September 1, 2004

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am excited to be able to share some of my summer research experiences with my students by creating some parallel activities. We have funding from the National Science Foundation for a short field trip to Pertle Springs for each of my six classes. These field trips will be followed up by lab studies and research that the students will document and share with others. To make these trips work, I will need four chaperones per block and am requesting your assistance. Students will be in small teams and collecting different data on the insects, lichens, and myxomycetes of Pertle Springs. You do not have to be a biologist to assist us, but it will be helpful if you are familiar with the outdoors and not afraid of creepy, crawly, slimy life forms.

The trips will take place on Tuesday, September 28th and Wednesday, September 29th with rain dates of Thursday, Sept. 30th and Friday, Oct. 1st. If you are willing to assist with this activity, please mark the appropriate box (boxes) below and provide the requested contact information. Be sure to check your child's schedule so that you can have the opportunity to assist his/her class.

If you have any questions, please contact me at school (747-5612) or at home (747-7534). Thank you so much for considering helping with this activity.

Trish Smith, WMS Life Science Teacher

Red Day Classes (Tues., 9/28) Red Day "Rain Date" (Thurs.,9/30)

Block 1(7:45-9:15)