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Below you will find our weekly newsletters. - November 7, 2012
- November 14, 2012
- November 28, 2012
- Brainwork Goals
- December 12, 2012
- December 19, 2012
- January 2, 2013
- January 23, 2013
- February 6, 2013
- February 27, 2013
- March 6, 2013
- March 27, 2013
- April 10, 2013
- April 17, 2013
- April 24, 2013
- May 8, 2013
- May 15, 2013
- Woohoo!
November 7, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through three of our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Brainwork is PALS homework. Each student set a goal number of brainwork pieces to complete before the end of January. The minimum number is 9; one for each time we meet for PALS. Students are not expected to get all the right answers or even to have an answer for every problem. As long as students have done their best, challenged themselves, and learned something new, they have been successful.
Brain Activities are games, puzzles, and activities, some of which are played in pairs or groups, and some that are done individually. Each month we teach new games to add to this station.
Scrapbooks are books of photos from the students’ time in PALS. We took a photo of each new student today on their first day in PALS. Throughout the year we will photograph activities and projects, and each student will write descriptions of the pictures in their scrapbooks. At the end of fifth grade, the kids all have great records of their time together.
Mrs. Slack took the kids on a tour of the school, and introduced them to our classroom routines.
We then went outside for an affective activity. We stood in a circle, each on a marked spot. One person started in the center, without a spot, saying his/her name loudly and clearly, followed by a statement that is true about him/her. For example, “My name is Mrs. Smith, and I like sushi.” Everyone who also loves sushi then had to move from their spots and find different spots, quickly and carefully, while Mrs. Smith tried to get a spot for herself. The one who was left without a spot was then in the center. This activity helps kids practice being assertive, keeping each other physically safe while having fun, learn each other’s names, and get to know each other a little better.
We finished the day by introducing our first unit, crystals. We talked about what we already know about crystals, and watched a short video about scientists exploring a fascinating cave of crystals in Naica, Mexico.
Next week we will begin growing our own crystals.
We have a small group on Wednesday afternoons, but they seemed to really enjoy each other today. What a sweet group of boys!
Kathy & Jen
*We have completed PALS paperwork turned in for everyone in this group. Thank you, parents!
November 14, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through three of our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
We then had fun with an affective activity. Each student was given a small paper turkey cut-out and a straw. The object was to hold the turkey onto the end of the straw by inhaling and keeping it suctioned to the straw’s end—all while walking as fast as possible to the finish line! It was a hoot. This is a fun, safe activity to help kids become comfortable with not being successful at something immediately. (Often PALS kids have trouble with that.) We did two “time trials”, trying to improve our own times, rather than “beating” someone else.
Mrs. Slack then taught the kids a new type of brainwork. These are a type of logic puzzle that we will do in increasingly complicated forms throughout PALS. For example, students could be given a list of three children’s names, a list of three colors of shirt, and three ages. They would then be given a series of clues. The clues must be read through and used to eliminate various possibilities within the grid. A clue might be: “The oldest child did not wear the green shirt.”, or “The youngest child plays football.” (with football cleats being one of the shoe choices). Through the process of elimination, one can match each child’s name with his/her shirt and age.
Then we got back to our study of crystals. Today, with Mrs. Slack’s help, the boys measured and combined bluing (an old-fashioned laundry additive), ammonia, and salt in a plastic bottle and shook until dissolved. They then chose base materials to place in individual plastic cups. They poured their chemical solution onto these materials. When we next meet, crystals will have formed, differently on the different base materials.
We finished the afternoon with the students solving logic puzzles on their own.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our next session will be Wednesday, November 28.
Kathy & Jen
November 28, 2012 Hello parents,
We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. We ended stations a little early today, since Mr. Donaldson, our principal, wanted explore our crystals with us!
Our affective activity today was a name-learning game. We sat in a circle, and the first person said his/her own name followed by the name of a food starting with the same letter, such as “Slack spaghetti”. The next person says his/her own name and a food, and the name and food of the person before him/her. The next person has to recite the two that have come before him/her, and add his/her own, and on and on. Since this is such a small group, we did another round with foods we don’t like! Obviously, it gets more challenging as the list grows! It is a fun way to make sure we know our classmates’ names.
We reviewed what we had done at our last PALS session—we were chemists who combined ammonia, bluing, salt, and water and shook it to help the solids dissolve into the liquid, creating a solution.
The kids knew that the liquid would evaporate, and hoped crystals would form. They did! We unveiled the crystals, and the students examined them with hand lenses. They got to see which objects, or base materials, “grew” the most crystals, and whether the results matched their predictions. They noticed that the chemicals in the solution reacted with the metal base materials, the penny and brad fastener, turning part of the solution black, and changing both the colors and textures of the metals’ surfaces.
