Wednesday by Noah and Henry

Betsy's math class did a paper using factors and multiples to figure out what year Hanukkah began. Kim's math class worked on papers in our folders that needed to be finished. Today we ate lunch with our buddies in Katlyn's class. In drama we played a game using props but we had to use them in unusual ways. In music we played our recorders and listened to Animusic. We made snowflakes on mirror paper in art. Betsy read to us from Home of the Brave and we read our group books. We also designed and described what we thought a Humbug looks like.

Tomorrow we are going to see Christmas Cookies. Friday is Pajama Day.

Tuesday by Henry and Noah

Betsy's math class worked on finding the volume of boxes again today. Kim's math class did a puzzle and also did addition, subtraction, and multiplication papers. In art we finished our snowglobes. We shared our Book Projects, made Thank You cards for the students at Hollins who did the Winter Carnival, read in our reading groups, and wrote in our writing journals. In science we played a review game. Each table was a team. We took turns spinning a big spinner. The number you landed on (1, 2, 3, 4) was the points you got for answering the question correctly. You had to discuss it as a team before answering. The questions were all about simple and compound machines. It was fun!

Friday we are having Pajama Day.

Monday by Noah and Henry

Kim's math class worked on subtraction and on our Whale Packets. We are tracking whales and using math to figure things out about them. Betsy's math class did a pre-algebra problem and measured boxes to determine their volume. We had drama today. We are going to write a play with the characters we have already created. After lunch we went to the Winter Carnival at Hollins. It was awesome!! We played games like throwing balls into a can. There were cookies to decorate, face painting, and lots of crafts. Now we are going to music with Kim's class.

Wednesday by Grace and Henry

In Betsy’s math class we did a multiplication Sudoku puzzle and worked in our folders. Kim’s math class did multiplication, division, subtraction, and addition papers. We played dreidel with our buddies in Katlyn’s class. The first years played their recorders in music and the second years had drama. In art we worked on our snowglobes. We read in our books and then we drew while Betsy read to us from Home of the Brave.

Tuesday by Henry and Grace

Betsy’s math class worked in our folders and did a number puzzle. Kim’s math class did the same thing we did yesterday. In art we started making snowglobes. We finished our holiday poems and Rube Goldberg designs. After lunch we read SuperScience magazines and we did a word puzzle.

Christmas Cookies

On Thursday, December 15, we will attend the play Christmas Cookies at the Roanoke Children's Theatre.  Christmas Cookies is being produced in partnership with and to benefit The Roanoke Rescue Mission. It is a story about a woman who helps three children keep the family cookie business afloat when their mother's National Guard unit is activated for a tour in Afghanistan during the holiday season. A troupe of dancing gingerbread cookies will get the young and old alike into the holiday spirit in this world premiere of a new musical about what it means to be family.

Monday by Grace and Henry

Betsy’s math class did a math puzzle then we worked in our folders and played a factors game. Kim’s math class did an addition and subtraction paper. We wrote a holiday poem about our favorite color. We read in our groups. We had Spanish in our classroom. We talked about weather and Enrique talked about what it was like to be in our class. Now we are going to music.

December Events

Please make note of the following special events.

Monday, December 5th - 2:30 Book Fair Choral Performance by Upper Elementary followed by the Book Fair Tea at 3:00

Friday, December 9th - SW Virginia Ballet performance of Nutcracker at Roanoke Civic Center. We will leave school by 9:30.

Wednesday, December 7th. Grandparents and Special Friends Lunch at 12:15. Please R.S.V.P. so pizza can be ordered. Book Fair will be open until 1:30.

Monday, December 12th - Hollins Winter Carnival 1:00-2:00

Thursday, December 15th - Performance of Christmas Cookies at Taubman Theatre. We will leave school by 8:45.

