Field Trip Reminder

Don't forget...

Our field trip to the planetarium is tomorrow! We will leave school as early as possible and should be back around 3:00. Please help your child remember to dress with layers for the weather. Thanks!

Teacher Desk Take-Over

Yesterday, this ultra-sweet girly took over my desk for the day! It sure was well-deserved!! She spent a whopping 250 dojo points to do it. I am so proud of her for all of her great behavior and all of the responsibility she exemplifies with her homework! 

She looked so cute sitting there all day! :) 

Phases of the Moon

In science this week, the third graders tackled the question, "Why doesn't the Moon always look round?" The kiddos learned how the moon reflects the light of the sun, about the different phases of the moon and experimented with styrofoam balls and flashlights in order to figure out what causes the change in the moon's appearance. We also listened to a cool song to help us remember the names of the different phases of the moon. You can watch it at home here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79M2lSVZiY4

You can also help your child further explore these concepts at home! If you spot the moon in the sky, point it out to your child. If you have binoculars, let your child use them to look at the moon.  The best time for moon-gazing is when the moon is half-bright/half-dark. The line that divides the dark (night side) of the moon from the bright (day side) of the moon is called the terminator. Along the terminator, shadows make it easier to see craters and mountains. If you feel like comparing what you see to a map of the moon, there’s a great map of the most visible craters here: (http://www.education.com/static/science-fair/craters-maria-highlands-moon-surface/craters-of-the-moon.png) and a map of the dark gray areas known as seas here: (http://www.education.com/static/science-fair/craters-maria-highlands-moon-surface/moon-maria.png). If your child asks, the moon’s seas are dry flat plains created billions of year ago by flowing lava. But early astronomers thought these dark gray areas might be filled with water and called them seas or maria (Latin for seas), and the name stuck. 

Seeds Needed! :)

Next week, we will be planting various seeds in our classroom as part of our plants unit for science class. If possible, I would like each student to bring in a package of seeds. (All extra seeds will go home with the student at the end of the unit.) It is up to each child what they plant! I am hoping for a variety so that we can discuss the different seeds and how they grow. (watermelons, pumpkins, flowers, kidney beans, cucumbers, etc.) As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

Thanks!

Happy Birthday!

Recently, we celebrated this cool kiddo's 9th Birthday!! Happy Birthday, bud! We hope you had a fantastic day! Thank you for the yummy treats!

Hoppy Easter!

I hope you all had a very joyous Easter! We celebrated on the Thursday before with an egg-hunt. We hid eggs for our Paws Pals and they hid eggs for us. We had fun finding them in the 2nd grade classroom!

Interest Fair

The Interest Fair this year was a success! It was so fun learning about all of the different topics that the kiddos are experts on! Thank you to all of those that participated!

Fun fact... I found out from Cora's project on Goldendoodles that her pup and mine are siblings! So cool!

Knee Highs/Nylons Needed

We need your help...

We are looking for donations of tan knee highs and/or nylons to use for an upcoming science experiment in the beginning of May.  If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Immigration Simulation

Last Friday, we had our immigration simulation. The students had a blast and learned so much about how it might have really felt to experience Ellis Island in 1892. The students were put into "families" and needed to create new names, birthdays, ages and even "jobs." Sometimes they had to wait in long lines or experience "boredom," anxiety or excitement as they went through the examination and testing process. Hopefully, this was an experience they can remember forever! Thank you SO much to all of the wonderful parents and family members that volunteered to come and help us out! We appreciated it!

*I took A LOT of pictures!! Please look through them and enjoy!*