a question.

2. Conduct research.

3.Construct a hypothesis

4.Test your hypothesis by conducting an experiment.

5.Analyze the data and draw your conclusions

6. Communicate your results!

They have asked the question of "will water change color if you place cut-up autumn leaves in it?"

They researched and have found that according to several websites, decomposing and decaying leaves can change the color of water, usually to a reddish-brown color. This is usually caused by the chemical and minerals such as carotene, which gives the leaves their natural orange/yellow color.

They have hypothesised that all of the water will change color, although only slightly.

For this experiment, they went out and collected several different colored leaves, and made score marks in them prior to placing them in the bowls of water. They will check for color change in 24 hours.

Also, as a challenge experiment, they have placed food coloring in two bowl to see if the leaves will continue to absorb water even though they have fallen from the tree. They have placed two maple leaves in blue water, on by the stem, one fully submerged. They think that the water will be drawn into the leaves.

Biology science project

Today, we went over the scientific method in class. We reviewed the following steps:

1. Ask a question.
2. Conduct research.
3. construct a hypothesis.
4.Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment.
5.Analyze the data and draw a conclusion
6.Communicate your results.

Today, our biology student Tyler started his experiment by asking the following question.

Will higher concentrations of food coloring placed in water make the carnation placed in the colored water change color faster?

He researched and found out that it will take from 1 to 24 hours for the flowers to showsomechange in color.

Tyler has hypothesized that the higher concentration of food coloring will make the carnation darker and change color quicker.

Tyler disolved the food coloring in the water at different levels of concentration, and then placed the white carnations into the water. He will check for results beginning in one hour.

PSATs

I would like to thank the three wonderful, hardworking students who completed thePSATs this morning with minimal complaints. They worked hard for the two-and -a-half hour test block and were rewarded with delicious lunch from The Gridiron, one of our favorite restaurants in town! Thanks boys! Great Job!

Thank you!

Thank you to those parents and students who came to our Open House last night! It was a very excellent opportunity to have some personal time with each of you who came! We would like to thank the Becket House at Litchfield and especially Cathie for the amazing food, including the most excellent chili! The whoopie pies were to die for, as were the homemade brownies with chocolate ganache deliciously placed upon them! If you were unable to attend and would like to schedule a time to come in and visit our facility and staff, please call 207-344-6226! Thanks

Open House!

On Thursday, October 8th, ALTC will be having our Annual Open House from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Feel free to stop by and say hello, meet our outstanding staff and our new director, John Fulp! There will be food and lots of goodies! Hope to see you there!

Apple Ridge Farm

Today, for those students who were on the appropriate level, we went to Apple Ridge Orchards in Auburn, ME. It was a beautiful day for a trip to the farm! When we arrived, they taught us about the storage and refrigeration process. They actually seal up the room and suck all of the oxygen out of it. That leaves only nitrogen, which helps to preserve the apples. Oxygen will speed up the deterioration process, so that is why it is removed. Then, we were given some bags to go pick some apples. The macs and cortlands were delicious! After that, we returned to the farm and got some fresh pressed apple cider. You would be hard-pressed to find any better cider! It was yummy! They gave us some feed for the farm animals and we went over to visit them. There were goats, pygmy goats, baby sheep, a couple of cows, silky chickens, turkeys and ducks. We then headed back to the school to go home for the weekend!