Student Art Work

Curriculum Updates

3/4 Super Studies–Last week, students continued exploring different ways that people communicate. We learned about how technology has changed over the years and played around with a few different types of code: Morse, binary, and maritime signal flags. For Forest Friday, students practiced distinguishing between fir, spruce, and pine trees.

5/6 Super Studies–Last week, students continued learning about different aspects of weather, including humidity, clouds, and reading surface maps. They worked on pulling all of these different pieces of information together to understand how weather forecasting happens. On Forest Friday, students practiced distinguishing between fir, spruce, and pine trees and had a wonderful time exploring the forest.

7/8 Super Studies–Last week, we started learning about the digestive system in class. Students made diagrams, watched videos, and read articles. To demonstrate their understanding of the digestive system, they wrote ridiculous stories from the perspective of a kumquat as it’s been eaten and digested!

3/4 ELA–Last week we reread “Waiting for the Biblioburro” and continued working on identifying the main character, setting, problem (or conflict), and how the problem was solved.  Students were introduced to writing a one-paragraph statement of the theme along with two details and supporting evidence from the story.  Students (especially those in 3rd grade) are new to this this year and are working through some growing pains right now.  They need continued reassurance that the more we practice this, the easier it will become.

5/6 ELA–This past week we read a speech by President Obama addressing the earthquake in Haiti and the United States plan to provide assistance and relief.  Students read and analyzed the speech.  They have also started looking at some relief agencies that help worldwide when there is a natural disaster.

7/8 ELA–Students finished an end of unit assessment.  This past unit has focused on poetic tools and how poets use these tools to add meaning to their poems.  We are continuing our study of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and various forms of art, including poetry and music, that were produced in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

3-grade math – This past week students explored time as a continuous measurement using a stopwatch.  They also related skip counting by fives to the clock and used a number line when thinking about time.  We did quite a bit of work on telling time to the minute.

4th-grade math – This past week they worked with the area and perimeter of rectangles.  They demonstrated an understanding of area and perimeter by solving multi-step real world problems.

6th-grade math –  This past week we continued our work with ratios looking at speed and measurement as well as problem-solving using unit rates and conversions. We also started working with percentages and rates per 100.

7th-grade group A – The students finished up their test at the beginning of the week and started working with rational numbers.  They seem to be enjoying this unit.

7th-grade group B – The students finished up their work in ratios and proportional relationships and started studying for the test.   Next, we will be working with rational numbers.

8th-grade group A – The students finished up their work with congruence and took a test.  This week they will take another short test over the Pythagorean theorem.

8th-grade group B – The students worked with translations,  reflections, and rotations of geometric figures.

This week the kindergarten mathematicians worked on writing and recognizing the number words for numbers one to five. They played a subtraction game called Monkey Trouble, with dice and “bananas”, yellow unifix cubes. The First-grade mathematicians continued to work on making number sentences equal, 7+3=5+5, and also recognizing if they are not equal and making them equal. In literacy, the kindergarten and first graders worked on words with the beginning sounds of w, z, and y, along with their phonemic awareness and making words. The Second-grade mathematicians continued to work on measuring objects and adding centimeters to make a meter. 40 cm+60 cm= 100 cm= 1 meter. In literacy, the second graders continued to focus on the ending sounds of ack, uck, ock, and ick. The First and Second grade also worked on a game called Which One Does Not Belong. Looking at a set of four objects or numbers and talking about why one does not belong. There are no right or wrong answers; it is about being able to explain why they picked the one they picked.

This week Pre-K and Kindergarten students were introduced to their email accounts. Students learned how to look for the blue google meet live link in their emails and many students were able to send and receive emoji filled emails to and from family. Friday’s practice remote day was exciting for most of us, but a few students were reminded of last spring and were sad to not be at school. Pre-K and Puffin mathematicians are solving How many questions with 4 or 5 objects. The Pop-Up game is popular during math fluency time with Pre-K and K; and also helps us practice physical distancing in a fun way. The game is played with students seated in a circle formation. If the number is 3, children count in the following way: Student A says, “ONE” (remains seated); Student B says “TWO” (remains seated); Student B says “THREE” and POPS UP to standing. The next student begins the counting sequence again. The students love predicting who will be the next student to Pop up, and we have added the “silly statue challenge” to those students who are standing while we count. The silly statue challenge is: to hold yourself in a silly position until the next child POPS up! —

December

12/7                                                                 Photo retakes

12/8                 6:00pm                                    School Board Meeting

12/11               12:00                                       Dismissal

12/18               12:00                                       Dismissal

12/23-1/3                     Holiday—No School