Kindergarten Life Cycle Lessons

I am a proud teacher today!  The sand dollar science class taught science to all of the kindergarteners at Charlotte Ave. School.  It was great!  They were incredible teachers!  This was their second time going to Charlotte Ave to teach science.  This time was a little bit different because they created, planned, prepared and executed their own lessons!  Each student also wrote a children's book about an animal's life cycle to read to the kindergarten students.  

The lab activities included:

1. Egg Dissection- to learn about the life cycle of a chicken and the parts of an egg
2. Chrysalis Simulation- students were partially wrapped in toilet paper to experience the chrysalis stage of the butterfly
3. Milkweed Bug Observation- observed live milkweed bugs in every stage of their lifecycle
4. Clay Frogs & Tadpoles- students molded clay into each stage of the frog's life cycle and observed live tadpoles
5. Pollination Simulation- students used pipe cleaner butterflies and kool-aid to simulate pollination, part of a flowering plant's life cycle
6. Lima Bean Dissection-  to learn the parts of the seed, used dissecting microscopes

Weekly Update #22

I think we've had enough snow days!

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Claire D. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Students please don't forget to get your progress report goal sheets and envelopes signed if you haven't yet done so.

Don't forget, Monday is President's Day!  Enjoy the day off, kids!

Class Updates

Social Studies: This week in Social Studies we finished our unit on Classical Civilizations. This was a rather lengthy unit as we discovered many of the influences that the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans have on our world. Before we move into the Middle Ages, the students will be completing their first Performance Task for me this upcoming week. Remember: Think about all the ways that Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have influenced our world today!

Science:  Who is Gregor Mendel and what was he famous for?  The father of Genetics will be introduced next week along with his pea experiments.  Students will simulate one of his pea experiments to discover the basics of genetics- just like Gregor Mendel did!  Students should be reviewing their notes each night and bringing their questions to class.

Literacy: Atlas Obscura presentations were almost completed this week.  A select few will be shown on Tuesday!  The kids really did a fantastic job with this project!  This weekend, all students should be working on their reflection paragraphs.  Remember, it's three separate paragraphs - one for each of the three questions! Reflections are due on Tuesday, in class.   Next week will be another short week, but it will be jam packed!  We'll attack Unit 9 of the Latin root unit, and examine some very interesting political cartoons.  

English: Wow! We finally got into the swing of things this week with our new book after all those snow days! Classes are just beginning The Giver, written by Lois Lowry.  Classes are five chapters into the novel, and the excitement is just beginning!  Students reviewed contextual vocabulary words this week and we'll continue our reading and discussions next week before break.  Students can expect to read chapters 6-10 and learn new skills associated with these chapters!

Math: We are continuing on with proportionality this week.  At the end of last week we finally got around to graphing proportions and will continue throughout the week.  Don't forget your Go Figure is due on Friday, February 24th.  It's all about graphing proportions and unit rate, be sure to label and organize your information!

School Updates

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community

Weekly Update #21

Team Updates

Exemplary Badger: Congratulations to Nolan R. for being selected as our Exemplary Badger for next week! To be selected as the Exemplary Badger means that the recognized student is upholding all of the high standards to which the Badger students agreed at the beginning of the year! It means that their behavior is respectful; that they are responsible for their work and their grades; that they are kind!

Congratulations to all members of the cast and production of Mulan Jr, our PMS Drama Club play that was performed this weekend.  The production was magnificent in every way, and we salute all who worked so hard to make it a success!  

Progress Reports go home this week.

Book orders are due this Friday! If you want your own copy of The Giver, let Mrs. McGuire know! Scholastic offers a $9 deal for a book and a movie poster. Perfect time to order one :)

Class Updates

Social Studies: Students spent the entire week working on their in-class research projects. This was a very unique project as the students were able to create their own rubric, choosing from standards in our curriculum, and then create a project that aligned with their rubric. On Friday, the students graded their own projects and had to provide reasoning. To say that I am very impressed is an understatement—the projects came out great! And oh, Tom Brady is officially the greatest of all time!

Science:  At the beginning of the week we will be looking at how organisms develop.  Students will research the mosquito life cycle to answer an ecological problem.  At the end of the week we will begin our genetics unit.  Students will start to look at acquired versus inherited traits.

Literacy: Students completed their Atlas Obscura projects, and have submitted them to the Google Classroom!  We'll begin viewing the presentations Tuesday! And don't forget, the final draft of the Make a Difference paragraph should be attached to the Google Classroom assignment by Tuesday evening.  Latin Unit 8 mastery test is scheduled for Friday, February 10th!  Everyone should be studying their flashcards and using Quizlet!

English: Students finished their performance tasks last week on the Chrome Books and submitted them via Google Classroom. Well done! This week we are beginning a new reading unit! In addition to pre-reading activities, students will be learning new contextual vocabulary words while reading the first few chapters of The Giver. Year after year, this book proves to be a fan favorite among our students!

Math: We have moved onto proportions.  Next week we will have a quiz, make sure to be looking over the notes, packet, and problems to study.  This month's Go Figure has been passed out, it's due February 24th.

School Updates

Food Pantry: The school is collecting the following items: pasta, canned sauces, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables (or any other non-perishable items). Donation bins are located in the main office and guidance. Please consider making a regular donation to support our community