The Panatheniac Stadium by Anton Kyrychenko

The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens is the largest stadium built out of pure marble and is about 2000 years old. Men used to fight with wild beasts so they built walls around the arena to protect the spectators.  The stadium was ruined because they took some marble out to use for Athens churches. The ground was covered and used as private fields. The stadium was later excavated, mostly broken and gone. When they revived the Olympic games in 1896, only part of the stadium was marble so they put in wood seats with white cushions. When the games were finished, they resumed adding marble. In 1904 the Olympics were in St.Louis. It was during the world's fair and was shown as a side to the world's fair. This also happened in Paris in 1900. This made the Olympics less popular and the Olympics committee got worried that the Olympics would die out. We almost killed the Olympics we know today! They made a second Olympics just 2 years later in Athens in The Panathenaic Stadium to save the Olympics.

Lost Feta...

By Anton Kyrychenko

Today my mom and I went to a restaurant for lunch before going to the boat from Athens to Crete. When we got the check, the man gave it to me, even though it would be more logical to give it to my mom. "He's so relaxed" the man exclaimed.  There was something strange because we didn't get the appetizer we ordered. When we looked at the bill, everything was written in Greek but we were suspicious because there were 6 things listed. Our two meals and our orange juice, bread, our nonexistent appetizer, and a bottle of water that we had sent back unopened. So my mom told me that since the waiter gave the bill to me and not her, that maybe he did that on purpose so she wouldn't see it and she said I should try going to the waiter and tell him about the problems in our bill. I walked up to him and said "Sir, excuse me. Sir, but we looked at the bill and we didn't get our feta dish (baked feta with tomatoes and peppers) but it is listed on the bill." "Oh, oh," he answered with a look that told me that he was surprised we noticed. I think it was because the bill was in Greek. He was about to leave and change the check but I stopped him and asked, "What is this?" "Oh, water," he answered. "But we sent the water back without opening it," I told him. "Yes, yes, okay, sorry, sorry" and he left. I came back to the table knowing that they knew they didn't give us the feta…. 

What I did today in Athens, Greece

by Anton Kyrychenko

This is the Temple of Zeus.  We can see lightning everywhere around the Temple of Zeus. This is the first  rainstorm since before May. Is Zeus ang---- BOOM! Zeus, c'mon let me finish?

 Above is the Theater of Dionysus and below is Odeon of Herod Atticus. The Odeon of Herod Atticus is still a functioning theater.

Below is the Parthenon.  The Parthenon was used for storing treasure. The Parthenon is surrounded by  other buildings, all of which are part of the Acropolis and you could see the whole city from up there.

Building Our Community

Happy weekend, families!  I hope everyone is enjoying the turn of the weather towards fall and the comfortable settling in to the school year routine.  Autumn, officially begun with the equinox this Wednesday the 23rd, is my favorite season of the year.  If you haven't figured it out already, I love school (surprise, surprise).  But I also love football, campfires, comfy sweaters, and drinking hot tea on chilly days.  Fall in fifth grade is fun because we are coming into our own as a class and the students are becoming convinced in their roles as leaders in the school.  They proved it on Friday.

We had our first "community team" meeting this past Friday, the 18th.  This Captain tradition mixes up all of the students in school and divides them into twelve mixed-age teams, grouping siblings and families together.  We meet in our teams periodically throughout the year and share common learning about a variety of topics impacting our Captain community.  Last year, we studied courage.  On Friday, we met in our teams for the very first time and it was our fifth graders who facilitated the entire session.  Your children led their groups in a get-to-know-you activity to help illustrate how connected we all are at Captain.  Although I only have photos from my team, I have it on the word of many other teachers who came to me to compliment our class that your children were fantastic leaders.

