Learning to Code

IMG_5350On Saturday I attended a workshop on how to teach computer science to elementary students.  I have to say it was probably the best training I have EVER had.  Really.  Mike Gargiulo, computer teacher at Elliott Ranch Elementary, took us through a day full of hands-on learning with code.org.  I am very excited to get this curriculum started with my students in class.  The best part is students can work on these puzzles on ANY device and it’s FREE.  Just bookmark the link that I will email you and have your child click on their name and their secret picture to get started.  If you are not sure why this is a good idea,  just poke around the code.org website a little while and you will soon have plenty information to support this endeavor.  I’ll share more as soon as we get started in class. 😀

 

Carrots and Radishes and Weeds, Oh My!

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We met our Big Buddies in the garden today.  It was impressive!  Our garden bed had a forest of carrots and weeds.  It was hard to see what was ready to be picked.  But we took our time and looked carefully.  The Big Buddies helped us dig down and loosen the soil so we could each get a carrot out.  We were surprised when some of us pulled up radishes instead!  Everyone got at least one vegetable to take home.  There are many more in the garden bed.  We will have to go back next week and finish our harvest.  Then we will wash the vegetables and taste them in class.  We also talked about how we could make our garden better the next time we start planting.

Our First VoiceThread

pumpkin 005Thanks to Aleena’s mom, we have completed our first VoiceThread.  Click here to locate “Life Cycle of a Pumpkin”.  Then you can listen to us tell some facts that we learned about pumpkins.  We hope to share our growing knowledge in this way more often.  Please leave us some comments.  It will help inspire us to keep studying.

 

Pumpkin Day

zucca_architetto_frances_01Here’s a few quotes from our class today.

Today was special because we got to weigh a pumpkin and count the seeds.   Lynette

Today was special because we got to count seeds with our buddies.  Brandyn

Today was special because we got to eat pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie.  Daniel

Today was special because I got to hold a heavy pumpkin.  Vivian

Today was special because we made pumpkin faces.  Nnaemeka

Check our Twitter feed or Shutterfly for some pictures of the activities.

Gardening Begins

Today we got together with our Big Buddies from Mrs. Goodwin’s class.  We met them in the school garden.  Half of us went to do PE with our buddies and the other half worked in the garden.  We had to identify weeds and pull them out.  There were a lot of weeds!  There are a lot of carrots, too.  They are not ready to eat, yet.  We had to thin the crop because the carrots were growing too close together.  They won’t get very big if they are too crowded.  We also turned over the soil and added some organic fertilizer.  It was stinky!  But the plants need it so they can grow better.  Then we switched activities so everyone could participate.  The second group finished weeding and made rows for planting.  In one section, we planted arugula, lettuce and spinach.  In another section, we planted green onions, radishes, and green peppers.  In a third section we planted cilantro and basil.  In a fourth section we planted a mystery mixture of seeds.  It will be interesting to see what actually grows there.  We even added some anenome flower bulbs to the center of the garden bed. They should bloom in early spring.  Our watering system is damaged so water doesn’t reach the entire bed.  So we used a watering can to get all the seeds a drink.  If it doesn’t rain enough this weekend, we’ll be back on Monday to water again.10-23-14 263

Pumpkins and Pictures

zucca_architetto_frances_01On Thursday the 25th we will be taking our first field trip. We are heading to the pumpkin patch at Fog Willow Farm in Wilton. The bus will be leaving at 8:30 AM and we plan to return at 11:00 AM. The cost is $10 per student and $4 per chaperone. Chaperones will need to drive in their own vehicles since the bus will be full of students.

A few students have not yet turned in permission forms. I will not be able to accept them after Tuesday, the 23rd. If your child will not be attending, just let me know.

You may have noticed that Picture Day is also on the 25th. So, I have arranged for our class to be first in line for photos. If you would like your child to change from “picture” clothes to “field trip” clothes, please let me know and send them in a clearly labeled bag. I will do my best to make sure clothing changes take place. If you are able to stay and assist, I would be very thankful.

Mrs. P

Busy Week Ahead

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We have two special events tomorrow. Uncle Jer will be here to share some knowledge about bees.  We sent home a note last Friday asking for a 50 cent donation in order to purchase the activity book that supports the presentation.  I realize that wasn’t much notice, so just send it in any time this week.

 

 

 

salmon (1)The other event is our rescheduled video conference with Ranger Ryan about salmon.  So it looks like we will be immersed in the animal world tomorrow.  I know we’ll learn a lot and have some fun doing it.

 

 

 

bookstackOur PTA has named this Wednesday as our annual Read-A-Thon.  We will set aside some special time to just read, read, read.  Students were given a pledge envelope two weeks ago to gather sponsorship of our reading efforts.  Thank you to those families who have already turned it in.  This money will be used towards purchasing new technology and other supplies.  Be sure to bring a book or two that you LOVE and plan to have another adventure. 😀

 

 

Something’s Fishy

fish-161031_640Well, we really tried to follow through with our video conference with Ranger Ryan today.  However, every event has its glitches and this was no exception.  We just couldn’t get our equipment to communicate with Ranger Ryan.  We tried for over an hour and finally gave up.  Even our technology experts couldn’t make it work. The good news is that we have rescheduled our meeting for May 20th.  We also know more about what we need to do next time. Everyday is a learning experience so, we will be very well prepared by then.

Mrs. P.