They say time flies when you’re having fun, and this first week of February was a whirlwind. I’m so proud of how the students balanced the whimsy of our circus activities with the grit required to wrap up their math units and sharpen their persuasive arguments. The smiles I see at the door each morning are the result of some truly impressive hard work and a lot of fun.
Our circus unit took a hilarious and heartwarming turn this week as we explored the art of the clown! We were so lucky to host Olive parents Collen and Bobby Kintz, who treated the class to an incredible, hour-long presentation. From discovering the "smallest mask in the world" to learning the different personalities and types of clowns, the students were absolutely spellbound. They spent over an hour teaching us the history, the makeup, and the heart behind the character. The kids were leaning in the entire time! We are so grateful to the Kintz family for sharing their time and expertise with us.
This past week both first and second grade math students finished up their Unit 4 work and took the end of the unit assessments. The first graders are now moving on to a geometry unit that the students explore geometry by identifying, describing, and comparing 2-D and 3-D shapes. The unit focuses on composing shapes to create new figures, understanding part-whole relationships, and splitting shapes into equal parts (halves, thirds, fourths). The 2nd graders are now moving on to focus on place value concepts. The students will focus on building deep place value understanding up to 1,000, using manipulatives like base ten pieces to organize numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones. Key skills include adding/subtracting multiples of 10 and 100, money calculations (nickels, dimes, quarters), and identifying patterns in sequences.
Developing Young Persuaders: Writing a good argument is one thing, but making a reader care is another! This week, our writers focused on the craft of engagement. Students revisited their previous persuasive pieces to add compelling hooks. We discussed the goal of sparking curiosity and "pulling" the reader into their work. This is a sophisticated writing skill, and the progress has been impressive. Looking ahead, we will be polishing these pieces further by drafting powerful concluding statements.
Move over, Halloween! The excitement for Valentine's Day is officially here. We will spend time passing out Valentines on Friday, February 13th (just before our Language Arts rotations). Participation is optional, but if your child would like to bring cards, please ensure they have one for everyone on the list below:
Our Classmates: Paxton, Luna, River, Beau, Vincent, Olive, Ellie, Stella, Keegan, Elowyn, Hewitt, Olen, Elsie, Emma, and Jayden.
*Note: We do have one student that has a gluten allergy (if the Valentine's have a treat attached to them).
NOTES:
*We will have the Winter Sports Program again on Wednesday. This will be the last Wednesday in February. The program will start back up in March.
*Your child has a new Weekly News Entry in their homework bag. Please take a moment to read over it with them.
*SNEAKERS, SHOES, FOOTWEAR. Please make sure your child has something besides boots to wear.
That is all for now. I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
1st Grade: Our 1st graders spent the week diving deep into the world of 2-D shapes, mastering their names and specific attributes. Through hands-on exploration, students learned how to compose larger shapes using smaller ones and put their spatial reasoning to the test with a shape puzzle game.
Developing Young Persuaders: Writing a good argument is one thing, but making a reader care is another! This week, our writers focused on the craft of engagement. Students revisited their previous persuasive pieces to add compelling hooks. We discussed the goal of sparking curiosity and "pulling" the reader into their work. This is a sophisticated writing skill, and the progress has been impressive. Looking ahead, we will be polishing these pieces further by drafting powerful concluding statements.