December 17 - 20

We had a great last week of school in 2012 at Old Union! Check it out:

• Kindergarten: We learned a little about constellations before constructing our own constellation with white crayons and star stickers. Students were able to work on their presentation skills when they told the class about their creation. Students also learned more about the three types of clouds: Cirrus, Stratus, and Cumulus.
• 1st grade: We learned a little about snow, weather, and animals' winter habits today. We made "snow" with my special "snow powder," compared its mass to that of plastic bear weights, and drew snowflakes of our own. Finally, we talked about what animals do in the winter and how they get food. We decided to construct a simple, yet effective, animal/bird feeder out of Cheerios and pipe cleaners.
• 2nd grade: We did an investigation about friction and movement patterns today. We had 3 different surfaces to test: cardboard, wax paper, and sand paper. Each table was assigned one of the three surfaces and was instructed to conduct 3 different tests with each one. We wanted to know how quickly a toy car would race down the ramps of different surfaces when the ramps were held at different heights above the table, and we wanted to know what movement patterns these cars would exhibit, based on their surface on which they raced.
• 3rd grade: This was "Kids Rule the School" day, and I was supposed to be the teaching assistant of the fabulous Miss B. on this day. Unfortunately, I had to stay home sick with the flu on both Wednesday and Thursday, and the Science Lab was cancelled altogether on Thursday. I'm looking forward to making up that day and having a new "teacher" in my room, though! :)
• 4th grade: We experimented with a "mystery substance" today called Oobleck. I pre-made the Oobleck due to time constraints, but students were responsible for trying to figure out if it is a solid or a liquid -- it was tricky, and I think it's still up for debate! 

I'm not including any "home extensions" in this post because I want you to take these next two weeks to relax and spend time with your families. Learning is always important, of course, but families are much more important.

Thank you to all who stopped by this week to wish me a merry Christmas or to drop a little something on my desk. I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a loving and generous school and community. 

I wish you and yours the happiest holiday of them all. See you in two weeks!