The boys wrote their observations about each of the four objects and their crystals, as well as drew those four cups of crystals.
Next, Mrs. Slack and the kids read about geodes and their formation. Each child was given his own geode to break open with a hammer. All three contained crystals! (You never really know until you break them.) Ask your child tonight how a geode forms.
Next, we walked down to the salmon tank. The eggs have hatched. They are now at the sac-fry stage, meaning they are tiny fish with large portions of their egg sacs still attached to their abdomens. This portable food will slowly be digested, and the abdomens will “button up”.
Have a great week!
Kathy & Jen
*There is no PALS next week. Mrs. Slack will be visiting all elementary buildings working with small groups. Our next session will be on Wednesday, December 12.
Brainwork Goals Hi parents,
We have discovered that several students were under the impression that their brainwork goals need to be met before the holiday break. Please don’t panic! Brainwork goals are due at our mid-year of PALS, which is the end of January.
Mrs. Slack will be going over each student’s goal with him/her next week. The kids will then collect and take home the number of brainwork pieces still needed to meet their goals. That way they can work on brainwork over the holidays if needed, and know that when the brainwork in their folders is done, they have achieved their goals.
Enjoy this busy season!
Please email or call if you have any questions.
Kathy & Jen
December 12, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
We then discussed the following science terms: solution, saturated, and super-saturated. We reviewed that crystals form when water evaporates from a solution, making it super-saturated (in this case, too many minerals for the water to hold as the water evaporates). Since not all of the minerals will “fit” into the remaining water, they separate and attach to whatever they can—like the crystals attached to our base materials last time.
Today we mixed a saturated solution of borax and hot water. Students practiced using measuring cups and measuring spoons, and created a “skeleton” for the crystals to form on as the water evaporates and the solution becomes super-saturated. We won’t tell you more, so you can be surprised next week!
We finished the day learning a new type of brainwork—Sudoku. The second-grade Sudoku puzzles only have six spaces per line, column, and group, rather than the nine you are used to seeing. The Sudoku puzzles the kids get first use pictures instead of numbers. As in any Sudoku, each shape or number must be used only once within each row, column, or group.
Have a great week!
Kathy & Jen
December 19, 2012 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
We then were able to look at the crystal snowflakes we made at our last session. They turned out so beautifully!
Next we were able to look at one of the crystals we made from the borax on our new big classroom screen, using Mrs. Smith’s hand-held microscope, the Eyeclops. We also looked at salt and sugar crystals, baking soda, and other non-crystal items such as flour, fabric, and our own hair!
Mrs. Slack met with each student today to see how s/he is working toward his/her brainwork goal. Then the kids collected the number of new pieces of brainwork to be completed before the end of January. (These are now in their PALS folders.) Holiday Break is a great time to get a good chunk of these done.
Mrs. Slack then taught the kids a different type of Sudoku, this time using numbers instead of pictures. With the second-graders, we will continue to use blocks, rows, and columns of six spaces rather than nine, to keep the difficulty at a reasonable level.
We finished the afternoon making two types of folded books, one in which the kids will draw and write about what they learned about crystals in PALS. The second book will be used with our new unit of study.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season with your families!
Sincerely,
Kathy & Jen
*Our next session will be on the day we return from Holiday Break, January 2.
January 2, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
Welcome back! We hope you had a relaxing and fun break, and that you weren’t without power for 3 days like Mrs. Smith! :-)
Mrs. Slack then taught the kids a new type of brainwork: a new type of logic puzzle in which a short list of clues are given to solve a mystery, such as which person is wearing what color hat and drives what kind of car. A grid is then used to eliminate possibilities as the clues are read and reread. Within the grid, items are crossed off until only one solution is left.
Next, we discussed the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Students gave examples of each, and talked about water and its forms in different states. We talked about how matter can change from one state to another due to temperature, etc.
We then watched a short video on making crayons in a factory. It showed how the pigment-tinted wax is heated to change from a solid to a liquid, and then cooled again to form solid crayons. Each student will have the chance to “make” his own crayons using Mrs. Slack’s crayon maker. Old crayons bits are put into the machine, which has a light-bulb heater inside and a mold.
While the crayon maker was humming, Mrs. Slack got the kids started on solving a mystery, “The Lost Backpack”. This mystery involves reading passages, discovering clues, and completing a variety of logic puzzle pages to eventually solve the case. Students completed the first section of the mystery today.
