Happy Saturday Everyone! My schedule is a bit different this year and I have a recess duty on Fridays. I try to get all of my planning for the next week done on Thursday and Friday (during my prep periods and lunch break). With that being said, the blog post will not come over the weekend or on Mondays. I will continue to email you all once a post is done too.
Last week had a huge science focus. We had a few lessons to learn about what a scientist is, what he/she does, and why scientists know so much. We had a few lessons where kids learned how to record observations and also develop new questions from their observations. Ask them what they learned about termites and drawing circles for them on a piece of paper. I then introduced the students to science notebooks and explained to them that they will use these to write like scientists all year long. The students observed flowers and apples and used diagrams, labels, words and colored pencils to record their findings. They also used magnifying glasses to get different perspectives and to allow for different observations. We will continue this work this coming week.
We will be starting our unit on erosion this week. Lucas Foley, from Friends of the Mad River, will be joining us on Wednesday. We will be heading to the brook (on the North side of the building) or the river (if the conditions are safe for exploration). Libby Babbott-Klein (Zip's Mom) will be joining us on Wednesdays too. Feel free to come along if you wish. We will start promptly at 1:05 on Wednesdays.
Speaking of Parent Volunteers, several of you have already filled in your desired times. I appreciate those of you who can volunteer in the classroom. If you would like to sign up, please use this link to do so. The volunteer jobs will start the first full week of October.
Each day we have a read a loud time between our afternoon special and the start of literacy time. I find read aloud time a great way to engage the kids in stories that they might not read on their own, stories that have a message, and/or stories that are just fun to read. This week our read aloud titles were This Book is Perfect by Ron Keres, The Scariest Story You Have Ever Heard by Ron Keres, The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts, and Meisha Makes Friends by Tom Percival. I have linked a video reading of each book in case you want to listen to them with your child.
The students also completed their All About Me Posters and they are hung in the hallway outside our classroom. This is a great way for people to get to know the students in our classroom. We continue to focus on learning each others names and I am hoping to make a class book for each kid to take home. This will allow you to know which classmate(s) your child is talking about.
NOTES:
*Please make sure your child dresses for the weather on Wednesday. Rain or mud boots are highly recommended. We will be headed for water in the afternoon.
*I am asking that your child please be in the building by 7:40. The first 20 minutes of the day is a busy one and has a variety of social components going on. The doors open at 7:25 for shooting for 7:30 would be even better. I know it may only be the difference of 5-10 minutes but I promise you it is worth it for your child.
*Some kids were a bit hungry in the afternoon last week and had no more snacks in their backpacks. Please make sure to pack your child extra stuff.
That is all for now. I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. If you a re a football fan, I hope you enjoy opening weekend. I am a huge Pittsburgh Steeler's fan and can't wait to watch the game.
Peace,
Mr. Young
