May 10, 2018

Classroom Update

Hello Platte Families!

I hope this finds you all well, and enjoying the spring greening of our natural world!  I can't believe we only have a month left of the school year, and so much more to learn and explore..

We had a lot of fun on May Day!  Students had prepared two poems and two flower baskets for the elderly people at the Heritage apartments at Lyngblomsten.  It was very sweet to watch the interaction of these two groups of people.  As the residents were coming to the dining room for lunch, our students presented them with a basket, read their poem, and wished them a happy May Day.  Many wanted to engage in further conversation, and several people told me how much it meant to them to have young people around.  Our students were also touched by this visit and have asked if we could return for another.  Afterwards, we were invited to have lunch in their courtyard and stay for the performance of the dancers that were making their way from Como Park.  This was entertaining, especially when our students started dancing to the music.  A few of the dancers then gave lessons to several interested students, and they did remarkably well!

On our way back we had a scavenger hunt at the Woodland Classroom at Como, and then played kickball at McMurray fields.  I was taken by surprise when I learned that many had never played the game before.  We decided we need some direct instruction before playing next time, but everyone seemed in favor of this.  By the time we got back to school everyone was tired and hot and in need of hydration!

Our Workshare projects are well underway.  Students have chosen a topic and have done some research on it.  Much more is needed and, since we have limited access to computers and resource books in our developing classroom, it would be helpful if you are able to visit a library to support your child in this project.  Some students have begun creating models or visuals of some sort, and are really getting into the process.  Mark your calendars for Friday, June 1st from 2-3 pm, and please plan to join us at school for this upper elementary Workshare!  

We've been studying plants in our science lessons; needs, parts, functions, uses, among other interesting facts.  We observed peas and beans germinate, and then planted these in soil.  Most have gone home now and I hope are finding a spot in your garden!  We are now learning how to identify plants, first by the leaves.  We will soon be going out to identify trees using a dichotomous key, and learn the names of some of the trees in our area.

In math, students have worked on the Order of Operations when solving complex algebraic equations.  We also have been reviewing long division, which has been difficult for some.  We've also worked on naming polygons and measuring their angles using a protractor.  Currently, we are focusing on the seven quadrilaterals and their specific characteristics.

We are using some interesting stories from our Reading A to Z program to read and discuss.  We read all about the Egyptian Pyramids last week, and are currently reading Prehistoric Trade.  This is particularly interesting since we just wrapped up our in-depth study of early humans.  

I hope you weren't confused by the late delivery of last week's homework assignments.  I only had four folders returned on Wednesday, so I delayed it for a day.  Several more came in on Thursday and I prepared the folders, but then forgot to pass them out at the end of the day!  Since they didn't go home until Friday, I told everyone to bring them back by Thursday the following week.  So, new homework was sent today, and won't be due until Wednesday, May 23rd.  Extra time is being given to allow for a community service project.  That will be the last homework assignment of the year!  Thank you for supporting your child in this work!!

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Mary

Platte River update 4/12/18

Platte River update 4/12/18

Hello Platte Families!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful spring break and feel rejuvenated in spirit and mind! I'm hopeful that spring will be in full force soon, and we can begin enjoying some more sunshine and outdoor activities.  Before writing about our areas of study during the past school weeks, I'd like to address some of our routines and schedules. 

I want to impress upon you the importance of helping your child get to school on time in the morning.  When  students arrive late, their morning is affected and their day continues to be a little off.  They miss the opportunities to be greeted properly, choose a work space and/or partner, and the socialization that naturally occurs upon a class's arrival.  Please help them get here by 8:25 so they can feel settled and ready to begin their day at 8:30.

Thank you for supporting your child in the weekly homework assignments!  We are currently about 75% successful in having students take it home, complete the work, and bring it back.  If your child is struggling with this, please let me know!  I would like to adjust homework expectations for those who need it, so they can feel accomplished in this requirement.  Homework is an expectation for all upper elementary students at GRS, and preparation for all levels beyond in their school life. 

