In a private class vote, the strong majority of the students voted not to exchange Valentines this school year, however, I'll allow time for students that choose to bring Valentines to school to place them in mailboxes. There are 29 students in our class this year. In lieu of a Valentine celebration, we will celebrate the last day of the Chinese New Year on Wednesday, typically known as the lantern festival. It will be a quick and enjoyable recognition for the many sweet days that happen in February.
The Rube Goldberg Simple Machines Contest
Our class competition was a blast. Students scurried to put the final touches on their inventions and competed for a place in the school competition on Monday, February 14. Serena, Cody, Aven and Blayne, our class winners, developed a dependable machine that we hope takes them far in the competition.
Author Visit and Graphic Novels
The Terra Tempo author visit was quite remarkable. The students participated in a five part workshop where they learned about the nuts and bolts of creating, writing and publishing a graphic novel. The students are working diligently on developing their theory of the formation of the Columbia River Gorge into a storyline for a Graphic Novel.
The Columbia Gorge Rocks Play
We've been working on a geology play about the Columbia River Gorge. All of the students that desired parts in the play received a part. If a student preferred not to have a speaking part, they were designated to the chorus. We'll be working with our buddy class to develop backdrops and costumes. We're even going to SING! There is no set date for performance of this play. Currently, we are only planning to perform the play for our buddy class.
Where in the World?
This month we'll be starting a world geography unit that is similar to a game titled the "Amazing Race." Students will travel to all seven continents while learning some important geography skills along the way. One topic of study will be why people migrate. Do you have an interesting story about how and why your family migrated to the United States? If so, tell your kiddo all about it and have them come and tell us at school. We'll be keeping track of all the places of origin and would love to know your family story!
Art Mural
We'll begin our art for the mural THIS WEEK!
Book Talks
Students are invited to share the books they love with the class. Through a creative presentation, students will be enticed to read more great books. Here's Sydney giving a Book Talk during library time.