Thursday by Nathan and Grace

Kim’s math class did subtraction again. Betsy’s math class figured out the area and perimeter of some things in the classroom then we did area and perimeter worksheets. In drama we worked on our characters and in music we played songs on our ukuleles. Kim’s class ate lunch with us. After lunch Betsy told us about Rube Goldberg and showed us one of his drawings. We brainstormed simple tasks that would make good Rube Goldberg contraptions, then we each chose one and designed it. First we did a rough draft and showed it to Betsy. Now we are redoing them before we write about the steps. It was fun!  

Wednesday by Grace and Nathan

Betsy’s math class did a pre-algebra problem then we worked on perimeter and area using tiles. Kim’s math class worked on subtraction. In art we worked on our journal covers. We helped our buddies in Katlyn’s class learn about patterns. We had music and drama. In science we talked about what we learned about pendulums. We found out that the longer the pendulum, the fewer times it will swing. We also learned how to make two kinds of graphs and what variables and constants are. We raised $30.00 in the Bake Sale. Betsy is going to mail the goodies that were left to a soldier. Some of us made cards to go in the box.

Tuesday by Nathan and Grace

Our class is responsible for the Bake Sale tomorrow.

Kim’s math class did a subtraction coloring graph. Betsy’s math class did papers on perimeter. In art we worked on the covers of our Art Journals. We shared our Book Projects and finished our pendulum graphs, then we read.

Monday by Grace and Nathan

Our class is responsible for the Bake Sale this Wednesday.


Kim’s math class learned about humpback whales and how far they migrate. Betsy’s math class did Mental Math and worked in our folders. Then we played Multiplication Swat. In science we made pendulums and made a T-chart with the results. We also hung the strings on a number line to show the number of swings for each length. After Spanish we learned about Power Writing and how to add details to paragraphs. Now we are going to music.

Tuesday by Nathan and Deven

In Betsy’s math class we worked with palindromes because today’s date is a palindrome (11-22-11). We took a number then wrote it backwards and added them together to see if the answer was a palindrome. We had to keep doing that until the answer was a palindrome. Kim’s math class worked on subtraction. After we shared our complex machines that we made for homework we wrote in our writing journals. This afternoon we made paper tubes and changed the variables – height, diameter, and thickness – to find the best tube that would hold books without crumbling.  

Thanksgiving Luncheon

As I am sure you already read in Quick Notes, our annual luncheon will be at Hollins University on Wednesday. The art show is from 11:00-1:00 in the Ballator Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Moody Center. You may find your child in the downstairs lobby after 11:30, so that you can see the art show together.  Please make sure you tell me or Kim when you are taking your child. We want to make sure everyone is accounted for.


Please remember to bring a side dish and a main entree to share. Each should feed 10-12 people.

If you are unable to join us at the luncheon, please let me know. Remember that we are dismissing for the day at 1:00 from Hollins. There is no after school program that day.

Please remember to bring in 2-3 (or more!) non-perishable food items for the food drive. We have a box in our room for donations or you may bring your donations directly to the luncheon on Wednesday.

Monday by Deven and Nathan

Today we went to Dixie Caverns. There was a big thing that looked like a cheese wedge. We saw brown dwarf bats in the cave. After lunch we had Spanish then we worked in groups to write about three activities: PHUN with Middle School students last Thursday, climbing Sharp Top on Friday, and Dixie Caverns today.

Note from Betsy:

Please remember that we are collecting canned goods and bar codes. All the information is on the flyer you received at your child's conference.

FYI - Field Trips

On Friday, November 18th, the Telescopic Detectives are going to Peaks of Otter for a daylong hike. Please make sure your child has comfortable shoes, a water bottle, and a disposable lunch. Please encourage your child to dress in layers. Although the forecast is calling for a sunny day, the temperature is expected to be chilly.

On Monday, November 21st, we are going to Dixie Caverns in the morning. Please make sure your child is at school on time for both trips.

Wednesday by Nathan and Devin

Kim’s math class is still learning about whales. Betsy’s math class did a Sudoku puzzle and worked on multiplication and division, then we played HOG. HOG is like PIG except you multiply instead of add. We read to our buddies in Katlyn’s class, then we had drama and music. We read our books and we wrote in our writing journals. After art we chose our poems for Poetry Day. 