The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) for math will be administered on Monday and Tuesday mornings next week.  You can support your child's effort by making sure they get a good night's sleep and a nutritious breakfast beforehand.  We all agree that this is just a snapshot in a student's academic life, but we still want them to feel confident and ready to do their best!

We have been practicing writing a friendly letter in our language groups, and students will be sending a special letter to a relative very soon.  I was surprised that so many students didn't know their address and/or their zip code.  I guess that, with all of our technology, snail mail is becoming outdated.  They really had fun doing it though, and their will be some happy recipients!

We're also writing poetry this month, and students have been introduced to seven different types.  They are currently working to create some poetry of their own.  These will be shared on May day.  

We have begun the study of botany.  We started with simple classification of vascular plants (those with stems) and bryophytes.  We focused on their needs, how their roods are powerful water seekers, and the various parts we use for food.  Now we are learning about the nitrogen cycle, transpiration, and how fluids move from root to leaf.  We started some seedlings to observe, and I hope some of these will make it to your garden plot!

In math and geometry we have been practicing some more beginning algebra skills with input/output tables, and using variables in equations.  Students also learned about powers of numbers, and are creating a chart of powers up to 10 to the third power.  Another skill that's been fun to learn are three forms of graphing.  Students designed a poll, collected data among classmates, and created pictographs, bar graphs, and circle graphs to show their results.

I want to thank several families for sending in supplies for our classroom!  We are now well stocked with napkins and sanitary wipes.  Our only needs now are a couple of boxes of Kleenex to see us through the end of the year.

Thank you for your continued support!

Mary

Classroom update: March 20, 2018

Hello Platte River Families,

It was great to see you at the conferences last week!  I hope you were pleased with the great work that your child has done since the last time you were here.  Please feel free to visit anytime after school on Wednesday during office hours, if you'd like to see more of the daily work that is being done here!

Other than conferences, the days have been interrupted by the MCA reading test, which our students took on March 8th and 9th.  Everyone did a great job staying focused during the test and quiet if they finished early.  I'm happy to get back on track with regular lessons and work time now.  The math portion of the test will be given on April 16th and 17th for Platte River students.

Our latest big work included a final report on an animal of choice.  I had intended for this to be a short report that incorporated the classification of the animal and information about the animal's internal parts, movement, habits, etc.  I was amazed at how complex some of the projects became!  Running out of time became a common issue, and I think some students could have made this a year long project!  I extended these for a week, and then had to ask students to make their presentations.  I really enjoy seeing them show off and explain their work to an audience, and it's very interesting to see how they've matured in this effort!

In our language lessons, we've been working on various comprehension skills, and have now been practicing these on short stories.  We have some very skilled readers among us, and had some lively discussions about our readings.  Also, students continue to write stories as a choice work, and I'm amazed at their creativity and humor.

The large study of early humans will last for about three more weeks, with a final project coming right after our spring break.  Students are learning that there is much more evidence and information as the time progressed, and a greater population of humans existed from which we can gather data.  Posters of their work is spreading across our classroom walls!

After creating models of the decimal system, students are becoming more familiar in reading and writing decimal numbers, and learning operations with these number parts.  Some students are using the decimal board to calculate addition and subtraction, while others are quick to learn how to just line up the number around the decimal point.  One group has learned to use the decimal checkerboard to multiply decimal numbers, which has turned out to be much more fun than pencil and paper!  This week we began doing algebra, and students are figuring out functions of algorithms with unknown numbers.  This has become easy for those who are good at puzzles, and they are now designing some of their own for each other.

In honor of Pi Day, I told the story of Archimedes and how he figured our the relationship of a circle's diameter and its circumference; there are 3.14159... diameters in the circumference. This required students to learn some new vocabulary words (radius, diameter, circumference, irrational numbers to name a few) and parts of a circle.  I think they would have been happier if we just ate pie!

I hope the promise of spring, and its lighter days and warmer weather find you renewed and hopeful!  Happy Spring!!

