Posts

Outside Playing Kickball!

I taught the kids how to play kickball and they are really getting it. During our Morning Meeting Activity, the two teams take turns pitching, being fielders in different areas, and learning the strategies of offense and defense. They have loved playing together. It is really going well!

Since we were outside and we hadn't had a school picture together this year, I asked the kids to quickly position themselves on the geometric dome for a school shot. It was fun to see their smiles. We have shared a big year together!

Learning to twin with Jared at Nez Perce Historical Park

The kids learned to twine while Jared explained the artifacts that had twine, quills, beads, and sinew and how these items were made.

Carnivorous Plant Expert Mr. Miller Zooms in to help us learn more about Venus Fly Traps!

The kids learned how to clone these dramatic plants and to care for them. It was interesting to learn about this botanical business and see beautiful specimens like the pitcher plant and other carnivorous plants.

Thanks to Ms. Buehler for the introduction!

Writing Claims and Evidence about 1st Grade Chicks in 10 minutes!

Here, Anthony and Jorja are writing what they see about the 5-day old chicks. Learning to write about observations as a claim and how to prove that it is true is the science skill these kids are working on. Each partner group got 10 minutes doing this science work in their notebook. They loved it!!

Grinding Wheatberries for 1 loaf of Wholewheat Bread!

Each student only gets to do 1 tablespoon of berries since it takes so long to use the mortar and pestle. This has been a great lesson in what human labor is all about!

Here Ezra shows off 15 minutes of working with the wheatberries!

Winnowing the Wheat with Mr. Mike

The kids will get to use a mortar and pestle to grind 1 cup of wheatberries that they can bring home to make a loaf of bread. We have been thinking about the steps in the process and what is inside these powerful seeds. The Social Science, Math, and Life Sciences have a true intersection with so much agriculture on the Palouse.

Elliot, Deak, and Isaac--Good Group Work!

Planting Native Grasses was the whole reason the 4th grade was at the Appaloosa Horse Museum. The kids planted Idaho Fescue and Prairie Junegrass to name two. They learned to get the plant from the plug, dig a 16 cm hole, and water the little starter with about 400 mL in the well they created to help soak the roots.

This was an excellent field trip of service! Everyone worked well together and learned so much about how to take care of these plants that are so much a part of the ecosystem that makes the Palouse amazing!

Thank you to Lauren McCleary for teaching the students so much and the family members that came too.

Luna and Naia collecting Trex this morning!

It is the last day of our 3rd year in the Trex Competition!

This year our school has collected over 3600 pounds. The first year, we collected 1200+, and the second year about 6600+!

That means our school community has kept over 11,400 pounds or 5 and 1/2 tons of plastic out of the landfill and waterways.

All the plastic collected is used to create decking and the students are standing on the bench that we won last year that is made from 6000 plastic bags!

We will keep collecting at the school.

The Celebrity of 4th Grade-- Clarissssa🐍

The second half of the class got to come in during lunch recess to hold our class pet. The kids were able to calm down and so Clarissssa was handled carefully. To say that they love her is to mispresent how they all really feel about her-- she is adored!!

Elliot and Ezra led our Morning Meeting!

They were well planned and the activity was charades with the kids broken into groups of triads. They are learning a lot about nonverbal communication and enjoying the fun that makes this game great-- it is hard!

Clarissssa meets half the class today-- tomorrow the rest of 4th grade!

At lunch, the kids came in and get to hold Clarissssa for about a minute each. They had been prepped for what it would be like in our Morning Meeting. here Katherine really appreciates how Clarissssa moves.

The kids were so excited, and gentle. It was wonderful to watch how careful they were as they passed her, and how much they learned from just getting a chance to hold this special ball python who is now 16 years old.

Once a month, we unload the trailer and take our MCS plastic film that has been stored in there over to the Moscow Recycle Center.

We loaded a full pickup of plastic Saturday morning while Ethel, our family dog, panted in approval!

Just think, all the 4th graders have really helped to take care of the class job of collecting the plastic. On Thursday and Friday, 71 pounds came in! They are learning that we do things-- big things-- to make good changes for ourselves and our world.

Thank you kids!

In the thick of making multiplication arrays for showing partial products.

Yesterday, the kids were given graph paper to make arrays. Today, they spend time creating arrays to learn the steps for multiplication using a model. This work helps them to understand the traditional algorithm.

Understanding and applying the strategy takes practice. Four students came and put their models on the board and then explained their thinking. Jorja, Kha, Hawk, and Luke did a very good job telling and showing their work!

Middle Schooler Sophia Helping Gather Plastic this Monday Morning!

It was so wonderful to have help this morning as I checked the Trex boxes by the front doors. Sophia jumped right in to help and we were able to get a few other kids as we carried all the material to the Elementary school for the 4th grade to pack up and weigh.

It is so amazing that this program is in its 3rd year!

Our school is collecting a consistent amount and right now, we have over 3400 pounds that we have sent off to be recycled! 👏

We are Back-- Morning Meeting Sharing!

The kids were so happy to play, "I know a neighbor who..." as it helps us learn each other in a more deep way and provides lots of opportunities to discuss the idea. The kids were bubbling over with enthusiasm to share with each other in the Activity part of our first Morning Meeting altogether.