Classroom News: Week of December 10th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

The students worked hard last week preparing and rehearsing our two winter songs for the all school meeting.  They used nice, loud voices on Friday!  Students have been writing stories in story workshop and are now using puppets and dramatic play to find stories.  We started a new exploration on Friday-paint.  What IS paint?  We will explore that question together!  (We will be making a list of materials and ingredients that we think paint is made of, and may ask families to bring in some of these items for us to explore with this week.  I will send out another email if we get there or your child may ask you about it at home.  Thank you!)  In math the first graders worked on creating two charts that helped to reinforce counting and adding in multiples of 5's and 10's.  Second graders continued to work on memorizing addition facts through creating story problems and working with them while making fact families.  They also reviewed place value.  On Wednesday, Sarah and Meesha, two of the educators from Jackson Bottom Wetland, brought us their insect program.  We learned about classifying animals, insect habitats, and factors that are unique to insects.  (We also got to practice the fire drill in the middle of the lesson.  The Barn Swallows made it outside quickly and we were able to continue the insect lesson in the garden with Sarah and Meesha.  There were a lot of insects and arachnids scurrying about, which was surprising for December.)

Thank you families!

Sincerely,

Sherry