Happy Spring Break!
We hope that all of you get some much-deserved downtime this week as well as some outdoor fun :)
This past week was a whirlwind. iRACE was a huge success (check out the pictures attached to this newsletter). The adolescents did a great job teaching their lessons on fairness and the students really enjoyed the activities they planned. Ask your child about the animal game they had to play out - the point of the game was to get what you needed and to give what you could through communicating as a certain animal. Though it was a blast to watch the students communicate like ducks and cats and cows, they understood how communication is so important in getting what you need, but you can still listen and help one another even if you don't speak the same language. Thank you to all of you for your delicious dishes and your support in helping this iRACE so wonderful (you can still get your tupperware and dishes, if you haven't had the chance to get them back yet).
Work this week
First years reviewed and classified all five vertebrates. They also worked on their addition math facts and reviewed the following parts of speech: articles, adjectives, nouns, verbs, and prepositions. They created some fun sentences! The students also did very exciting science experiments that Erik presented. Practically the entire classroom was circled around the platform, watching the reaction of different beans, raisins, and grains and how they react in a jar of club soda. We ended the week with lessons in symmetry and the students painted pictures, created symmetrical dances and found lines of symmetry in different shapes.
Second years painted beautiful pictures of different types of wild flowers - a perfect spring project. They also reviewed their addition and subtraction facts. The second years also did a fun science experiment and learned about different liquids and which can mix and which cannot. We also ended the week with lessons in symmetry and the students painted pictures, created symmetrical dances and found lines of symmetry in different shapes.
Third years are creating flower field guides and are discovering the relationship between multiplication and division. Erik also gathered the third years and allowed the students to choose history topics that they will eventually use to generate research papers. We have students studying Jupiter's moons, prehistoric animals, WWI, the importance of clean water, and more. This has already generated a ton of interest. We also ended the week with lessons in symmetry and the students painted pictures, created symmetrical dances and found lines of symmetry in different shapes.
Upcoming dates and volunteer opportunities
MCA for Mathematics - Tuesday, April 12th
Third years will be taking their final MCA test the Tuesday after break (not very kind, we know). The students have been troopers for these exams and we are very proud of their progress.
Field Trip - The Taiko Project at the Ordway - Friday, April 22 @ 10:00
We're looking forward to this trip. Taiko drumming is a mesmerizing art to watch. We're looking for chaperones - 2 to be exact! The trip will start at about 9:50 and we'll return at 12:00. Let us know if you're interested.
Big Thanks!
This past month has been an incredible month for volunteers. Thank you so much to...
- Joanna Chao for donating delicious snacks, for bringing in beautiful flowers, and for chaperoning an event for the second graders.
- Jessica Coburn for contributing her time and expertise in helping the kids cook treats on Tuesdays and for keeping our laundry clean.
- Heather Thomas for coming in and helping out in the classroom, for being a reading buddy, for being our PEG parent and for helping out during IRACE.
- Holly Hugart for joining the reading buddy team!
- Mari Roberts for continuing her work with reading buddies every Friday.
- Courtney Tchida for chaperoning a field trip and for coming in to do some one-on-one work in the classroom.
- Jason Wagner for coming in and being a stellar work buddy.
- Sarah Walker for helping her child bake delicious quiche for her Europe study.
- To so many of you for all of the donations of pencils, kleenex, soap, and more!
To all of you for your unending support and care. We are eternally grateful.
I mean... look at that list!
Have a fantastic spring break.
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
