Learning Through Bread
Evan brought pumpernickel from Germany. This bread is made with rye flour. Evan’s dad, Steve, explained that rye grows well there because of the wet weather. He also told us that this bread is heavy for it’s size (it was less than half the size of most 1 pound loaves of bread) because the bread is almost all flour. Students also commented on the dark color of the bread. Steve also told us the origin of the word, pumpernickel; pumpern means “fart”, and nickel is associated with a name used for the devil, hence “devil’s fart.” Maybe that’s why the bread was sliced so thin…
Natalie brought Irish soda bread from Ireland. Her mom, Lauri, had students measure, mix, and knead the dough. (The recipe is attached.) After the dough was shaped into a round loaf, she put a cross on top of the bread, explaining this was done to ward off the evil spirits. Laurie brought in an already baked loaf of Irish soda bread. Students compared the size of the breads. We learned that when baking soda mixed with the buttermilk, it made the bread “poof” up. Lauri showed how this happened by pouring some buttermilk and baking soda together ; the mixture bubbled.
Be Our Guest
We will be dancing to this music from “Beauty and the Beast” on Monday, March 22nd. Students need to wear a plain green top and dark pants/skirt. A notice was sent home this week explaining their “costume.” The Khadra performance is at 10:20 and 11:00. Bring your cameras!
Put on Those Walking Shoes!
Tomorrow is our Walkathon. It’s a fun fund-raising event. If you didn’t turn in your sponsor sheet or socks, bring them tomorrow when you check in. We want you there! We’re hoping to get 100% class participation. Your child can bring a new pair of socks to donate to a charity; this good deed will also earn your child a kilometer. (See Walkie-Talkie for more details.)
Star Students
***Claire Teresko*** was the star this week. ***Natalie Stroud*** is the star
next week.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
MATH
Your child (finally) shared their “baggie of 100.” Have your child put their shared baggie of 100 in a boxtop or tray. Have your child:
*sort objects by 5’s. How many sets of fives?
*sort objects by 10’s. How many sets of tens?
*sort objects by 4’s. How many sets of fours?
*sort objects by 25’s How many sets of twenty-fives?
*sort objects by 2’s How many sets of twos?
WRITING
Write about a special activity you did on the weekend. Tell about the activity like it is a story. Extend sentences and use descriptive words.
FOLK TALE
We have been reading folk tales. We learned that folk tales are stories that are first told to people. Later folktales are written down so they could be enjoyed by others. We’ve been reading folktales in class. Write about your favorite folk tale or fairy tale. ( Maybe you know one that has been passed down I your family.) Tell what happened first, next, and then, and finally. Write down the lesson or moral of the story.
Report Cards
Your child brought home his/her report card this week. If you have questions or concerns, please call the school or send a note with your child. I will call you so we can schedule a conference.
Asian Pacific Islander Day
It was terrific! The kids had a great time! After lunch they wrote about the things they learned, saw, heard, did, and tasted. Hopefully they told you all about it. Many parents helped and joined us for the festivities. We hope you had fun, too!
Get Ready to Walk
The Walkathon is next Saturday., March 20! If your child has not turned in her/his sponsor sheet, you can bring it the day of the Walkathon. At that time your child can also bring in a new pair of socks to donate to a charitable cause; your child will earn one kilometer for the socks.
See the Walkie-Talkie for more information about this great fund-raising event or call our room coordinators, Travis’ dad, Kris, or William’s dad, Paul. They came in to give us a pep talk today!
To get in shape or if they want to, Mr. Phil is power-walking with kids on Thursdays at lunchtime. Many of the students in our class participated this week!
*We’ll be making sock puppets. Have your child bring one old clean sock for this activity next week.
Dancing to the Music
Get your cameras! We will be doing our Khadra dance performance on Monday, March 22nd. See Walkie-Talkie for details.
