Week of April 29th

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and relaxing vacation. This week we got right back into our normal routine with the exception of our Field trip to the Flynn on Tuesday. We saw "Zuma Zuma" a cirque company from all over Africa. They were incredible!! The performance incorporated circus arts from all over the world with clowning, acrobatics, contortionism, stunts, a layer of theatricality not usually seen in a standard circus performance. Their performances were entertaining and inventive. Their various art forms were blended together to create one seamless, energetic, and dramatic experience for the audience. One of our students was also selected to go up on stage and mimic one of the clowns who was drumming. The team was so excited to see a classmate on stage.

In math we continue to work with 2 digit addition and subtraction. We are doing this through games we learn as a class which incorporate these skills. These games will go into workplaces that we will continue to practice throughout the unit. In Number corner we are working on time, money, and patterning. Next week, I will introduce them to some workouts with multiplication.

In writing we learned a new narrative poem type. Each student wrote a poem about something they dream of doing. We will finish up our poetry unit next week. In Literacy we are working on reading with expression through Reader's Theater. This is also a great technique to improve reading fluency. Students are working in groups and once they are confident with their piece they will read them to the rest of the class.

  In Science we are starting a unit on "How insects help to pollinate flowers". This will be a science inquiry unit and students will eventually be making and improving their own hand pollinators.  They will be doing a series of tests to try and figure out what will make a good hand pollinator. 

Today was  a sad day for our class.  We had to say goodbye to Miss Rapke.  She finished up her student teaching and did an amazing job.  She was  an great addition to our class and team.  We will miss her very much but we should see her sometime between now and June 1st subbing in the school.  After June 1st she will be returning to NY.  We wish her all the best in her future of becoming a Great Teacher and having a classroom of her own. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Nancy