We are also in the process of giving our classroom library a little make-over.  This year the teachers are studying how to build their classroom libraries in a way that will serve the students best.  One thing we noticed was how uninviting the books organized into baskets appears in the fifth grade area.  I have a dream that we could transform our little classroom library (of a little over 600 books) to look more like Barnes and Noble or other bookstores.  It's never safe to let me go to a bookstore alone.  I would stay all day because I love looking at all the books and it is so hard for me to narrow down my choice of purchases.  I would love it if we all felt that we could hang out all day in our classroom with the books getting lost in all the choices!  To help me in the process of beginning this transformation, a couple of students have volunteered some of their free time this past week.  Dr. Martin caught them working on the library this week and sent me these sweet pictures.  It's looking good so far thanks to these volunteers!

Finally, I have some exciting news!  During our journalism unit, Mrs. Cohen put us in contact with a Clayton alum, Mr. Rubin, who is now the company head of the Republic of Tea in California.  One of our classmates emailed him to ask him some questions for a news story for the blog.  To our delight, he offered to Skype with our class.  Plans were made and calendars marked.  On Friday, I received an email from him that he was canceling our Skype appointment...because he's coming to visit in person on Tuesday!!!!!  You'll have to keep checking the blog for the story!

Looking Ahead:
Tuesday, 9/22 - Visit from Mr. Rubin from the Republic of Tea at 1:00
Thursday, 9/24 - Picture Day
Friday, 10/9 - Early Release Day (teachers will be preparing for parent teacher conferences)
Monday, 10/12 - Thursday, 10/15 - Parent Teacher Conferences (remember to sign up here)
Thursday, 10/15 - Friday, 10/16 - No School (parent teacher conferences)
Friday, 10/23 - PTO Sponsored Family Dance 6:30 PM at Captain
Friday, 10/30 - Picture Retake Day & Halloween Parade and Parties

The New Librarian

Mrs. Driemeyer is the new librarian. She got the job at the end of July, she was the friend of Mr. Bober (librarian last year) so he thought she should be the new librarian. Mr. Bober went to work in a library in Washington D.C. for one year because he was promoted. She was inspired to be a librarian by her high school library and the librarians. She loves mystery and realistic fiction books. I think this is important because Mrs. Driemeyer will play an important role in the library and other in school activities.

At Recess

In recess most of the children play and watch kickball. Sometimes children play basketball. I hear screams when someone goes home. I hear “go go go” when a runner gets on a base and should run. I hear “stay stay”if a runner should stay. There are fences and if a runner kicks it over then their out.  Other children like to trade cards from Magic the Gathering. Magic is a card game with creatures, spells and land. Creatures have attack and health, they can attack the player but creatures can block the attack. They can also have other effects like flying (can't be blocked). Spells can range from AoE (Area of Effect) to supporting a creature(s). Land is like Mana, creatures and spells need land aka mana. Children also throw and catch the football, and lastly talk. Recess is a great time to burn energy, get fresh air and talk with friends, it’s a free time for everyone (except teachers).

New Clubs

Clubs are almost here; coming in October. The director of the clubs, Mr. Lynn said that there are a lot of new clubs coming, meaning many more kids will  develop life skills and find their interests. Many in school activities do not include activities that interests children, that's why we have clubs. A big part of clubs  is to have fun. Teacher are important too, because without them there would be no one to supervise the club. The new clubs might be Boys’ running, chess, craft, newspaper, beautification (decorating) and coding. I think clubs will become more popular because it expresses your self and will find your interests, develop life skills, and last but not least to have fun.   

Class Pet : Hercules

Classroom Pet: Hercules By: Samuel Rosenzweig

Hercules is our class hedgehog. Hedgehogs can be really cute and a lot of fun, and our classroom hedgehog is filled with life. Class pets can be a great addition to the classroom. They can make the classroom more fun and give kids ideas. Also, they can help people feel better when they’re feeling sad. Thirdly, class pets can help with responsibility. However, sometimes they might be distracting. For example, class pets can be on people’s minds instead of what they’re working on. Also, people stare at the pet instead of focusing on what the teacher is saying. Which side of the argument do you agree with?

