Captivating Chemistry Demonstration

Mrs. Eagy has been capturing students' attention with a variety of demonstrations in
chemistry this year. Her latest demonstration involved a colorful, foaming compound formed by a chemical reaction often called 'Elephant's Toothpaste'. Similar to a well known reaction between vinegar and baking soda, this demonstration is a bit more reactive and impressive.



Materials
1 16 oz. plastic soda bottle
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide liquid, either 6% or 9%
1 tablespoon dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water
liquid dish washing soap
food coloring
small cup
funnel

Procedure
1. Carefully pour the hydrogen peroxide into the plastic soda bottle.
2. Add 8 drops or so of food coloring to the bottle.
3. Add about 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap to the bottle and swish
the bottle around a bit to mix it.
4. In the small cup, combine the warm water and the yeast and mix for about 30 seconds.
5. Pour the yeast/water mixture into the bottle.







The foam from the experiment is created from an exothermic reaction (a reaction which releases energy in the process). The yeast acts as a catalyst to remove the oxygen from the compound H2O2, also known as hydrogen peroxide. The reaction happens quickly, which creates lots of bubbles as the oxygen mixes with the new compound H2O (water), soap, and food coloring. While the hydrogen peroxide was a strongly concentrated, dangerous to touch compound, the products of the reaction are not. The container is left warm to the touch due to the release of energy in the form of heat—an exothermic reaction!

This experiment is sometimes called "Elephant's Toothpaste" because it looks like toothpaste coming out of a tube, but you had better not brush with it!

Oak Hill Senior Named Commended Student

Oak Hill Senior Andrew St.Jean has been named a commended student in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. He has been presented with a Letter of Commendation from Oak Hill and from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.



Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 PSAT (PSAT/NMSQT).



"The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," commented a spokesperson for NMSC. "These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success."



We thank the Lord for Andrew's talents and pray that he would continue to use them in God's service.

School Lunches- What to Pack

Backpack - check.

Uniform - check.

Shoes - check.

Lunch - . . .

It is no new problem trying to pack something for lunch that your child will eat and enjoy and that won't be difficult for you to prepare. Along with all the excitement September brings comes the monotony of packing lunches. We have a few ideas to help you start your ten months of brown bag lunches off with a smile.

Make the ordinary a bit extraordinary.

*Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes- initials, leaves, apples.

*Instead of slicing an apple, core it and fill it with dip. Try a mix of peanut butter and caramel.

*Pack buttered noodles (try a fun shape like bow ties or cut fusilli), cubes of mozzarella, slices of pepperoni, and olives.

*Put all of the ingredients for a sandwich on a stick! Try mini pickles, olives, salami and cheese cubes.

Pack something extra.

*Put juice pouches or water bottles in the freezer and pack with lunch to keep cold. Wrap a paper towel around the drink to keep condensation from soaking lunch.

*Include a homemade treat such as your child's favorite cookie or cupcake.

*Add a short note with a message or a school memory, or tuck in a small gift such as an eraser or special pencil.

*Include a straw with any drink you pack.

Try something different.

*Make some yummy bread sticks (here's a great recipe) and pack with marinara sauce, steamed veggies and a cheese stick.
*Pack breakfast~ a boiled egg, berries, and french toast cut into strips. Add some syrup in a small plastic storage cup.
*Saute chicken with soy sauce and shredded cabbage and carrots, pack with lettuce leaf cups and crunchy rice noodles, finish with an orange.

Have a look in your local grocery for Gladware or Ziplock containers. A few new items have come out that are especially helpful for packing lunches including one with 3 various compartment sizes, the largest able to fit a good size sandwich.

We will try to add some lunch ideas during the school year to help you keep taste buds happy and tummies filled!

Making Memory Jars

Children are constantly collecting things that many may call junk: bottle caps, rocks, movie ticket stubs. . . the list goes on. Who can fault them though? We have all been there age and have done the same; some of us still do. At some point the miscellaneous objects just seem to be trash but not to the collector. Here is a solution- Memory Jars.


Throughout the summer while visiting family, taking trips to the beach or mountains, or simply enjoying an ice cold soda on the porch (you get the picture), keep a jar for your child to keep his treasures in. If is starts to overflow, have him choose some things to take out.

Keep a list of the items in the jar and what significance they have, just a short note. At the end of summer place the list in the jar along with a few pictures. Finish it off with a label or tag titling it something simple such as Summer 2011. Whenever you want to walk down memory lane, open the jar and go through the items with your child.


Be creative about jotting down notes of everyday and special events. Have or help your child write a cinquain, a five line poem. It is rather simple.

1. Choose a subject that is limited to one word: firefly.
2. Pick two adjectives for the word: quick and small. Be creative and think about all the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, sound). Help a younger child by describing the subject or giving him a few words to choose from.
3. Select three verbs related to the subject, either an action the subject might display or one who observes the subject. Have each end with -ing: flying, catching, blinking.
4. Write a phrase, something that comes to mind when the subject is named or something your child did with the subject. Just a short phrase: put them in a jar.
5. The last line is another name for the subject. Encourage creativity and use metaphors or just use a synonym: lightning bug.

Firefly
Quick, small
Flying, catching, blinking
Put it in a jar.
Lightning Bug

Have your child write his poem neatly and illustrate it or decorate the paper it is on. Anything can be a subject: swimming, raining, thunder, ice cream, scrapes, heat, and the list goes on. There are variations on the cinquain. This source has a simple explanation and examples of each.



Keep the memory jar in a central location so that new memories can be added easily. Now your child can have a place to keep all those bottle caps and broken sea shells.

Twinkle, Twinkle in a Jar

Have you begun to hear those dreaded words yet? "I'm bored," with a heavy sigh. School has been out for just a few weeks but keeping inquisitive minds busy is not always easy. For some inspiration just have a look around you and perhaps in the school library.

Even though the school year is over, the books are still here. And as long as the office is open, you can stop by to find one that may spark an interest in your child. Here is a good one, Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges. A beautiful little counting book that even older children will adore.



Take an evening to spend outdoors hunting for fireflies, or as you may call them, lightning bugs. Here are some suggestions for making a jar to hold some in.



Use a jar that has a wide enough mouth for your hand to fit in and out easily.



Place a wet cotton ball in the jar to make the air moist. Fireflies need humidity in the air to help them breath. Also add a few leaves and a twig.



Cover the top of the jar with a piece of hose secured by a rubber band. This works better than a lid with holes as the holes may not be large enough for adequate ventilation or they may be too large and allow the fireflies escape before you release them.



When you are ready to release them (it's best not to keep them longer than a day or two as they only live a short time as adults), let them go at night when they are active. For an extra special time, pack a small picnic to enjoy at dusk. Nothing fancy, just a snack and don't forget the picnic blanket.

A Few Facts About Fireflies

Both males and females flash but males are brighter as they have more sections on their abdomens that glow.

Eggs and larvae glow also. Have you heard of a glow worm? It is a firefly larva.

Firefly larva live up to two years but adults only live for a short time, as little as 7 days! They live just long enough to mate and lay eggs.

Different species of fireflies glow at different times, some at twilight while others like it completely dark. They also fly and glow at certain heights, some just above the grass while others stay high in treetops.

Not all adults glow but those that do range in color from orange to yellow to green.