After finishing their expressive Blackout Poetry, Fourth graders moved on to one of the year's most anticipated traditions: Mask Making! Starting with a simple base, students layered papier-mâché to create a defined structure. After securing the forms and adding vibrant paint, they spent their final week "characterizing" their masks with feathers, beads, ribbon, and wire. 

Grades K, 3, and 5 have library classes during this rotation. In K we are learning about the difference between fiction and nonfiction. We describe fiction books as books that are just for fun and that come from the author's imagination. Nonfiction books are books that want to teach us. We are studying the difference between books on similar topics to determine which ones are fiction and which ones are nonfiction and the reasons WHY. A few examples are below: 

In grade 3, we are doing an author/illustrator study about Oge Mora and learning about the different types of books she has written. The kids are loving her stories and her collage-style illustrations. So far, the kids' favorite has been a biography: The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read. If you have a third-grader, ask them to tell you about this AMAZING human! 

In grade 5, we are learning about different parts of the library/locations within our library, and tools to help us access them, as well as the life cycle of a library book. Some fifth graders have found a creative way to still show some love to weeded books in our collection... ask them to tell you about what many of them are creating (picture hint below!)

Lastly, about a month ago, we added a puzzle table to the library. This has been a wonderful way to see kids come together and collaboratively work on something together. It's been WONDERFUL to listen to their conversations and to problem-solve. If you have any puzzles in the 300-500 piece range that you are done with, we would be happy to give them another life in the library! 

I hope you all have a wonderful, cozy winter break full of family and GOOD BOOKS!

The schedule for classes and book checkouts is:

The book checkout guidelines are:

Kindergarten students have been busy flexing their engineering muscles these last few months. They created robots using loose parts, they built houses for gingerbread men, and then spent weeks designing and building structures for things that move like cars and Hex-bugs. They created roadways, parking garages, parking lots, tunnels, and mazes for their vehicles. Through all of their building and creating, kindergarten students also practiced working in groups and taking turns.  

 

First-graders recently tackled their first engineering challenge. They were asked to design a flying machine for the book character Rosie Revere. Their flying machine was required to have wings, fly down a zip line, and keep Rosie safe during her travels. Students then tested out their designs and cheered each other on! First-graders have also spent time getting acquainted with the Lego WeDo 2.0 robotics kits. So far, they've been able to build, code, and test out a working fan and a spy robot!. 

Second-graders have spent the last month designing and constructing their very own parade floats. For this engineering challenge, students were required to design and decorate a balloon, as well as design and construct a device to hold their balloon in the air. Students came up with very creative design ideas and worked through the challenges they encountered when crafting the device to hold their balloons in the air. Check out their balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade below!

Third-graders have been studying bridge design. Their first challenge was to design a bridge to hold weight only using paper - no tape. Their second challenge was to design a bridge made of drinking straws that could hold 50 metal washers. The students worked hard, and surprised themselves with the amount of weight their bridges could hold. 

Fourth-graders have spent the last few weeks studying how the human body is like a machine. We studied how fingers move, how eyes see, and how your brain controls your body. Students ended the month of December working in teams to conquer Lego Disaster Island - they used Legos to build an island and then had to modify the island in response to challenges.

Digital Literacy & Computer Science

First graders are returning to tech classes after being in library classes for the last six weeks. In this upcoming tech rotation, we will be learning about the Internet. Some of the questions we will be discussing: What is the Internet? What are some safe things to do on the Internet? What is a "just right" website? What is personal information and why should we keep it private? Students will be using the multimedia skills they learned in our first rotation using Seesaw as they create a new page in their Internet Safety book in each tech class. 

 

In this upcoming tech rotation, fourth graders will continue learning and practicing their keyboarding/touch-typing skills. They will also deepen their word processing knowledge and skills by doing some more advanced tasks in Google Docs. We'll also be discussing online safety by looking at different kinds of online friendships and recognizing that people aren't always who they say they are online. 

Building on our underhand throwing skills, we moved into our bowling unit. Students practiced their underhand rolls and even teamed up with Mr. Trask’s 3rd and 4th grade classes for some disco bowling! We turned off the lights, added colorful lights, played disco music, and even had a multicolored disco ball on the screen. Be sure to check out the photos!

In health class this month, we focused on germs and handwashing. Students learned about bacterial and viral infections and how to prevent the spread of germs by washing their hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds. We also practiced sneezing and coughing into our elbows.

 

December was full of movement, cooperation, and winter themed play in our K–2 wellness classes. Students explored scooter boards in a variety of ways: moving on their bellies, sitting on their bottoms and using their legs to push and pull, and scooting on their knees. We talked about how scooter work builds core strength, balance, coordination, and body awareness. Partner practice gave children chances to work together, practice communication, take turns, and build trust while pushing, guiding, and navigating with classmates—one highlight was connecting every scooter to make a long line that moved in a circle like the Rockettes! Right before break, the gym was transformed into a winter wonderland and we rotated through four super fun stations: Sleigh Ride, Marshmallow Toss, Do You Wanna Build a Snowman, and Ice Castles. Be sure to check out the pictures below!

I'm so proud of the hard work and enthusiasm the students showed in November and December! Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and A Happy NEW YEAR!

During the months of November and December, students participated in our bowling unit. They learned proper bowling form, how to keep score, and explored the history of bowling. All classes had the opportunity to take part in a fun and engaging Disco Bowling Day.

Students in grades 3 and 4 then learned about the muscular system and ways to help keep their muscles healthy and strong. Just before winter break, classes began our scooter unit, where students practiced skills independently and worked cooperatively with their peers. Happy Holidays!