Are Class Pets Helpful

Most class pets get classes to learn to be more silent and responsible. Does that mean that the classes with class pets are more silent and responsible? Even though we go to the same school? So I observed a class that had a class pet. The class that I observed was Mrs. Hehners class. They were incredible!!! They were totally silent, looking at the person who was talking, and asking questions. I think that Chubbs (the guinea pig) and Mrs. Hehner (the teacher) made a big difference in the class. I have had many experiences with class pets and I was alot more comfortable with Chubbs there. One time after school last year I was packing my stuff and the fourth grade line left and I was more comfortable when Chubbs was there instead of me being there by myself. I think that class pets can help kids be quieter, more responsible and more comfortable.

Signs Of Learnig

I found that learning depends on different things like… posture, organization, and asking questions. Posture helps because if you lay down on your desk then your brain tells you to shut down and tells you that you are tired but if you sit up your brain supports you and tells you to think. Organization helps because then you can get ready for upcoming things, have a nicer desk, and then when you are in a hurry then you are able to grab and go. If you ask questions that shows that you are really into the activity and that you are pushing yourself in thinking. I also found that our classroom is mostly very organized in our desks and our lockers. That helps because then when we go down to the rug with a pencil / pen and a notebook then we are there in no time. We also know if we need a seat or we are able to sit on the rug. That helps with posture. Are class is also good at having very clever days, we are focused, asking questions, and our brains are running. Those are the signs of learning that I found help kids the most.

Kindergarten Racing Bears

     The kindergarteners use to have a game called Racing Bears on the playground but it washed away in the rain, so they play the mini version of it in class.This is how you play...“You have a dice. Whatever number it lands on is the number you move your bear to. First one to ten wins! It is a very fun game,” says a kindergartner in Mrs. Wilson’s class.

Kindergarten Has Fish

The Kindergarteners are learning about fish, so Ms. Beckham, Ms. Wilson, and Ms. Hendricks decided to get them some. Ms. Hwande put the fish in the tank, the fish tank has 5

fish in it. The kindergarteners are learning responsibility by taking care of them, they get to feed them a pinch or two of fish food. Kindergarteners learn more about the fish and get to observe them. The kindergarteners are having fun with their new pets.

What Does It Feel Like To Be The Principal

What Does It Feel Like To Be The Principal

By: Qiu Ottolino

Have you ever asked yourself what does it feel like to be the principal of the school? I have, so I asked Dr. Martin. She said, “I love being the principal at Captain school. I am so excited about my second year here. I’m excited because last year was my 1st year here and now I know what to do here and where everything goes. “I love Captain school and I love being your  principal here”. Dr. Martin has made some changes at our school. we got a new playground and the kindergarteners are  getting a new playground as well. In 5th grade you get to see Dr. Martin at recess because she’s one of the recess/lunch monitors. Dr. Martin is important to our school because without her who would make the decisions and the school would be crazy without a principal.

New Librarian

by: Joelle Ireland

Breaking News there's a new librarian at Ralph M. Captain. Her name is ms Driemeyer. Mr. Bober are old librarian knew her and gave her the job. She got the call at that she got the job at the end of July, she was so excited because she had wanted to be a librarian  ever since high school! “I use to work at East central College” she says. We ask her, “What kind of books do you like?” “Mystery and  realistic fiction”. The kids say she is a nice teacher but they do miss Mr. Bober. Everyone agrees that she has a bright future ahead of her.

Should We Have More Art Time?

Ms. Picker says, “We only have art once a week.” Other specials we have daily or every other day. Research shows that art improves skills such as organization, calming yourself, eye-hand coordination, creativity, and imagination. I think that we could probably fit more art into our schedule, we could have art for an hour one day and the other time we could have it for 30 minutes or another way.  Many students love art and think it should be more often. Do you?

Intrducing art and Mrs.picker

“What is today’s theme Mrs.Picker?”“Today We are working on Artifact books And If their is time logos.”“How long have you been teaching art?”“30 years.”“Why did you start teaching and what did people think of you when you did?”“I loved art And wanted to do it more also it made my dad happy.”“Where and When did you start teaching?”“Riverview Gardens in 1973.”“Who was your art teacher?”“When I was in high school my art teacher’s name was mr.Needle then he changed it to Mr.Proffer.”“One more thing when is choice art going to be ready?”“Choice art will be ready soon.”“Great thanks bye.”“you are welcome.”

