Georgia On My Mind
With the guidance of Julianne, students learned to look at flowers through artist's eyes. Children used magnifying glasses and pastels to create flowers on paper that appeared larger than life, in a style similar to that of Georgia O'Keeffe's.
April Showers Bring May Flowers
Last month students planted flowers to grow for our friends at The Chapparal House. This month we will be giving the gifts of smell, sight and sound to our friends with plants and music.
Sensory Exploration in Our New Playscape
Laurel Creek students explore the sense of touch during morning recess.
Rube Goldberg Machines
This week we began to explore the wonderful world of simple machines. Students were challenged to get a marble from one end of a board to a box on the other end. Before jumping straight into the construction, children first sketched out their plans of action. Then they worked in teams to come up with a compromising idea incorporating concepts from all the engineers.
We watched some complicated Rube Goldberg machines.
Recess Vacation
Creative play captured.
...more MACHINE mania...
Roots of Empathy
On Wednesday morning Jakey (Bam Bam) visited our class. Children observed him, asked questions, and noticed changes in his appearance in his motor skills since his last visit. Jakey will visit our class every Wednesday morning and students will witness his development first-hand while simultaneously developing skills in patience, compassion, understanding and empathy.
Readers' Theatre
Students are learning how to read with fluency and expression through Readers' Theatre.
ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE
FROG AND TOAD
Spiral Gardens
Laurel Creek took a field trip to Spiral Gardens, a community garden devoted to creating healthy and sustainable communities by promoting a strong local food system, and by encouraging productive use of urban soil. We are raising money for Spiral Gardens through the Walk-a-Thon.
Using public transportation
Lunch, then play time at a nearby playground
Spiral Gardens
Helping the cause by lending green thumbs
Math Time
Fire Snakes continue to work on money by shopping at our local market: Laurel Creek General Store. Students were encouraged to shop for food and pay using exact change.
Ice Eagles explored probability and algebraic thinking through this weeks Mystery Bag activity.
Reader's Theatre Continued...
Nothing helps fluency quite like practice, practice, practice.
Free Friday Fun
Number Talk
"If you wanted to buy a flower that costs 43 cents, how many ways can you pay for it (using exact change) with quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies?"
Using only our minds... we found 3 ways!
A Visit From Klaxor
Our favorite lemon-eating alien, Klaxor visited us this week, in need of some mathematical assistance. We helped Klaxor measure crystals brought to us all the way from his own planet.
Reading: Students will continue work on fluency through Reader's Theatre. We are planning two performances for the ECC and for Laurel Creek families. No dates have yet been scheduled. More information to come.
Writing: As we all know, our children are experts on many things. This month our students will be choosing one area of expertise and writing All About Books on their chosen subject. Students will be considering and possibly including components of non-fiction writing such as: Table of Contents, Index and Glossary.
Math: We will continue work with money and playing in our General Store and then begin measurement and time.
Science: We are learning about simple machines through a study on Rube Goldberg while also learning about Botany. Students will continue to explore where our food comes from and design/plant a playscape garden.
Social Studies: Laurel Creek will continue to make the world a more beautiful place by planting flowers and vegetables on campus, sharing their green thumbs with the senior citizens at the Chapparal House and by fundraising for Spiral Gardens.
Social Emotional: We will be continuing with our Roots of Empathy program, and discussing inclusion vs. exclusion.
Upcoming Events: Walk-a-Thon, Maker Fair, Chapparal House (more information to come shortly).
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