Classroom: Leaves

This week the students learned that a leaf is one of the most important parts of a plant. They discovered that leaves produce food for the plant through a process called photosynthesis, and that leaves of different plants vary widely in size, shape and color. Also, the students learned the life cycle of a leaf and why leaves change color in the fall. They discovered the different parts of a leaf like: veins, blade, midrib, petiole and stipule.

A peek into next week: Apples

Kindergarten: Biggest (galaxy) to Smallest (person/atom)

This week the kindergarten students started forming an understanding of their relationship to the larger world. They discovered that different places exists within a larger place. They reviewed their place in the universe and geographic location.

A peek into next week: Parts of Animals (mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians, insects and arachnids)

Reminders:

10/17 Picture Day

10/18 Bring Your Parent to Work Time

10/24 Grandparents Day

11/1 Halloween Party

Enrichment Highlight:

Work Time:

Classroom: Body Parts

This past week the students learned about various parts of the human body. They discovered that even though all of the components of the human body work differently, they still manage to work together. They also developed an understanding of the basic functions of the bodies main components. 

A peek into next week: Leaves

Kindergarten: Landforms

The past week the kindergarten students learned and explored the difference between a lake, island, bay, peninsula, gulf, cape, isthmus, strait, chain of lakes, and archipelago.

A peek into next week: Biggest (galaxy) to Smallest (person/atom)

Reminders:

10/17 Picture Day

10/18 Bring Your Parent to Work Time

10/24 Grandparents Day

11/1 Halloween Party

Enrichment Highlight:

Work Time:

Classroom: Five Senses

This past week the children learned how our five senses help us understand and explore the world around us. They learned that our five senses help us collect information about ourselves and our surroundings. They also learned to identify the five senses: hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and seeing.  We discovered that sometimes we use two or more senses at once; and how important it is for our senses to work together. The children had the opportunity to practice using their senses to determine properties of objects and distinguish them from one another.

A peek into next week: Body Parts

Kindergarten: Ohio and surrounding states

This past week the kindergarten students learned where Ohio is located on a map of the USA and the names of all the surrounding states Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. They also learned different fun facts about Ohio like the state bird is a cardinal and that Ohio’s state flag is the only state flag that isn’t a rectangle.

A peek into next week: Landforms

Reminders:

10/17 Picture Day

11/1 Halloween Party

Enrichment Highlight:

Work Time:

Classroom: Feelings and Emotions

This week the students learned what they can do when they are angry, happy, sad, frustrated, excited etc. They learned different ways to manage their feelings and emotions. They also practiced how to process, identify and appropriately express their emotions in different scenarios throughout the week.

A peek into next week: Five Senses

Kindergarten: North America

 The students learned where Canada, USA and Mexico are located on a map of North America. They also became familiar with and the location of different bodies of water such as: The Hudson Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

A peek into next week: Ohio and surrounding states

Reminders:

9/27 Bring Your Parent to Work Time

10/17 Picture Day

Enrichment Highlight:

Work Time:

Classroom: Family

This past week we learned that we are all part of a family and that families are configured in different ways with many factors affecting them like marriage, divorce, adoption, remarriage, grandparents as primary care givers, single parents, foster care, etc. We read many books and the student’s shared a lot about their families. Through this they discovered that there are different kinds of families, but most importantly all types of families love and care for each other!

A peek into next week: Feelings and Emotions

Kindergarten: Equator and Hemispheres

This past week the kindergartners learned what hemispheres are and how to identify  where each continent is located Northern/Southern/Eastern or Western hemisphere. The students also learned where the equator and prime meridian are located on a globe.

This week we customized a special table for the kids to make their science and chemical projects, learn more about it. Finding quality metal finishing services can make or break your project.

A peek into next week: North America

Reminders:

9/2o Ramseyer Farms Field Trip

9/27 Bring Your Parent to Work Time

10/17 Picture Day

Enrichment Highlight:

Work Time:

Classroom: Community Helpers

This past week we focused on community helpers in honor of Labor Day. The students not only  learned about firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, dentists, teachers, veterinarians, construction workers, paramedics, farmers, mail carriers, chefs etc. They also had the opportunity to meet and get to know some of them.

The students and I greatly appreciate those that volunteered their time to come in and speak to us about their careers!

A peek into next week: Family

Kindergarten: Cardinal Directions

This past week the kindergartners learned that the cardinal directions (North, South, East and West) are the most commonly used form of directions. They discovered how to use a compass to find their way and learned that their are also primary inter-cardinal directions (Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest).

A peek into next week: Equator and Hemispheres

Reminders:

9/2o Ramseyer Farms Field Trip

9/27 Bring Your Parent to Work Time

10/17 Picture Day

Work Time:

Trinomial Cube: This child is learning how to build the trinomial cube, while also getting an introduction into algebra and preparation for the formula a3+3a2b+3a2c+6abc+b3+3ab2+3b2c+3ac2+3bc2+c3.

Classroom: Ground Rules

The first week of school we focused on the ground rules. These are the rules by which the children are able to have the freedom of movement and choice in the classroom. Some examples are: Learning to speak to others. Learning to listen to others. Learning to respectfully interrupt.

A peek into next week: Community Helpers

Kindergarten: Continents

The first week of school the kindergartners learned that there are seven continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia). They also learned where they are located on a globe/map and a fun fact about each one. For example Australia is often referred to as “the land down under.”

A peek into next week: Directions

Reminders:

9/2 Labor Day | NO SCHOOL

9/3 Enrichments begin

9/2o Ramseyer Farms Field Trip

Work Time:

Burning in Pure Oxygen: First we combined manganese dioxide MnO₂ and hydrogen peroxide H₂O₂ solution to produce oxygen O₂. Then we lit a splint on fire and blew it out creating a smoldering splint. We took that smoldering splint and put in in the beaker with the pure oxygen to see what would happen. When we placed the splint in the beaker we surrounded the splint with a much higher concentration of oxygen molecules than can be found in air. This, along with the increase in temperature, dramatically sped up the reaction rate, so the splint ignited with a bright flame.

Blue bottle: First we made a solution containing a reductant (glucose) and methylene blue. Then we added some NaOH to make the solution basic. The oxygen dissolved in the water  accepts the electrons but doesn’t interact with glucose. Adding the methylene blue helped by acting as a carrier taking electrons from glucose and passing them to oxygen.