Guest Scientist ROCKS!

Using Pop Rocks candy, Sprite, vinegar, and baking soda, our guest scientist, Mrs. Gopal (Asha's mom), let us explore the difference between a physical and a chemical reaction. The students first predicted which balloon would blow up bigger: Balloon A (filled with Sprite and Pop Rocks) or Balloon B (filled with baking soda and vinegar).  The majority of students predicted that Balloon A would grow bigger because both ingredients contained carbon dioxide.  After watching Balloon A blow up to the size of a large egg, Mrs. Gopal explained that the Pop Rocks and Sprite created a Physical Reaction.  Next, she mixed the baking soda and vinegar to create a chemical reaction.  WOW! The students were SHOCKED and AMAZED when the balloon started to grow...and grow...and grow!!  Their predictions were wrong...Balloon B grew bigger!  Mrs. Gopal explained that Balloon B created a chemical reaction, creating carbon dioxide from two ingredients that originally did not contain any.

Strike-ing it Rich With Bowling!

One math game our kids loves is bowling!  Usually, we write numbers on the pins and the kids practice adding the addends on the pins they knock down.  For example, if a student knocks down three pins with the numbers 6, 2, and 4, the class would find the sum of the three numbers.

However, our Kindergarteners are learning all about MONEY!  So, we decided to vamp up our traditional game of bowling by taping plastic coins to the pins.  The students were required to add up the coins on the pins that were knocked over.  In this game, it was boys vs. girls.  In the beginning, the boys were ahead by almost a dollar, but in the end, the girls came out as the winners!  The final score?  The boys had $2.79 in their bank and the girls had earned $3.49.  The boys were not pleased, to say the least.  However, we were pleased with how well the students participated in identifying the coins and their value and also adding the coins together.

Hard Work is Delicious!

All of our students who joined our Computer Club by successfully logging on the the computer independently had an ice cream party at recess today!  We are so proud of the twelve students who practiced logging into the computer at home and school.  Hard work is DELICIOUS!

What is Beautiful?

Last month, our kids adored the Book of the Month: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.  Since this was their (and our) favorite Book of the Month, we had to bring it back for another activity in Reader's Workshop last week!

First, the students participated in a Word Splash about the word "beautiful."  (A Word Splash can either introduce or review a concept quickly.  On a poster, the teacher will write the word/phrase/concept and students provide feedback on anything they think of regarding that word.  The teacher writes the feedback around the concept, making it "splash" across the poster.)  Most of our students said a relative was beautiful, but we also had a few synonyms for beautiful.  Our favorite response?  Teagan said, "Time I spend with my Dad is beautiful."

Next, we introduced the students to a new book, Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth.  In the story, a young girl looks for something beautiful in her urban neighborhood.  In the end, the little girl creates something beautiful by cleaning up her stoop.

Next, the students compared and contrasted the two books in a Venn diagram.  The students worked in small groups to create their own Venn diagrams.  During Closing, we worked together to create a class Venn diagram on the board to display all of the groups' thoughts.  We also decided that the question, "What is Beautiful?" had many, many answers.

The Panairs Visit a First Grade Classroom!

Last week, we were both proud and sad to take our babies to visit a first grade class.  We are so proud of all our students and know they will excel next year, but we are so sad to see them leave!  Our class visited Mrs. Alvarado and Miss Donofrio's first grade class to observe a Calendar Math lesson and ask their students a few questions.  We learned about the academic and behavior expectations in first grade.  A HUGE thanks to Mrs. Alvarado, Miss Donofrio, and all of their children for letting us take a peek into first grade!

Douglas Wood

Thanks to KK Cherney, our school was visited by Douglas Wood!  Douglas Wood has written 29 children's books and is the author of our new Book of the Month, The Secret of Saying Thanks.  Our students will focus on this book next week and discuss different sections of the book each day.  Mr. Wood read to us in an assembly in the morning.  A few of our students bought one of his books and were able to go to a very special signing session!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Thank you to all of our wonderful parents who donated towards our gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week! We felt so loved this week and we are so sad that our year together is almost over!  We have had an amazing year with our class and appreciate all of the continuous support our parents have shown this year.

A special thank you to Mrs. Pennywitt, our Room Mom.  (We have the BEST Room Mom at CCE!!!)  Not only did she organize the week's gifts, she also made each of us a beautiful keepsake quilt that featured all of the students' handprints!  This is truly a priceless gift that we will always treasure; it will always help us remember the beautiful memories we have with each and every child in our first class at Chets Creek Elementary!