Wow! Now the weeks are really flying by. We have already started the ABC countdown, so there are less than 25 days remaining in the school year. But each one is still filled to the brim with fun and learning. Here’s what we did this week:
Every week starts with PE, so this week they continued to do their lacrosse unit. The kids have been having a great time learning a game that is new to some of them.
Later that day we got outside to water the gardens. Our lettuce is really coming up now. It’s kind of crazy how we’ve been able to get a whole crop in before we plant our summer veggies.
After school on Tuesday, the teachers and IA’s stayed late to set-up the tipi for Native American week. It’s always fun to put it up with the team. In case you are wondering, we use these really long tipi poles and it’s not very easy, so we don’t do it with any of the kids. They will get to go inside next week during our Native American week activities.
In preparation of Math Family Night we spent a few math classes teaching and playing different math games. The kids really loved it and hopefully they keep playing these games at home. After that we started a unit on shapes. Ask your child what a regular polygon or quadrilateral is.
We had a wonderful visit by author Suzanne Slade of Libertyville. She has written over 100 children’s books including her newest book Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story. This book was inspired by an earlier visit to Prairie Crossing Charter School. The kids were so engaged in listening to her explain her writing process. She was very inspiring.
Recess was interesting this week. Some kids have continued to play wagon train. They all pretend they have different roles from a wagon train heading west. Another group of kids brought out stuffed animals and had a wedding! And finally, some discovered a stick that looked like it had been food for a considerable amount of insects.
I had the opportunity to work with the kids on a technology lesson. We talked about some different ways to format our text to make a document more interesting. They put what they learned to the test with 5 of their poems. They were asked to put them in a document and then format it in a nice way, they can also add a few images.
The ABC Countdown has begun! We started with A-Appreciation day. So we each put a piece of paper on our backs and walked around the room. We could add an appreciation for each other. When we were done everyone was smiling because of all the nice things that people said about them. What a great way to start the countdown.
Friday was Arbor day so we had a whole school assembly. Mr. Todd and Mr. Tom (tree experts) talked to the school about the importance of trees. The kids worked together to come up what they felt was the most important benefit of trees. They wrote their thoughts down on a paper leaf and then added it to a tree in Muir Hall. The entire school gathered to watch an apple tree planted in front of the Wright Schoolhouse. After the ceremony, we gave the kids their weekly spelling test. I have a group that I usually take to Muir Hall to do the test, so because it was being used we had to find a new location. So we went outside! What a perfect place to do some school work.
What a great week. But next week is going to be even better. My favorite week in the 3/4 curriculum is Native American week. We have so many fun and interesting things planned for the kids. Our friend Skip, who is a member of the Potawatomi tribe in Wisconsin, will be leading a number of activities. The week will conclude with a Powwow, this is a truly emotional experience for many and I’m so looking forward to it.
Keep in mind that next week is almost entirely outside. On Monday we will be outside in fields and woods. Please ensure that your students are dressed appropriately, we don’t want them cold or wet (rain is in the forecast). There is also a threat of ticks. Some of the teachers scouted the area yesterday afternoon and we were only out there for a few minutes and we found a tick. So long socks, long pants, long sleeves, rain boots, ahats, etc. will be necessary. I would also spray your child with bug spray before they leave the house.