Scientists Explore Pushes and Pulls

 

Recently scientists in grades K and 4 worked together to explore forces.  They investigated the question:  "What makes things move." Collaborating in socially distanced teams students visited eight stations to observe, theorize and evaluate ideas on pushes and pulls. Conversations were had and scientific language was used as 4th graders explained to the kindergartners about gravity and varying forces.  Our research was as lot of fun! We investigated the power of wind, how magnets work, why bowling pins fall down, and how to play shuffleboard.  We also observed a model of Newton's cradle, tested stomp rockets and some magnetic ramps and gears. It was an amazing morning! All students were engaged in their learning for the duration of our Funomena stations. Our morning went by so FAST.

Highlights Week of November 2-6

 It was another busy week in Room 101. We meet our Italian IV High School student partners virtually on a Google Meet! We worked on creating and recording stories to go along with the storyboards that the the high school students created. Next week we will look at a google slideshow with the high school students storyboards along with their stories in Italian and in English and then the oral stories created by our kindergartners! Soon the kindergartners will be working on personal narratives. When our stories are completed they will be shared with the high school students and the HS students will be transcribing the kindergarten narratives into Italian!

We also worked on letters m and n in Fundations, we completed Topic 2 in math and we started Topic 3 comparing numbers 6-10 and we started two Thanksgiving books. We are illustrating the song by Raffi, called Thanks A Lot and we started illustrating our vegetable counting book. We are working on fine motor skills with using a hole punch and scissors to cut out the vegetables. We are also working patterns and a different pattern will be on each page of the book. Mrs. Papadonis one of Pine Glen's secretaries also stopped by to help us with a holiday craft that will come home in a couple weeks.

We we lucky to have outdoor library again this week and we all enjoyed getting new books in our hands and sharing a story with a friend. So exciting to read!

The VOTES are IN!

We read a Let's Find Out about voting today. We also danced to VOTE by the Blazer Fresh team on GoNoodle and a Dr. Jean song about being an American. We watched excerpts from Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street on what it means to vote and then we had our own mock election. 

We tallied our Presidential Election votes today. It was very exciting in Room 101 as the votes went back and forth between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. It looked like Biden was going to win, then the votes for Trump passed Biden! It was a very close race! We wonder what the results will be with the National Election tomorrow! 

Remember to get out and VOTE if you haven't done so already. In the past we have recommended bringing your child along so they can start to learn about this important process first hand, but maybe you want to start this process the next time we go to vote due to the rising COVID numbers in the state. Remember, NO SCHOOL TOMORROW. 

Reward Day- Pajamas and Flashlight Reading!

 Today was our second reward day. Room 101 students voted for a pajama day and flashlight reading. We went up to the gym today and flashed our flashlight on the books while our 4th grade partners read the stories to us. We also talked with our 4th grade partners about all the fun things we all did over the Halloween weekend. Wearing pj's and reading books was a great way to ease us back into the school week.