Tuesday by Devin and Nathan

Today Kim’s math class learned about the migration of whales. In Betsy’s math class we used tangrams to make shapes. Some were harder than others. After art we corrected sentences on the board. Our Jellybead jar was full, so we counted the beads. There were 451 beads in the jar. We have a total of 583 so far for the year. In science we made pendulums. We had to measure the string and change the length. We figured out how many times our pendulum would swing in 15 seconds. After that we read in our books.


Friday we are going to hike Sharp Top as our reward for filling the Jellybead jar.

Monday by Nathan and Devin

Kim’s math class learned about different kinds of whales. In Betsy’s math class we used tiles to learn about perimeter and area. We also did a pre-algebra problem. In science we talked about compound machines. We had to find the simple machines on a bike. We went to Spanish. We helped our buddies in Tulie’s class finish their caves and write one fact about bats.  Now we are going to music.

11-11-11 by Devin and Braden

This morning we talked about Veteran's Day and why it is important. Betsy’s math class learned a trick about how to multiply by 11. There’s a really easy way to do it. Kim’s math class did multiplication. In science we taped our science papers into our science notebooks and did a paper where we had to match simple machines to the names. We worked in our Writing Journals and read our books. After that we played 11-11-11. Each group had a whiteboard with 11 squares. Betsy read a category like “fruit” and we took turns filling in the boxes until we got 11.We helped our buddies in Tulie’s class make bat caves. We played Bananagrams. Some people got their green belts in music. Some people got orange and some got white.

Thursday by Braden and Devin

Kim’s math class played games. In Betsy’s math class we played a shopping math game and then we made symmetrical pictures with different shapes. We had Hollytime and went to music and drama. After lunch we went to Spanish. In Spanish we did vegetables. After Spanish we looked at a picture and had to write down what we remembered seeing. Then we looked for all the fictional characters in the picture. We used a big pointer finger to show where the characters were. It was fun! Now we are going to computer.

Wonderful Wednesday by Devin and Braden

Kim’s math class did multiplication and subtraction. Betsy’s math class did a multiplication Sudoku puzzle, worked on DynaMath, and played a Factors game. It was fun. We helped our buddies in Katlyn’s class make Thankful Turkeys. We traced their hands and made turkeys and wrote what they were thankful for on feathers. We had music and drama. This afternoon we worked with gears and read, then we had art. After art we played an “I Have… Who Has…“ game, then we made our own games. One group did Fall Festival and one group did Community School. We had to make word lists first.   

Tuesday by Braden and Collin

Kim’s math class worked on multiplication by 8 and we worked on subtraction and Hopscotch Math. Betsy’s math class worked in DynaMath and did two sudoku multiplication puzzles.  In art we worked on our Thanksgiving projects. In science we learned about the wheel and axle. We alphabetized words and then we chose whether we wanted to read our books or write.

Halloween by Braden and Collin

Kim’s math class did Hopscotch Math and we skip counted by 8. Betsy’s math class did two Halloween papers. One was on fractions and the other was a logical thinking activity. After Fruit Break we did Halloween activities with other classes and had a costume parade. In Spanish we read a book and Daniella translated it. We had Poetry Day with Kim’s class and now we are going to music.

School Spirit Friday by Josiah and Collin

In Betsy’s math class we did mental math then we went to music, since we missed it on Thursday. Kim’s math class did subtraction as fast as we could then we practiced counting by nines. In science we made levers. We changed the position of the fulcrum so we could see what happened when we tried to lift a small rock. After lunch we read in our books and listed adjectives to describe our favorite characters. During Buddytime with Tulie we made skeletons. Now we are going to Spanish.

*Note from Betsy
Look for our Word of the Day on the right. Last week's words were: codswallop, fabrication, succinct, zounds, and egads.

Wacky Tacky Thursday by Collin and Josiah

Betsy’s math class did a pre-algebra problem and worked in our DynaMath books. Some people went to the Masterclass for music. In Kim’s math class worked in our packets. We had Hollytime. In drama we played some games and rehearsed our plays. After lunch we read Science News. Now we are going to Spanish with Kim’s class and then computer.  

