We would like to thank everyone for their kind words and wishes during this difficult time. It is so comforting to know that, as always, we have such wonderful support from our Sope Creek community.
We enjoyed having your children this year and hope you all have a safe and relaxing summer. We look forward to seeing our returnees in the fall and wish our fifth graders success in Middle School.
Problem Solving
Today students fired up their brains with two logic problems, a challenging perplexor, and a word boggler. Our students have learned to use their deductive reasoning skills effectively and consider the implications of each clue given to help solve the problem at hand.
Unit Work
Students brainstormed words associated with weather as a class and discussed how weather impacts their daily lives. We examined a real thermometer and noted the temperature at several different times during the day.
Classes examined the meaning of the expression, " Be careful what you wish for." Teachers then read the book Bartholomew and the Oobleck to their students. After thoroughly discussing the book, students made their own cup of oobleck.
We conducted a number of experiments with our oobleck, followed up with a lesson on solids and liquids, and introduced the term non-Newtonian to our students.
Vocabulary words this week were precipitation, non-Newtonian, and floundering.
In the afternoon, teachers read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to their classes and encouraged students to make a text to text comparison of this book to Bartholomew and the Oobleck.
This is our last week of Target for third graders!
Second grade will have their last day next Monday due to Georgia Day celebrations in their homeroom classes this Friday.
Our last class is so exciting! We use all that we have learned about tthe work of archaeologists to excavate an unknown civilization! Students "dig" for "artifacts" from an unknown civilization and piece together the clues from these artifacts to determine the lifestyle of the people of this civilization.
After our dig, we celebrate our success with cake and ice cream.
We will miss our young archaeologists. We wish everyone a wonderful, happy, and safe summer and we look forward to seeing all of you next year!
*** Because of a change in the specials tims for our fifth gade Monday classes, we must change the time of our Fair. Please note the change below*** FAIR WEATHER INVITATION HEAR YE, HEAR YE YOU ARE HEREBY INVITED TO A MEDIEVAL FAIR WHERE: Bus Parking lot WHEN: ***Monday, May 11th, 10:00 - 11:00*** Tuesday, May 12th 10:00-11:00 Wednesday, May 13th 9:30-10:30 Since the Kingdom of Target is small and our humble huts are even smaller, if it rains, we will need to hold our Medieval Fair on the grade level halls and will be forced reduce our time by fifteen MINUTES.
This week all Target classes will be on Wednesday, May 6th. Students will leave at 9:00 to attend the Renaissance Festival and return by 2:00. We have asked all students to wear a red shirt so that we may easily identify them at the festival. All lunches from home should be packed in a clear bag with the student's name written on the bag. This is a rain or shine event. Students should bring a poncho if rain is predicted. We are all looking forward to a wonderful time. Thank you to all those who are volunteering their time to help keep our students safe.
CHAPERONES: Please report to the Target office by 8:20.
We are delighted to be able to have both second and third graders for a full day this week!
We begin with Hands On Equations or thinking puzzles. We finish sharing any stelas that may need to still be shared. We review our study of Ancient Americans and then move on to a quick study of Ancient China and possibly other cultures as time permits.
We discuss how archaeologists determine the age of objects they find in preparation for our dig next week. Third graders pair up and create a unique "ancient culture" of their own based on the traits of ancient cultures we have studied. We review our pre-tests and see how much we have learned in this unit!
Due to activities planned in the regular classrooms, next week will be our LAST Target class for this year. We are looking forward to our dig and our end of unit celebration!
The end of the year is rapidly approaching. We have only 3 more sessions with the 5th grade and 4 more with the 4th grade.(including this week) We will be busy.
Students presented the fruits of their research today. They learn when they do the research and learn when they listen to one another's presentations.
Next Wednesday, May 6th, students will be going to the Renaissance Festival. All Target classes that week will be on Wednesday. We will be back before 2:00, so students will not need to change their usual after school routine.
On the week of May 11th, students will be presenting their research again to their respective classes and to their parents ( you are all invited). Fifth grade will be presenting from 9:30 to 10:30, and fourth grade from 10:00 to 11:00 on the bus parking lot (weather permitting). We look forward to seeing you there. In the afternoon, they will have their Medieval Feast. If you would like to help, please call the room mother. I'm sure they could use extra hands.
HOMEWORK: Completed dictionaries are due the week of May 4th.
There will be no First Grade Target class next week (Week of May 4th) due to Field Day and a Target Field trip.
We woke up our brains this morning with two logic matrix problems and a perplexor. Many of our students are becoming very strong analytical thinkers.
Our story this week was Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose. We introduced our story by brainstorming the attributes of a "big hearted" person. When we finished the story, we compared and contrasted the theme of this Dr. Seuss tale to several others we have shared. Students completed a Venn diagram comparing Horton and Thidwick. Thidwick had many "friends" living in his antlers; we connected this story with the scientific concept of "symbiotic relationships". We read a beautiful book called Weird Friends, which explained and illustrated many symbiotic relationships in nature. After discussing the three different kinds of symbiotic relationships, students determined what kind they thought Thidwick and his friends represented. Our vocabulary words for the day were: yank, obnoxious, forlorn, symbiosis. Students completed the day making handprint antlers and placing thumbprint animals in the antlers that would be mutually beneficial to Thidwick and the guest.
This is another short week for both groups. Since third comes on Monday this week, their day is shortened by the CRCT. Second graders have a short day because they will be coming on Career Day.
Those needing to still share stelas have first priority this week. After that, we continue our study of Ancient Americans and wrap up some of the cultures we have not been able to finish.
We are looking forward to our upcoming dig and end of unit celebrations the week of May 11.
SECOND GRADE STUDENTS WILL NOT HAVE TARGET ON MAY 8 DUE TO FIELD DAY.
Dear Parents,
Due to CRCT testing, we had an abbreviated schedule today. We look forward to resuming our normal rountine next week.
Today we read McElligot's Pool in class. The children were delighted to discover that the main character in this book, Marco, was the same little boy we met in Dr. Seuss' first book, And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street. We enjoyed his vivid, "outlandish" imagination.
The children let their imaginations run wild when they reached into a basket to draw out the name of a fish that could be illustrated by using the fish's name, i.e., nurse fish, angel fish, and zebra fish. Our students so enjoyed sharing their creations with the class.
Have a safe and restful week.
