STEAM Expo This Thursday Evening

Last week we practiced moving our bodies calmly and mindfully through the classroom.

STEAM Expo This Thursday
STEAM Expo is set for THIS Thursday, March 21st.  The kindergarten presentation time begins at 5:00 PM and continues through 5:30 PM.  We will be rotating through all kindergarten classrooms just like we did during the first Expo.  Also, just like last time, a guide for each child will be posted and available when Expo begins.  In addition to our presentation I highly recommend checking out the Used Book Sale which runs Thursday evening as well, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM.  The books are only 25 cents a piece, come early for the best titles!

Extra Set of Clothes
Thank you for sending in those extra sets of clothes.  It is great knowing that we have them available in case of an accident.  With the rising temperatures and leftover ice there has already been a lot of students who have fallen into the mud one way or another.

Yearbook
An school yearbook order form went home last week.  I recommend ordering a yearbook for your child if possible.  It covers grades K-8, and students really enjoy having them at the end of the school year.  Yearbook photographers were in our classroom last week.

Pajama Day
This Friday is an all school pajama day.  Students can wear pajamas and bring in a stuffed animal of their choice (nothing gigantic please).

Curriculum Overview
Science -  We are working on a project-based-learning unit on living things.  The questions driving our learning are:  What do plants and animals need to survive? and What do I need to survive? This week every child will be finishing a non-fiction book about an animal from Michigan.  We will also be hosting the farm manager from U of M's campus farm.  He will give us a presentation connecting the growing of vegetables to the work we have been doing in class and take questions from students regarding our current project.

Reading -  We are reading non-fiction books about animals and studying features of non-fiction texts like table of contents, headings, indexes, captions, glossaries, and diagrams.  We will also read some fiction books that show animals surviving.

Writing - We will continue our non-fiction writing.  We will diagram some animals and begin writing a non-fiction book about an animal from Michigan.

Math - In our PBL unit we will be measuring some of the plants we have growing.  This week we will study 2D and 3D shapes and practice using math vocabulary (vertices/angles, sides, length, longer, shorter, etc.) to describe them.

Word Study - We are focusing on the words we need to for our current PBL unit: herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, mammal, reptile, insect, shelter, and more.

Thanks for sending in all those paper towel roles!  Wondering what they are painting?  Our artwork will be on display at Expo.

Growing Vegatables and Flowers

Students transferred the seedlings they planted into the indoor vertical garden.  More pictures below.

STEAM Expo Save the Date and Time
STEAM Expo is set for Thursday, March 21st.  The kindergarten presentation time is between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM.  We will be rotating through all kindergarten classrooms like we did during the first Expo.  Like last time a guide for each child will be posted and available when Expo begins.

Head Lice
Numerous families in our classroom have reported problems with head lice.  This morning I read the book Bugs in My Hair to the class and we talked about being careful with hats, heads, and clothes.  All families should check their child's hair tonight.

School Survey Regarding Enrollment for the 2019-2020 School Year
In order for the school to plan classes for the next school year, we need your help. Please fill out this survey for each of your current Kindergarten - 7th grade students by Wednesday, March 13th.

Curriculum Overview
Science -  We are working on a project-based-learning unit on living things.   The questions driving our learning are:  What do plants and animals need to survive? and What do I need to survive? This week every child will be writing a non-fiction book about an animal from Michigan.

Reading -  We are reading non-fiction books about animals and studying feature of non-fiction texts like table of contents, headings, indexes, captions, glossaries, and diagrams.

Writing - We will continue our non-fiction writing.  We will diagram some animals and begin writing a non-fiction book about an animal from Michigan.

Math - In our PBL unit we will be measuring some of the plants we have growing.  This week we will practice counting to 100 and using a numberline to complete simple addition and subtraction problems.  We will also touch-on 3D shapes a little bit.

Word Study - Students are studying the sounds made by the letters sp, sk, and sm.  We are also looking at common spelling patterns with the vowel i.

Filling up the vertical garden with water.

Separating the different seedlings we grew.

Gently moving the seedlings into the vertical garden.

Spring Expo on the Way

Students work on their floorball skills with Mr. Willard.

Paper Towel Rolls
We still need some empty cardboard paper towel roles and toilet paper roles for an upcoming art project.  Keep bringing in any you have this week--we are close to having what we need.

STEAM Expo Save the Date
STEAM Expo is set for Thursday, March 21st.  More information about specific presentation times for different grades is coming.

Curriculum Overview
Science -  We are working on a project-based-learning unit on living things.   The questions driving our learning are:  What do plants and animals need to survive? and What do I need to survive? This week we will begin studying animals that are found in Michigan.  Ask you child about the American robin and the painted turtle.

Reading -  We are reading non-fiction books about animals and studying feature of non-fiction texts like table of contents, indexes, captions, and diagrams.

Writing - We will continue our non-fiction writing.  We will diagram some animals and begin writing a non-fiction book about an animal from Michigan.

Math - In our PBL unit we will be measuring some of the plants we have growing.  This week we will continue studying different ways to break apart the number ten (i.e. 5+5=10, 7+3=10, 9+1=10).  We will continue to compare numbers using 'greater than' and 'less than'.  We will also study weight and use a balance.

Word Study - Students are studying the sounds made by the letters th, sh, wh, and ch.