UK in Bette's Class

Dear Families,

Early release day. Kind of stressful, but at least we got everyone home safe.

• If you can come to the music play this Friday it will be performed at 8:50, seating at 8:40.
• Christine is doing "Gift of Words" in library. Her note was sent home last week. They will share them on Dec. 21. Help your child remember. It's a really great activity and the ones who forget might scramble at the last minute, but they miss out  on the good feeling of choosing a great passage.
• We've been learning a lot about the UK. Especially, that the possible topics are vast! I decided that, instead of trying to be comprehensive I would see what arises as interests for the kids.
• The Multicultural Fair is next Thursday evening, December 21. Here's what we are working on:

The English Chunnel (the tunnel under the English Channel that connects to France): we watched part of a documentary about how it was built, reports are being written and we plan to make a "Chunnel" in that little hallway you go through to get into our room. (Not sure how we're doing it yet, might involve cardboard or sheets. I've learned to wait for the crafty students to generate ideas, then facilitate;)

Guy Fawkes

Wales,

Stonehenge

Scotland

Architecture

Folk Tales

Remembrance Day

Loch Ness Monster (we're making a paper mache model, so please send in newspaper if you have any!)

Queen Elizabeth II, including her dogs

Language: comparing British and American English.

We've been reading Robin Hood in Olde English. On the last day before break I plan to show the 1938 version of the movie.

I am attaching a recipe for salt dough clay. If you can make a batch and send it in, we can use it for making models.

In math, 3rd graders have been working on subtracting across zeroes and 4th grade has been working on double digit multiplication and today we are going to start learning about the long division algorithm.

Salt Dough Clay

  1/2 cup cornstarch

  1 cup baking soda

  3/4 cup water

  cookie cutters

  for fun: embossed rolling pins and craft paint

  optional: food coloring (if you want to make colored dough, add the food coloring to the water before you mix it in.)

Instructions

1.    In a medium sized pot combine the cornstarch, baking soda, and water. Stir over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, the mixture will begin to thicken. When it looks like smooth, mashed potatoes, remove the pot from the heat. Spoon the ball of dough into a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until it's cool. When it's cool, knead it on a smooth surface (I use my silicone mat for this. I use this mat about 3 times a week while baking.) until smooth and silky. Add more cornstarch if it feels too sticky and/or sticks to the surface.

2.    *You can let the ornaments air dry over night in a warm place or you can bake them.

3.    To bake them:

4.    Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out clay to 1/4 inch thick on a silicone mat lightly dusted with cornstarch. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to the prepared baking sheet. You can use a straw to make a hole at the top of the ornament so you can add ribbon later to hang    it. We used a bamboo skewer. Place them in the oven for about an hour, turning them over halfway through cooking.

Update

Dear Families,

Sorry for being a little behind the scenes lately. It's been a busy time. Last Wednesday I went to Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery in Mattawan to pick up the salmon eggs. They are in the tank. The kids have observed them and we learned about the life cycle of salmon. Stop by outside the office if you can and check them out. In a week or so they will begin hatch and become alevins. We'll keep you posted.

 

Last Thursday and Friday I went to the "Place-Based Education" conference. Educators from all over the country, but mostly the Great Lakes region, gathered at this biannual conference to share and develop strategies for this pedagogy. To my surprise, Sylvia's mother, Laura Meisler was there, too. She is the education coordinator for St. Joseph Hospital's The Farm. We will be working together to plan a trip to The Farm for the class.

 

The kids had another good time with Rick Hall, but he had an unexpected situation on Friday so I called Kito McKenny to sub for Friday. This Thursday and Friday I will be attending the Intel Math conference and EMU, so I called Rick and Kito again.

 

Because I will not be in class Thursday and Friday, we are postponing the I-Search presentations to next week (because I don't want to miss them!!) A few I-Searches will be rescheduled to Monday, November 27. So far we learned about Pets, Greek Mythology and Ancient Egypt.

 

This week we selected our Multicultural Fair topic of study. Through a process of brainstorming and mutual decision making, the class chose United Kingdom for our topic.

 

This Monday was our last day of PLTW, just in time to put our energies into learning about the many cultures in the United Kingdom!

 

I've also been working on report cards, which will come home next Tuesday.

Ta ta,
Bette

Boo!

Bette’s Class Notes October 30, 2017

Just a few quick notes:

Thanks to Dina Heller for creating a sign up sheet for the Halloween Party, tomorrow afternoon after the parade.

Remember to help your child to dress for daily outdoor play! Cooler temperatures have arrived- inside and out. Our classroom has been on the chilly side as well. Friday morning it was 62 degrees. Karen Davis said they have been working on the boilers, but it has been mentioned to me that the room tends to be on the chill side. Michiganders dress in layers! And help your child with strategies to manage their layers. Labeling is helpful.

Today we are having our first Community Gathering. Each student is assigned to a K-8 group. It will be at the end of the day.

