Fall in Love with Reading!

We hosted a dessert party for our second grade reading buddies on Friday. Fifth graders brought their favorite picture book to share over some yummy baked goods. We had a great time, and I think everyone left with a very full stomach and a deeper appreciation of reading!

Taxiation Without Representation!

It was the patriot James Otis that said, "Taxation without representation is tyranny," but you could hear the cries of my fifth graders as they had to hand over their earnings to the tax collector on Thursday. They were given M&Ms (which is as good as gold in the world of a child), and when the tax collector (Maggie) came by, it was time to pay up! The students were taxed on tea, documents (Stamp Act), and sugar. It was a great exercise to model the frustration the patriots were feeling!

Newton in a Nutshell

We love Sir Isaac Newton! Although his Laws of Motion surround us all the time, we took a deeper look at these concepts this week. Ask your child to share with you Newton's Laws of Motion. If you are a bad driver, you child might even talk to you about inertia!

A Valentine Thank You!

We teamed up with our reading buddies to make heartfelt Valentines to be sent to two heroes. Cassie's and Mia's uncles are both serving our country, and we took this opportunity to say thank you! We can't repay them for their service, but we can keep them close to our hearts!

Let's Play...$25,000 Pyramid!

On Friday we reviewed some science vocabulary the $25,000 pyramid way! Students didn't know what vocab word they had, so they had to rely on the knowledge of their classmates. It was a fun way to review some terms, and of course to get out of our seats!

Science Night with the Mag Lab

A big thanks to Mrs. Crowell and the Mag Lab for organizing a night full of scientific discovery! We had a great time and can't wait for the Mag Lab Open House on Saturday, February 21st! Check out their website at www.magnet.fsu.edu.

Our Own Boston Tea Party

Mrs. Krause's kindergarten friends joined us as we dressed in disguises and brewed up some tea as we read about the Boston Tea Party. On a cold Boston night in December 1773, the Sons of Liberty burst out of a meeting with the burning desire of freedom on their minds and in their hearts. They dressed as Mohawk Indians and boarded three ships from London anchored in Griffin's Wharf. They emptied 342 crates of East India Company tea into the harbor, staining the water brown. It is reported that the British Admiral Montague spied on from the window of his room, and as the rowdy patriots passed he yelled, "Well boys, you have had a fine, pleasant evening for your Indian caper, haven't you? But mind, you have got to pay the fiddler yet!"

That was the end of the party for the patriots. They entered into an almost ten year war with the British. In the end the patriots prevailed and as they say, "The rest is history."