Mary

PS  We're looking for a family to take care of our birds during the spring break.  They should be picked up on Friday, March 30th and brought back on Monday, April 9th.  They are not hard to care for, and can be left alone for up to three days.  Thank you in advance!

Platte River is in great need of the following supplies:

Napkins

Disinfectant Wipes

Hello Platte Families,

I hope you are enjoying these longer days and warmer weather!  I know we are, except that it's getting really sloppy out with the melting snow.  Many students are complaining of leaky boots and wet socks, so you may want to check with your child, and possibly send a spare pair of socks.  Also, indoor shoes or slippers are a must!

We have some new pets in our classroom.  One of our birds moved to Crow Wing, and two 5 month old finches have joined us.  We are hoping one of these is a female, but time will tell as they grow their adult feathers.  We also have three new fish, called Tiger Tetras.  At last our tank and fish seem to be doing well!

Students are working on animal projects, and will share these next week on Thursday.   They have been researching and writing about an animal of their choice, and some are now working on models and displays.  Special attention is being given to the internal parts and the classification of these animals.

Our study of early humans now includes Homo habilis, and students are learning about their way of life and habits.  We have borrowed a beautiful timeline from the sixth bridge program, and have hung it in our classroom.  There are nice information cards to go along with this, which has really helped with information gathering.

We have finished our work with fraction addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and are learning about the decimal system.  Students will create a unique model of this, and then we'll be working on decimal operations.  Also, everyone is making good progress on the memorization of math facts.  This is evident in the timed drills we are doing each week.  You can look for these every few weeks in the homework folders.

I have recently been introduced to the book, Psychogeometry, by Maria Montessori.  It shows many ways of constructing figures with simple tools like a ruler, compass, and right triangle.  Students are framing pictures with this interesting technique, and being very creative in decorating these.

We are using many of the reading strategies that we have practiced lately, and applying them to longer fiction reading texts.  Making inferences seems to be the most difficult for students, and they are getting lots of practice "reading between the lines."  Idioms have been fun to talk about too.  We read a story about a girl with money problems because, "Money burned a hole in her pocket."  We began a story this week that is historical fiction, about a family who escapes from slavery.  

This week we are adjusting our daily schedule a bit to include Silent Sustained Reading for 30 minutes following our lunch time.  Then we will have a 75 minute independent work time, and end the day with read-aloud or journal writing.  Group work is very active, especially with the various projects going on, and this happens during our three hour work time in the morning.  Preliminary results have been great!

Thank you for your continued support!

Mary

Upcoming Events & Reminders

GRS Soiree @ Can Can Wonderland - Wednesday, March 14th - 6:00 PM - This is the largest gathering and fundraiser that GRS facilitates each year. Hope you can make it! 

Noon Dismissal - Guides prep for conferences  - Wednesday, March 14th - We will not be eating lunch at school on this day. Busses will pick up bussers, but there will be no Big Canoe Kids Club. 

Upper Elementary Homework Due March 6, 2018 - African American Scientists and Inventors

Many African American people have contributed greatly to fields of science and technology, but are often unrecognized for their work due to prejudice and racism, both now and in their lifetimes.  Choose a scientist or inventor, read about their work and accomplishments, and their path to science.  

Summarize what you have learned, including how that person contributed to science, the things they valued in their work, and how they used their work to benefit others.  

You may use classroom encyclopedias, books from the science shelf, or online resources.  I’ve included some options for online information below.  Note that this is not a biography assignment.  You should focus on someone’s work and how that work fits into our culture and how we meet our needs together.  

National Geographic (overview summaries only)

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/black-inventors-and-pioneers-of-science/#black-scientist-jemison.jpg

Biography.com (more in depth life stories)

https://www.biography.com/people/groups/famous-black-scientists

Fact Monster (general information and biographies)

https://www.factmonster.com/african-american-scientists-inventors

Expectations:

Fourth grade students should write a minimum of two organized paragraphs with topic sentences for each paragraph.  