Anyone interested in making pickles with the class? Friday we completed our mold experiments, and the group that used vinegar discovered that their set up did not grow any mold. I thought it would be fun to make some pickles. I have had mediocre success with pickles in the past. Anyone have a good recipe?

 

The kids made some beautiful art in the Ragamala follow-up workshop. I guess we have a talented group. Last week everyone people at school kept saying how much they liked the pumpkins my class made. I kept saying “thanks, what pumpkin?” It turns out they made them in art, and they were posted in a part of the hall I don’t travel in as much.

Bette’s Class Notes

Reminder: Wednesday, 10/25 Early Release 12:52
                    Swimming tomorrow, Tuesday

Today the Toledo Opera performed “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,” which is Motzart’s "Don Giovanni”  adapted to incorporate the fairy tales “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The 3 Pigs”. 

We will also began “scientific drawing” of mushrooms in Art class and I-Searches. Information for parents on I-Searches can be found on the class blog. We will send home the contract sheets tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will have a follow up workshop on the Ragamala performance we saw on Friday. The tour of the scenery shop before the performance was really cool.

Written in Water

Bette’s Class Notes 

October 19, 2017

Dear Families,

Tomorrow is our field trip to the UMS youth performance of Ragamala Dance Company. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/ums/15ee3920ebcb2106?projector=1

The performance is called “Written in Water” and is a contemporary reflection of a South Indian classical dance form called Bharatanatyam.

The class has had a workshop on the dance and we will also have a post performance workshop.

“When you write in water, it’s not concrete, so it is constantly changing” -Ranee Ramaswamy (Like life…)

Our bus will leave early, 10am, because Paul Hunter, a parent in Denise’s class, has offered the opportunity to visit the scene shop at the Power Center!

Last Friday’s field trip to waterloo was wonderful. We were able to go in the woods and back to the bog in small groups. Everyone came back tired. Thanks to the parents who were able to come as chaperones.

I’ve enjoyed meeting with you and your child on conference night, and look forward to meeting with the rest of you next week.

In math, 3^rd grade is continuing to work on addition and subtraction strategies up to 10, 000. 4^th grade is working on estimation using factors and multiples.

Small notes:

Watch for I-Search contracts next week

Cold Weather coming, send kids with enough warm stuff to play outside!

Scholastic due date October 30.

October 31- Halloween Party, more later

November 7- No School

November 9- Picture Retakes

Bette’s Class Notes

Dear Families,

  Here’s the latest for Bette’s class

• Angie Watson, our volunteer coordinator is asking me for the name for a “Class parent”. This parent would help coordinate information and events with the AAOCC. A contact is needed for the upcoming Silent Auction. Please let me know if you can take this role for our class.
• We have a field trip this Friday, October 13. This is an AAPS district Environmental Education trip.  We will be going to Waterloo to study “Nature’s Recyclers,” looking for the organisms that transform organic matter into soil and nutrients. We will be studying mold, fungi and worms this week. Permission slips will come home tomorrow. Quick turn around is appreciated.
• Conferences begin this week. I have created an online signup sheet. Use this link to access the sheet if you want to see the time you signed up for, or the available times if you haven’t signed up yet. Student Goal Setting Conference sign up sheet.
• A parent goal setting sheet was provided at curriculum night and is also available on the blog. Let me know if you would like a paper copy sent home with your child. The students fill out a similar form in class on their own. We use these as a guide to set academic goals for each student.
• Thanks to the parents who chaperoned when we went to DeBucks! It was great having you. We had a lot of fun.
• Thanks to Rick Sansburn for creating a snack calendar for the class. You can access it on the blog. Actually, it started last week. You can still send in snacks at your convenience.
• Wednesday is Pajamas and Pancakes (for lunch) Day. Here’s a note from Jen Thomas, our Student Council facilitator: Next week is National School Lunch Week, and we (as a district) are celebrating with breakfast for lunch.  As our part of this celebration, next Wednesday, October 11 will be Pajama Day at Ann Arbor Open.
• Salmon in the Classroom is a go!!! Last week we filled up the tank just outside the office and started the filter. Heidi is helping and we are including Edie’s class. Aina is helping also. She has found 7-8 students who will help us maintain the tank and lead small group activities with the younger children!

Important Information!! (Again)

Bette’s Class Notes                                                              September 25, 2017

Dear Families, Important Information!! (Again)

Picture Day Tomorrow! The unfortunate turn of events is that we have swimming at 8:30-9:15. I signed us up for 10:10 for pictures so we have time to spruce up before we go to pictures. If the pictures do not turn out well, there will be an opportunity for retakes in a couple of weeks, after you get to see the first set.

Early Release 12:52. We will eat lunch. No child care.

Permission slips home today. We are going to DeBuck’s Corn Maze in Belleville on Friday, September 29, with Tracey’s class. I would like 4 chaperones.