Mrs. Okamoto Day

Mrs. Okamoto Day is a day we have at Hillwood to remember Mrs. Okamoto and to celebrate the San Francisco Giants baseball team because she was a really big fan of the Giants. Mrs. Okamoto was a great afternoon supervisor that had the same job as Mrs. Caine. Mrs. Okamoto was working at hillwood for 53 years.

On Mrs. Okamoto day we wear orange and black clothes or Giants attire. We also eat hot dogs, chips, and pie. We hang up a Mrs. Okamoto Day sign that is orange and black. This year was special because the Giants won the world series. On Mrs. Okmoto Day we have a longer lunch and still have school work.

Photo one: Fiona Mihailousky, Parisa Shapoorian, and Mrs. Woods at Mrs. Okamoto Day.

Photo two: Nikita Kupriyanov, Erion Hom-Duong, and Jay Jaber are getting ready for a balloon toss.

Photo three: Nikita Kupriyanov and Mr. Grantz at Mrs. Okamoto day.

Ants with Wings and Stingers are Considered a Delicacy in Brazil

In Brazil, eating ants with wings is a tradition and a delicacy, raw or cooked. It used to be a sign of poverty, but not necessarily now. Today, it is embraced as a cultural tradition and because many people enjoy the taste and festivities of eating ants.

Here's how you eat an ant with wings: First you take off the wings, then the stinger, next the legs, take half off, then cook it if you want, and last eat.

Ants were eaten when fish and monkeys were scarce in Brazil. During the ant season a whole town in Brazil smells like fried ants. The pesticide they used to make paper also kills ants, and so many people in the town are now worried that the ants -- and their town's tradition -- are in great danger.

To watch a video go to this website.

Source: The New York Times

How to Bake a Rainbow Cake

This cake was filmed and made at home by Kaitlin. She started blogging about food on her blog, Whisk-Kid.blogspot.com, when she was 15-years-old. Three or so years later, she is still writing about food and highlighting her favorite recipes. She also takes food photography seriously and uses a Canon Digital Rebel XTI, natural light, and stop-animation techniques to create inspiring photos.

Hillwood's Annual May Overnight

Every year at Hillwood in May, Mr. and Mrs. Grantz invites students from grades fourth and up to their cabin in Muir Woods. It is usually seperated in terms of gender so, no worries about cooties. At the overnight, students can just hang out and have fun. There are a many activities ranging from a hike in the national park to playing volletyball right outside the cabin to watching movies. Along with the fun activities, Mrs. Grantz is an awesome cooker!!! At last year's overnight, we had pasta, corn, and chicken for dinner. In the morning, we ate the classic scrambled eggs and potatoes.

Some memorable activities include.... well, practically the whole experience! On the Muir Woods hike, Anya tried to scare me by running to the front and hiding in random bushes. I helped Mrs. Grantz prepare breakfast and make additional treats for the students such as coacoa and cinnamon rolls. During the night, we watched several movies that were brought in by our class. There was The Dark Knight and Spirited Away.

Of course, we slept over at the cabin. Everyone brought sleeping bags and parked a space in the living room; some in front of the t.v., some in the back. All in all, it was very fun. I got to know some people very well on this trip and we got closer. I hope that new students and current fourth graders think so too!

How To Eat An Ant

Students: Jay and Erion

How would you eat an ant? How about an exotic ant with wings? Watch this New York Times video and write a how-to story.

For this story, you want to include at least five images with extended captions after your story's introduction. The photos and captions should show and tell the story and process of capturing and eating the ants. Also, don't forget to include why these ants and the tradition of eating them may be endangered, and as always, be respectful of the culture and traditions of others.

Remember to include the five W's of a news article, as well as images, source credits and labels. Your goal this week: A story twice as long as your post last week.