Favorite Character Wednesday by Josiah and Collin

In Betsy’s math class we did two multiplication Sudoku puzzles with 7.  Kim’s math class counted by 2’s and worked in our packets and cleaned out our folders. In class we worked on our Fall Festival stories. The second years went to drama and the first years went to music. After lunch we listened to a CD of songs that one of our fathers made. Then we played an I Have…. Who Has game. Now we are getting ready to go to the Roanoke United Methodist Home and sing.

Inside Out Tuesday by Collin and Josiah

This morning our class and Kim’s class shared our Book Projects.  In art we rolled up magazine pages that we had cut and folded. We are going to use them for our Thanksgiving project. We learned about levers in science and tested where the fulcrum should be to make different levers balance. We worked in our Nature Journals from Fall Festival and we read our books.

Crazy Hat/Crazy Hair Monday by Josiah and Collin

Betsy’s math class did a number puzzle and we worked in the October Dynamath booklets. We learned how to multiply two digits by one digit. In Kim’s math class we worked in our packets. During class we rewrote our cinquain poems. We read and then we divided words into categories: nouns, verbs, and adjectives. In Spanish we did body parts. We learned about different kinds of screws and screwdrivers in science and saw how an inclined plane becomes a screw. Now we are going to music.


Tomorrow is Wear Your Clothes Inside Out Day.

FYI

Wednesday, October 26 we will visit Roanoke United Methodist Home to sing for the residents. We will leave at 1:30 pm and return to campus by 3:00 pm.

Please check Kim Halsey's blog for more photos of our Fall Festival trip. http://uekimsclass.blogspot.com/

Fantastic Friday by Josiah and Tallulah

In Kim’s math class we worked on our packets and we did Hopscotch Math. We listened to Chinese modern music. Betsy’s math class did mental math and learned about perimeter. In science we did an activity with inclined planes. We had to change how steep the incline was and then pulled a weight up each incline using a spring scale. After lunch we made cards for Troops with our buddies in Tulie’s class. Now we are going to Spanish.

School Spirit Week

Middle School is sponsoring a School Spirit Week for the whole campus the week of October 24-28.

Each day will have a theme, and we encourage everyone to participate. Have fun!

Monday (10/24) Crazy Hat or Hair Day Wear the craziest hat you have or fix your hair in a crazy way

Tuesday (10/25) Inside-Out Day Wear all of your clothes inside out

Wednesday (10/26) Character Day Come to school dressed as your favorite book, movie, tv show or game character

Thursday (10/27) Wacky Day Put together a wacky outfit

Friday (10/28) School Spirit Day Wear your Community School shirts and show your school pride

________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday by Tallulah and Josiah

Betsy’s math class did a math puzzle that has 4 numbers (1, 2, 3, and 4). You can only use those numbers in each row and column. The numbers have to add up to the little number in between the 4 boxes. We had to use certain pentominoes to make rectangles and squares. In Kim’s math class we practiced counting by 4’s. Kim taped a hopscotch board on the floor and we had to jump and say the answer. We practiced math to African music. We had Hollytime. The second years went to music and the first years went to drama. In music we got to use ukuleles. In drama we are working in groups to write short plays. We worked more on our Fall Festival stories. In science we used gears to see how many times different sized gears would turn compared to each other.

Wet Wednesday by Josiah and Tallulah

Today in Kim’s math class we listened to marching band music by John Phillips Sousa. Betsy’s math class did a multiplication sudoku. We used pentominoes and looked at the patterns of the inside and outside corners. After Fruit Break we made bat and spider web pictures with our Buddies in Katlyn’s class. After Buddies the first years went to music and got their recorders and the second years went to drama. In drama we’re working in groups to write plays. After lunch we wrote about Fall Festival. In science we made a list of things that have gears. In art we worked on sketches about Fall Festival.

