Lower School Book Club for Adults

It is hard to believe that this Friday, May 25 is our last book club meeting of the school year! Join us in sharing a love for a great story!

Book: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Location: Lower School Library from 8-9am

Date: Friday, May 25, 2018

Enjoy a light breakfast and great conversation as we discuss what we loved about the book, what we had questions about and what we could connect to. Feel free to join us even if you have not read the entire book. You will still have a lot to contribute and the discussion will enhance your reading of the book. You are welcome to bring adult friends and relatives who are also interested in discussing this book. 

RSVP: Ann Botel-Barnard  abotelbarnard@abingtonfriends.net

Summer Preview- Reading Outdoors!

Fourth grade members of the book club that read Into the Land of the Unicorns celebrated finishing their book. After sharing a snack and talking about the aspects of the book they loved, all selected an independent reading book and went outside.  The first task was to choose an area on our campus to settle into reading. There are so many possibilities that this took a few minutes. The anticipation of sinking into reading in a beautiful setting made this process enjoyable. Once the just right spot was picked, everyone settled into reading. The chirping of birds, and the sound of a light breeze blowing through the leaves were soothing sounds. On the way back to the classroom, students shared about the characters and plot in their book. Students definitely had books that their friends were reading on this beautiful day that they wanted to remember for their own summer reading. There are still a few weeks left of school, but we can imagine and anticipate the reading lives that await us during the summer.

Shoe Collection for Pay It Forward Sports

In our house, the change of seasons means it's time for us to review athletic footwear and replace outgrown sneakers, all-terrain sandals and cleats. 

Footwear your family no longer needs can be donated to Pay It Forward Sports! The shoes being collected will make a wonderful difference in the lives of children around the world.  

For more information visit: Pay It Forward Sports.

¿Quién soy en mi familia? (2º grado) / Who am I in my family? (2nd grade)

After a lengthy study on members of a Familia, the second graders have culminated the unit with a sculpting project. Students were invited to create realistic sculptures of themselves using the modeling compound, Model Magic. The second graders molded themselves in a variety of positions such as standing, sitting, laying, holding a soccer ball and even “dabbing” while others chose to include their sibling in their creation.

Once completed, we let the figure sit overnight to dry and during the next Spanish class, the students added color to their statuette. 

Afterwards, each student was encouraged to write on an index card which member or members they are in their familia. 

Yo soy un/una... - I am a ...

hija / hijo - daughter / son

hermana / hermano – sister/brother

nieta / nieto – granddaughter / grandson

bisnieta / bisnieto – great-granddaughter / great-grandson

tataranieta /tataranieto – great-great granddaughter / great-great grandson

tía / tío – aunt / uncle

prima / primo – boy cousin / girl cousin

sobrina / sobrino – niece / nephew

The students’ work has been displayed on the counter outside the LS library. Please stop by to marble at their amazing work of art. ¡Espectacular!

Signs of Spring in Kindergarten

With the changing of the weather and as the months advance on the calendar, we see signs of new growth outside on the budding trees and the blooming flowers all around. The kindergarten students eagerly created a growing chart of the signs of spring that they are seeing pop up everywhere:

• There seems like there is more sunlight
• More spiders and insects are out
• Birds migrate
• We can wear short sleeves
• Baby animals are born like birds and lambs
• We can see blossoms and buds
• Green is everywhere
• It is warner so no jackets will be needed

Signs of continued and inspiring growth is also evident inside our classroom as the children work individually and collaboratively to build, strengthen, practice and stretch new skills with learning that is authentic and fun! The children came up with another list of how they have grown:

New friendships are developing

It has been delightful to watch the students move into the new season with a vigor and excitement that shows no bounds. Bodies are growing, challenges are being met, new ideas are being explored and

Physical risk taking on the "big kid" playground

Using the word wall independently when writing

Sharing insect research with the class

Post Office Donation

You may have been wondering what the first graders decided to do with the money that they earned from the sale of their hero stamps during the post office unit.

First, the students brainstormed ideas where they wanted to donate the money.  The ideas included World Wildlife Fund, Breathing Room Foundation, a local animal shelter, Whosoever Gospel Mission and "give the money to poor people."  All heartfelt and caring suggestions.

Then there was a vote and World Wildlife Fund was chosen.

Next, we divided all the money between tables and each group added up the coins or bills that they had, and we added those amounts together to get $64.78.  We were a bit puzzled by the amount since each stamp cost ten cents but decided that someone kindly gave their extra pennies!  Then we figured out how many stamps we sold!  Can you figure it out??

We then sent $65.00 to the World Wildlife Fund!!  We hope that they will write back to us!

Susan and Dana's class counted up coins and bills and recorded their total as well. They decided to sort and count each coin and reported back the totals. Then we added up the bills and then the coins to get $78.75. They decided to donate their funds to Journey North which is where we order our monarch caterpillars and keep track of their migration to and from Mexico, and where they are committed to protecting the monarchs and milkweed for our future generations.  See more about Journey North below.

About Journey North

Now in its 25th year, Journey North is one of North America’s premiere citizen science projects for children and the general public. The project has broad participation, with over 60,000 registered sites in the US, Canada, and Mexico — including families, teachers, schools, nature centers, professional scientists and novices.

Journey North provides an easy entry point to citizen science, with simple protocols, strong online support, and immediate results. Reported sightings are mapped in real-time as waves of migrations move across the continent. People report sightings from the field, view maps, take pictures, and leave comments.

Journey North was founded in 1994 by Elizabeth Howard. The project is funded by Annenberg Learner, a division of the Annenberg Foundation.

The students absolutely loved their time running the post office and writing and receiving letters.  It was so rewarding to share in their excitement through all the hard work and then the goodwill deciding how best to help others.  This is an extraordinary, well-loved first grade tradition!  Thank you to everyone who wrote letters and purchased stamps!!

Third Grade Plays Multiplication Squares

In learning about related multiplication and division facts, third grade has been engaging in different games and activities to help commit these facts to memory. Recently in math, third grade played a game called Multiplication Squares, an adapted version of the game Dots and Boxes.

In partners, students rolled two die and found the square containing the product of the two die on the game board. With their chosen colored marker, the students drew one line around the appropriate product square. Partners took turns rolling the die, finding the product on the board, and drawing a line in their color around the appropriate product square. The partner who completed a product square by drawing the last of the four lines filled in that square with their colored marker, earning a point. The student with the most points at the end of the game would be the winner. 

Third graders enjoyed the opportunity to play a familiar and competitive game while practicing their math facts.

Join the Lower School Book Club for Adults on May 25th

Join us for our next Lower School Book Club for adults led by Ann Botel-Barnard, our Language Arts Specialist. We are excited to come together to share a love for a great story!

Book: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Location: Lower School Library from 8-9am

Date: May 25, 2018

Celeste Ng writes about her book, "Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster." 

Enjoy a light breakfast and great conversation as we discuss what we loved about the book, what we had questions about and what we could connect to. Feel free to join us even if you have not read the entire book. You will still have a lot to contribute and the discussion will enhance your reading of the book. You are welcome to bring adult friends and relatives that are also interested in discussing this book. 

RSVP: Ann Botel-Barnard  abotelbarnard@abingtonfriends.net