Post #27

Shalom Farms Service Project

Wow! What a busy week we have had. The girls had a blast at Shalom Farms (of course we missed Audrey and Grace and are glad they are feeling better) and learned the true meaning of community. They planted potatoes and experienced first hand how everyone can make a difference. Be sure to see the the farm pics in our Class Photos (scroll to the bottom). The girls packed the lunches for our CARITAS visitors and embraced our school motto: "What we keep we lose, and only what we give remains our own."

Wednesday was National Puppy Day. Not sure how others celebrated this day but we went all out. The girls completed the Wordly Wise creative writing in a collaborative document and of course the inspiration was adorable puppies. Using a collaborative document allows for a broader audience and encourages editing and revision. The girls commented on each other's writing, offering suggestions and compliments. Your can see your daughter's writing here:

It's all about fractions, division, and multiplication. The girls practiced finding the fraction of a set using manipulatives, interactive websites, and even emojis. I loved hearing them say, "This is easy!" Quite a change from last week. Problem solving featured Peeps- what else would problem solving feature the week before Easter?

The girls experienced pop culture from the 1920's. They listened to music, designed a paper doll, wrote letters using slang from the decade. The letters and paper dolls are outside our classroom being enjoyed by the younger girls. Don't be surprised if they ask you about your handcuff or if you are hard-boiled. The girls learned about the Harlem Renaissance, rewrote captions from Rin-Tin-Tin and even expanded on the Winnie-the Pooh theme song. All to experience life in the roaring twenties. The fun of the twenties is about to come to an end.... we will be in the throes of The Great Depression next week.

The girls showed off their creative thinking and writing in Three Word Thursday (3WT). We kept with the potato theme (the three words were fraction, multiple, and denominator):

Several important parent letters are in the girls' work folders. Please be on the look-out for the PE bike field trip information and permission slip. There is also a letter about our 3D project and a sign-up to help out on April 16th. Both letters need to be returned. I've attached them just in case you need an extra copy:)

Info for Parents:

Bike Field Trip Information

Bike Field Trip Permission Slip

3D Design Project Information

Spring Conference Sign-up

Girls- Your mystery question is:
What color jacket is Cailyn wearing? Who is the 1920's paper doll? Type your answer here.

Post # 26

We love making mistakes in room M02! Ask your daughter how often we celebrate our mistakes. I love how the girls are comfortable with setbacks and stumbles and thrive while learning from their mistakes. It's reason #3 that it is good to be us! Take a look at a few girls explaining the power of mistakes:

March is Women in History Month. We spent a good deal of time talking about the contributions made by women and how fortunate we are to be women in America in 2016. The girls chose a woman of interest who they felt deserves a spot on Mt. Rushmore. They researched and worked on writing assertion statements and supporting details that highlighted the woman's accomplishments. Of course we had to have a little fun and reworked the historic monument. Here's an example from Adriana:

We worked with prepositions this week and how to use them to strengthen their writing. Our writing lab further reinforced prepositions usage. This week's lab took the girls around the world. They listened to birds from all continents and wrote descriptive and very creative paragraphs about a particular bird.

Fractions will be our next BIG push in math. Several girls expressed some angst regarding fractions. I assured them that they will be proficient in no time! I was impressed with their problem solving this week. Our EdPuzzles were tricky and included division with 2 digit divisors. They were not stumped. Remember that you can also get a more detailed look at our math stations on the Fourthie site. Coordinates, latitude, longitude, and plotting points were practiced and reviewed this week. The girls worked through many interactive practices and were able to write detailed explanations on plotting and labeling points in all four quadrants. If you can write about a math procedure then you definitely understand the concept. And our girls can do just that!

We are moving through the 1920's. The girls learned about prohibition, danced the Charleston, and explored American culture in the '20's. More living in the 1920's next week.

Many girls have chosen to work on the math challenge which involves a variety of math games and challenges at both the fourth and fifth grade level. Ask your daughter if she is participating in Greg Tang's March Madness Challenge?

A few informational details:

* Spring Conference Sign-up

* Field Trip to Shalom Farms on Tuesday- wear comfortable clothes and sneakers (bag lunches will be packed for girls who buy lunch in the dining room).

* Be sure to look at the Maypole practice schedule. A few girls were confused about pick-up details. I'll have the participating girls glue the practice schedule in their agendas on Monday.

* Encourage your daughter to practice the Jungle Book songs on our Fourthie site.

Girls- What famous woman is featured on Mt. Rushmore? What Fourthie created the picture? Answer  here.

One more thing... I sure had fun over Spring Break! Go Rams!

Women!

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Post #25

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