Fifth grade students should write a minimum of three organized paragraphs with topic sentences for each paragraph.

Sixth grade students should write a minimum of four organized paragraphs with topic sentences for each paragraph.  

All students should edit their work for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and basic grammar.  Please remember to cite your source!

February 14 Platte River Update

Hello Platte River Families,

I'm happy to report, at least for the moment, that our students have been staying fairly healthy and productive during this flu season.  Those of us who did catch a little something didn't need more than a day or two to recover. We have not been hit with the serious illnesses that I have heard about in other schools, and I'm grateful for that!  

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!  Our class had a great vibe as those homework assignments, about showing appreciation for your classroom and school community, were hung or displayed in our classroom.  It is so heartwarming to see the care and concern they show for each other, and how everyone is willing to help out a classmate.  We have a great team here in Platte River!

Students have been working on fraction operations and equivalencies.  It's very interesting to observe those who have made the transition to abstract thinking, and those who can use the materials to visualize how these mysterious partial numbers work.  Students are finding out that mastering math facts is a very useful skill when doing this work.

Recently, a group of students has been meeting to do lots of math problems on white boards.  This is simple practice of addition, subtraction, and, most commonly, long multiplication problems.  They are showing remarkable progress and speed in doing these, and are asking almost every day to practice with me.

We are practicing several reading comprehension skills in our language groups, and some students are finding this a bit tedious, yet challenging.  Some of the skills covered are main idea, compare and contrast, determining important information, making predictions, and inference.  The difficult part is to find the text that supports an answer.  

We are wrapping up our study of animal classification with students sorting animal pictures into the appropriate classes, and adding a few of their own too.  It's been fun to learn about the unusual animals that don't quite fit all the characteristics of a certain class.  Next week students will be starting a research report on an animal of their choice.  It is my hope that they will be able to classify the animal all the way to its species, and relate what we've learned about the many body functions of animals to their specific animal. 

We have begun our study of early humans.  We will study five groups of early humans beginning with the Australopithecus.  We reviewed the fundamental needs of people, and will refer to these needs as we discover how the earliest humans met them, and how they changed over time.

We welcomed three new fish to our tank, and are hopeful of their survival!  We have learned that 10 times the water treatment chemicals had been used, and, now that this has been rectified, believe that we can soon have a healthy community of fish to observe and care for!

I want to give big thanks to all the families who baked for and/or bought goodies from our Critter Cash Sale!  I was amazed at this wonderful community effort, and am happy to report that we made $153.00!  That's a big payoff for our critters here, and I know they all appreciate it.  They are well loved and cared for by all of our students!

Looking forward to more sunshine and warmer temps!

Mary

January 31, 2018

Hello Platte River Families,

After several student illnesses, it seems we are all back in good health!  We've also had a snow day, and our grading day off. As a result, it seems we've been skipping a few beats in our routine lately.  Nonetheless, I'm encouraged by the positive energy and creativity that our students bring each day!

The classroom has been full of excitement and laughter as students finished their narrative stories in our language curriculum.  Their imagination and sense of humor are so evident in these writings, and they truly enjoyed entertaining each other as they shared their stories.  Students are wondering about publishing some of the work!  Let me know if you have any suggestions for this.

Another stimulating activity has been in creating examples of transformations (reflections, rotations, and translations) in geometry.  Some wanted to write a song, act it out, or create 3D models!  One student exclaimed, "Hey Mary, look! Geometry has become physics!" as a group created a loop to show rotation.  Another student drew beautiful pictures that demonstrated these concepts.  

We have been working on fractions in our math lessons.  We began with all the vocabulary involved; proper, improper, apparent, mixed, numerator, denominator. Now students are at different levels of practicing addition of fractions, simplifying them, and creating equivalent fractions with uncommon denominators.  A couple of students are doing some high level work with this, while others are building a foundation through the use of our fraction circle material.

