This week Lower Elementary celebrated TWO birthdays on September 10! Happy Birthday Lily and Wyatt! Our new tradition of popping the glitter balloon is an exciting activity after we do the sun celebration walk. Thank you Ms. Paula for suggesting this and making this happen! Awesome idea!
For language, we reviewed the adjective, practised sentence editing, completed our spelling dictation and began peer to peer reading time. We are focusing on ruling a page, dating a page and keeping our written work neat.
For math, we practised outlining and completing our math sheets in our newly organized math groups. We began our review of telling time.
Our virtue this week is courtesy. The children wrote down the definition of courtesy and examples of how to practise courtesy everyday.
Ms. Paula continues to be our fearless biology and botany expert in the outdoor classroom. She brought in "pumpkins on a stick" and hibiscus for observation. She designed and introduced a Natural World observation form for recording things we encounter and discover in our outdoor classroom. She taught the children how to mix their own potting soil based on the proper formula. She designed a lesson where the children chose and recorded the seeds to be planted. She then had them plant seeds in the "Bunny Garden" in small groups! Our most enthusiastic student quote of the week came from Caroline: "Ms. Paula is our ALEXA of Botany!"
This week the children started to brainstorm and outline their Year Long Projects. Please make time to ask them about these projects at home and help them develop and organize their ideas. All the children in Lower Elementary have a Year Long Project as a goal for the year.
For team building this afternoon we discussed the idea of being stranded on a desert island. The children were asked to organize their team, make a list of essential items and then source them. They were also encouraged to design and build a model of a boat or raft. We had some delightful presentations and one group even wrote and acted out a play. These are really fun afternoon where cohorts can mix outside and children collaborate in different ways. This is preparation for the history lessons on the Fundamental Needs of Humans we will begin next week.
Additionally, most children has some time to label and decorate our new cotton masks. Each child has five new masks which were donated to the school. We are keeping two on the hooks at school per child and three to go home. Please help us by sending in a few extra clean masks, re-labeled if necessary, from time to time as they do often get dirty or broken. We are hoping this additional supply will make it more manageable to keep a fresh supply of masks at home and at school.
Wishing you all a weekend of rest, peace and joy!
Ms. Erin and Ms. Paula
