100 Days of School

It is official. We have completed 100 days of school this year and you are 100 days smarter. All of our 100s day activities wore me out. I loved the words you made with the letters "o-n-e-h-u-n-d-r-e-d". Judy and Sunny came up with the most real words. Way to go! All the different equivalent names for 100 were awesome, too. It is so obvious you have developed some fact power this year. Applauds to Jake for coming up with the most equivalent names for 100 in 100 seconds. You know I enjoy the 100 day math activites, but the stories were awesome, too. I was amazed at your visualizations and retellings for 100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler. You were really able to recall a lot of details. 100 Days of School by Trudy Harris and The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza are always cute stories. Do you think the wolf learned a lesson in the story? And I am still amazed that we didn't have any duplicates on the 100 item collections that you brought in to share. It was great to act like a scientist to think of ways that we could sort the groups. Well, I've put away my vest with 100 buttons until next year. What was the best part of the day for you?

Imaginations Gone to the Birds

Well, maybe it isn't a bird. The imaginary creatures created this week are just outstanding, amazing, and unique. Reading about the flinggonsuris, the calumub, the flambooshoo, the bleep, and the graphus reminded me that we are all the same, but different just like the animals you created. All the animals may have a toucan beak, giraffe neck, and butterfly wings, but you have made them your own as you described their noises, habitat, and talents. I think even Dr. Seuss would be pleased with your work. What do you think it would be like to have a grufle for a pet?

Bizzare Week

What a strange week we have had this week. I enjoyed my unexpected time at home playing games and reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Lightening Theif. Did I tell you I earned 13 points on the AR test? It was fun, though weird, to have 2 early release days after the snowy break. It was rewarding to get Mr. Andy as an official "teacher-in-training" for his practicum experience. I know he is excited, too. But I must say your imaginary animals were the highlight of the week. I cannot wait hear what you write about them this week. Will your animal help you do homework, eat metal cans, or swim through the air? The possibilities are endless. What was your favorite part of the week?

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Did you get out in the snow to make a snowman? have a snowball fight? make snowangels? Our snow wasn't the best for packing, but filling a bucket with slushy snow allowed us to make a snowman like you would a sandcastle. He did turn out a bit square-looking from the street, but he will be there in the yard long after the rest of the snow melts. Amber and her friends made a snowman mound that looked like he'd had a hard night. It sure was beautiful, but...COLD! We drank lots of hot chocolate. What did you do?

Stone Soup

We had bowls of fun today making our stone soup and performing readers' theaters for the story, too. Who would have guessed that magic could come from a soup made with stones? Well, as I hope you have learned this week, the magic comes from sharing with others and trying new things. Which version of Stone Soup was your favorite?

Animals, Animals Everywhere

Can you think of an animal that is covered with fur, walks on 4 legs, and eats eucalyptus leaves? Of course you can because we have been studying animals for 3 weeks now. The students have really enjoyed discussing and exploring animals. They have learned about scientist classifying them by their unique characteristics: coverings, movement, habitat, appendages, enemies, and eating habits. Next week before our test, we will get to share our animal clue flipbooks, feel some actual coverings, and explore our favorite animals more indepth. I am looking forward to it. Can you guess what animal I like?

Special Guest Reader

Did you enjoy the stories my dad, Principal Portis, read? They are 2 of my favorite stories. I love stories about the joy of reading and about the blessings of being different. Every time you turn the page of a story book, it is an adventure just waiting to happen. Books will take you to far away lands, long ago times, or to meet amazing characters. What adventures have books taken you on lately?