In history students are researching an archaeological dig.  They will soon share information about a dig that they are intrigued about.  Some examples are the Terracotta Army, King Tut, and Pompeii.
We are celebrating each student during a given week from now until the end of the year.  We had several conversations about this over the last months, and we have finally settled on some ways to celebrate each other.  

Each student will be given a paper roll which will be used to to create a representation of the person.  It could include photos, or drawn pictures and words that describe them, or special events of their life.  It could be any favorite things or events, like places they've visited or a sibling's birth.  They could include any favorite sports, music, hobbies, food, etc.  They could even make it a timeline. We will hang it in the classroom during their celebration week, and they will have some special choices.  They can choose a song or game to play at dismissal time.  On Friday, the celebrant is welcome to bring a special snack to share (we are a no-candy school, though).  All of these events are optional. The list of dates we will celebrate you child are written below.  Let me know if you have any questions.  

Student Celebration Weeks

January 22-26 Kal-el

February 5-9 Mackenzie

February 20-23 Violette

February 26-March 2 Elspeth

March 5-9 Truman

March 12-16 Nico

March 19-23 Turi

April 9-13: Tullah

April 23-27 Adara

May 7-11 Luck

May 13-17 Ayden

May 21-25 Miles

Stay Warm and well!

Mary

January week 2

Platte River Update: 1/16/18

Hello Platte River Families!

We are all getting back into the swing of things after our winter break, and students are showing a renewed enthusiasm for work and learning.  I find this time to be the most focused and productive time of the school year, and students are working hard on many projects and assignments.

In science we are continuing our study of animal classification.  After learning about the nine phylums of the animal kingdom, we are focusing on the chordates (or vertebrates).  We have identified seven of the vital functions of these living organisms, and are learning the purpose of these systems.  Next, we will explore how each class has a unique way of performing these functions.  For example, mammals breath with lungs and give birth to live young,  whereas fish breath with gills and lay eggs. 

In language we've been working on logical analysis, and students have been introduced to the predicate, subject, direct object, and indirect object.  They have worked with the materials, and are creating sentences to fit the model.  We are also using a story to demonstrate parts of Frietag's Pyramid, which shows the rising action, the climax, and the falling action and resolution of the plot.  Students will soon be using this model in their narrative writing.

In cultural studies we have used the Timeline of Humans to introduce the story of the appearance of humans on earth.  This is an in-depth study of how they progressed through their 2.8 million year existence.  We are learning the science of archaeology, and how observation and inference are used to connect the dots of this prehistoric period of human development, and,subsequently, how theories were formed.

In math our lessons are varied, and are often delivered individually or in small groups.  Some skills recently covered include long division, factors, prime numbers, and fractions operations of addition and subtraction. In geometry we've had fun with symmetry, and using the metal insets to prove equivalence. 

Students have been doing a great job staying current with assignments, and I'm very impressed with their ability to plan and organize their work!  I have also observed how well they are caring for and helping each other, and some are even giving lessons to classmates!

We are ending this semester on a positive note, and looking forward to an even better 2nd half of the year!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns, or visit the classroom!  I have "office hours" every Wednesday from 3:15-4 pm.  If this time isn't convenient for you, just let me know and I will do my best to accommodate your schedule.

 

Thanks for your support, and your patience in waiting for my connection to the blog to be complete!

Mary

Wish list:

paper towels

wipes for sanitizing tables

kleenex

bird seed

Thank you;

..to Ayden and family for caring for our birds over winter break!

..to Sam O'Brian for cutting and drilling our "tree cookies" for a winter craft!

..to everyone who contributed food for our solstice celebration!

..to Nico and family for donating 2 goldfish!

*Please visit our blog at http://platteriverclass.blogspot.com/ and check out some pictures of our students in action!  Some are a couple of months old, but still enjoyable.  Now that I'm a blogger, I will keep them current!

                                          Our hostesses of the winter solstice party!

                                       Cookie decorating- compliments of Luck and family!

                         GRS students found that using ice pieces to erase graffiti really works!

                                          Too cold to play outside...

                                                            Dominoes creations during indoor recess.