NOTE: Just because I am working on grades DOES NOT mean I am not taking new grades anymore...still grading...everything still counts! ;-)
We have been very busy! And as I look ahead at what I have to do/want to do over the next 8 and1/2 days, my mind is BLOWN...wish me (and them) good luck!
TOMORROW is our field trip! This trip is so much fun and brings together so many of the concepts we've worked on this year. We are honored to have Justice's mom leading our tour tomorrow at the Frederick News Post; both she and her husband work there! Once we leave there we will go to Mt. Olivet cemetery to learn more about Frederick's rich history...and then onto the Frederick Keys stadium where the kids will get to see how interdependence and specialization work every day to provide the entertainment (and service) of our very own minor league ball team in Frederick, Maryland!!
I promise to follow up with a video and/or pictures sometime soon!
Lately we have been super busy...here's what's been going on...
As you all know, the AG BUS was here...here are pictures from one of our two visits...we were participating in a science experiment to decide which crayon is better...soy crayons or wax crayons? First the kids learned a lot about the very popular Maryland crop: SOY. Then they used the scientific method to answer the question...which brand of crayon do kids prefer PRANG (soy) or CRAYOLA? Believe it or not, as the graph at the end shows, the kids preferred soy!! It was a great lesson in learning that the popular label does not always mean the product is the best (it was a good lesson for me...I'm a crayola junkie!!)
Take a look.
Over the past two weeks we've also had several school wide assemblies...
We were visited by the Frederick County Public Library and learned about the Summer Reading program!
We were visited by all of the FCPS instrumental music teachers and they put on a fabulous concert to recruit new kids to play an instrument!
And we said goodbye to our beloved Miss Willett. She cried, I cried, and a bunch of kids got quite emotional, too! Thanks to your generosity, we were able to get her some things to outfit her dorm room...she loves minions and was so excited by the gifts! Each student made her a card with their own sentiments and she had such fun reading them. Then, we celebrated with her favorite...Dunkin Donuts! She was such an asset to our classroom and we all miss her!
We also had Field Day AND a Spring Choral Concert...but, sorry, no pictures!!
So, by now you're probably thinking...well, have they learned anything?!?! HAHA...just a reminder...I am obligated to teach alongside all of these fun things, so let me fill you in on all of that, too...
Language Arts
We have been trying to get all of the Writer's Workshop pieces published by the end of the year...so there has been a WW push over the past two weeks. PLEASE keep your child writing over the summer...most of these kids LOVE to write and have so much to offer through the written word...
We have been plugging along in our novels...writing lots of summaries and having lots of discussions that make the students delve deeper into their comprehension of the story.
We have officially FINISHED CURSIVE instruction. So here's the thing...most of the kids are truly proficient or have mastered cursive handwriting...but a few need more work despite the instruction being complete. PLEASE encourage your child to work on cursive this summer...the Zaner Bloser website is a great resource and I have modeled how to access it and use it multiple times, so as long as you can get your child to this blog, they should be able to navigate the website.
Math
We have been working on a very tough problem solving unit about throwing a party...the kids had to use standard units of measure to estimate how much lemonade would need to be made to serve 36 people. They also had to decide which brand to choose based on getting the best bang for their buck. Then we extended their knowledge even further by using volume to solve problems based on the cake for the party. They really enjoyed working with the interlocking cubes to discover which cake pan would be best used to make a cake that could serve 36 pieces that each had the dimensions 3x3x2. HOLY MOLY was there a ton of "math talk" going on in my room...I wish you could have been a fly on the wall. They were in over their heads, and managed to get out...with an understanding no less!! (most of them, anyway!!) We will spend the next eight days reviewing some key concepts and for those who do not need a review, they will continue along the path of problem solving...I feel so good about your kids' ability to attack a problem and persevere to find a solution...or at least work their tails off trying!
Science
Most students have finished their independent research projects. Most kids chose an electronic presentation, so if you'd like your child to be able to keep it, please send a flash drive in so they can save it to the drive. We will be presenting them over the next week and I'm so excited to see everyone's projects!! We will also be researching more about rocks and the rock cycle and doing some activities that involve fossils. Its a great unit to end our year!
Random Items...
I've been out a bit lately and I just wanted you to know why...I am part of three big things right now...I am part of the FCPS Magnet Vision Team...we meet monthly to discuss what we want the magnet program to look like in the future..and this past Wednesday, I got to visit two magnet programs in different counties across the state to get an idea of what other programs are doing. It was a great experience! I am also part of the UES Feasibility Team...I am working on a county committee to decide what is feasible in the modernization of UES. We meet bimonthly. And I was recently hired as a "Master Teacher" for the College and Career Readiness Conferences held all over the state of Maryland this summer. This is where teachers and administrators come and get professional development relating to the Common Core State Standards. I was hired to teach the Gifted and Talented sessions...I am so excited about this opportunity!! And last, but not least, I was privileged to attend Urbana's graduation to see Miss Willett receive her diploma and to attend Oakdale's graduation to see my Godson receive his high school diploma. I just want you to know that I DO NOT like to be out of the classroom...first of all, the classroom is where I want to be, and second of all, writing sub plans is way harder than planning and teaching!! However, I have been out for some very good reasons and for things that I'm happy to be a part of. Thanks for your understanding!
FIELD TRIP TOMORROW!! Don't forget a bag lunch and a drink! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday...I plan to...I'm headed out the door for the second game of a double header...baseball, here I come!
