IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Tomorrow is our first day of collecting each classroom’s recycling bins.  Today the class brainstormed and came up with a plan to figure out how we could collect over 20 different boxes.  We kept in mind that we needed to be efficient with our time and also respectful to the classrooms as we come and get their boxes.  As a class the kids decided that it would be easier to split into two groups to get through the whole school.  After we split, each group looked at school maps and came up with a route to use each week.

Our recycling plans!

The books we have read so far as a class...

Over the last two weeks our class has really been excited about chapter books!  Each day, while the kids eat snack, we read a chapter or two from our book.  This just started last week with Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the UFO.  The kids were so into this they asked if we could read another one!  By voting, we decided on our next book, The Magic School Bus, Voyage to the Volcano.  The kids have loved learning about volcanic eruptions and what the words “molten lava” means!  We are about finished with our Magic School Bus book so who knows what will come next!

Every Wednesday our class goes to the library.  While each week we check out books, we leave them here at school by the request of the librarian.  Today was a little different.  The kids each got two books to take home to keep.  Our school was given books by a program called Reading is Fundamental.  So when they went to library today they each got to pick out two of their own books!

The kids were so excited to read their brand new books!

Our recycling bin is finally here!  Here are a few pictures from our first experience adding paper.  Please don’t forget to bring in your own paper from home!!

As if our week has not been good enough, it got better today!  This morning, Reid noticed a lot of empty containers in our recycling bins.  He asked the question, “Can we make instruments with these?”  So a small group of kids created instruments during our free exploration time.  They were so excited to reuse some of our recyclable materials!

The group forming their band

So at the same time as our lovely band was going on, we had another group writing about angry birds!  Last week, Wyatt started to write about angry birds and asked to hear the sounds on the IPad.  This spurred a group of boys to write about this topic in their writing.  Below is a picture of the group writing their stories and using the IPad to help guide them.