GRAVITY HILL

We spent the whole morning at gravity hill.  This explains any wet clothes you find in their backpacks Enjoy the video.

COLLAGES

We played a matching game in Spanish.  Señor Geffen called out an item of clothing and students worked in pairs to find the correct item and put it on the paper person.

The class started work on creating their faces with collage materials.   

 I gave them a large assortment of materials to choose from, and they decided what they wanted to use for different parts of the face.  it is always fun to see which materials they gravitate to.











We finished the morning by reading 'All the colors we are' by Katie Kissinger.  This book talks about the three ways we get our skin color. 

 Q: Where do you get the color of your skin?(Before reading the book)

BEATRIX: From your mom 

GRACE: From god

NOLAN: From dad

VALENTINA: Mom

LUCA: From God

Q: Who can remember the three ways we get our skin color?(After reading the book)

AUSTIN: Sunshine

SOLVEIG: Ancestors

GRACE: Mom & Dad

LUCA: Melanin

QUESTIONS

What is melanin?

Did your ancestors come from a hot, sunny place or a cool place with less sun?

What does the spanish word chaqueta mean?

LIBRARY VISIT

We took our first trip to the Library.  Ms. Hove showed us the picture books and how to return them to the correct section when we had finished reading.

MS. HOVE: What is a library? What can you do at a library?

LUCA: You can borrow books.

VALENTINA: You can only be quiet. You can’t be loud.

LEONARD: I haven’t been to a library..

VALENTINA: At the library you can look at books.

We will visit the Library again to learn about other sections, such as the Non-Fiction.

During work choice time we added a pipe leading from the hotel (loft) to the corn table.  Students spent some time getting the corn to travel down the shute.  They realized it takes patience, persistence and a steady hand when pouring the corn to stop it from falling out of the pipe.

We reminded ourselves of all the letters we have already looked at, and how many letters there are in the alphabet.

We read 'Family' by Isabell Monk. The story is about a little girl called Hope, who visits her Aunt Poogee for a family reunion. Each family member serves a special dish that they have prepared for their reunion meal. 

QUESTIONS
What was special about the pickles that Hope brought ?
Is there something special that you like to do together as a family?(maybe you can share it at group time tomorrow)
Do you remember how many letters we have already looked at?

HOTEL

 I was not in class today as I had meetings all day but here is yesterdays blog.

Ms. Fanucchi worked with friends introducing rhythm sticks for the first time and a couple of new songs.

Austin and Luca started working on constructing a hotel.  They put in pipes and an awning for the front of the hotel. They also found blueprints which they displayed on the wall of the hotel inspiring friends to join in.

Beatrix, Ella, Margot and Solveig used the fire station as a hotel. 

I see a theme emerging, we will wait and see if it goes anywhere.

A few more students worked on creating their faces out of model magic.

Board games were also popular today.

We ended our morning with 'Brave Irene' by William Steig  about a little girl who helps her mother who is not feeling well.

Q:Have you ever done anything brave for your family?
IKE: "My mom was too sick to do the laundry, so I did it. And when my dad was sick, I made dinner, we had doughnuts."
NOLAN:"My mom was too tired to do laundry so my brother did it."
GRACE:"My mom was too sick so I did the laundry."
BEATRIX:"My sister felt like she was goin to throw up so I got the garbage for her."
VALENTINA:"I went to get medicine for my mom and I made the food."
MARGOT:"One day after dinner, I vacuumed."
EVY:"I helped clean the house."
GRACE:"When my mom was sick, I cleaned the whole house."
MARGOT:"I fed Matilda."

Q:"Do you have any chores at home?"
ELLA:"I clean up my toys when I'm done playing.
NOLAN:"I clean up the house."
BEATRIX:"Cleaning up the playroom and I help my sister clean up the backyard."
EVY:"I have a chore list and one of them is getting dressed."
GRACE:"I clean up the legos."
LUCA:"I was the windows."
MARGOT:"I clean up my paper dolls."
VALENTINA:"I help my mom clean my bed."
AUSTIN:"I help my dad cook, not every day."
SOLVEIG:"I help m mom and dad cook."
IKE:"I have to make my bed, clean up books,  every Friday."


QUESTIONS

How many 'C' words can you find in your house?
What is your favorite song that you remember working on with Ms. Fanucchi?

CHINESE NEW YEAR

We started our morning in the woods as we had so much fun yesterday. Friends were helping each other up the hill so they could slide down again, and again, and again.

Thanks to Su for compiling a powerpoint and taking the time to tell us about Chinese New Year.  I tried and failed to connect the powerpoint to my blog.  Instead  I have taken the images and put them at the end of the blog.

Every child received an envelope with their name on it in English and Chinese(again thanks to Su).

As part of our celebration we made rat masks.

 The children were very excited to make cupcakes and even more excited to eat them.  In the afternoon we will deliver some of the cupcakes to the staff and younger children at the Cub house, as well as delivering them to some of the staff in the Lower school.

QUESTIONS
What year on the Chinese calendar were you born? (check the images below to find the answer)
What token did you get on your cupcake?

GONG SHI