OLDER CLASS
Let me start this bulletin off with a request for junk. I have brought in and I’ve asked students to bring in junk so that we can make do-it-yourself science projects and Valentine boxes next week. For the science projects, we are using a series of eight books that have many hands on projects.
We all had a great time seeing As You Like It yesterday in Red Bank. We did our cooking study on this play by using the animated video, the cartoon version, and Lamb’s synoptic version read by Susan. When this was originally planned I was told that it would be an all-female version however in looking over the cast list there are two males in the cast. We will be doing reviews and more follow-up work on this play on Friday.
This week we started reading our new book which is Fahrenheit 451. This is a very sophisticated book and E is doing a great job of reading it to us. As we continue reading, we will alternate every two or three times having the class read. We already have our next class reading book and it is Star Wars written in Shakespearean style and mentioned earlier in one of my bulletins.
The schedule for the week also included math work and Amazing Facts and extensions. The class really enjoy these amazing facts and the research that they create. Recently they particularly enjoyed the research from C and K on crazy inventions. These included the water gun umbrella, the baby mop, the corner picture frame, the anti-theft lunch bag, and many more items. Computers have become such an important part of our life in doing research and in word-processing. This week Sara and I went over the Internet and computer rules just to remind students of their responsibilities in using those computers.
We had a student visitor on Friday and the class seemed to enjoy having a new person in the class. She is going to visit again after the February break.
Next Friday is Valentine’s Day. If your child would like to bring in Valentine’s, please make sure they bring in one for each student. There are 18 students in the older class.
My last two New York trips will be centered on the Tenement Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. More details to come.
MIDDLE CLASS
Next Friday is Valentine’s Day. If your child would like to bring in Valentine’s, please make sure they bring in one for each student. There are 17 students in the middle class. If you wish to send in a treat to share with the class for Valentine’s Day, please let me know. Approved items should be sent in the original packaging (if store bought) or contain a list of ingredients if baked at home. (If you use a box mix, please send in the box along with a list of any items added by you.) Please remember the class is nut free. If your child is a selective eater or has a food allergy and you would rather they not eat any treats sent in, we advise you to send in alternative treats for them to have when treats are served.
We will be making boxes for our cards so if you have any extra shoe boxes, please send them in by Monday. Thank you!
YOUNGER CLASS
The kids have worked hard to get the first parts of their bird project finished. These pieces are now hanging up in the classroom. We are working on the last couple of pieces, and hope to have them finished before we go on February break. After break, we will plan to have a presentation one afternoon for parents to see all of the work completed for this project.
Last Friday, we were again at my house for our weekly bird count. The kids counted completely independently this week, and I am confident in their ability to identify the birds they are seeing. On Tuesday, they also summarized this data independently, with C taking the lead. I did the same thing today and will next week as well. It is great to see how they have come to understand how to record the data and summarize it all on their own. We then posted the results to Cornell, and looked at the graph. We will be doing a final class graph to show the numbers we have seen when we are done with all of our counts.
It has been great talking to parents at conferences. I really enjoy sharing all that the kids have accomplished, how much they have grown, and the work they have done. Conferences continue next week, and we hopefully will not have to reschedule any more because of weather.
We have rescheduled the Younger Class Parent Meeting and I hope to see everyone there.
Next Friday is Valentine’s Day. We will be decorating bags in which to put Valentines. If you send in Valentines next Friday, please make sure that your child has one for everyone (there are 17 children in the class). This way no one feels left out. We will be playing some Valentine’s games and maybe doing an art project of some sort. Because of the children in the class with allergies, I ask that you do not send in any treats.