Tuesday by Tallulah and Devin

In Kim’s math class we did the same thing as yesterday except today we listened to Mozart. In Betsy’s math class worked with pentominoes and figured out their names. We also learned about parallel, perpendicular, and skew lines. We drew a cube and labeled the kinds of lines. In art we worked on our projects that will be displayed at the Thanksgiving luncheon. We finished our thank you cards for Camp Roanoke and Fall Festival. We are learning about simple machines. We made our own little gears out of paper and connected them. Then we chose our poems for Poetry Day. Betsy is going to copy them and give them to us tomorrow.

Special Visitor

Every year one of the service projects my class enjoys most is corresponding with deployed Troops. Monday of last week we were honored to meet Nathan's uncle, one of the Soldiers we wrote to last year. He answered a few questions and told the children how much their letters, drawings, and jokes mean to the Troops.

Monday by Tallulah and Josiah

Kim’s math class listened to music for a few minutes while we worked on math problems. Betsy’s math class did a pre-algebra problem. Some people worked on geometry papers and some people worked in DynaMath. We had Fall Festival Follow-Up with Kim's class and talked about who should get Jellybeads for nice things. Our class put 164 in the jar!  We ate lunch in Spanish and it was fun. One of the Bolivians was there. In class we wrote thank you notes.

Fall Festival Reminders

Please remember this week's homework is due on Monday, October 10th (not Tuesday).

Please remember to pack your child’s lunch and fruit break snack for Tuesday in the daypack.

Do not put clothes in the daypack as it will be used for hikes and other activities. Pack all clothes separately.

It is helpful if children assist with packing so they know where things are located and what they have.

One of the programs the Ranger has planned for us is a creek walk. Please send boots or waders with your child. It is essential for the children to have several pairs of shoes. Any child without a change of shoes or boots will not be allowed to wade in the water. Extra socks are very important. Hiking in wet shoes and socks can be extremely uncomfortable.

Please be sure to pack a warm hat, gloves, and coat. The mornings can be very chilly.

Electronic equipment and toys not allowed. Children may bring a ball, cards, and a book.

Gum is not allowed.

Your child should not bring any food other than Tuesday’s lunch and snack.

Thank you for helping us make this an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Friday by Tallulah and Sierra

In Kim’s math class we finished the ball but then we started another one. Betsy’s math class used upper case letters as a way to think about symmetry. We also made a Venn diagram of letters that are formed by lines that are straight, curved, or both. In social studies we wrote letters to Virginia Senators and talked about important issues in the United States and Virginia. In science we made nature journals for Fall Festival. During lunch we ate outside and listened to someone play the hammer dulcimer. After lunch we helped our buddies in Tulie’s class draw maps of the playground. Then we wrote down things we heard and marked them on the map. Now we are going to Spanish.

Thursday by Sierra and Tallulah

Today we had Hollytime. Holly had to leave so Kim read part of the time. Kim’s math class finished the ball. Betsy’s math class worked with geoboards.  In music we had a test about the notes. This afternoon we read, finished writing about our trip to Camp Roanoke, went outside and wrote poems called cinquains, and played Bananagrams. Now we are going to computer class.

Wednesday by Tallulah and Sierra

Today we had Journal day in Art. We had buddies with Katlyn and finished our leaf pictures. In drama we played the machine game. We did a word puzzle with letters and we had to make words out of the letters. In Kim's math we are still working on the dodecahedron. We are almost finished. We put something about ourselves or a math problem on each triangle. Betsy’s math class worked in DynaMath and played PIG.

Gluten-Free Blintz Recipe

Several weeks ago Tulie helped us make gluten-free blintzes. They were a big hit and several children requested the recipe. Tulie kindly shared the recipe with us.

Gluten-Free Blintz Recipe


Preheat a pan or skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Grease the pan with butter or olive oil. Before you begin to cook, mix the following:

1 tablespoon of cream cheese

2 tablespoons of vanilla yogurt.

Set aside. This will be your filling.

