Dear Lower Elementary West Families,
We're enjoying the beautiful weather and the Gaga pit that the adolescents made for us to use at recess. We've had the chance to have more time outside and the second years got to have an comfortable walk to the Como Conservatory to check out the rainforest exhibit. We had a blast and ended our study of the rainforest on a high note. Some of the second graders didn't get the chance to finish their scavenger hunt, so we sent it home just in case you get the chance to visit the conservatory together. I've attached some pictures and the scavenger hunt to this email just in case anyone else would like to give it a try. Big thanks to Courtney and Joanna for making the trek out with us. These "going-outs" are a large part of the students experience at GRS and they are highly encouraged. Going out into the real world forces the work to come to life for the students. All the students will get many opportunities to organize and plan special interest trips based on their studies.
What we're working on
First years: Stamp game subtraction or division with four-digit numbers; an in depth USA study where the students learned about state birds, flowers, flags and other animals you might find in states across the U.S.; an absorption experiment to find which paper towel is the "Quicker, Picker, Upper"
Second years: Erik showed the students how dissect and identify the parts of a flower (Thank you Mary and Mike for the lilies!) ; division with double-digit divisors; math fact work in + and - (watch out for flashcards coming home - practicing math facts and playing math fact games at home really helps the students out); trip to the rainforest exhibit at Como Conservatory - students either wrote and drew what they observed or did a scavenger hunt.
Third years: Have practiced examples of MCA reading - they will be taking the reading portion of the assessment next Tuesday and Wednesday; Checkerboard multiplication with double-digit multipliers; Surface Tension and the chemical structure of H2O that allows this to happen!; In depth research of a particular element of our nation - ask your child what they plan to do.
1. Early Release at 12:00 - Wednesday, March 16th
- We will still each lunch
- BUSSERS will be picked up at 12:30
2. Parent/Teacher Conferences - Thursday, March 17th & Friday, March 18th
- In lower elementary, the conference should just be with teachers and parents. Students should not attend unless families have been specifically told otherwise.
- Students can read or do an activity in the hallway.
- Click here to sign up for your conference: http://grsannouncements.blogspot.com/2016/03/spring-conferences-march-17th-18th-sign.html
- Click here to sign up for the pot luck to help feed the teachers during conferences (Thank you in advance :) http://grsannouncements.blogspot.com/2016/03/conferences-food-needed-for-teachers.html
3. Work Share Day - Wednesday, March 23rd at approximately 12:30
- Families come in and allow their children to demonstrate some of the works they have learned this year. Hope you can make it!
Enjoy your weekends, everyone :)
Best,
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
