Hi, everyone...what an awesome week we had...I am SO proud of your kids! (I was also completely exhausted, and am now ready to blog all about it.) I have SOOOOO many pictures to share. We started this crazy week with Valentine's Day...we spent a good part of the morning working with candy hearts and using them for math problem solving...we saw a Charlie Brown video and had an amazing party thanks to Mrs. Lizik and all the parent volunteers!
The rest of the week had a Wax Museum focus, but we threw in a few more things...like our Economy Test...it was obvious how many kids studied...they did very well! We also focused on Science and Writing. To the untrained eye, you might walk into our Writer's Workshop and think there is a lot of chatting and not a lot of work going on...but you'd be wrong...you should see the pieces your kids are publishing...writing takes more than putting "pencil to paper"...the kids have discussions about their ideas, they peer conference their stories, they discuss improvements and changes to their drafts, and last, but certainly not least, they discuss their work with me...so there is a lot of chatting going on...but it is all about their writing! And in Science...we had a great lesson outside on Friday with the whole third grade. We simulated the effects of wind and water on three different Earth substances...sand, soil, and rocks. It was a warm day, so we took full advantage of it and headed outside for "wind and rain storms"! Each student observed three different mountains pre-wind and pre-water. Then with the help of third graders' lungs, we simulated wind and recorded our observations. After wind, they observed as a cup of water was poured onto each mountain and recorded those observations. Based on all of their data, we had great discussions and then they made conclusions as to how wind and water effect the different substances. It was a fun morning...and we thank Mr. Schartner for organizing such a fun way to learn about weathering and erosion.
And then there was this little thing we like to call the Hall of Innovators Wax Museum...what an amazing job your kids did!! We had a very short practice on Tuesday, a dress rehearsal for SIX classes on Wednesday, and then the "real thing" for you all on Thursday...when I think about the little just out of second grade kids who walked into my classroom this past August I get goose bumps...they're growing up, Moms and Dads!! They were composed, well spoken, full of pride, and they looked really good! Thank you to all of you for coming to see the culmination of this unit...it is one we will all remember for a long time!
See the next post for a video of the event!!
And now...we head into MSA prep...who am I kidding...PreK-3rd grade has been all the prep they need...and your kids are going to do very well...but we spend the next couple weeks going over test taking skills, and we will have two days of Mock MSA's...and then we spend time going over them together so they can see how reading carefully and taking their time can help them. We use the on-line timer that is displayed on the screen so they have an idea of how much time they have to work with, and we organize the total test time so that they have an idea of how long they have to sit...in my opinion, this is one of the harder things to do. I'm sure by now you've seen the at-home work I'd like the kids to complete over the next week or so. Posters are due Wednesday...if what I'm saying is not sounding familiar to you...check out your child's Take Home folder...its all in there!
THIRD GRADERS and THE DANCING BEAR!?!?
On Saturday, February 26th, the Dancing Bear toy store in downtown Frederick will feature a “living museum” of innovators, courtesy of Urbana Elementary 3rd graders. Over twenty legendary personalities, fully costumed, will be positioned like statues throughout the store. With one touch of their “button,” they “come to life” and share fascinating facts about their major inventions and ideas.
On Saturday, February 26th, the Dancing Bear toy store in downtown Frederick will feature a “living museum” of innovators, courtesy of Urbana Elementary 3rd graders. Over twenty legendary personalities, fully costumed, will be positioned like statues throughout the store. With one touch of their “button,” they “come to life” and share fascinating facts about their major inventions and ideas.
If this is news to you...check your child's folder! All 3rd grade magnet students are invited to participate...but space is limited, so have your child return his/her permission slip tomorrow...but whether or not your child participate, please come visit the toy store this coming Saturday!!
Dancing Bear
12 N. Market Street
12 N. Market Street