Finally, the kids continued work on the crystal books they folded last week. They began with the first page, describing how crystals are formed.
Sincerely,
Kathy & Jen
*Brainwork goals for this group are due to be met on Wednesday, January 30. Please check in with your child as that day approaches to see how s/he is progressing toward his/her goal.
January 23, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks.
For our affective activity this afternoon, students were each given a chain of paper clips and two pencils. Using only the pencils (no fingers!), and without bending the paperclips, each student had to separate each paperclip in his/her chain. It proved to be a fun challenge!
Mrs. Slack then taught the kids two new types of brainwork. The first was a logic puzzle in which a seating arrangement around a table must be determined. A series of clues are given, such as: Bill sits to the right of Jan; Jan sits across from Karlo. The second type of brainwork was Line Puzzles. This is another variation of the logic puzzle in which a list is put in order from biggest to smallest, first to last, etc. A short list of clues is given in order to narrow the possibilities and come up with the solution.
The kids then worked on their crystal books. We are planning on sharing these with Mr. Donaldson when they are complete. He is excited to find out all we have learned!
Sincerely,
Kathy & Jen
*Brainwork goals for this group are due to be met next Wednesday, January 30. Please help your child remember his/her folder that day.
February 6, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Scrapbooks, and the February "Sketch and Tell".
Mrs. Slack conferenced briefly with each student to see how s/he did in meeting his/her brainwork goal for the first half of the year. All of the kids in this afternoon's group met or exceeded their goals. “Great job”, kids!
While all this was happening, the kids also took turns using our new cotton candy machine to make themselves a little treat!
We finished our session by continuing work on our Animal Flip Books.
We received the results of the Detroit News "Yak's Corner" Favorite Book Character Contest today. We again have a handful of winners from PALS in this state-wide competition. Unfortunately, none of our award recipients this year are second graders. We are very proud of the effort and time all our students put into their artwork for this contest! We are certain they all improved their drawing skills in the process.
Sincerely,
Kathy & Jen
There is no PALS next week. Mrs. Slack will be working with small groups in all elementary buildings. Our next session will be Wednesday, February 20.
February 27, 2013 Hello parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, Scrapbooks, and finishing the February "Sketch and Tell".
Next, the kids worked on our “Sink and Float” unit. Buoyancy is our new word for float. Students made a list of five objects they thought would be buoyant, and five they thought would not be buoyant. They then tested their predictions, or hypotheses. We also learned the definitions of matter: anything that takes up space; and mass: the amount of matter in an object. The kids added these definitions to their poof books and illustrated their meanings.
Sincerely,
Kathy & Jen
March 6, 2013 Hi parents,
We started today by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks If students do not have scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell, which includes changing reflection and illustration pieces.
Today we "warmed up" with a couple of physical balancing activities. It is always a good exercise (no pun intended ;-) to use a simple game to practice honesty (The kids had to take themselves out of the game if they lost their balance), being gracious winners or losers, and realizing one cannot be the best at everything, and that's okay!
The kids then tested what they have learned about buoyancy by building clay boats and testing them on water. Each student measured out an equal amount of modeling clay using a balance. Each then had a set time to mold a vessel in which he would place as many identical plastic cubes as possible before the ship would sink. In the first round, we had a range from zero to 175 cubes.
Next, we took time to discuss what was successful and not successful in the designs of each boat. We reviewed how ship (or any object) sinks if the weight of ship is greater than the weight of the water it displaces (pushes away). One way to help an object float is to spread its weight out over a large area, so less water is displaced.
The students were then asked to design completely different boats, attempting to "beat" the number of cubes they were able to hold the first time. I can't remember the exact number, but I believe one student's boat held over 200 cubes!
Again, another important part of this type of lesson is to help the children be comfortable trying new things and taking chances. They are able to experience some setbacks in an emotionally safe environment, and see that it is O.K. to "fail" sometimes--that it is part of learning, and doesn't reflect on their intelligence or value as a people. Science is a great avenue for these important lessons, as trial and error are at the foundation of the scientific method.
Have a great week!
Kathy & Jen
*There is no PALS next week. Mrs. Slack is traveling to all elementaries for small groups. Our next session will be Wednesday, March 20.
**Mrs. Slack will be available on a drop-in basis for PALS conferences at Sheridan on Tuesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 14, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. If you would prefer to speak with Mrs. Slack via email or over the phone, that is fine as well. Be assured that she will always contact you if there are concerns that need attention.
Kathy & Jen
March 27, 2013 Hi parents,
We only had a couple of students with us this morning, due to field trips, Music Informances, and vacation-goers.
