WINTER BREAK!

I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC winter break!  Remember, there will be NO homework packet over break.  Instead, try some of these things:

•  play board games  •  play card games  •  read a book as a family  •  cook a new or favorite old recipe  •  write postcards to family members  •  make popcorn and watch a movie  •  make play dough  •  go to the library and check out books  •  visit a museum  •  learn something new  •  write a play and perform it for family  •  volunteer  •  make bubbles  •  visit the zoo  •  play charades  •   tie dye t-shirts  •  visit a working farm  •  visit The Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market  •  do brain teasers  •  make gift cards  •  play Scrabble or Boggle  •  do science experiments  •  go bowling  •  play indoor golf  •  have a fashion show  •  tour a new city  

MOST OF ALL...RELAX!  J  Have a fantastic time do everything you do.

 I look forward to seeing everyone in 2017!

Stressed!

We had a really great talk in our morning meeting about being stressed out.  I asked them to raise their hands if they were stressed out.  Every single kid raised their hand.  We talked a lot about why they were stressed and also what they can do to help them with the stress.  They had a lot of great ideas and they wrote them on an anchor chart in the afternoon.  Stress is hard on everyone.  Talking about being stressed and helping them figure out ways for them to deal with their stress is really important.   

Learning about TENTHS and HUNDREDTHS

We have been working on the concept of tenths and hundredths in the past few weeks.  We’ve used manipulatives to help us understand the concept, along with time in the lab on IXL.  Don’t forget, IXL is a great thing for kids to do over break!  The tenths and hundredths concept can be tricky for kids, but once they think about it as money, it gets easier.  This concept doesn’t work for thousandths (which we will learn about later), but it truly helps them understand the place value and makes it make sense. 

Tantré Farms – Deb the Farmer Visits Room 306

What a FANTASTIC experience!  Farmer Deb was fabulous.  I loved hearing their input as she discussed roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds.  What do they look like?  What do they taste like?  Yay!  She brought samples!  The tried purple carrots, watermelon radishes, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and Christmas beans (lima beans).  We tried everything except the lima bean.  They are dried and will be grown in our classroom when we return from winter break.  I LOVE that your kids try new foods.  They all had great ways of describing the foods and some were quite surprised they liked a few of the new foods!  I used a watermelon radish in a recipe a few months ago and LOVED it.  I highly recommend trying it.  Delish.  Here’s a link to find out more about Tantré Farms...truly a wonderful farm!  They grow a HUGE variety of things on their farm – some of them were quite surprising!  Kiwi, for example.  I didn’t see that coming!  They grow from 80-100 varieties of vegetables and a small variety of herbs and flowers.  The have fruit crops too: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pears, and melons.  We have such a great community!  Thanks Farmer Deb!  http://www.tantrefarm.com/

I Didn’t Do My Homework Because…

As it turns out, I have quite a collection of great books.  Often, we read a book and do some writing afterward.  This book, along with A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to School… and The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer are FANTASTIC ways to get kids excited about writing their own versions of the story.  They were so excited and eager to write.  We brainstormed and shared with one another.  We will continue to write our stories this week and even after break.  It takes a long time to get a finished product, which is something we are learned about right now.  Three cheers for creative writing!  Ask your kids about what they are writing.