Star Students
**Evan Woodard** was the star this week. ** Claire Teresko** is the star next week.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
MATH
Now that they found time (last week’s homework), this week have them keep track of time for one day. Have your child begin with the time s/he wakes up and various activities s/he does throughout the day. List at least 12 activities. End with the time your child goes to bed.
(Your child will be writing a mini- schedule for a day. )
WRITING
The students have listened to the story Clever Tom and the Leprechaun, The leprechaun outwitted Tom. For this writing assignment, the leprechaun is going to let your child find the gold because he knows your child will use the gold to help people that are less fortunate than themselves.
Have your child write who s/he would give the gold to and why. Then because your child is so kind and generous, s/he gets one piece of gold. Have your child , also tell what s/he would do with that gold and why.
SOUND ALIKE WORDS
Last week they gave examples of things with flour and different kinds of flowers.
This week they played a game where they matched homophones and told their meaning.
Have your child come up with a dozen pairs of homophones. Then write each word on a 3 X 5 index card, Write the word at the top of the card, then draw picture of it’s meaning below the word. Then play the memory game with your child:
Cards are in rows, words are face down
Turn over one card, try to find the match
If it’s not a match, turn them face down again
(The “memory” is remembering where the match is)
Players tell the meaning of the word as each card is turned over. Put cards in a baggie with your child’s name on the bag. They will be using their cards to play with classmates.
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Day
Tuesday, March 9th, is the day. Students can dress for the occasion. Activities will take place in the multi-purpose room from 10:20- 11:35 for students. Lunch will be served. Parents are invited to join us.
Tasty Lessons
Julia brought sweet bread from Hawaii. She told us the bread was originally a hard sweet bread sailors ate on long voyages. A man from Hawaii changed the recipe, making the bread more moist and soft. This is the bread we tasted. Students told something about the bread before tasting it. Several students noted similarities to the bread Jabreel brought. We also did some math before eating the bread. Students figured out how many rolls there were and how to divide them equally with everyone.
Cindy, Travis’ mom, showed the students how tortillas are made. Students read the recipe as Cindy measured the ingredients. Then they each had a turn mixing the ingredients with their hands, then shaping a piece of it into a disk. They each rolled theirs flat and Cindy cooked them. Before eating the tortilla, they noted how it changed from when it was uncooked to cooked. We also reviewed some of the facts that Cindy told us. Hopefully your child at least told you tortillas originated in Mexico and South America but now is eaten all around the world. The recipe and facts came home yesterday. She also brought in a book, The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulson.
Ariel brought challah, from eastern Europe. We learned challah is a special braided egg bread that is traditionally served on Friday evenings in many Jewish families. Families break bread together to begin the Sabbath, Saturday, which is a day of rest. Challah is also served on holidays with honey to celebrate its sweetness. We had challah with honey because Saturday is Purium.
Star Students
***Tommy Riley*** was the star student this week. Next week the star is
***Evan Woodard***
A “poster” and book is made for each star. The poster is on our classroom door. Come read what your child wrote for their classmates. The “star” will bring home his/her book to share with the family, but then please have your child return it back to school for students to read and enjoy. Your child will bring home their “star student book” at the end of the year.
Walkathon
Hopefully you / your child is getting sponsors for the Walkathon. We’d like to get 100% participation. Let’s get out our walking shoes! You don’t have to come for the whole day.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
MATH
We will be starting a unit on time. Have your child find at least half a dozen places in your house where time can be found. Draw a picture of the timepiece and label it. ( Do not include watches.) Show the time on the clock. Do you have analog and/or digital timepieces?
WRITING
Choose any two books you’ve read. Write the title and author for both. Now compare the two stories. Tell 5 ways they are the same, then 5 ways they are different. Write complete sentences.
ASIAN and PACIFIC ISLANDER COUNTRIES
Get a map. Have your child find 6 of these countries. Write the name of the country. Under each country have your child make/write words using the letters from the name of the country.