IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

After break, the k-1 team will be starting a unit on geometry. We need your empty boxes, containers, and cans to make this happen! Please send them in with your child on Monday, January 7. Thanks for your help!

We had an awesome time today at the museum.  The students loved exploring the Ruby Bridges exhibit.  They learned new things about Ruby, made connections to what we had already discussed, and came up with questions they are still curious about.  Ask them about their experience tonight!

Mrs. Clark and Miss Cegielski’s classes are having a combined pajama and movie party tomorrow! Students may wear their pajamas to school!

Today our classes joined together to watch the movie, Ruby Bridges.  The children were so excited to see the movie and they were making connections to what we have already discussed while they were watching.  Last week, we analyzed the different perspectives in the Norman Rockwell painting that depicts Ruby Bridges walking to school with the U.S. marshals.  When this part happened in the movie the students made the connection to the painting, “Look those are the marshals that protected her!”  They were completed engaged during the movie and we can’t wait to see their reactions to The Power of Children Exhibit at the museum tomorrow!

As you know, we have been working hard on critique and revision during Story Workshop.  Our Story Workshop Cycle has now grown to include the new phases that we have been working on: Think and Plan, Write a Draft, Critique, Revision, and Publish.  The students each have a clip with their name on it that they will move to reflect which part of the cycle they are working on.  Today we had one friend move into the publishing phase! Chairo started his final book and shared his experience at the end of the workshop.  Martavious shared a story that he wrote and published last year in Miss Estridge’s room.  It was great for the kids to see a finished product and have an idea of what they are working towards!

As a part of our geometry exploration today, the students used new materials to create shapes…gumdrops and toothpicks! While we were building we discovered that the gumdrops are called vertices, the place where two sides meet.  When someone asked Chairo about the gumdrops he responded with “These aren’t gumdrops today. We are using them as vertices.”  Cameron made the connection “Vertices are really like corners.”  The students also began building 3D shapes.  This was a great way for me to see what they already know about 3D shapes.  During share time we noticed a pattern with 2D shapes: the number of sides is the same as the number of vertices.