Good day, LEW Families,
Hope all of you get to enjoy the long weekend along with your children. The GRS faculty had a incredible and meaningful retreat together this past Thursday and Friday. We truly value the time that we can all spend together as a group and we appreciate the time that our administration sets aside to allow us to do so.
What we're working on
It was a short week, but we still got plenty done!
First years have officially been introduced to all of the vertebrates and their external characteristics. They got to observe and study Bella, the school rabbit, for their study of mammals. First years also got to use the stamp game for their introduction into long multiplication.
Second years are studying the fascinating invertebrate called the nematode. They are also using the stamp game to complete long division problems. In addition to this work, the second years are continuing to build murals and displays of the Amazon Rainforest. The students look at each layer (the forest floor, the understory, the canopy, and the emergent layer) and tell us what types of animal and plant life we would find. There is a chance that the second years will get the chance to check out the rainforest exhibit at Como Zoo to culminate this study - stay tuned!
Third years are continuing their Study of a Nation work and will be doing so for the next few weeks. It's a large project, but it hasn't stopped some of them from creating their own maps based on their interests. For example, one student wanted to document natural disasters that have happened around the U.S.A. Another idea was to write down which NBA teams are located in each state. See what your child might be interested in exploring in our nation. Third years are also practicing their long multiplication skills with the checkerboard and the golden bead frame while simultaneously mastering x facts. We've gone from skip counting by 2s all the way to the 6s at this point, see if you can practice, play, and master them together :)
On Wednesday we had a wonderful trip to Dodge Nature Center. The children were engaged in learning and fascinated by the reptiles and amphibians. Mick, the animal expert, was incredible about captivating the students in stories about the so-called "creepy creatures" and encouraged the students to not be scared of them. We also had the chance to explore outside and check for animal signs such as prints, scat, fur, etc. Although many tracks and pieces of evidence were accidentally trampled over by eager and inexperienced feet, we still enjoyed the outside time on the beautiful land surrounding Dodge. We ended with kick sledding - very fun. Check the photos below.
Reminders
We apologize in advance for having two large items due on our first day back from the long holiday.
Celebrating Valentine's Day on Tuesday, February 16t
- Please do not send candy or sweets with your child! It's a sweet holiday, but we strictly limit sugared food in the classroom. Please honor this.
-Please do not label your child's valentines with the names of the other children. It becomes extremely complicated to pass out valentines by name. Valentines should be unaddressed, with no names. We have 30 children in the community
-Participation is not mandatory by any means. Feel free to opt out if you wish.
Donation ideas:
- soap
- shampoos/conditioners
- socks
- hair brushes
- toothbrushes
- toothpaste
- floss
- wash clothes
- deodorant
- great clips or target gift card
- diapers
- baby powder
Enjoy the remainder of your long weekend. We wish you all well. Don't forget to check out the photos from Dodge :)
Warm wishes,
Jessy Eaton Fabel
Lower Elementary Guide"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori
