A Week in Review
January 21 - 25
What a fantastic week of diligence and focus in Room 210! It may have only been a 4-day week, but with all of the amazing learning and critical thinking discussions, it definitely felt like a full 5-day week, wow!
Virtues Awards:
Ben Y. has earned a Virtues Award for showing COMPASSION and KINDNESS by helping another student who needed it. Thank you Ben!
Katie C. has earned a Virtues Award for consistently showing DILIGENCE and EXCELLENCE. Katie is an exemplary model of what it means to be a successful student!
Reading:
We finished our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. biography! We were captivated by his dedication and determination in peacefully seeking equal rights for African Americans. We dug deep into our own lives and made connections as to how WE could show some of the same virtues that Dr. King did in our school and in our world.
Writing:
The "I Have a Dream" speech is still one of the most amazing speeches ever given and it continues to live on and as we pass Dr. King's message on to the next generation. We combined with Mrs. Bethel's class and viewed his speech, listened to his message, and thought about how it impacted them. Students wrote response paragraphs describing and explaining what they could do to carry on Dr. King's message.
Math:
Unit 6 Measurement was a short, but challenging unit. Students worked on compound units of measurement (i.e. 1 gal and 5 quarts = ____quarts?). Students also investigated elapsed time and used the 24-hour clock to solve problems. Today we took a practice test and students were taught a new study method: "CSI". No, not the CBS TV Show, but "Color, Symbol, Image". This routine is a way for students to remember vocabulary or key concepts by using color or drawing a symbol or image to depict the concept. Students were sent home with a worksheet for this routine to help them STUDY for the test on MONDAY!
Social Studies:
Critical thinking is our school wide focus at Medina. Socratic Seminars are a method for extending our learning and using our critical thinking skills. Students were put into two groups (inner circle and outer circle). The inner circle holds a discussion while the outer circle listens and makes observations that they share after Socratic Seminar. The question, "Why do we study history?" was posed to the students. I was so impressed with their thoughtful responses and the quality of conversation. Students were very respectful and discussed the importance of studying history so that history doesn't repeat itself, especially with something like slavery. They also said that it's important so that we know where we came from, how our country was founded and so that we can learn from our mistakes. It was a very thoughtful discussion and I was so impressed with their focus.
Science:
We finished Investigation 1 of our Science unit, Mixtures and Solutions. We learned that in order to separate a solution (which is a special kind of mixture where one material dissolves into another) you have to use evaporation. When evaporation is used on a saltwater solution, the result is that salt crystals are formed. We then put a 3-part mixture together: gravel, powder, and salt and came up with our own way to separate the 3 materials. The results will be finalized on Monday, when they can observe their investigation.
A note from Mrs. Hatlestad
I am truly grateful to have all of these wonderful students in my classroom and that teaching them is my "job". A job I much love. Thank you for the birthday wishes and treats. Your thoughtfulness and kindness are truly appreciated. A special thanks to our wonderful room moms, Karyn and Deena for the morning birthday celebration we had today (complete with Krispy Kremes for all of us, as well as a coffee just for me). Thank you for the class gift, I'm excited about my new running shirt and socks!! Now that my half marathon is over, I can enjoy jogging again without the extra pressure! :) Many of you have asked about the Tinkerbell half-marathon I ran last Sunday, so here are the details real quick: the race took place in the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland. My sister ran the race with me. We did get to run through the park before it opened! The race had a 5am start time, so that runners could do this! Throughout the Park, there were characters and employees cheering us on. You could even stop to have your picture taken if you wanted to, but for me the lines were too long and I wanted to keep on going.:) I met my two personal goals, 1) to run the entire 13.1 miles and 2) to finish in under 3 hours. Thanks for the good luck wishes and positive thoughts, they got me through miles 9 and 10! :)
Enjoy your weekend and again THANK YOU for letting me teach your children each and every day.
~Mrs. Hatlestad
Upcoming Events:
28-Jan - Smart with Art
Winter Session begins
9-Feb - Auction
18-Feb - Mid-Winter Break! (through Feb 24)
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