Scientific Inquiry

Every January we dive deep into the scientific method and conduct a bunch of experiments. Each of the older students develops an area of interest, does some research, develops a question, comes up with a hypothesis, and conducts an experiment (or more than one depending on how the process goes). We talk about variables and replicating results. Topics this year include fire starters, crystals, memory, and our senses (smell, taste and touch). Be sure to ask your kids about what they are learning.

Morgan's PK and K Class

* The children were excited to come back to school, see their friends, and talk about their adventures over the break! Hugs, smiles and high fives were seen a lot this week.

* Explored shaving cream, clay, light bright, blocks, Legos, and foam beads.

* They learned new winter songs, finger plays, and poems.

* The children listened to books on winter and hibernation.

* They made their own mini hibernation books and retold the story to each other. 

* Used fine motor skills to create pipe cleaner pattern snowflakes and learned how to draw snowflakes. 

* Worked with puzzles, look and find books, textured books.

* Made a polar bear (face) snack!

* Started mini courses for January. 

* Made squishy bags with their names on them and items inside the bag. The children were challenged to get the items inside the letters of their names. 

* Worked with different pictures of rhyming words and match them up.

Just a reminder to please send in extra clothes and remember to check folders. Thanks!

Tracy's 1st - 4th Class

In math, we continue to work on estimation as a way to double check our answers make sense. Everyone is working on developing fact fluency with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division. In second grade math, we focused on money this week: making a given amount more than one way, sorting coins, adding coins, exchanging coins, and making change. In third grade math, we are working on comparing masses (in grams) and describing the attributes of different quadrilaterals. In fourth grade math, we are developing strategies to solve multidigit multiplication problems.

In literacy, we used the podcast "Smash Boom Best" to help us think about arguing for a certain position. The kids are going to be doing their own debates and have started to develop arguments on behalf of their sides.