Math Games and Buddies

      The fourth graders created math games to practice skills that their first grade buddies have learned in math this year. The fourth graders wrote all the directions to their game and glued them to the back of their board. Today the fourth graders shared their games with the first graders. " It was a very nice experience to play with other kids with one of your creations," said Jasper.

Field Day

Field Day has been rescheduled from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Students should bring-
shoes for running
dry socks or shoes for afternoon-optional
water bottle labelled with their name
color t-shirt they are assigned
sunscreen-apply first dose at home
bug spray-optional
hat


Any questions you can ask Mr. Sherwin.

Calais Pen Pals

     On June 5th our Calais Pen Pals visited with us for the afternoon. We had been writing letters to them all year. It was nice to meet them.  We played a teamwork cup challenge, held biography puppet plays, designed simple machines out of K'nex, solved the tangram puzzles that we created, played a math game and then played on the playground together. Below are some photos from that day.

June 13 News

     We have so much going on right now that I want to tell you about.
     In math we are working on fractions. We have learned how to add and subtract with like fractions and with fractions that have different denominators.  You can ask your child what the butterfly method is.  We have learned how to compare fractions, order them on a number line and draw pictures to represent them.  We have used fraction bars to compare the size of fractions and now we are creating our own fraction cards.
    We are also designing math games that we will play with our first grade buddies.  Besides designing the game board students will also write the directions of how to play the game, how to determine who starts first and how to win.
     In reading we are reading tall tales. We saw a video with the main tall tale characters. We have read tall tales and found the exaggeration and what it shows about nature.  Next, students will be writing their own tall tales.
    This week math and writing portfolios went home from last year. We added some writing pieces from fourth grade as well.  Students are always amazed at their progress as a writer from kindergarten to fourth grade.
    In science we have been studying about simple machines. Besides experiments that students are doing to learn about the inclined plane, lever, pulley, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle, we are building the simple machines with K'Nex.  We have also been working with Aryln to build drumming monkeys that use gears, levers and pulleys.
     In social studies we are still studying about Vermont. We read Green Mountaineer books and wrote summaries. We have learned about jobs that were done in colonial times and compared them to jobs now.  We read about famous Vermonters and created and shared posters of top 10 facts about them. We made paper samplers. Students did a great job on their Vermont history book report.
      In writing students have written great historical fiction stories about early Vermont life.  They had a list of 40 historic terms and had to weave at least 20 of the words in their story.
     On Fridays we have been solving students' hink pinks (two words that rhyme). They have done an amazing job creating them all year.
    Their Vermont Museum piece is due on 6/17. It should have a card that tells the name of the piece, their name and what it was used for.
    We had a great visit with our Calais pen pals. I'll send photos under a separate post. 
      Below are photos from one of our simple machine unit and of the drumming monkeys.

    

Boston Museum of Science

Many thanks to Lisa Gariboldi, Monica Urquhart, Margaret McCoy and Anne Carter for volunteering to be our chaperones help us at the museum. Here are some pictures from Anne Carter and from me.