Nice weather = happy kids and instructional assistants! Although we had a busy week and a slightly shorter week due to early releases, we still managed to get a lot of things done and had fun along the way.
The focus for the week was to get ready for Student-Led Conferences. Each of your kids did a great job getting ready to meet with you. They took their time selecting assignments that were indicative of both things they have done well on and those things that they realized they need to continue learning. As fourth graders, and the most experienced at this from our building, they had the opportunity to practice with Mrs. McGovern’s third graders. This was beneficial to both classes. They also got to be “parents” and listen to our kindergarten book buddies practice their conferences too. Our kids were so patient and the kindergartners were so proud, it was really great to see!
On Wednesday we got to do my favorite subject, Quiet Spots. We visited the horseshoe area in the neighborhood and sat by the lake. Usually we go to our willow tree, but we were afraid it might be too muddy. The kids did a terrific job of describing the setting and drawing pictures as well. Afterwards a number of kids shared what they had written or drew. Some of the fourth graders new to PCCS this year mentioned to me how much they enjoy quiet spots, and that just really warms my heart. 
When we returned to the school, we stopped into the Carson Building to let the kids see the Book Fair. The books in Carson skew a little older than the ones in our building. Hopefully you were able to stop and pick up a few selections for your kids.
Finally, this week we started a new science unit. This time we are looking at motion and matter. We started with motion and have had fun rolling disks and cups down ramps. They had to figure out how to build a structure that would roll down the ramp straight and then how to roll a cup down so that it would curve and park itself under the ramp. This afternoon we built twirly birds out of paper and paper clips and watched them flutter to the ground. Everyone really had a lot of fun. There is no doubt that this hands on learning is impactful on the students. Next week we have a whole slate of experiments ready to go.
So that was everything I can remember from this past week. One more week until spring break and then things really start to go by quickly. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour this weekend!
~Mrs. Steinbeck