Hello LEW families!

What we're doing

First graders are exploring the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. They have created books, posters and riddles. They're also continuing their work with golden bead and stamp game addition.  Last week, the students had the chance to gather apple, pumpkin, corn, milkweed seeds from the garden to create a booklet and we will hang on to some of the seeds to grow in the Spring. We have learned about the article and how it introduces the noun and we are continuing our cursive and spelling practice (-all word family).  First graders have also been sharing their N.A. works about Puerto Rico, Iguanadons and T-Rexes and interest projects on global warming. They are truly power house group of learners :)

Second graders read the book Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker which is a great informational text about a variety of different invertebrates that also incorporates fun rhymes. They are creating fun riddles and trading cards about different invertebrates they liked from the book.  Very soon, the students will be exploring different types of invertebrates, starting with the most simple, the porifera! Second years are also practicing how to edit their work and use capital letters appropriately.  In math, they are using the stamp game to do subtraction with and without borrowing.  We are also practicing clock work and telling time. They are also continuing their practice their cursive and spelling (-ang words). 

Third graders are using the checkerboard to do big multiplication and the beloved test tubes to do long division problems.  They explored the BC/AD or BCE/CE timeline and practiced placing significant events on the timeline from all the way back to 10,000 BCE.  We matched dates about when the Renaissance began, when Cleopatra reigned, when they believe the first wheel was built, when the computer was invented, when the Middle ages began, and much much more.  Some students are practicing how to use the timeline and some wish to create their own timeline about the Egyptians or even a timeline of dogs!  Also, third graders are also learning how to use a reading material called SRA created by McGraw Hill to help them practice reading comprehension - it's a material that helps our third graders prepare for the MCAs in the Spring, but it is a material that functions well in a Montessori classroom since it allows the students to go at their own pace.  Third years are also exploring different leaf shapes and their etymologies - for example, leaves that are shaped like spoons are identified as having a spatulate-shaped leaf - spatulate reminds of the word, "spatula" which means "spoon."  They will be gathering, sorting and preserving different leaf shapes this week. If anyone has an extra wax paper, the third graders would love some :) 

MEA 

No School Thursday and Friday 

Coming soon!

Information about monthly cleaning parties! Woohoo!

Bell Museum field trip Tuesday, October 21.

Big Thanks!

Thanks to all of you for showing overwhelming interest in volunteering in our classroom. With your support we now have a reading buddy program, cooking classes, clean laundry, healthy snacks and plans to meet up and help clean up the classroom.   

Have a great weekend!

Jessy