We started this afternoon with a Mind Zap! A chemistry professor, "Professor C", from NCMC came to Sheridan to lead the students in making three types of goop and slime--known chemically as polymers. They got to make "gum slime", "glue balls", and "diaper slime". These experiments involved dissolving substances in water to create solutions, and then adding another ingredient to each solution to create polymers that have qualities of both solids and liquids.
We next rotated through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have new scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell.
Mrs. Slack then taught the kids several new types of Brainwork so they could have more choices for the remainder of the year.
Throughout the afternoon, Mrs. Slack met with students individually to see how they are coming along on their brainwork goals. All students should now have in their PALS folders the number of brainwork pieces needed to meet their spring goals. Spring Break is a great time to get some of these done!
Oh, and the kids each made their own cotton candy this afternoon :-) .
Have a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break!
Kathy & Jen
April 10, 2013 Hi parents,
We started this afternoon by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have new scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell.
The students then finished their Sink and Float books. They defined and illustrated density to add to their books.
Mrs. Slack then taught the remainder of the brainwork types for the year. You may want to check with your child to see how s/he's doing in working toward his/her goal.
We finished the afternoon by looking at the eggs that arrived for our next ongoing project. We will be studying birds, and today we received a set of nine Ringneck Pheasant eggs in the mail. Their incubation period (in a small automatic incubator we have) is 23-28 days. Any day now we should also receive 12 Bobwhite Quail eggs. We will hatch these in our classroom, and when they are old enough, we will be sending them to a nice farm home of an Ottawa teacher.
Kathy & Jen
April 17, 2013 Hi parents,
We started Wednesday by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have new scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell.
Next, we did some bird study. We began by looking through a variety of bird guide books, each child choosing a bird to share which they thought had interesting features. We focused on the beaks and feet, and what they could tell us about the bird's diet and where they might live. For example, a bird with a short, sturdy beak might be able to crack open seeds, while a bird with a sharp, hooked beak might be adapted to tear meat, etc. A bird who has long, skinny, bare legs might be adapted for walking in water, while a bird with thick, long talons, is likely to catch prey to eat.
We then did a neat activity to demonstrate how different beaks are adapted to eat different food. Each student was given a "stomach" (plastic cup), and a beak (a spoon, tweezers, or a chopstick). The kids were given thirty seconds to try and "eat" each type of food (marbles, pennies, toothpicks, and marshmallows). Students recorded their results, and then we graphed our total results as a class. We found that our tweezer beaks were the most versatile--they were good at eating all the types of food, while the chopstick beak was only effective at eating the marshmallows. We discussed how our results reflect real birds: for instance, a hummingbird's straw-like beak is only good for sipping nectar, while a a Blue Jay's sturdy, pointed, more versatile beak can be used to crack nuts, eat fruit, insects, and even eggs or nestlings.
We also have a new addition to our classroom. The second-graders are going to be studying birds, so we will be incubating both Ringneck Pheasant and Bobwhite Quail eggs! The kids got a chance to see the pheasant eggs today, which will be going into the incubator this afternoon. This set of eggs should hatch between 23 and 28 days. The quail eggs have not yet arrived. When the chicks are old enough, they will be going to the nice farm home of an Ottawa teacher.
We have received a few permission slips for our May 1 field trip to Empire. This is coming up quick! Please send in these completed forms and money as soon as possible.
April 24, 2013 Hi parents,
We started Wednesday by rotating through our PALS stations—Brainwork, Brain Activities, and Scrapbooks. If students do not have new scrapbook photos to write about, they are working on the monthly Sketch and Tell.
Next, we reviewed what we learned last week about bird adaptations--how their bodies, specifically their feet, beaks, and feathers, are equipped to fit their particular habitats and diets. We then read some interesting information on the Piping Plover, whom we hope to see at Sleeping Bear Dunes next week. One fact that was surprising to me is that there are currently fewer than 5000 individuals of this species left in the world!
We looked through the beginner bird guide books we will be using on our field trip, so that we would know how they work, as well as to help us with today's project, "Invent a Bird". Each student was given a bird body to cut out, along with a selection of heads, beaks, legs and feet, and tails. S/he was able to select different body parts to make his/her own bird species. Once the bird was glued on a poster, the student had to draw a background habitat and food source that would fit their chosen adaptations. They did a great job, and really seemed to "get" it!
If finished with their birds, kids then began work on their Junior Ranger packets for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. They will work on these during our car ride to Empire next week, and we will finish the eight required activities at the park. Once these are completed, the kids will be sworn in as Junior Rangers at the park, and will receive a patch or badge, plus a certificate!
