ABCs & 123s

A couple birthdays to celebrate again this week - admission into the double digits club for these cool dudes!

Lots of special friends in our room yesterday - so much LOVE in one place💗!  (Please accept my apologies - I know I missed a few pics of our special visitors, but I did get quite a few!)

Exploring how we can change the shape and size of waves.

Lots of good reading practice going on these days!

DUNE STUDY FIELD TRIP - On Monday we will be traveling to Spring Lake to participate in a 2-mile dune hike to explore the changes to land over time.  This trip is hosted by the Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Commission.  They are asking a few things of us:

   1. Make sure your child has a good breakfast before the field trip. We will expend a lot  of energy hiking outside on the trails and climbing the dune stairs. 

2. Be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the variable weather conditions found  at Lake Michigan. Conditions are often windy and cooler than nearby locations away from the lake. Dressing in layers is best as children can peel off an outer layer if they get warm or put one back on if they get cold.

3.  Pack a sack lunch with a drink. Also, pack a separate small backpack (like a sling bag) with a snack and water bottle - your child will carry this on the hike. The lunch will stay on the bus while we hike.

4. Children should wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. This way they can explore without worrying about poison ivy, prickles, mosquitoes or stubbing their toes. They may want to apply sunscreen to their face and arms, depending on the forecast. Sunglasses or a hat may also be helpful - but only send them if they will be helpful😉.

5. Be prepared to climb 200+ steps up and down stairs.

THINK! Energy - We are excited to welcome a guest teacher from the THINK! Energy program next week Friday.  She will be teaching us about wise energy use & conservation.  Part of the program is a kit of energy efficient items (shower head, pipe insulation, LED nightlight, faucet aerators, etc.) that each child receives for free.   There will be a home energy worksheet (HEW) for you to fill out about how you use (or don't use) the kit.  Completion of that form will earn our class money to spend on Amazon.  Please be sure to keep track of that form and fill it out by the indicated date.

     

      PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES - I'm greatly looking forward to celebrating your child at conferences starting on Thursday.  Please be sure you have signed up for a time slot. 

GUEST TEACHER - I will be spending the next few days in Nashville.  While I am away from school on Monday and Tuesday, Mrs. Bouws (a frequent Rose Park substitute) will be teaching our class.  She has subbed often for me, and has had children in my class so she knows the ins and outs quite well.  It should be a seamless transition between the two of us.  I will be back on Wednesday.

ACADEMIC NOTES -

• Bible - We are spending our days with David in the desert as he tried to avoid Saul's pursuit (1 Samuel). We've observed his trust in God, his respect for God and his anointed, as well as his rollercoaster of emotions which he eloquently displays in many of the Psalms that we have been reading. Through those Psalms, we're learning that no emotion is too big for God to handle!
• Math - We are entering into a unit where we are learning to multiply two-digit numbers.  This is BIG work!  We are excited to be maturing into "big kids" math.
• Science - We have been thoroughly enjoying exploring "codes" used to send messages (morse code, binary code).  Now we are beginning to explore the waves that carry the codes from one place to another.
• Reading - We've enjoyed putting to use all the skills we've been learning already this year as we read our first story from our reading book.  We're taking time to carefully decode new words, explore new vocabulary, contemplate the author's purpose and message, identify the characters traits and motivations, while still reading fluently and with good comprehension.  We're making FULL use of our time!😁
• Writing - We are developing realistic fiction stories that take place on the International Space Station.  We are letting the creative juices flow as we develop a character and plot events in anticipation of putting all of these ideas together into our own piece of writing!

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