We were spoiled by such a mild, dry winter. But, now that spring is in full swing, the rain has returned. However, there seems to be a very nice pattern of a few days of rain, followed by a few days of sunshine...perfect for growing everything! Our Roots of Responsibility garden is beginning to green up with little shoots and sprouts pushing away the moist soil to reach for sunlight.
In Alder East, we're pushing to reach for the sunlight of summer time. One of our classmates (a sixth grader) asked this morning if we could start a count down calendar to the end of the school year. His enthusiasm was quickly squelched as I informed him that it was still to early for that. In reality, we still have a significant amount to cover.
We just kicked off a human body unit using a program called Interact. We have used these units in the past, and the're great!. This one's called, Code Blue. Students have been assigned to clinics. Within each clinic, students were able to select a specialty from cardiology to infectious disease specialist. Each specialist will meet with other "specialists" in their field to become experts. They will then bring their expertise back to the clinic to teach the other doctors about their body system, or related subject. This is called the jigsaw method, and allows students to become teachers of their peers. Ultimately, students will be building models of their systems. It should be quite an experience.
Our annual fundraising dinner and auction is just under two weeks away. As a class we've been given the task of filling a canvas school bag with all things Alder. The idea is that a parent of an incoming 5/6th grade student would purchase the bag as a gift for their child. Our class brainstormed a list of items that might be found in the bag:
-water bottle
-lunch bag
-MRA t-shirt/sweatshirt
-Battle Books (for Oregon Battle of the Books, 2016/2016)
-Calculator
-iPad
-Head phones (for iPad)
-Umbrella
We need your help to fill the bag. Please send your student with a donation as soon as possible. If you would prefer not to shop, or would like to contribute to buying one of the items on the list that may be pricey, you can send a monetary contribution. I will see that you receive a donation receipt. All donations are tax deductible. This is a great way to participate, especially if you are unable to attend the auction event. Please dig into your pockets and help us Fill the Bag! The proceeds from this go right back into our classroom. Thank you!
In Alder East, we're pushing to reach for the sunlight of summer time. One of our classmates (a sixth grader) asked this morning if we could start a count down calendar to the end of the school year. His enthusiasm was quickly squelched as I informed him that it was still to early for that. In reality, we still have a significant amount to cover.
We just kicked off a human body unit using a program called Interact. We have used these units in the past, and the're great!. This one's called, Code Blue. Students have been assigned to clinics. Within each clinic, students were able to select a specialty from cardiology to infectious disease specialist. Each specialist will meet with other "specialists" in their field to become experts. They will then bring their expertise back to the clinic to teach the other doctors about their body system, or related subject. This is called the jigsaw method, and allows students to become teachers of their peers. Ultimately, students will be building models of their systems. It should be quite an experience.
Our annual fundraising dinner and auction is just under two weeks away. As a class we've been given the task of filling a canvas school bag with all things Alder. The idea is that a parent of an incoming 5/6th grade student would purchase the bag as a gift for their child. Our class brainstormed a list of items that might be found in the bag:
-water bottle
-lunch bag
-MRA t-shirt/sweatshirt
-Battle Books (for Oregon Battle of the Books, 2016/2016)
-Calculator
-iPad
-Head phones (for iPad)
-Umbrella
We need your help to fill the bag. Please send your student with a donation as soon as possible. If you would prefer not to shop, or would like to contribute to buying one of the items on the list that may be pricey, you can send a monetary contribution. I will see that you receive a donation receipt. All donations are tax deductible. This is a great way to participate, especially if you are unable to attend the auction event. Please dig into your pockets and help us Fill the Bag! The proceeds from this go right back into our classroom. Thank you!