Journal

  Do you remember pruning a ginkgo tree in front of our school on August 3rd this year? Then, we collected ginkgo nuts and they were dryed at our branch school. Today, we burned the ginkgo nuts because we didn’t have club activities.
  It took 6 hours to burn them. The ashes were bright blue color. Substance wasn’t recognized but the color was strange.
  We will cool them on the ground for the time being and take them on Monday. They are covered with a bit big box so as not to fall by wind.　　(Maho Yamamoto, Mayu Kimura, Nana Ueda)
  

  Second graders waste no time in finishing their research. They will prepare for the presentation about research based on the viewpoints pointed out by various people.
　 First graders concentrate on creating abstracts and experiment. A term-end examination is just around the corner, so we cannot carry out the research during that period. However, we go on studying as much as we can. (Akki, Sekito, Shige and Hiroaki Inoue)
A ginkgo group is also researching silently.
Creating preparations of pollen
 
Have they completed a fish robot?

On November 17th our four science teams gave presentations in the prefectural meeting of National Culture Festival for Upper Secondary Schools.  Science course students (second graders) also joined the meeting as an audience.  Three teams reached the final. The physics (study of water drops) and chemistry (study of glaze made with ginkgo nuts) teams got award of excellence in each division.  These two teams are going to the national meeting.  The geology team (studying fossil) also reached the final but are only few points behind the winning team.  They got the encouragement prize.  Another Physics team (studying thermoacoustic device) also responded fairly to questions.  Everyone has done well.
In addition, general participating students positively asked questions during presentations.  Our performance livened up the event.  So one of the judges gave us a compliment:  "Your attitude of asking questions overwhelmed others."
Our researches are nearing the end.  We will finish them with good results.  Today’s experiences will help us greatly.  (T.Y.)

　　　　　　　　　　　　

Today’s Ume-chan's activity:  Higashi Youji, the representative director of Nanaore Ume Plum Cooperative Associationthe, helped us the other day and gave us ash of Nanaore Ume(plum) branches.　They say that they burn useless branches In November for a good harvest of plums in the following year. 　This year they gave us the ash of branches to cooperate with us.  From now on we levigate it and change into glaze.　I am looking forward to seeing the color.  Thank you, Mr. Higashi.
  After that, we analyze elements of plum ash at Ehime Prefectural Ceramic Technology Center.  (Pictures of test pieces were placed on a home page the other day.)　We found the ash includes many coloring components, such as over 10% iron oxide (Ⅲ)  and over 1% copper oxide (Ⅱ).　I can’t wait the future research.　Although the trees have only a few plums now and cannot have more plums next spring, we will continue our research harder.  (O.H.)