We got a lot done, following our three weeks of Winter Break. We compared unit fractions, wrote narratives with rising action, built background knowledge with the application EdPuzzle, and identified “One Word” for 2019. It was a great day of learning.
Great fun! The students brought in wrapped board and card games for our white elephant gift exchange. Following the exhange, peers taught each other how to play the games.
We had a great time with our 2018 holiday celebration. Our classroom Room Parents created an experience that kept the kids engaged for well over an hour with a Christmas themed relay race, an elf ornament, spiced orange pomander balls creation station, and a snowman wrap race. This was followed by lunch.
Thanks to all the parents, and grandparents, who helped with this by volunteering hours and food.
Great day for a field trip and a chance to learn more about arthropods in our neighborhood and habitat. Educators from the Truckee Meadows Parks led the effort and had students use aspirators, beating sheets, and a great deal of persistence to locate and draw insects into a tube. In turn, students ran a tally of what they found to learn what is most common in our area.
As always, thank you parents for all of your help.
Our first Pro Se Court was a success. A Pro Se Court has students acting as plaintiffs, defendants and judges. In this case, a third of the class had to argue about the cons of zoos, the plaintiffs. A third of the class outlined the pros, the defendants; and the rest of the students acted as judges.
We spent part of the week reading about the pros and cons of zoos from four different perspectives. We annotated text and highlighted the most relevant evidence from each text. This is what allowed all students to be prepared for our Pro Se Court.
We had seven different judges and they ruled 5 to 2 in favor of the defendants.
We had a nice day at the Oxbow Nature Study Area. The focus was on habitat and students investigated the area through four of their five senses. (Eating things was forbidden.)
Donations for the classroom economy have been arriving since June. These will be auctioned off throughout the school year to students who take seriously the goals of our classroom: be nice and work hard.
The kids spent their first three years at Gomm using this as a music room. I’m doing my best to make it the best possible learning space for 3rd grade outcomes. Although still a work in progress, I am confident it will be ready for kids beginning August 6th.
I cleaned out my classroom and moved everything into my new 3rd grade room.
I’ve loved my two years in 5th and I am looking forward to new challenges and opportunities in the coming academic year.
Room 360 