The New Librarian

The New Librarian

By: Sammi Daugherty

    This is my story about the new librarian Ms.Driemeyer.

Ms.Driemeyer’ s job is to work as our school librarian and teaches us Captain students how to treat books respectfully. She grew up in Springfield, Missouri. She found out she would be working at Captain in about the middle of July.She work as a librarian because she wants encourage kids to read more and she enjoys reading herself. If you are wondering how she got her job she got her job because she knew Mr.Bober and Dr.Martin.

Are Class Pets Good or Bad for Our Classroom?

Ms. Ketzer, Ms. Hwande, and Ms. Mc.D all have class pets and they think that class pets improve our learning skills. Ms. Ketzer says, “Class pets make kids feel calm and happy to come to school.” Ms. Mc.D says,“It makes learning more exciting for students.” Ms. Hwande says, “It gives kids a chance to observe and question.” I looked into the 4th grade classroom while they were learning math and none of the students seemed distracted by Chubs the guinea pig. I have been in many classrooms with pets and they never seemed to be a distraction to me, my classmates never stared at them during class and none of the pets were mean or tried to bite me. Others disagree, they might cause allergies, they may bite and contain an illness, they could be expensive, and a distraction. What do you think?

Mrs.Benoit

Mrs. Benoit

by Joelle Ireland

Mrs. Benoit is a hard working 3rd grade teacher. She understands the word yet and shows it a lot in 5th grade and 2nd grade. Wait I did not tell you? she used to be a student  teacher here at captain. Mrs. Benoit loves to see people struggle through things. She says struggling makes you a better learner than if you get it right away. She loves the staff and the environment she is happy that she has her own classroom. Everyone is glad that she is back at captain and she will stay here forever.

First Grade

First Grade

By: Joelle Ireland

Kindergarten is a big mile stone middle school ,high school, college. No one ever talks about first grade, but it is.They work on goal setting and when they get in trouble they get real consequently. Maybe that is why they call it first grade. I am trying to say they get treated more like an adult.The first  grade at Captain in particular. We have an open school so they have to be extra quiet. Kindergarten is down stairs and they have doors so it is a BIG change. Im not saying they are braver they still have feelings. “They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.”  

New Librarian

New Librarian

By Anton Kyrychenko

    The new librarian Ms. Driemeyer is at Captain School. She came here from East Central College in Springfield,  MO. She knew Mr. Bober so he  asked her to take his job for 1 year.  She likes to read and share knowledge with others and she wanted to be a librarian since high school. She is a great substitute for Mr. Bober while he is at the library of Congress. She is going to help as much as Mr. Bober did. I think you should get to know her more if you haven’t got the chance yet.

Heercules the Hedgehog

Hercules the Hedgehog

By Anton Kyrychenko

   

    We have a classroom pet named Hercules. He is a hedgehog. We read and write with him. He will be in a pouch and we wear the pouch and he sits in the pouch while we read and write. Some people may not like him but most do. He helps us stay calm and work. I hope you get to see him if you haven’t.

Captain Welcomes New Librarian

Captain Welcomes New Librarian by: Alexander Elbert

    Over this year Ms. Driemeyer will be our new librarian. She knew Mr. Bober. Ms. Driemeyer enjoys reading, recommending books, and sharing the fun of reading. She got a degree in Library Science. She works with students to find a good book for them. Mrs. Driemeyer helps keep the library a organized place. The library is located above the cafeteria.

Tecnology Overview

Technology Overview by: Alexander Elbert

    This year we will be using TTL4, Google drive, and Slides. These tools will be used to support our curriculum. The iPads and computers can be found in Mr. Lynn’s office. Teacher's book iPad and computer carts. Technology is a different way to learn. The technology in the future could be used in every classroom and not have to be used. ( This is partly based on budget ) Most children say that the technology is very helpful in their classroom. Do you agree?

