Classroom News: December 12th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

For our citizenship project this term we completed writing our Peace Letters to new friends in Iraq. This program was introduced to us through our wonderful volunteer, EmmaRose. Children in Iraq wanted to find a way to communicate with children in the United States. Your child's letter to a new friend is being sent to a translator today!

We finished reading "Dirt: the Scoop on Soil," as we read to find information. The students did an experiment to separate layers of soil, and then they made predictions on how much of each of the five layers there would be. Ask your child to name the five layers of soil in order from heaviest to lightest! (Here is the answer: rocks/pebbles, sand, silt, clay, and humus.) We also read "Animals in Winter," and learned how different animals survive the winter through various means, including hibernation, migration, storing food, or hunting and gathering. We compared this to things humans do to survive in the winter. On Friday we made and ate grilled flat bread. Earlier this semester the students harvested wheat from the Sunflower Garden and threshed it in the classroom. We ground the wheat in my new grain grinder and watched in awe as we put our freshly ground wheat flour into the bowl as we mixed the dough. We didn't have enough flour for the whole recipe, so Bob's Red Mill helped us with the rest!

First graders worked on growing patterns, counting by tens and subtraction. The first graders made 10 legged crabs to help with counting by tens. Second graders worked on double-digit addition story problems. Students focused on showing their work using pictures, numbers and words. They also worked on telling time, to the quarter hour. Second grade students have their own self-made addition flash cards that are coming home today in Home Bags. Please have your child regularly practice these facts as much as needed. Thank you!

This Thursday we will be planning upcoming spring trips and I will let you know the dates as soon as they are confirmed!

Have a fantastic winter break Barn Swallow Families!

Sincerely,

Sherry

FLAT BREAD RECIPE:

• 3 Cups of flour
• 1 Cup of ice water
• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 Teaspoons of salt
• 2 Teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 Pinch of baking soda

Combine all ingredients and form into a dough ball. Cut the dough ball apart into smaller balls. (You decide how big!) Form the balls into flat shapes of your choosing. Cook on a griddle or in a frying pan on medium heat. Flip them to cook both sides. Brush olive oil over the bread when it's finished and add a little sea salt. (Fresh herbs and roasted garlic would also be great!)

Classroom News: December 5th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

Last week, students worked on adding interesting details to their stories and began working on illustrations for their published writing pieces. Students learned about four ferns; sword, deer, licorice, and maidenhair. They created ferns for our classroom forest mural using their painted paper. The ferns look realistic, tucked together in our forest scene on the wall! The forest mural serves as a way for us to collect ideas for enhancing the habitat of the school forest. Ask your child which ferns she or he worked on. We also investigated the frost in the Sunflower Garden one chilly morning by looking at it under magnifying jeweler's loupes. Ask your child what he or she saw! We ended the week with an All School Meeting on Friday. Ms. Vanessa and Ms. Karen Torry were the substitute teachers for me while I was away with Ms. Karen Thias at a Story Workshop class at the Opal charter school. Both substitutes reported that the class did a great job!

This Thursday the Barn Swallows will be making vegetable soup! We will be donating half of the soup to the severe weather shelter at the UCC. Students are interested in churning butter after reading about how Ma', Mary, and Laura do it in our read aloud, 'Little House in the Big Woods'. (Ask your child how Ma' dyed the white winter milk!) We are hoping to make bread and butter in class on Friday. Thank you to families who have donated vegetables, broth, and grains!

Sincerely,

Ms. Sherry