Newsletter April 19, 2013

Dear Families,

We have had a very busy week.  MAP testing this week made our schedule a little more hectic, but I’m sure all the kids are glad to have it behind them.  The weather was beautiful so we ate lunch outside several days this week.

Math – We turned our attention to circumference and diameter.  Mr. Hass challenged the class to find the circumference and diameter of cylinders.  As the class calculated the diameter and circumference it was revealed that the circumference is about 3 times the diameter.  This led us to a conversation of the mathematical number of Pi.  The class was really amazed that Pi goes on forever without repeating.  For now we have decided to figure Pi as about 3 so we can calculate circumferences and diameters.

Once we felt confident we could find the diameter if we knew the circumference, we headed outside to practice on some trees.  There were trees of all sizes so those students who were a little less confident could practice on smaller trees and those who wanted a greater challenge could investigate the bigger trees.

Science – The kids continued to investigate the various landforms at the beginning of the week.  On Thursday each group was able to present to the class what they had learned about their landform.  They all did a really nice job sharing their information with their classmates.  We have posted their landform posters above the whiteboards, so please check them out when you visit the classroom.

In reading and writing we I continued working on synonyms and antonyms.  We also learned about a Thesaurus and how to use one.  Towards the end of the week we began discussing prefixes, suffixes, and contractions.

On a different note this is my last week with the class.  I wanted to thank you all for being so welcoming and helpful throughout the semester.  The kids have been great (although challenging sometimes) to work with.  I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work and learn with Mr. Hass and his class.  I know that my experiences at CFI will serve me well as I move on to my own classroom.

The kids were super excited it was my last day of full-time!

Maisy found Trae's coat on the playground.  She was being silly and decided to try it on.  Little did she know I would post this picture to the blog to live on forever :).