Newsletter: May 28th

Dear Families,

Last Friday was  a BIG DAY!  We began our morning with Nadia's grandmother, Elizabeth Barnes. She came in to teach the kids how to create clay boxes. They listened intently to all the instructions, watched her demonstration, and then set out on their own. I am not all that "artsy" of a person (though I'd love to be!) so this was a nice opportunity for us to work outside the usual confines of our classroom. The kids did a nice job. I can't wait to see how they turn out. Mrs. Barnes took the boxes with her to fire them and she'll be bringing them back later this week. Here are a few pics of the kids at work...

Of course, another big event on Friday was Splash Day. This is always a kid-favorite. I like it too. I teased the kids all week about not being able to get me wet. They assured me I was wrong. Turns out I was. They drenched me. At least it was hot outside!

I wanted to take more photos but began to fear for the safety of my phone. Below you'll find the pics I collected before asking someone dry to hold my phone for me.

In the classroom this week we have been learning about songwriting. We began by looking over some of the songs we know to determine what patterns we see in regards to the use of verse, chorus, and bridge. One of the things we found is that there is definitely no ONE way of constructing a song.

In reading this week Miss Melanie is helping the kids begin to make plans for their summer reading. She began by launching a discussion around the question "How do you find good books to read at the library or the bookstore?" Later she'll help them begin to build a list of titles they want to read over the summer. They'll be researching in the classroom and on-line. As noted in an earlier e-mail, they will also learn to search for and request books on-line from the RCPL. This will help them find and read a lot of great books over the summer!

I hope the end of the school year is moving slowly and smoothly for each of you. To tell you the truth, at home (with our four kids) we kind of feel like we're crawling to the finish line. How did that happen? If there's anything I can do here at school to make these last few weeks easier for you just let me know!

Chris