Be Kind

When school began, I started our year talking about being a nice person.  We talked about what it looked liked, sounded like, why it was important and a plethora of ways you can be nice – to both friends and foes.  It became our class motto – “Be nice.”  When we read the book Wonder, our motto changed a bit, as they talk about kindness throughout the book.  Our new motto became “Be kind.”  In the book, this quote resonated with all of us: “Kinder than is necessary.  Because it’s not enough to be kind.  One should be kinder than needed.”  Another quote that we discussed at length:  “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”  As a class, we ADORED August Pullman, the main character in Wonder and connected with his feelings on many different levels.  As with any great book, you are sad when it’s over.  But, we continue to talk about kindness and how important it is in our daily lives. 

Be kind.  Always.

The Ecology Center ROCKS!

Nature Recycles:  Recycling is an important way to deal with waste, and nature has been doing it all along!  Students will examine recycling, compositing, and natural decomposition.  We’ll even give you a great compost “recipe!”

We were lucky enough to have The Ecology Center visit each of our 4^th grade classes on December 18^th.  What fun!  This demonstration (and hands on fun!) went hand in hand with our Nature’s Recyclers curriculum.  Kids had a great time working with their peers – discovering worms, roly poly bugs (their technical name, of course), and even a spider (which was moved to a different container!).  Good times were had by all. 

  

 

Who Needs Gingerbread When You Can Use VEGGIES!?

What an amazing way to spend an hour and a half!  Our room was buzzing with excitement when the kids came back from PE.  They had been able to spend some time with their team members (they are now sitting with their team members in class too) discussing strategies and talking with them about their veggie house ideas. 

While they were in Music and PE, we put a plethora of items on their desks.  They were all given a wide variety of vegetables, toothpicks, beans, cream cheese, pretzels, a roof and a pizza circle for the bottom. 

When they were about a half an hour in, I thought there was no way anyone would be able to get a house with a roof made…and then…the tide started to turn.  I was amazed by the talent that was flying from these veggie wielding 4^th graders.  Snowmen, hot tubs, paths, windows, smoke from chimneys, signs, fencing…the list goes on.  A spectacular array of houses were created by every group.  It was also evident that they had learned things from the first two STEM activities we have done.  Yay!