IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

BreAnna and Dorothy are busy telling time.

We have been making a lot of progress in Math Workshop.  As we finish up learning about time, the kids are so happy to know that they can almost take their clocks home!  Today, the kids used their clocks to quiz each other on different times.  It was so great to walk around and hear, “Ok…here is a hard one….show me 7:30!”  They liked to challenge each other and see how far they could push on another!

Look at Salih and Selah work together!!

While working together in math was impressive, I was blown away to see how well the kids worked together in yoga!  Today Mrs. Williams taught us a series of partner poses.  Each pose required partners to work together and trust one another.  While I knew our classroom community was strong I was so pleased to see each and every partner working.  They were not questioning, arguing, or fighting.  They were all working together!  I even told the kids, “If I had any more marbles to give you I would!”  (too bad we just earned our marble party yesterday!)

Today we learned new yoga poses.

Isabella and Zakeyah practice "The Boat" pose we learned in yoga today.

We also played nicely with our new recess equiptment.

William and Jermaine were excited to play with our new sports ball during recess.

Today, during recess, a few friends started to wonder about trees.  As we start our investigation into trees, it is important that continue to ask questions.  The kids have so many wonderings about trees!  Here are a few of them from today:

Kristien- “What do you call little trees?  What do you call big trees?  Do you call them big babies?”

J’Nayla- “What kind of trees can we plant?  We don’t want to plant poisonous  trees or pointy trees.  They could hurt someone!”

Our two friends, Kristien and J’Nayla, returned after recess and shared what they were wondering.  The kids were very excited about this and began to share what they already knew about trees. I am looking forward to more conversations as we continue our adventure into trees and how they can help the environment!

If you have not already heard, we filled our marble jar today!  The kids had voted that our next party would be a pajama party.  You could hear the excitement down the hall when the last marble dropped into the jar.  Our actual party will be next Wednesday, the 29th.  I will be sending home more information tomorrow.

Last week we had a discussion about how we needed the numbers updated in our room because they were falling apart which caused them to be difficult to use.  The solution was for the children to use some various materials to make the numbers.  They used toilet paper rolls to make the beautiful numbers and then they painted them.  Today the Butler students put them up on the wall, and boy they are BEAUTIFUL!!  You can see the children in them so I am just so excited about it!

Last week I read a book about space.  During and after the children were asking all of these great questions about the planets and space.  Then Mrs. Argus’ class came in and shared their ideas of composting and starting a garden.  There was some interest in this subject.  Today, I asked the children if they wanted to study space and planets or gardens.  The resounding response was space!  So, we are going to venture into the world of space with the children.  There were a couple of friends that showed interest in gardens, and later Mr. Nored was giving some great ideas about how we can incorporate their interest into the study of space.  We are excited to see where this goes!

With our class venturing towards space, we were wondering if anyone has any big boxes that we could use to make something in our room next week.  If you do, could you please send them in so we can use them?  THANK YOU!

Yesterday we began talking about expression in Reader’s Workshop.  I read one of Mo Willems’ Piggie and Gerald books without any expression at all, and the children were so funny with how they responded to me!  They were saying, “What is wrong with your voice?”  “You usually read it with excitement and you read it slowly.  Today you are reading it fast and making it boring.”  Today, Mr. Nored read the same book but with A LOT of expression, and the children responded so well to this style of reading.  We are going to continue to look at expression in Reader’s Workshop.

Some of our numbers on the wall...they are awesome looking!

Oliver making his thumb tack consellation name.

Shaniyia looking at her "Shaniyia" constellation that she made today!!

Carriea's How To!

Michael plants seeds in the planter.

Jenesis waters the seeds in our new planter.

Miss Barr reads the daily question with friends. “How long will it take our compost to disappear?”

Regan and Aidan do observational drawings of worms with Miss Roby.

We have been immersed in all things growing! This morning, Carriea was generous enough to bring in a “How to Grow a Plant” checklist and shared it with the class. This checklist is just what we needed to plant some of our seeds that friends have brought in. We followed Carriea’s checklist step by step.

First, you get a box.

Second, you get some dirt.

Third, you get two seeds. Then you put the seeds in the dirt.

Fourth, you put dirt in the water.

Fifth, you let the sun come out and then it will grow!

Tags: collaboration, creativity, garden, project