Mrs. Winkler

Mrs. Winkler by: Alexander Elbert

    Mrs. Winkler teaches gifted in the gifted classroom, which is located by Mrs. Mcgaughy’s classroom. Mrs. Winkler works with people who have a different learning need. Mrs. Winkler was five when she decided she wanted to be a teacher, she had a chalkboard and desks in her basement.

    Mrs. Winkler came to the district and liked the way they did gifted, originally wanted to to teach in the science lab, but the only open spot was at Glenridge.

    Mrs. Winkler sees her students once or twice a week, Mrs. Winkler gets to know her students over the years she works with them.”If you're in gifted it doesn’t necessarily mean your smarter, it means you have a different learning need.”- Mrs. Winkler

What The Kindergarteners Were Doing August 20,2015

What The Kindergarteners Were Doing August 20 , 2015

By:Sammi Daugherty

This report is about what the kindergarteners were doing Friday. Ms. Wilson’s class was playing racing bears.  A little girl told me that they were having P.E after lunch. I looked at their schedule and they were having P.E at 1:20. I asked a little girl why they were playing racing bears and she said , “It is for fun.” I think that what she said is totally true  I asked how to play and they said, “You roll the dice and then move your bear.” I also asked if the game was any fun. What a silly this to ask everyone loved it. One reason I think they play racing bears is so they learn their numbers and how to count to a certain amount of numbers at a time. And to help them figure out how to play fairly to because they had a partner and their partner wouldn’t like it if they cheated because that wouldn’t be fair to the other person that is playing. It would maybe hurt the other person's feelings if you cheat and if you cheat some people might not like you any more if you cheat. So that is what Ms.Wilson’s class room was doing when I was out reporting.

August 20, 2015

Wydown's Open House

Wydown’s Open House

By:Sammi Daugherty

On August 20,2015 was Wydown’s open house.The open house was placed at Wydown Middle School. When you are at the middle school you get to meet more of your kid’s teachers. And get to know what they are like.While you are there you are putting yourself in your kid’s shoes so. You are basically being your kid while you are at Wydown. One reason I think they set it up like this is so the parents know what their kid does when they're at school.A reason it is important to attend would be because for new parents to the area and also new parents to Wydown most likely will not know any of the teachers there.         

New Captain Librarian

New Captain Librarian By: Samuel Rosenzweig

There is a new librarian at Captain Elementary. Her name is Ms. Driemeyer. How did she become our librarian? She wanted to be a librarian since high school. She was also a friend of Mr. Bober, so when he left for a year, to go to the Library of Congress, she happily agreed to fill his post. She knew she was going to be our librarian in late July. She will be staying for one year, until Mr. Bober returns. She grew up in Springfield, Missouri.

Ms. Driemeyer likes being a librarian because she enjoys being around kids. She also enjoys reading, and recommending books to other people. I predict she will be a great addition to Captain Elementary.

Mrs. Sample, New 4th grade teacher

Mrs. Sample, New 4th Grade Teacher By: Samuel Rosenzweig

There’s a new 4th grade teacher at Captain. Her name is Mrs. Sample. She found out that she was going to teach late last May. “I was very excited when I found out,” she said.

She says her style of teaching is very hands on. She likes to work in groups, and enjoys teaching with activities. She likes to make lessons interesting and doesn’t want to be boring.

“I try to help kids find their passion,”she says.

At first Mrs. Sample wanted to be an art teacher, but then she decided she wanted to be a regular teacher because she could teach kids more subjects and give them more knowledge. She says she still likes to incorporate art in her lessons. Now that she’s teaching at Captain, she has taught at all three Clayton Elementary schools. She came to Captain because there were so many new 4th graders. Her classroom is smaller in size and number of students than the others but is still a full classroom. I predict she has the experience to be a great teacher.

