Hi All,
The main news this week is about our field trips, of course!  We certainly got lucky with the weather, and both of our field trips were lovely! At the Maritime Museum we got to paddle in old wooden canoes, learn to measure the turbidity of the water with an instrument called a Secchi Disk, and learn about the life cycle of salmon and the obstacles they face as they swim upstream.  On top of that, we got to practice good earth stewardship by learning about how plastic gets into our waterways, and then cleaning up the harbor area, where we filled more than 2 buckets with plastic!  All in all, it was a great day.

Today we walked to the river and spent some time in the woods. Thanks to all the parents who volunteered, we were able to "adopt" 6 trees to follow throughout the year. The students were keen observers and scientists, and they took measurements, did rubbings, noticed details, smelled leaves, and got to know their trees really well. In the end, we were able to identify them as beech, red maple, eastern white pine, and yellow birch. The next time we go, we will notice what has changed and what has stayed the same. 

Our math unit continues with learning what multiplication really means (Gr 3) and learning about arrays, multiplicative comparison problems, and dimensions (Gr 4.) I'm impressed with what I'm seeing! Much of what we are doing is review work, but this class knows math!

We are almost finished with the first part of our energy unit. Today we rolled marbles down ramps as we experimented with height energy (aka gravitational energy) and how to slow down the transfer of energy between 2 marbles. Next week we will finish up this part of the unit before moving on to learn about natural resources and how we use/abuse them to make energy.

Next week we will formally start both our reading and writing programs. We have spent a lot of time learning about procedures, how to pick books, how to keep track of them, and where to get ideas for our writing. I hope we have some writing to show you by Open House!

In the past, I have worked with students to bake bread (using a bread machine) to sell to families as a way to raise funds for a cause. I took a break from this last year, but would love to do this again this year. Here's how it works. First the class learns how to make a few kinds of bread (white, cinnamon, dill.) Then we set up a Sign-Up Genius for families (you, that is!) to purchase bread. If you sign up for a given day, you send in $5 and your child will come home with a freshly baked loaf of bread made by them right here in the classroom!  We collect money until January, then donate it to a good cause. If all goes well, we do this again and make a second donation in the spring. It's super fun, delicious, and helps make a difference while teaching fractions, cooking, teamwork, etc. It's a win/win! I'll let you know when the Sign-Up Genius is set up, and you can order bread. Please don't feel pressured -- this is completely optional!  If you'd like to help in ways besides/in addition to buying bread, I am always happy to take donations of bread flour and regular yeast.  Together we can make a difference!

Related to fund-raising, today we watched a TED Talk by Greta Thunberg (thanks to Hazen!) and discussed climate change and what taking action really means. Then we discussed the bread making fundraiser and who we should donate our money to. The kids learned about global versus local help, and they learned (very basically) what is meant by a non-profit.  We discussed many options for non-profits we could donate to, from the Humane Society to COTS to Doctors Without Borders and many others. I only suggested water.org, but the kids had MANY other ideas. We sorted them into categories: organizations that help people, organizations that help climate, and organizations that help animals. The conversation was very heated! These kids are passionate and want to make a difference! In the end, we voted, and overwhelmingly the class opted for giving to an organization that fights climate change. I am in the process of researching where our money can make the biggest difference, and we will begin our fundraising in the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you have ideas for great non-profits that fight climate change, please let me know!

Next week's sharing theme is "something from nature." Monday sharers have a hard time remembering, so please check in with your child to see if s/he is prepared!

I hope you all enjoy the glorious weather this weekend.