Room 211
January 28, 2015
J term
Kitchen chemistry was a HUGE success. We spent 6 days getting to know about atoms, molecules and the periodic table of elements. The big idea we wanted kids to come away with was a basic understanding of the states of matter: solids, liquids and gases and how to have fun messing around with stuff. I hope the kids tried some of the experiments at home.Anybody got rock candy growing at their house?? An optional homework “Marshmallow Molecules” was in their homework folder on Wednesday.
Swimming
We made it through a very cold week of swimming. It was fun to be in the warm pool for a part of the day. I am looking into adding a water safety element to our next swim session. The new aquatic director at the Y and I have been talking about the need for all of our kids to know how to be safe in the water. More details will follow.
Snow Gear/Tennis Shoes
Please remember that it is winter in Minnesota. This upcoming week for sure we need to wear our snow pants and boots each day. Don’t forget a warm hat and gloves too. Also, remember to pack those shoes in the backpack!! Our new rotation is gym so the tennis shoes are super important.
Spelling Bee
We attended the spelling bee on Thursday morning. It was fun to see brothers or sisters, kids from the bus or the neighborhood competing. Each person in my room had their own tablet and tried to spell the words as they were given. It was fun to watch them as they congratulated themselves if they got the word right. I will continue to talk with kids about root words, suffixes, prefixes, and common spelling patterns.
Homework Folders
Several children have been showing up without their homework folders. If they are lost and you need me to provide a new one please let me know.
Wednesday homework this week used the end of the year Time for Kids. It is a writing piece that needs a resting period and a reading by an adult member of the house. If you haven’t seen it yet dig it out of the homework folder.
Personal Note
On Monday, January 19 my husband, Doug, is going to have knee replacement surgery. He will be discharged from the hospital either Thursday or Friday. I am planning on being out of school for sure on Friday and quite possibly Thursday too. I will leave complete and detailed plans. If you could remind your child to be respectful to the guest teacher that would be great.
Important Dates to add to your calendar:
February 13,2014 no school for children
Classroom needs:
Please send in old magazines as you are done reading them. We will be using them for collages when we start our artist unit.
Highlighters
Glue Sticks