Whisk together the following ingredients:

¼ cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free pancake mix

¼ cup of milk

1 egg

1 tsp olive oil

Pour the batter into the hot pan. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bubbles in the center begin to pop. Flip the blintz over and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Remove from pan.

Place the cooked blintz on a large plate and top with a thin layer the prepared filling. Roll it up. Top with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar and enjoy!

Tuesday by Sierra and Tallulah

The best thing about today was the Jellybean Celebration. We got to play outside for a longer time. We earned 171: 25 responsibility, 24 enthusiasm, 14 self-control, 20 perseverance, 26 kindness, 24 cooperation, 16 friendship, 11 honesty, 9 respect, and 2 clean. In art we worked on our Thanksgiving luncheon project. Kim’s math class made decahedron balls and Betsy’s class learned how to use a protractor to measure angles.


The day was awesome!

Friday by Connor and Sierra

A few things we learned today:


Walnuts are brown inside.
You need to be very specific when telling someone about something.
Finding acute, right, and obtuse angles outside is harder than you might think.
Working with a large group to build a city out of blocks is fun!

Thursday by Connor and Sierra

In Betsy’s math class we worked on Mental Math and DynaMath then we played 24. In Kim’s math class we had bags of things like blocks. We reached in and tried to guess how many were in the bag. Then we checked the bag to see how close we came in our estimate. We had Hollytime. Do you know what infrangible means?  In music Kim gave us a paper with music notes on it and we had to fill in the notes. After lunch we made corrections on sentences that were written on the board. Then we visited Michi’s new office on the third floor and she talked to us about The Big One. Now we are going to computer class.

Camp Roanoke by Sierra and Connor

Yesterday we went to Camp Roanoke. It was awesome!!! We climbed a 44 foot climbing wall. We also did a thing called the Giant’s Ladder. The steps were much wider than normal. We had to work with a partner to try to climb the steps. We did a Blind man’s Maze. You worked with a partner. One person was blindfolded and the other one had to tell how to get through the maze. Then we switched. It was hard, but fun. We also did a giant spider web. We had to get the whole team through the web without touching the strings. The day was fun!!!!!!


Today we got to share our Book Projects. That was fun, too.

*Notes from Betsy:

We raised $30.00 with the Goody Sale. Many thanks to parents who sent items in.
Keep an eye out for photos of our experiencec at Camp Roanoke. The children were amazing. I couldn't be more proud of the team work, supprt, and encouragement I observed yesterday.

Monday by Connor and Sierra

In Kim’s math class we did a worksheet about classification. In Betsy’s math class we did some pre-algebra and a worksheet about angles. We had to draw lines inside a square to create angles and answer questions about them. Some of us had sibling photos taken. In Spanish we had to say, write, and spell our names in Spanish. It was hard. In social studies we drew while Kim read a book to us. In science we found leaves and drew them. Then we had to describe them. We exchanged papers and tried to find the leaf that was described. Now we are going to music.


*Notes from Betsy:
The Telescopic Group will host the Goody Sale on Wednesday, September 28. Please send items to sell.
Tomorrow, September 27 is our trip to Camp Roanoke. All children should wear closed-toed shoes. Please have your child at school on time as we will leave school at 9:00. Although we will be off campus for the day, the weekly homework and Book Project are still due.
Our individual photos will be taken on Wednesday, September 28.
The Fall Festival form and $40.00 payment are due on Friday, September 29.

Friday by Ari and Connor

In Kim’s math class we did two activities, money math problems and addition. In Betsy’s math class we did Mental Math. We cut a square into tangram pieces and had to put it back together. Yesterday we did circle art and today we worked on our pictures some more. In science we made thaumatropes, one big and one small. In social studies we wrote a note and asked for brochures about Virginia. We put together a lot of puzzles with our buddies in Tulie’s class.


*Notes from Betsy:

The Telescopic Group will host the Goody Sale on Wednesday, September 28. Please send items to sell.

