We are lucky to already have some volunteers in our classrooms working to support us. Ms. Benson has been coming for several years and enjoys reading with our 76s. Mr. Strayer comes four times a week to help out with math instruction. Both of his sons were in PALs and are now in college. If you sent in a sheet with days and times you are available, your child's homeroom teacher will be contacting you to set up a time for you to come in. We are very appreciative of the willingness to come in and help out.
Each Friday morning in PALs we have Book Buddies. Every 1-3 pal is paired with a 4/5 pal. This is a time to share reading and favorite stories back and forth. During our monthly workshops, book buddies spend the morning together. Ask your child about his/her book buddy and what books they've shared.
We hope some of you had an opportunity to try out some of the balancing activities we have been experimenting with during science at Back to School Night last week. The students started the unit by learning more about PHEOC (Problem, Hypothesis, Experiment, Observation, Conclusion) which is the scientific process we use to learn new things. The first problem students faced was how to get a paper crayfish to balance on a finger. The next activity involved students predicting whether or not arches and triangles would balance depending on where weight was added to the objects. With a partner, they then tested all of the set-ups to see whether or not their predictions were correct or not. Then students had to find a way to get their paper parrot to balance on a wire using a penny. They all succeeded, and you can now see the parrots "hanging out" in our classrooms. Today we worked with a paper diagram of a pencil and students had to figure out how it could balance on a craft stick taped to a table. The next step is to use a real pencil and wire to do the same.
Start a conversation with your child by asking them some of the following questions: -How do you know if an object is balanced? -What happens if an object is not balanced? -Why would you add weight to an object? What is that weight called when used to balance an object? -What is the balance point? -When you do add weight to an object to help it balance, where does it need to be placed? -What did you learn about balance from doing the activities? Thank you to all of the parents/families that have written a letter to the teachers about your child(ren). The ideas you share about your child help us to get to know him/her better and learn more about who he/she is outside of school. If you have not yet written a letter (handwritten or email), please share what you can when you can. We appreciate your perspective as parents.
Last Friday, we had our first PALs Workshop of the year. Workshop usually happens once a month for the 1-5 PALs. It is a morning filled with a variety of activities that center around a common theme. All students work with their Book Buddy and participate in different activities. The theme for our first workshop of the year was community building and ways we show our greatness. Students worked together on an art project using tongue depressors to share ways they show or see greatness in others. They also worked together as a group to write an acrostic poem to display ways to show greatness. Cooperative games involving teamwork and movement were also a part of workshop. The workshop ended with all of the students sharing highlights from the morning and what they learned.
As a way to learn about our classmates, each homeroom created a large web to show how we are connected. Ask your child what things he/she has in common with other PALs.
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