Curriculum Night Was A Hit

CURRICULUM NIGHT WAS A HIT

    Almost every parent attended Curriculum Night!  With specialists  at 6:30, Dr.Martin at 7:00, classrooms at 7:30, and you go home at 8:40.  By definition, Curriculum means the subjects comprising the course of a school or college, and that is exactly what the parents learned about.  They learned about every unit that we will be learning about, and even some things about the whole school!  They even have learned some things about the school’s curriculum that we might not learn about, like what they decided not to teach, and what they switched for different grades.   For fifth grade, at the end of the year, they are writing their memoir of their time at Captain.  Also, the school system is completely phasing out fast math and replacing it with Xtramath for the entire school.  I hope the parents had fun at Curriculum Night!

Welcome New Staff Members!

CAPTAIN WELCOMES NEW STAFF MEMBERS

Many staff members have been employed at Captain this year.  Some of them are :  Sheila Driemeyer is the new librarian at Captain, temporarily replacing Mr. Bober, who is in Washington D.C., being a librarian at the library of congress.  Leon benoit is replacing Mrs. Gallagher in third grade, who needs more time with her baby, Oliver.  Paya Sample is the fourth fourth grade teacher, because the third grade last year is too big for only three teachers.  Emily Beckham is the new kindergarten teacher replacing Mrs. Wiese.  There are many more teachers, but this is all for now.

The First Lego Team Returns

THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE RETURNS

    Last year, Captain formed it’s very first First LEGOTM League(FLL).  This year, the group has formed again, with the now fifth graders, Scott McCary, Alex Elbert, Susana Boink, Issac Levine, Ava Marsden, Clark Campbell, Samuel Rosenzweig, Avie Mallon, Mattia Corbetta, and Ivy Reed.  These ten kids will build and program a LEGOTM  robot that they have designed themselves, using the EV3 Legomindstorm kit.  The team will have ten to twelve meetings to build and program their robot, depending on which weekend in November you and your team sign up for.  The challenges you will have to achieve with your robot will be called “Trash Treck”, so the challenges will be based on recycling and trash.  The challenges this year involve a setup that has one of the most complex mission, it is called, composting.  It has to do with timing, and it takes 20 seconds for the machine to turn one LEGO fish, two bones, one carrot, and two carrot tops, into compost, and you have to get the compost into a special container, and the machine just spits it out, so you have to put the container right under where it comes out.  Go Mini Greyhounds ( the fifth grade team name), and let the best robot win!

What is Left After Lunch

What is Left After Lunch.

By:Mia McGrath

    I’ve talked to the person that cleans up after the school there are others but he’s the main one Mr. Mike. He said about 6 full bags of trash are thrown away by kids at lunch and it looks like about half of on the floor for  Mr. Mike to pick up his self.

    Think if you were Mr. MIke would you want to pick up about a half a bag of trash from the school?  Picking up trash is what students should be doing.  This is very bad habit for kids to be doing.

At lunch I saw a bit of a hot dog and cheese on the floor food also came upstairs under a deck there was a squashed grape.  Food like that brings bugs and bugs are not supposed to be in the classroom unless it is the science room or a class pet eats a bug or two.  If kids drop, roll, pass, or play with food they should be the ones to clean it up a few tiny crumbs are okay but not bites of food.  What if the habit stayed with that kid and later got a ticket for littering they would be in trouble and owe money.

Should Lunch Time Be Longer

Should Lunch Time be Longer

By: Mia McGrath

Captain is full of students that are growing so, it is important that they get to eat calmly.  20 minutes is what is said to be happening but then there is walking into the building and stopping for kids that are talking, washing hands, lunch lines, and kids waiting on friends.

Kindergarten are new to Captain here's what they think about the time to eat.  One said “the time seems short but is fine”.  Another disagreed saying time was to short and was.

