November 2024
Peek Inside Lower Elementary
BLACK BEAR
Dear Black Bear Families,
This month has been full of rich experiences for the children.
We began by exploring the traditions of the Day of the Dead, where the children made traditional Pan de Muertos and created an altar as they practiced their Spanish vocabulary with the support of Ms. Carmen.
As the month came to a close, we celebrated Thanksgiving by decorating, preparing Stone Soup and bread, and sharing a beautiful meal together. Throughout these activities, the children not only deepened their understanding of community but also worked diligently with lessons, research projects and presentations.
Ms. Laura has also been hard at work caring for our gardens with the children as she shares her knowledge and skills.
It has been a joy to watch our community grow, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside the children. Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Warmly,
Ms. Rebeca and Ms. Carmen
COYOTE
Dear Coyote Parents and Families,
As the weeks unfold, our classroom community has grown stronger and more harmonious. The children are becoming more attuned to each other’s needs, collaborating effectively, and finding joy in working together. This sense of connection has made our classroom more productive and vibrant.
One of our recent highlights was preparing and sharing Stone Soup. The children delighted in bringing ingredients, chopping vegetables, and cooking together. The best moment was sitting down as a class to enjoy the meal we all contributed to, fostering a sense of unity.
The story of Stone Soup teaches the value of cooperation and generosity. It tells of travelers who inspire a village to share what they have, creating something wonderful together. This timeless tale reminds us that when everyone contributes, even seemingly small efforts can lead to something extraordinary.
This experience reflects our classroom’s values, emphasizing the importance of community-driven learning and the power of collaboration. Watching the children engage so enthusiastically in this activity was a beautiful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together.
Thank you for your ongoing support in nurturing our classroom community!
Warm regards,
Ms. Shelby
Peek Inside Upper Elementary
FALCON
Dear Falcon parents,
As we dive into the second part of the semester, our classroom has been buzzing with excitement and growth across a variety of subjects. I have so much to update you on this month! Here's a look at what's been happening and what your child has been working on lately:
Language Arts:
In our language arts lessons, students have been honing their writing and language skills in a variety of ways:
Writing Paragraphs & Analyzing Sentences: Students are learning how to write clear and organized paragraphs, and they are working on analyzing simple sentences to better understand sentence structure.
Creative Writing: We've been exploring different types of writing, including scriptwriting, book reports in various styles, and poetry. Your child might have written a poem in haiku, tanka, couplets, or quatrains—each form teaching a different style of expression.
Poetry Exploration: Through writing these poems, students are discovering how structure, rhythm, and word choice create meaning. Ask your child to share their favorite poem they've written!
Math:
In math, we are tackling a variety of new concepts, from operations with fractions and decimals to beginning work with exponents:
Fractions & Decimals: Students are mastering the operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and decimals.
Exponents & Squares: Some students are working with exponents and learning about square numbers. Others have begun preparing to study the binomial formula, laying the groundwork for more advanced algebraic concepts.
Test Prep: To help build problem-solving skills, we are practicing two standardized math questions each day. We focus on understanding the language of word problems, learning how to identify key terms and clues that guide us toward the right approach to solve them.
Science:
In science, we've had hands-on experiments and exciting research projects happening:
Cabbage Juice pH Experiment: Some students are exploring the pH levels of various substances using cabbage juice. It’s a fun and colorful way to learn about acids and bases!
Animal Studies: Other students have started researching animals for an in-depth study.
Body Function of Animal Classes: Some are investigating the body functions of different animal classes
Economic Geography: Other students are also exploring which products come from different parts of the world and creating maps to show their locations.
History:
We continue our exploration of Ancient Egypt with engaging projects and interactive learning:
Mask Making: Students have been busy constructing masks to represent gods and goddesses, or death masks modeled after those used in Ancient Egypt to honor the deceased.
Trivia Game & Wax Museum Prep: To review everything we've learned so far, we held a fun class trivia game. Students are now preparing speeches in preparation for our upcoming wax museum project, where they’ll showcase their knowledge of Ancient Egypt through live exhibits.
Going Outs:
Our going outs have been both educational and exciting as we expand our learning beyond the classroom:
Butterfly Wonderland: Some students are planning a field trip to Butterfly Wonderland, where they'll be able to observe the life cycle of butterflies and deepen their understanding of these fascinating creatures.
Pet Store Visits: Other students are planning trips to Petco or Petsmart to gather information about potential classroom pets. As you may know, our class pet fish, Cardi, has moved on, and while we are sad for the loss of a friend, we are excited to find a new animal friend to join our classroom community.
A Note About Class Pets:
As we look forward to welcoming a new class pet, we’re encouraging students to consider the needs of different animals and to work together to choose an animal that would be a good fit for our classroom environment. Stay tuned for more updates as we finalize our decision!
Thank you for your continued support! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like more details about what your child is working on in class. We're looking forward to all the exciting projects and learning experiences ahead!
Warm regards,
Ms. Emily and Ms. Carla
ROADRUNNER
Dear Roadrunner Families,
What a busy and exciting month it has been! November was packed with activities, projects, moments of song, moments of ah-ha’s, and plenty of food! We’re thrilled to share some of our classroom’s story with you.
This month a group of our students reached a new milestone. They earned their food handler’s certification as they embarked upon our larger fundraisers that included preparing food for others. While the occasional treat or meal is prepared in-house to share amongst our classroom community, we have a group of students who are now participating in Pizza Friday. They work with a group of children from the Falcon’s classroom in calculating, ordering, and delivering pizza for eight classrooms! This experience sharpens their math and organizational skills and fosters teamwork and responsibility. Additionally, many members of our classroom have been preparing for our Taco Tuesday fundraiser scheduled for December 3rd.
Our sixth-grade students have been hard at work on their Capstone Projects. They have proceeded through the organizational aspects of their research topic and are preparing for a deep dive into their topic of choice.
We have continued our exploration of Ancient Egypt as the students have been learning about the geography, culture, religion, and daily life. We invite parents to join us on Wednesday, December 18th at 2 pm, as the children showcase their discoveries by creating a Wax Museum where they will display their research and share what they’ve learned in a creative and interactive way. We are excited to see their presentations come to life!
Our love for science continues to grow, especially with the children’s enthusiasm for the Periodic Table of Elements. Under the direction of one of our students, the class has been learning and performing the “Periodic Element Song”. We’ll share a recording of this soon! This same student has also sparked a new challenge—teaching the class the first 100 digits of PI through song. It’s been wonderful to see how these projects inspire creativity and peer leadership within our classroom.
As we move into December, we look forward to many more exciting events and discoveries. Thank you for your continued support in all our endeavors!
Warm regards,
Ms. Lauren and Ms. Juany