Tuesday, September 27 is our trip to Camp Roanoke. If you have not signed and returned the permission form, please send it on Monday. All children should wear closed-toed shoes. Please have your child at school on time as we will leave school at 9:00. Although we will be off campus for the day, the weekly homework and Book Project are still due on Tuesday.

Sibling photos will still be taken on Monday, September 26, however our individual photos will be taken on Wednesday, September 28.
The Fall Festival form and $40.00 payment are due on Friday, September 29.

Thursday by Ari and Connor

In Betsy’s math class we worked on DynaMath and an Add-It puzzle. In Kim’s math class we played Plus, Minus, Stay and worked on patterns. Today we got to see Asia, the puppy. We had Hollytime and music. In music we learned about form and staffs. In class we wrote in our writing journals and read Kind News.

Wednesday by Connor and Ari

In Kim’s math class we did five different things. In Betsy’s math class we learned about different kinds of angles: obtuse, right, acute, complimentary and supplementary. In art we worked on our art journals. This afternoon we wrote stories in our writing journals. After art we played a buzzer game. We have four different colored buzzers. Betsy gave us an answer and we had to discuss it with our team. The first team to hit their buzzer got to say what they thought the question was. It was a lot of fun.

Tuesday by Connor and Ari

Kim’s math class cut out cards for a game and played math games. Betsy’s math class learned about lines, rays, and line segments. We played Bingo with blends and digraphs and we read about the Statue of Freedom on top of the Capitol building in Washington, DC. Then we designed our own Statue of Freedom.

Our Monday by Connor and Ari

Kim’s math class had three papers with math facts that we cut out and sorted by hard and easy. Betsy’s math class did DynaMath, Mental Math, and Around the World. We played a game in Spanish where Elena threw a beanbag and said a letter and we had to say the letter in Spanish. We chose our poems for Poetry Day. In science we did a cool experiment with after-images using a green heart and an American flag colored yellow, green, and black.

*Note from Betsy

Our trip to Camp Roanoke is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27. You will find a permission form in your child's binder. Please sign and return it by Friday, September 23. All children should wear closed-toed shoes. Please have your child at school on time as we will leave school at 9:00.

Sibling photos will still be taken on Monday, September 26, however our individual photos will be taken on Wednesday, September 28.

Some children have not returned the Book Project form indicating that you have seen the project and are aware of the due date. The assignment is in your child's binder.

Fun Friday

Math was really fun today. In Kim's math class we traced shapes and we played math games like Number Ninjas. Betsy’s math class played a game called Target. It’s like Battleship. We had to choose the squares to be our ships. Betsy called out questions and we wrote the answers in the boxes. When all the boxes of a ship had answers we said, "Target hit" and Betsy checked the answers.

The class name skits were lots of fun! Our class name is The Telescopic Group. Kim's class name is Detectives. Together we are the Telescopic Detectives.

Thursday by Noah and Ari

One of the best things we did today was cooking with Tulie. It was really fun and the food was good. We made gluten-free blintzes with vanilla yogurt and cream cheese filling and powdered sugar on top. Everybody had a chance to help. Music was fun because we did light painting to The William Tell Overture.

Wednesday by Ari and Noah

In Kim’s math class we did some worksheets. In Betsy’s math class wedid Mental math,  worked on DynaMath, and played a place value game. We roll the number cube and you fill in the numbers and try to get the highest number possible. We helped our Buddies in Katlyn’s class get ready for their class name skit. In drama we played games. We had a partner and changed three things about our clothing and had to guess what was different. In class we wrote poems about ourselves and worked on our class name skit. In art we worked on our journals and our looking glasses.

Our Tuesday by Noah and Ari

In Betsy’s math class we did DynaMath and played a game called Swat. Betsy writes numbers on the board and then says a multiplication problem. The first person to swat the answer with the mini-swatters gets a point for their team. In Kim’s math class we played math games, like Number Ninjas. We made spirals out of paper in art and then formed them into sculptures. After art Betsy wrote sentences on the board and we figured out was wrong with them. After lunch we read National Geographic Explorer, worked on our name skit, and worked in our writing journals.