At Recess

In recess most of the children play and watch kickball. Sometimes children play basketball. I hear screams when someone goes home. I hear “go go go” when a runner gets on a base and should run. I hear “stay stay”if a runner should stay. There are fences and if a runner kicks it over then their out.  Other children like to trade cards from Magic the Gathering. Magic is a card game with creatures, spells and land. Creatures have attack and health, they can attack the player but creatures can block the attack. They can also have other effects like flying (can't be blocked). Spells can range from AoE (Area of Effect) to supporting a creature(s). Land is like mana, creatures and spells need land aka mana. Children also throw and catch the football, and lastly talk. Recess is a great time to burn energy, get fresh air and talk with friends, it’s a free time for everyone (except teachers).

New Librarian

Mrs. Driemeyer is the new librarian. She got the job at the end of July, she was the friend of Mr. Bober (librarian last year) so he thought she should be the new librarian. Mr. Bober went to work in a library in Washington D.C. for one year because he was promoted. She was inspired to be a librarian by her high school library and the librarians. She loves mystery and realistic fiction books. I think this is important because Mrs. Driemeyer will play an important role in the library and other in school activities.

Busy, Happy Hedgehogs

I feel like I should consider renaming our blog, "Busy, Happy Hedgehogs."  Usually, I do not like to glorify the concept of "busy," but the sheer quantity of all that we do in just one day was brought to my attention this week as I was explaining to a parent what one of our students missed when he was absent.  I thought to myself, "Wowzers."  Then I took a deep breath.

Breathing is important in our classroom.  Breathing and smiling.  This helps us be mindful and keep our efforts in the moment.  What if it's a fake smile?  Research has shown even fake smiles work.  (Read more here.)  It sounds simple, but it's not that easy.  One way to help us remember is using an app that I set on my phone that rings a bell at random to signal us to pause, smile, and breathe.  Taking several mini-breaks throughout the day as we go about the important business of our learning is so helpful!  All the work we do flows naturally in a way that doesn't overwhelm us when we take time to pause, smile, and breathe.  Try it out and see how it makes you feel.  

So what have we been up to?  Here are a few highlights from this week.

In social studies, we have begun learning about characteristics of civilization and comparing the Native American civilizations with European civilizations.  Believe it or not, the class has even excavated a sunken ship!  After diving for artifacts, students researched and took notes to begin learning about European explorers and why they might be motivated to take these voyages.

Another highlight from our week is celebrating Hercules's first birthday this morning.  How sweet it was to allow him to enjoy a birthday treat of a mealworm.  Although Hercules was willing to share his birthday treat with the class, I brought gummy worms for them instead.  What a special celebration!

A final dose of happy for your Friday is that our class met with our second grade reading buddies this morning.  It was a joy to see our class serve as reading mentors to these second grade friends.  We will continue meetings similar to this throughout the school year.

You might notice some guest blogs popping up on our classroom blog.  That is because the students have been writing stories and are all now contributors to our classroom blog.  Please read, enjoy, and support our writers by reading our blog!  This is a fantastic way for us to have an authentic audience for our writing as we grow throughout the school year.

Looking ahead...

Monday, 9/7 - No school in honor of Labor Day.

Next week (all four days) we will learn about typing with the correct hand position and fingerings using the program TTL4.  I will send home a letter with instructions for you to be able to download this program and use it at home for practice.  Typing correctly increases our efficiency in writing and using computers at school.  We will have another week of practice at school when we return from winter break, but please encourage your child to practice correct hand position and fingering as well as periodically on the TTL4 program.  As I like to say, "Practice makes progress."

Tuesday, 9/15 - First day of Captain's Chorus.  Be on the lookout for info from Mr. Mayer.

Friday, 9/18 - Early release day.

Thursday, 9/24 - Picture Day. (There will be a make-up on 10/30 if your child is absent for some reason.)

 Music with Mr. Mayer

By:Audrey Pickel

         Music is very fun.  Mr. Mayer is very precise teacher who expects kids to follow the rules all the time, especially in music.  Sometimes we watch movies and videos that are music related whether he's there or not.  Also sometimes we sing in 2, or 4 part harmony.Mr. Mayer also does coris on Tuesdays and Fridays.Music with Mr.Mayer is very fun when you follow the rules and norms no matter what!