Mon. 21st- Friday 25th- Thanksgiving Break: NO School
Friday, December 2nd- All School Meeting & Spirit day: Pajama Day!
Monday, Decemberber 5th- Puffins to Forest Grove Public Library 2pm-3pm
Students should bring their library card and a tote bag.
NOTE: I can keep your child's library card in our class card-holder for these trips.
Chaperones Welcome! We will be visiting the children's department every three weeks and can always use parent volunteers to walk with us, encourage our kiddos to make smart choices, and to help kids find and check out books. If you would like to join us, simply meet us in the classroom at 1:55pm on library days.
Wednesday, December 14th- Toy Take Apart Day!
Volunteers Needed! (see below)
DONATIONS NEEDED:
Next month, we will continue our study of electricity with a Toy Take Apart Day on December 14th! Students will work in small groups to safely dismantle and learn about the "guts" of their toys!
Volunteers: We will need parents to help with disassembly.
Electronic Toys Needed: donations of old/broken mechanical toys(stuffies with batteries or switches, dancing Santas, remote-control cars, etc).
Tools Needed: All sizes of standard and Phillips head screwdrivers, pliers and wire cutters. Please label tools with your student's name so they can be returned.
Terrarium Treasures: Students are encouraged to go on nature walks, hunting for miniature treasures for our class business. Ideas: special rocks, crystals, unique twigs, and beach glass.
Level 2 Weekly homework
1. Typing Homework: This year, Level 2 students will have typing homework to develop and support important keyboarding skills.
Please practice at least 20 minutes per week on: Typing.com
2. Reading: Spend at least 20 minutes reading (outside of school) every day.
When you finish a book, add it to your Tower of Books!
3. Math homework: Students should log on to either Dream Box or Khan Academy (see below) and complete 30 minutes (minimum) of math practice.
Current 4th grade math topics:
- Review: Place Value
- Review: Multi-digit addition with carrying & subtraction with borrowing
- Multiplication Facts 2-12
- Factors & Multiples
- Prime & Composite numbers
Current 3rd grade math topics:
- Telling Time to the nearest minute
- Multi-digit Addition and Subtraction
What's Happening in the Puffin Nest?
This week, we went to Portland to tour two amazing local organization that help the community with repurposed resources. The Rebuilding Center sells second-hand construction supplies, from lumber to chandeliers, while SCRAP sells used art supplies to inspire creative reuse. Both organizations are non-profits that support community projects. We took a tour of both places, and also purchased supplies for our classroom business.
The Puffins have decided on the name of their classroom business:
Puffins Perfect Planter Paradise
Over the course of the next few months, the Puffins will work through the different stages of the supply chain as they develop their classroom business. They will...
- Research the materials, design, and assembly of decorative terrariums
- Make a prototype for each category: air plants, succulents, faux plant. The product base will be made using recycled containers
- Create an order form and advertise to sell the product
- Learn about taking out a loan & sourcing materials
- Research plant care and create a plant care booklet to go with the product
- Assemble & deliver the product to their customers
- After repaying the loan, students will decide on a responsible way to spend the profits
Read Aloud
In class, we are reading Kate Dicamillo's: Tale of Despereaux
This engaging book abounds with interesting characters and rich themes.
As we read, students are encouraged to connect the story to their personal experiences and feelings, to their general background knowledge, and to other stories they have read. To boost comprehension, we ask questions before, during and after the reading.