The middle school class went to see Body Worlds at the Science Museum of Virginia today. The class has been studying anatomy and it was an excellent chance to see this traveling collection. Body Worlds is an amazing exhibit. We learned many intriguing things such as: the brain is only 2% of one’s body weight, but it needs 20% of the blood supply, electrical signals emitted by nerve cells can travel up to 250 miles per hour and the liver produces 3-5 cups of bile a day.
I also liked this quote, from the many texts displayed at Body Worlds: “Learning involves establishing a new neural network, then re-using it time and again, rather like building a bridge over a deep ravine. Once the bridge has been built, we have learned something new, and crossing the ravine becomes effortless.”
We received good news this week: North Branch is 1 of 3 schools in the Commonwealth to receive the Virginia Naturally School Recognition award for all 13 years that the program has been in existence. This program through the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recognizes exemplary efforts undertaken by Virginia schools to increase environmental awareness and stewardship among students. NBS was awarded the pennants and flag hanging on the front porch during the first 7 years of the program.