Today we explored smell in our study of the five senses. Students smelled scented cotton in four jars and guessed what scent each one was: coffee, grapefruit, apple soap, or garlic. The garlic was pretty potent and the least favorite. Later we talked about ways our sense of smell helps keeps us safe. Some of the ideas we thought of were smelling fire and smelling bad food. Amy also noted that animals rely on their sense of smell to detect danger and protect their young.

During choice time over the last few weeks many students have been choosing to read or continue with writer's workshop. I love that these are things they are enjoying so much that they choose to do them during free time.

We had another fabulous ski today. Our loop in the field was a little longer and a little faster. If the weather allows maybe we get even farther next week!

We had a fantastic trip to the Flynn. Everyone did a great job of being patient and respectful both on the bus and in the theater. We had front row seats which made for a truly memorable experience!

Today we reviewed the Dr. Seuss stories we have read and talked about the messages in them. We noticed the themes of be nice, respect others, respect differences, and be yourself, came up over and over. We will be paying attention for these themes in tomorrow's show as well.

We will leave just after 8:00 tomorrow. Please make sure your child is here!

We will be missing snack time at school, but students will have an opportunity to have a simple snack on the bus. It would be great if you could send something very manageable and not too messy- a snack bar or something similar.

Yesterday we continued with the five senses, exploring sound. We played sound bingo using a CD of various everyday sounds and pictures to match. For some reason both my own children and the students in the class really love the baby laughing! Then each student was given a jar with an item in it. They needed to find a classroom with the same item in his jar using their sense of hearing. We then talked about examples of when our sense of hearing helps us or is particularly important.

We continued playing the game One More, One Fewer today, with students working on various levels. Some use dice with different numbers, while some changed the game to Ten More, Ten Fewer. It is fascinating to watch how they approach this task and to follow the different thought processes. To adults the concepts of one more or one fewer can seem quite simple, but to students just learning about numbers, even those who count adeptly, there is a lot of heavy thinking involved.

We had a fabulous ski today. I was a bit nervous about the logistics of this, but everyone did a fantastic job. I was particularly pleased with the independence and enthusiasm shown by everyone.

Today we finished upper case letters up to W. We will hopefully get in X, Y, and Z this week as well.

Today students started illustrating their retellings of The Mitten. We also played a game called One More, One Fewer, which provides further practice with the symbols and concepts of addition and subtraction. Some students had or will have the opportunity to play this by adding and subtracting ten. Two groups began planning their skits for our friendship video projects. The other two groups will work on this tomorrow. The class learned a new song in library that seemed to be in everyone's heads upon their return, so we sang it again when they came back! Perhaps your child can sing it with you too . The chorus begins, "I jumped aboard a sailing ship and the captain said to me..." We read the book Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss in anticipation of next week's Flynn field trip.

Thursday's menu has been changed to pizza.

Please remember we will be going to the Flynn Theater in Burlington next Tuesday, January 25th. We will leave around 8:30 and should be back in time for lunch.

Yesterday as part of our five senses study we explored the sense of touch. Students worked their way around the room feeling eight every day objects inside bags, using their sense of touch to identify these. We then discussed ways in which our sense of touch helps us and instances when it is particularly important, such as sensing heat. Today we did an experiment that involved an illusion of touch. One bucket was filled with icy cold water, one with hot water, and one with room temperature water. Students put one hand in the ice water and one in the hot water for about a minute. Then they submerged both hands in the room temperature water. Ask them to tell you what they experienced.

Over the last few weeks we have read multiple versions of the Ukrainian folktale The Mitten. Today we did our own retelling, which the students will use to make their own Mitten books.

All students should meet their classes in the gym at 6:25 p.m. this evening. Our concert will begin at 6:30. See you then!

Each morning students have been signing in. This entails writing their names using an upper case letter to start, followed by lower case letters, and writing the date with numbers. Today's date was an interesting one! Next they fill in the corresponding number on a January calendar, and complete a weather graph.

We have covered upper case letters through p and will finish the alphabet in the next couple of weeks. I have stressed to the class the importance of always forming their letters the correct way so they don't form habits that will have to be unlearned later. We have been reviewing correct number formation as well.

In math we have been working on addition. Most students have been working with small numbers and two addends, while some have been working with larger quantities or three addends. We also learned a new game today, Racing Bears, which provides more practice with compliments to ten, as well as work decomposing numbers 1-6.

Tomorrow instead of work stations we will be having a school wide rehearsal for our winter concert, which is on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m.

We were very busy this week! As part of our study of five senses we talked about the eye and sense of sight. Students worked in small groups to briefly experience the world without sight, leading each other around with blindfolds. They also had an opportunity to watch the iris in action, watching a partner's eyes as the lights in a dark room were turned on- hopefully everyone was able to see their partner's pupil constrict as the room brightened.

Today we did a whole class response to literature using the book Prize In The Snow, by Bill Easerling. Our focus was how the boy in the story changed from the beginning to the end of the book.

We have continued to have discussions daily about what it means to be a good friend: being kind, sharing, helping others, and including others. We have also been looking for examples of friendship in books we have read. Today we read The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss and had a great discussion about differences.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful week.

The next seven weeks will be very busy. There is a lot going on in our classroom as well as school wide. Next week, on the evening of Thursday, January 13th is the winter concert for the whole school. This begins at 6:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, January 25th we will be traveling to the Flynn Theater in Burlington to see the show Seussical the Musical, based on the stories of Dr. Seuss. In the mean time we will be reading many of his books in preparation for this event.

There is also an African dance residency planned for the week of February 14th-18th. I will share more details about this as the date gets closer.

We will be continuing our study of the five senses and also learn about states of matter for science.

For social studies we will work on a unit on friendship. For this students will work in small groups to complete a video project about friendship.

I am also hoping to squeeze in a few sessions of cross country skiing. We have just enough equipment for everyone. Hopefully we will get more snow soon!