Wednesday, September 27th: Out & About to Fernhill Wetlands 10am-1:30pm
We still need 2 chaperones for each class:)
If you are interested in chaperoning,
please Email teacher Erin Morgan: [email protected].
The bus is a snug fit for both classes, so we prefer if chaperones can carpool/drive themselves to nearby Fernhill.
Please note who your child is when you email.
Friday, October 13th
Staff Development- NO SCHOOL for students
Friday, October 20th
Grading & Staff Development- NO SCHOOL for students
Thursday, Oct. 26th and Friday, Oct. 27th
Fall Parent Conferences- NO SCHOOL for students
Let's Get That Homework Going!
Suggested Weekly Homework:
Reading Homework
Spend at least 20 minutes reading (outside of school) every day.
Reading is on the "honor system" and we ask that you help your kiddo to develop a daily reading routine with good-fit books and a well-lit, comfy reading spot away from distractions.
Math: 15 minutes (or more) of math practice each week day. If you are able to support your child’s math practice at home, we recommend that students use their Eureka “Apply” math homework workbook with adult supervision. You can read more about this by clicking on the "Homework-Schedule-Class Info" link at the top of the page.
NOTE: Module 1 homework workbooks were sent home at Family Visits or in backpacks on Friday, Jan. 15th. Please note: the Puffin classroom experienced some flooding after a big thunderstorm right before school started, so if you did not pick up the math book at Family Visits, this one module will be a bit wrinkly due to the water damage.
For the upcoming week , focus on these Apply homework pages:
For 4th graders:
Students should work to complete all lessons up to lesson 10 in the Module 1 book.
For 3rd graders:
Students should work to complete all lessons up to lesson 10 in the Module 1 book.
Also strongly recommended: daily practice with multiplication facts for 2-10's
Check out these multiplication fact practice apps: For independent computer practice, you can set up a free account for your child:
- Khan Academy: instructional videos and problem solving practice
- Prodigy: answer math questions, complete quests, earn rewards
- SumDog: solve math problems while playing video games
- Math Game Time: no account set-up required, select grade level & play!
What's happening in the Puffin Nest?
During our Language Arts block this week, we set up our portfolios, reflected on our reading lives with a reading survey, built stamina independently and with partners, and continued to stretch our writing muscles. The kiddos got a refresher on how to write complete sentences. Next, we worked to identify fragments, and run-on sentences before fixing them up into complete sentences. Finally, we worked to improve basic sentences by expanding them with details (where/when/how/why).
During our science block this week, we focused on light reflection and vision.
We learned that:
- Light travels in a straight line and reflects off of things.
- We can see because light reflects off objects and enters our eyes.
- Our eyes do not produce light, they only detect it.
Out & About
On Wednesday, we started with an experiment inside the dark of the classroom, looking at how the structure of our eyes - cones, rods and pupils - can help us adjust to darkness. We then headed down to the garden to compare the vision of monocular creatures, like deer or sheep, to binocular predators like humans or wolves. If you could borrow another creature's vision, what animal would you choose? We also played a fast-paced game where teams had to recreate how sensory information is gathered and transferred to the brain. Thank you senses!
Please join us as a volunteer next Wednesday 9/27 at Fernhill Wetlands, 10-1:30!
Email Erin, [email protected], if you would like to help out.
Upcoming Project Work in Level 2: October 2023
Level 2 students engage in two "Storypath" units of study each year.
What is Storypath?
Storypath is an instructional strategy for developing and organizing social studies units which incorporate science, math, reading and writing. It uses a narrative structure to give a sense of context and connection to the information that is being taught. Students are engaged with investigations framed as stories in which characters experience certain events and are affected by them.
Each Storypath unit is comprised of the following episodes:
- Creating the Setting
- Creating Characters
- Context Building
- Critical Incidents
- Concluding Event
Beginning in October, students will explore the history of early NW coastal people through the creation of a story that centers around a community living on the Pacific Northwest Coast in the 1800s.
Students begin their study of the people of the Northwest Coast by creating a setting and characters. They learn more about early Northwest Coast culture through role-playing and writing about critical historical events. This unit spans the time period from pre-European contact through Native American relocation to reservations.
The culminating episode, a First Salmon Ceremony, focuses on honoring traditions, community values and generosity.