So much in one week!

I usually take notes for myself of things I want to recount for you here, and this time my post-it needed its backside! I cannot believe what a busy week it ended up being. 

I will start with our incredible, beautiful chick. Sadly, our humidity in the incubator did not stay as high as it should have. Despite adding warm water and doing what we could from the outside, only one chicken hatched for us. We named it "Richy" after Mr. Booth. The plus side of this is that our chicken is very much loved by both third and fourth grade. To help keep it socialized, it is spending time with Mrs. Lovsey's chicks. They stay with us when we have a good long block of time in our room. When the chickens finally move on to a permanent home, the better news is that they will stay with Mrs. Lovsey's crew.

When Richie joined our world, we also played our first kickball game. The kids did amazing! Isaac and Levi led like the compassionate leaders I knew they were, and Andrew S. caught every single kick that was near him. It was amazing. That led to us playing Friday again. That game was so fun to watch because our kids were communicating better, kicking nice low balls, and showing how hard they practiced. Our third game is now scheduled for Wednesday at 12:55.  

In the classroom, we are working hard, too! We are almost finished with the Toothpaste Millionaire. The students ask great questions about production and pricing and understand this great book about an entrepreneur who fills a need with an invention. We are learning that good ideas take teamwork, friends, and family. 

We did not get to our energy scavenger hunt because of our Kickball wins. I introduced the assignment to the class Friday and told them it would be due on Tuesday. If they want to get it done tonight, they can, and if they have time tomorrow night at home, that is fine too. They should wait and submit the Keynote file to Schoolwork when they get to school to avoid technical issues. 

Finally, my last topic is the Independent Study that we are doing in our IE block at the end of the day. These fourth graders are blowing me away with the information they learn about such diverse topics. Please be advised that students will have the opportunity to "Teach the Teacher" the first week of June by presenting their information. They can speak and show off a product they produce related to their topic. They can make these products at home or school, but they may be hitting you up for paints or poster boards. I am very flexible on their products, so if you don't have the resources they need, they can change directions and create something else. So far, I am hearing about 3D clay sculptures, paintings, timelines, Keynotes, and even movies. So exciting! I cannot wait to see what they create and learn from your children!

Dates to Know:
May 23 - Celebration of the Arts begins
May 24 - Bath orchestra concert
May 27- Bath Team Hero Spirit Day / Class Movie Marathon
May 30 - No School / Memorial Day
May 31 - Independent Study Projects due
June 2 - Fourth grade music performance (will be recorded and posted by Mrs. Marsillo)
June 9 - End of Year Parties / Staff - Student Kickball game