Jordan came up with a curriculum 12 years ago that she continues to modify, and it continues to be a success. The curriculum gets her Saratoga students excited about the themes she teaches, to the extent that they don't even realize they are learning. They just think they are having fun.

Jordan created "Fun Days" to give her second-graders something special to look forward to each month. Apple Fun Day in September was no exception, followed by Pumpkin Fun Day in October. In correlation, the students cooked applesauce as a class in September and baked pumpkins and ate them just before Halloween.

Jordan said the days are a way to allow each student to actively participate through hands-on activities related to each month's theme, while engaging in a general subject in a meaningful and focused manner. The themes often follow the holidays of each month. For example, in November there's Nutrition Day, when the students read a book called Stone Soup and study the pilgrims and Native Americans.

"I find that parents who work and can't normally volunteer on a regular basis enjoy these days and make an effort to come in and help," Jordan said.

By volunteering, parents stay informed on their own child's progress and on what the class is studying. Jordan said it also helps children to see their own parent as a teacher, rather than just "Mommy or Daddy."

Parent volunteer Anita Grossman of Saratoga said she enjoys watching how her son relates to other students his age, in a different setting than she sees him in at home.

Fun Days usually have a social studies basis or story to accompany them, such as Johnny Appleseed for Apple Fun Day. The "day" begins at 8 a.m. and lasts until 10 a.m. The class of 20 is split into five groups of four students each. The groups rotate throughout the classroom to different stations run by parent volunteers that are focused on language arts, science, math, art, writing and sometimes a cooking center, all related to the day's theme. The students keep a journal as they go, and Jordan said the curriculum is also linked to the California state teaching standards.

She makes sure that each station has directions and supplies ready for the parent volunteers, and the process gives Jordan the opportunity to observe her class while the parents take over the teaching role. On Apple Fun Day, the students made apple puppets and wrote a play about healthy nutrition.

"Today is Apple Fun Day," said second-grader Max Chang, coloring in his puppet.

"It's different than normal class. This is just a fun day for today," said second-grader Thomas Hunt.

The children estimated the weight of an apple using a scale as well as measuring its circumference with a string. They also learned about the life cycle of an apple growing from a seed to a sapling to a tree. "A lot of it I've just picked up over the years," Jordan said.

The apple-tasting station was by far the favorite spot for the children, who used their senses to determine which type of apple they liked best. "It's like medium-sized. It's not too hard and not too soft," said second-grader Nikhil Kishore. "It's like sour-sweet."

"It tastes a little sour and a little sweet," chimed in Jason Tsai, tasting the Fuji apple.

"It's very hands-on," Jordan said. "I find they really tend to learn and observe more when they are excited."