We plan on making the trip next week, rain or shine. Please be sure your child has layers of warm clothing, rain gear, and appropriate footwear for the weather. Also, if s/he would like to bring binoculars and/or a camera (and you trust him/her with it :-) , that is fine. We will take our own photos for scrapbooks as well, and will have enough binoculars for partners to share.
Kathy & Jen
May 8, 2013 Hi parents,
What a great trip we had last Wednesday! Thank you to all the generous parents who came along and/or drove. We were so fortunate to have such knowledgeable people spend time with us to teach us a little of what they know--Ms. Lessard at Wings of Wonder bird rescue, as well as the biologists who guided us to Piping Plovers at Sleeping Bear Dunes. What a treat to see both a male and female bird! We hope you enjoyed the birds and scenery as much as we did. If you were unable to join us, both places are well worth a summer drive!
Today, we began the morning rotating through stations. Next, the kids got to get out the owl pellets (vomit containing the hair and bones of the prey eaten by the owl) given to us at Wings of Wonder. Using a detailed chart of a rodent skeleton, students dissected the pellet, uncovering the bones within, and attempting to reassemble them. Most skeletons were incomplete, due to broken bones or the bird not eating the entire animal. If that was the case, the student assembled the skeleton of an imaginary animal of his/her choice, glued it to a black sheet of paper, and gave the "new species" a name.
Our final activity of the day was...BUBBLES! The kids finally got to test our three bubble solutions to see whose predictions were right about which would make the biggest bubbles--Ajax, Dawn, or Meijer brand. They first built geometric shapes using Zometools--hard to describe, but really cool. You can check them out on the internet. These were then used as bubble wands by dipping them into the different bubble solutions to make super interesting bubble shapes. The students also blew into the bubble tools to see which solution made the biggest bubbles.
Many of our eggs have hatched! Mrs. Smith came to check on the eggs Sunday night, knowing they were getting close. She came in to one pheasant already hatched (These were supposed to hatch after the quail, not before!). She then rushed to Meijer to buy light bulbs to heat the brooders (where the tiny chicks will spend some time growing). When she returned, she got to watch another pheasant hatch, and noticed several more eggs, including some of the quail, moving! By 1:00 am, she was tired of waiting, and just plain tired, and went home. Monday morning Mrs. Smith came in to find seven baby quail and five baby pheasant! Another pheasant and quail hatched Monday morning with the kids watching. Several more quail and pheasant have hatched since. What fun! There are still six eggs unhatched. We will give these one more day in the incubator, and then they will be considered duds and discarded. At the end of class today, each child got to hold one of the baby pheasants :-)
Brainwork goals are due to be met next week. Please help your child remember his/her PALS folder.
Kathy & Jen
*If your child did not finish his/her Junior Ranger packet (8 activities needed to be completed.), we have the badges and certificates in our classroom. If s/he would like these awards, s/he may bring in the completed packet (which was sent home last week following our field trip) to PALS next week, and we will happily bestow their spoils.
**Next week is our last PALS session of the year. We would like to celebrate a great year by sharing some yummy food to graze on while we work.
I have attached a document with one item for each child to bring. If the item chosen really doesn't work for you, please feel free to substitute another healthy food item.
***News of our annual PALS Spring Open House will be sent to you soon.
May 15, 2013 Hi parents,
We spent Wednesday wrapping up various projects we have worked on throughout the year. This is the last week of PALS for this school year :-( We enjoyed some yummy snacks (Thank you, kids and parents!) while we worked.
Our chicks have gone to their new home on the farm. They all had feathers growing on their wings, and the pheasants, especially, were trying to get out of their enclosures. Mrs. Smith came in to clean their houses on Saturday to find the light on in the room. (It turns on by motion sensor.) After much crawling around and peeping from the little escapee, s/he was found shivering behind the toilet in the class bathroom. The little chick was fine, and the window of the brooder was taped shut :-)
Information will be coming soon about our annual PALS Open House. We had chosen a day, but we have a group who will be gone on an overnight field trip that day, so we are rescheduling. We'll email invitations as soon as possible.
Thanks for sharing your kiddos with us this year. They are amazing!
Kathy & Jen
Kathy Slack
Elementary Enrichment Coordinator/Teacher
Sheridan Elementary School
348-2226
Woohoo! Hi again parents,
We forgot to add, the second-graders nearly all met or exceeded their Brainwork goals this time. Great job, kids!
Jen & Kathy
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