We are BUSY in room 306!  There's so much to do and so much to learn!  

Our science unit Nature's Recyclers offers many opportunities to observe our classroom worms.  So far, they are being cooperative and haven't tried to escape during the night.  Whew.  Our worms are small red worms and having them in our classroom, allow us to do many experiments throughout the unit.  In one lesson, we are asked to observe the worms, diagramming their bodies and describing, in detail, what they look like.  Our little red worms are great, but not ideal for this experiment.  Ms. Harris (the other 4th grade teacher) brought 18 genuine Canadian night crawlers for all of us to use in this lesson.  They are super big, and perfect for this lesson. Using our new scientific terms, we observed, discussed, illustrated and wrote journal entries about these fantastic creatures.  Please ask your kids about the experience and have them tell you what they observed.  

In math, we have finished Unit 1 and will begin Unit 2 on Monday.  We have reviewed lines, line segments, rays, obtuse angles, acute angles, polygons, quadrangles, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, intersecting lines, and SO much more!  We spent time using a compass - the perfect circle, as it turns out, is fun to create!  

We are learning to work with partners, on our own, and in a group.  In social studies, partners worked together to read about social scientists, and then designed hats to show what they had learned about the various scientists.  

Whew!  Our first week of fourth grade was FAB!  We have begun to establish our classroom procedures, started math, introduced social studies and met all but one of our specials teachers!  We begin our first full week of school with a slightly adjusted schedule.  Monday: Music, Media Center and World Language.  Tuesday: Art with Ms. Bartman.  Wednesday:  PE, Music and World Language.  Thursday: Music and PE.  Friday:  Art with Mr. Vinter.  Please make sure your kids come in gym shoes on Wednesdays and Thursdays!  Thank you.  

Save the date!  Curriculum Night is on Tuesday, September 17th.  There will be a presentation for parents in the Multi-Purpose Room beginning at 6:00pm.  You will have a chance to hear from our principal and our PTO president along with the chance to meet the Haisley staff at 6:45.  Classroom presentations will begin at 7:00pm.  I will have a short presentation beginning at 7:30.  This is a really important night and I hope to see you there.  C'mon in and meet/see me!  

Cheers to a FULL week of fourth grade!

YahOoOoOoOoo!  Welcome to fabulous fourth!  We're going to have a spectacular year!  

We have so much to do this year.  I am excited to be your teacher and can't wait to spend our days together.  September is a cool month.  So many wonderful things happen in September.  School begins, it's football season (our neighborhood is CRAZY during football season!), the crisp weather  moves across our state, and you begin your quest to learn as much as you can during your school year.  

Welcome to room 306!  

The Ann Arbor Hands On Museum invades Haisley!

The AAHOM is a wonderful local resource – and we were lucky enough (thank you PTO!) to have them visit us and let us do some cool CHEMISTRY experiments!  I was a very proud science teacher…they answered questions sooooooOooOo well, it was really impressive.  Ya to the hoo. 

Make sure you ask them about the experiments they were able to do and have them explain what happened!  

 What happens when vinegar and baking soda meet?  

 They make a gas!

 WahooOoOoooO!

 A golf ball sinks in water...

 doesn't it!?  Do you remember what it's called when they meet?  Estuaries are formed when freshwater meets up with saltwater.  

 Hey, why is that cube going to the bottom and NOT floating!?

 Sneaky ol' air.  When it's let out of the bottle...it floats again!

 pH balances were cool enough to learn about on Lake Erie too.  MmMm, cabbage water anyone!?

Thank you to everyone at The Ann Arbor Hands On Museum!  We had a great time!

What?  Did you say...

HAISLEY HUSTLE!?

Well, our team…Mrs. McGee's Marvelous Marching (jet propelled) Manatees - now sporting laser technology guidance had a great time on Friday!  It was a lovely day and kids walked, ran, trotted and hustled! 

The Detroit River and

Lake Erie…WHOAH.

This is a SPECTACULAR field trip.  Truly.  It covers curriculum they started learning in our third grade science and social studies units (Habitats and Michigan) and continues covering our fourth grade curriculum (Nature’s Recyclers and Watery Earth, along with The Great Lakes and the important role they play in so many things).  How’d the day go?  Pure Michigan.  It will be impossible for me to tell you about everything, as our day was jam packed…ask your kids questions about the trip and get them TALKING about it! 

The weather was spectacular.  Yup, it was cloudy, and that was dreamy.  We weren’t hot and we weren’t cold.  The water was a bit choppy, but the boat ride was easy and everyone wore sea legs.  From the moment we embarked (fun new vocabulary, a cool bonus!) the vessel, we began our day of learning.  We broke up into four groups and were stationed in four separate places on our floating classroom.  Each group was completely engrossed in what they were doing and learning.

They learned how to tie knots, checked pH levels in water they collected from Lake Erie, played Beat the Teacher – learning how things do or DON’T break down (plastic bottles, disposable diapers, cotton socks…etc.), examined zooplankton, seaweed, watched an underwater camera cruise the waters, and SOOOooOOOoOO much more. 

CHEMISTRY!  

Can you find the giant Bald Eagle's nest!?