I hope everyone is well and enjoying this lovely weather!
Today students are bringing home their April dictée rubric. Interested students also have the instructions for a school-wide contest, organized by one of the grade 5/6 classes. As it happens, it fits in very nicely with our energy unit as the task is to build a car which is powered only by the air from one balloon. There are lots of regulations, so be sure to read the sheet and remember, the car has to be student-built, not completely parent-built. The grade 1 competition will be Monday at lunch so anyone who builds a car to enter in the contest needs to bring it to school Monday. Have fun!
Today we had our dress rehearsal for tomorrow's concert. The kids have been doing such a great job and I can't wait for you to hear our song finally! A couple things...
- Students are to meet in Area 24 at 6:15. We will be leaving and going to the music room at 6:25, so if you're later than 6:25, please leave your things in Area 24 meet us there.
- Dress is dark bottoms and a white top, plus your red, blue or beige accessory.
- Please remind your student to smile and sing out so that you can hear them even if you're way at the back.
- Please assure your student that you will wave to him/her after the song, because you know that before and during the song, he/she will be concentrating and watching Mlle Mitchell!!! (Actually, there is a spot in the song when it would be appropriate to wave... you'll see.)
- I believe we are the last act in the concert which means that when we finish, there will be a big stampede of parents leaving the gym. Please allow me to get all the children back into Area 24 before you claim them. If you take them in the hallway as we are walking, I'll worry that they've gotten lost in the crowd. Thanks!
Despite all the excitement this week, we are still getting some serious work done in class. In French, we have started planning our next project, fairy tales, by thinking about and describing our two main characters and outlining the main ideas for the beginning, middle and end of our story. We thought about how most stories go and several students were able to describe fairy tales that follow the general structure [beginning (set-up) - middle (big problem) - end (solution)]. Normally I would ask you to help your child brainstorm an idea for their story, but it seems that most of us are already well on our way! Ask your writer what they are writing about. Who are the characters? What are they like? What are they doing when the story starts? What's the big problem? How does it get resolved?
In math we are now measuring mass. Using a balance we have compared different objects to test our predictions of which one is the heaviest. We learned that, although generally bigger things weigh more than smaller things, that is not a hard and fast rule. What about a pillow v. a rock? The mathematicians always love using new math tools. We will continue using the balances this week and next. Ask your expert what is important to check before you put anything in the balance?
I should also share that I am loving the good attitudes about making a prediction that turns out incorrect. Students know that I don't like it when they erase their prediction to make it match the right answer, and they have started saying things like "I didn't guess right, but that's ok" or "I didn't get it, but I was close."
In science, we are just about done our work on energy. The scientists have done a lot of great work in this unit. Yesterday we played a fishing game and each fish had a picture of a type of energy that students had to sort into the renewable or non-renewable (renouvelable) category. We have read lots of books on how we can help take care of our planet and students are full of good ideas. I showed the class a piece of insulation and we talked about how that also helps us save energy in our homes. I also mentioned checking around their doors and windows at home to see if they have a thin piece of plastic that helps keep the air out (weather stripping). If you have time, show your scientist other things about your home that help us save energy (e.g., energy efficient appliances, low-flow shower heads).
Oh! One other thing! Someone mentioned the Planet Earth series recently during a discussion. It got me in the mood to rewatch some episodes. The very first one (From Pole to Pole) mentions the sun as an energy source for animals several times. It is very relevant to what we have JUST been talking about. The Planet Earth series is currently available on Netflix. Check it out!
See you tomorrow at 6:15!