We have had 44 days of school!
Star Student: Iron was our Star Student! He turned 6 in October. Iron's favorite color is red. He loves to play on his phone and with his dog and cat, and also loves to help his dad on projects. His favorite food is pizza and his favorite sport in soccer. When he grows up he wants to farm with grandpa Ziesman
Pumpkin Carving: After reading the story of Little Boo, the story about a pumpkin seed that wants to be scary, it was especially fun to explore our pumpkin. Everyone had a chance to predict whether it would be heavy or light and lifted it to see if they agreed with their prediction. Then we cut the top off and everyone took turns holding it and exploring how it felt and smelled. Someone said it smelled a lot like the big cucumbers they have at home! Finally we got to take out the "guts". It was generally agreed that it felt slimy and they noticed how orange their hands were. When they saw the pumpkin seeds, there was a chorus of "Little Boo!". Finally Mr. Daniel carved the eyes, nose and mouth as per everyone's directions and turned our pumpkin into a Jack-o-lantern.
Show and Tell: Skateboarding in the classroom? Yes, that did happen. Deen said his cool skateboard was gifted to him by his uncle. His favorite feature was the shark picture on the bottom. And of course, a demonstration was expected. Deen made it clear that he was still learning and carefully (and safely) showed us how to use it. Also this week,Talia brought in one of her favorite dolls (she says she has many) and a toy cell phone. Yes, it's a one item deal, but Talia reasoned well. The phone is what moms use when they walk around with their babies to make important calls and text...Fortunately Talia was able to shift attention back to the baby with her very detailed story of how she and her brother play together! Great job, Deen and Talia!
Bicycle Doubles: We have made it to Unit 3 (please check overview). This week we explored the concept of doubles (even) numbers by looking at wheels on a bicycle. To help with the process, everyone made a drawing of a bicycle and added it to our growing pattern chart. We also introduced a new Work Place - Grab Bag Doubles, another fun way to practice recognizing doubles.
Reading: 'The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin' took us on a thoughtful journey about appreciating differences. Spookley who was often teased because he was different, became the hero who saved the day. The class talked about how being different makes each one of us special. They then went on to color their own pumpkins for Spookley's pumpkin patch.
Global Perspectives:
Our Family Tree presentations have been so enjoyable!
This week Leith and his mom presented their family tree. Leiths family members are primarily Palestinian, though he has family member living in many places, including his grandmother who is visiting from Hawaii and who is of Russian and English background. With so many family members it was especially challenging for Leith to remember so many names! At the end of his presentation the class was treated to a delicious dish called "Maqluba" (upside down), a very popular dish in Palestine. The dish consists of rice, chicken and fried vegetables which is placed in a pot and then flipped over. The children were excited to taste it and so were the teachers! The next day Nicholas and his mom presented their family tree. Their family is mostly originating from Trinidad and Tobago, with many now born and raised in the Virgin Islands. Nicholas has a cousin who has not been born yet, but somehow still got most of the attention! After multiple questions about his family, Nicholas was also asked about music. It turns out they listen to soca, so everyone got up and danced to 'Coco Tea' by Kes who is also from Trinidad. After dancing, everyone was ready for a snack. Ms. Jessica came ready with Nicholas' favorite Dahl and Rice and some Curry chicken. What a delicious treat it was! It's really wonderful to see this class be adventurous with food two days in a row! We might be getting a little spoiled... Halloween: And then there was Halloween! I am sure you felt it too. The rising energy and volume to match. There was excitement, even if they weren't quite clear why so excited. We made it to Friday and everyone started coming in in their costumes all adorable, and yes - there were some spooky ones in the mix. We paraded once around the school to be admired by all and then they were ready to get on with their day and certainly looking forward to more Halloween activities later on.
Deen said his cool skateboard was gifted to him by his uncle. His favorite feature was the shark picture on the bottom. And of course, a demonstration was expected. Deen made it clear that he was still learning and carefully (and safely) showed us how to use it. Also this week,Talia brought in one of her favorite dolls (she says she has many) and a toy cell phone. Yes, it's a one item deal, but Talia reasoned well. The phone is what moms use when they walk around with their babies to make important calls and text...Fortunately Talia was able to shift attention back to the baby with her very detailed story of how she and her brother play together! Great job, Deen and Talia!
'The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin' took us on a thoughtful journey about appreciating differences. Spookley who was often teased because he was different, became the hero who saved the day. The class talked about how being different makes each one of us special. They then went on to color their own pumpkins for Spookley's pumpkin patch.
And then there was Halloween! I am sure you felt it too. The rising energy and volume to match. There was excitement, even if they weren't quite clear why so excited. We made it to Friday and everyone started coming in in their costumes all adorable, and yes - there were some spooky ones in the mix. We paraded once around the school to be admired by all and then they were ready to get on with their day and certainly looking forward to more Halloween activities later on. 
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