A New Week by Ari and Noah

In Kim’s math class some people were using cubes to get to 100 in different ways. Other people did math work. Betsy’s math class did Mental Math, worked in DynaMath booklets, and played PIG. We had social studies with Kim. We looked in mirrors and tried to draw ourselves, Then we had science with Betsy. We learned about how our eyes work together. One thing we did was make a paper tube and when we put it next to our hand it looked like we could see through our hands. We did colors in Spanish. After Spanish we figured out our class name skit. Now we are going outside for some extra play time before music.

*Notes from Betsy
Our trip to Camp Roanoke has been changed from Thursday, September 29th to Tuesday, September 27th.
The Upper Elementary Gathering is Thursday at 7:30 in my classroom. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you there.
Please check Kim's blog for a more in-depth explanation of her social studies and math activities.

Friday by Henry and Noah

This morning we did a math activity with Kim’s class called Are You a Square?  We measured our arm span and our height to see if we are a Square, a Tall Rectangle, or a Far-Reaching Rectangle. After Fruit Break we watched the Middle School perform playground safety skits like don’t play with sticks or throw rocks. They pretended ketchup was blood. After lunch we had Buddies with Tulie. We played and read with our new buddies. Then we talked about the National Day of Service and Remembrance and the kinds of service projects we can do at school, at home, and in our community. We also chose our class name. Now we are going to our first Spanish class of the school year.  

Our Thursday by Noah and Henry

This morning we decorated the covers of our Sketchbook Journals. In Betsy's math class we did Mental Math and then worked in our DynaMath booklets. We learned how to play PIG which is a lot of fun! Kim's math class played math games and wrote word problems. Every Thursday after Fruit Break is Hollytime with Kim's class. Holly reads to us and we draw. In music we played a game and we listened to William Tell's Overture and played instruments. After lunch we finished projects we started yesterday and read. Before computer class we talked about our class name......Don't ask!

*Note for parents of children in Kim's math class:

Please check Kim's blog for a more in-depth explanation of their math activities.

Busy Day by Noah and Henry

Today we had math. In Betsy’s math class we worked on KenKen puzzles and played a fun place value game. We also started our September DynaMath booklets. In Kim’s class we made a mirror. After Fruit Break we had Buddies with Katlyn. We traced our hands and wrote things about ourselves on the fingers. In drama we played games to help Louise get to know us. After lunch we had Grouptime with Kim’s class. We designed t-shirts and made people to go with them. In art we worked on our art journals and made a looking glass.

*Note for parents of children in Kim's math class:

Please check Kim's blog for a more in-depth explanation of their math activities.

Our First Day by Henry and Noah

In the morning we got homework for our binders then we did a lot of "Getting to Know You" activities. We worked with a partner to find out things we have in common and things that are different about us. We played a game with a giant polyhedron that had words on it like age, pets, family, and favorite food. Then we played a game with a stuffed caterpillar called Jellybean. Betsy says a topic and you have to name five things before Jellybean gets all around the circle. If you don’t get five, you go in the soup pot. It was raining during Fruit Break, so we played inside. After Fruit Break we went to art and got to draw our favorite thing from the summer on big paper on the tables. After lunch we made a mirror reflection of our names to put in the windows. We also read our homework to the class. Everyone wrote about their best day of the summer. We went to Kim’s class and played some games. One was a hula hoop game where we had to pass it around the circle without letting go of other people’s hands. Before dismissal we chose books and read silently.

*Note from Betsy:
Wow! I think that pretty much sums up the day. This was one of the smoothest beginnings I can recall. What an amazing group of children I have the privilege of working with this year.

Don't forget RSO Maestro David Wiley, soprano Leah Wiley, and flute virtuoso Julee Hickox will be performing Broadway hits, opera showpieces, and jazz duets for flute and piano on September 8, at 7:00 pm, in Talmadge Hall on the campus of Hollins University. Tickets are $25 each and may be purchased at Community School, through our website at www.communityschool.net, and through The Jefferson Center. All proceeds benefit our new MIE keyboard classroom.