March 21st- 25th: NO SCHOOL Spring Break
2021-22 School Year Calendar
A message from Art Teacher Stephanie:
Yearbook is on sale now for $20.
To purchase a yearbook please go to www.treering.com/validate and enter the number 1016052158063632. Students are now creating the cover of the yearbook. A yearbook is a great way to remember their time this year. If you have any questions please email Stephanie at [email protected]. Thanks for all your support!
What’s happening in the Puffin Nest?
The Oregon Trail: Our Unit Overview
Using a strategy called Storypath, our students will form family groups and join a wagon train, which will help them build an understanding of the journey across the U.S. in the 1840s. Students will learn why emigrants formed wagon trains and moved west. They will confront difficulties such as illness, food shortages, and broken wagons. Encounters with Native Americans will set the scene for examining the views of the period as well as the ethical issues surrounding westward expansion. The culminating activities will involve a celebration and presenting plans for their new life in Oregon.
In class, we continue our Storypath journey!
This began with students sharing their mural panels for the setting of our journey. We discussed resources found along the trail that would be important for survival. Next, we completed a resource analysis for the 4 main places along the trail that we are studying (The Plains, Fort Laramie, The Rocky Mountains, The Snake River). On Wednesday, we jumped into episode 5: Disaster strikes with a flash flood!
Episode 5: The Thunderstorm
- Students learned that a thunderstorm and flash flood had destroyed the food in one of the wagons. They formulated ideas for solving the problem.
- Students planned and wrote opinion paragraphs in trail journals to support their position.
- Students met to discuss the problem and come to a consensus on the solution.
Backyard Garden Out & About
This week we learned how life for a Pioneer child was very different from life today as a large part of their day was spent helping their families. Since pioneers were settling to a place with virtually nothing available to them, lots of work had to be done by all family members, including kids, to create a comfortable home and life in Oregon. Children would help with tasks around the house including taking care of animals, growing food and tending to the land, and helping keep the home clean and tidy. During our O&A time in the garden, students were tasked with doing some traditional chores like sewing, spinning wool, pulling weeds, and practicing throwing a lasso to catch our "garden cattle."
Class Read Alouds
Our latest novel-study class read-aloud:
The award winning Flora & Ulysses
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon
This historical adventure follows a typical family from Indiana traveling to Oregon in a covered wagon. It shows how they really lived: how they dressed; what they ate; what they saw; how they survived the hazardous journey.
Rachel's Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl
Rachel and her family travel by covered wagon following the Oregon Trail from Illinois all the way to California. The terrain is rough and the seven-month trip is filled with adventure and Rachel's handwritten journal chronicles every detail.
A Reminder about Level 2 Homework:
In Level 2, our homework is on the honor system. We ask families to develop and sustain this important practice at home in a way that works best for you. Having a regular routine (time/place/materials) will ensure that your child will be prepared to tackle their required homework in Level 3 more easily.
Math: at least 30 minutes (or more) of math practice each week.
Practicing multiplication math facts at home is a GREAT way to support your kiddo!
- 3rd graders should work on: 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's and 6's
- 4th graders should work on all multiplication facts for 2-12's.
We also recommend that students engage in 10-15 minutes of a math activity (math website or game) and then complete one page in their math workbook at least 2 days per week.
All level 2 kiddos brought home a math workbook (or packet) for homework practice in November. Let us know if they are ready for a new book!
For computer practice, take a moment to 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!
- The public library is a great resource. Make sure your kiddo has access to lots of “good fit” books that they are excited to read. Check out our Level 2 Book Recommendations HERE.
- Read-alouds and audio books work too! Also, listen to your child read out loud, and ask them questions about their reading & thinking.