Week of September 22

The students finished their art projects from last week and began new ones this week.  Last week, we asked the students to do a slightly different type of self-portrait.  We took pictures of the back of their heads and had them cut out these pictures and draw what they are looking at.  The students were very creative in producing these pictures.  Here are just a few of them.  The rest are hanging in our classroom and will be put into their portfolio for the year. 

"I like the back of the head self portraits, because it is like it comes to life and you can use your imagination to draw anything you want."

 

Our new art project is working on pop art.  After a brief introduction of pop art (be sure to ask what pop art is short for), students got to create their own picture.  Using only numbers, the students used crayons and water colors to create the first of several pop art pieces.  Here are some pictures from the initial stages and some of the students' thoughts on pop art. 

 

"I am really enjoying pop art.  I think it is cool artists can take anything and make it more interesting."

 

"I really like the number pictures, because everyone can do their own thing."

 

"I love pop art.  I love the idea of popular art."

 

"I think art was fun because I never did pop art and I like to paint."

 

"I <3 pop art!"

 

"Pop art is fun because it's popular and anything popular is fun."

 

"I like pop art because you can create art from anything."

 

In math, we completed a math challenge on division.  The students were asked to think of a 3 digit number, write it twice to make a 6 digit number, divide that number by 7, divide the answer by 11, then finally, divide by 13.  The students quickly discovered a pattern.  We also asked the students to try to figure out why it worked.  Few students were able to come up with a reason, but we had lots of good thinking happening! 

"Our math challenge was so cool.  Apparently you can do any 3 digit number twice like 789,789 then divide it by 7 then 11 then 13.  It works because if you do 1,001 times 789 it will equal 789,789 and same with any number."

 

"Math was hard but it was fun."

Here are some reflections from the week:
"Art went well this week."
"I didn't bring any Seabury or Seahawks gear today because I forgot."
"What I want to work on next week is NO more run on sentences."
"I loved writing too.  It seems super exciting and I'm already on my rough draft."
"Art was bad because I don't have a vivid imagination."
"The main thing that went well this week was art."
"I am proud of cooperating with my group."
"I think I need to work on reading my historical fiction."
"What I am going to work on is taking less time doing work."
"Art and math went well this week because I made a math problem out of art."
"I should have paid more attention to my homework."
"Writing was good this week.  I made a good country."

Week of September 15

The students shared their healthy food posters in Gathering this week.  Here are just a few of the posters.  The students hung them around the lunchroom, so come check them all out!

 

 

The students also presented public service announcements in Gathering, also on eating healthy food.  Here are a few pictures from each group and the messages they wanted others to get from their PSA.

 "If you eat junk food you will get big and fat, so eat nutrients and you will be healthy and strong!"

"Eat your veggies people and exercise."

"Apples are healthy, eggs are healthy, kale is healthy, and bread is healthy."

"Eat healthy!  People will tease you if you don't."

 

Here are some of the reflections from the week:

 

"I am proud that I gave it my all."

"Last I haven't gotten in trouble as often."

"My poster was not done on Thursday and some parts have to be omitted to finish it."

"I am proud of math, poster and the play and social studies."

"Next week, I won't be so impetuous when I do my timed test.  I'll try to finish the projects in the time you give me and working on having a growth mindset."

"I want to work on spelling.  Spelling is definitely not my strong suit."

"What I could work on is writing."

"I think our class did a great job showing our posters."

"I have done my homework without being asked."

"I am so proud of moving up a math group."

"We are having a fun time finding the values of letters."

"I hope by the end of next week I'll be even better than I was this week."

Week of September 8

Our great work bulletin board this year is titled, "Rock Star Work" so we created rock star silhouettes of the students with a microphone.  Can you find your child? 

 

 

 

We will be posting our work throughout the year on these silhouettes, but feel free to come lift the work and check out these rocks stars!

 

Our math challenge this week was an intensive one.  We asked the students in the Peacock and Narwhal classes to complete an estimation challenge today.  The task was to compute how many of their own individual steps it would take to walk from Tacoma to Spokane.  They also had to decide how long it would take to walk there.  Using state maps, students had to compute how many miles it is.  Some students went along the highways, while others went cross country.  There were some students who computed about 300 miles, while others had 234.  They also had to measure how long their steps were and then calculate the number of steps to get there.  Last, students had to create a plan on how to time their walking (without walking an entire mile!).  Our favorite question from the challenge?  "Why are we walking to Spokane?  Couldn't we just drive?"  Always thinking of ways to get out of work!  The good news?  Everyone worked extremely hard and no one showed major frustration when things weren't working like they had thought! 

 

 

 

 

Every Friday, I will be asking the students to write about their week and think about how to improve the following week.  I will be including a sentence or two from each reflection journal each week.  Here are some of their reflections from this week.

"I think I should change my writing." 
"I got more dollars."
"I'm proud because I admitted my mistakes."
"I also am reading a longer book."
"I would like to work on better communication next week."
"I'm proud of getting back into the swing of things as quickly as I did."
"I wish I had acted differently."
"I am still in the homework club!"
"Some of my goals didn't go as well this week.  I've already gotten in trouble this week."
"I am proud of finishing my whole timed test in 3:57."
"Next week, I need to work on my time test, and my spelling needs some practice."
"I want to work on being a lot calmer."



Week of September 3

Happy First Week of School!!!  We had a great first week.  The students jumped right in, taking tests and being evaluated on their levels.  We also wrote goals for ourselves for the year and began our new topic for science. 

Here are just some of the students' goals for the year.

• To get better at percentages in math
• To finish all of my book reports on time
• To read more chapter books
• To write a 20 page book
• To learn at least 20 new facts in science
• To get more than 30  million dollars
• To have no run on sentences
• To have at least 5 brownie parties
• To get better at division
• To stay in the Homework Club all year
• To improve my cursive

There are some changes to our classroom that students quickly noticed.  First, we now have a Homework Club.  All students start out in the club, and can retain their membership in the club by bringing in their homework every day.  If they miss an assignment, they are no longer part of the club for the rest of the month.  Any students who stay in the club all month will chose an item from the Prize Catalog.  At the beginning of each month, all students can rejoin the Homework Club.  Students are also rewarded one million dollars for returning homework and for having their parent initial their planner each day. 

The students also have a new area in the classroom called the graffiti wall.  This door, covered in black paper, is where students can write interesting quotes from books they read.  We already have some from the first few days of schools.  Students are excited about reading, and they read more for meaning when they are looking for sentences that really speak to them. 

 

As I mentioned in my email, the students chose Peacocks as our class name.  One student explained that just like a peacock, which has unique feathers that together make it beautiful, we are also unique but form something wonderful.  Be sure to come check out our peacock in the front window, which shows exactly that. 

 

 

 

Here is our class at the end of the first week.  They are all happy and excited to be back at school.