Another week of learning in the books!

This week was filled with high energy learning, starting with our "war" for STEM day. Your Loons took on the challenge of building popsicle stick catapults, strategizing and building walls to stop intruders. This is building off of our beginnings of the unification of European countries during the medieval times. Unfortunately, there was a lot of war, which the Loons discussed why there are wars to begin with. Discuss with your Loon how their "armies" did and why they were either successful or were conquered.

Your Loons are doing a great job at balancing geometry and normal math. Your Loons created different angles with tape and started to color them in. This is going to build into learning how to measure angles and eventually how to find the missing angle when only given two angle measurements. Math lessons this week were experimenting with a different type of assessment to get more word problems and an assessment that will show what they really know.

For ELA, your Loons presented their New Hampshire animal. They shared interesting facts such as a moose's nostrils can actually change the cold temperature air into warm before the air reaches their lungs, and that raccoons did not exist in medieval Europe until they were introduced in the 1900s. Ask your Loon about their favorite fact and why being able to present is important.

In science, your Loon learned about the different ancestors of humans. They compared the different bones that have been discovered as well as discussed the differences in not only the bones but their life styles as well. Ask your Loon about what scientists believe happened to Lucy.

With the thaw that is occuring, please have your Loon wearing boots upon their arrival with a change of sneakers (for those who want to play sports in the parking lot) and a change of socks and clothes. Fort Creek is messy with mud, puddles and sometimes a higher creek that they LOVE to play in.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Math: Everyone-measuring angles

• 4th years- Understanding different types of graphs
• 5th years- Fractions
• 6th years- Ratios

ELA:

• Finishing presentations
• Introduction to Myths

Social Studies:

• Continuing of the unification of medieval European countries

Science-

• Human migration

Happy St. Paddy's week and Spring Equinox!

Your Loon's were extremely busy with learning about St. Patrick, practicing their argument/debating skills, prepping snacks, and so much more.

In math, your fourth and fifth years are revisiting past lessons to master their skills before moving forward in their math. Sixth years wrapped up their lessons on fractions and decimals. Have your Loons share their math skills with you; what they are struggling with and what they feel most confident in.

In ELA, we are wrapping up our poetry study. We practiced rhymes and different patterns for rhyming. Your Loon will be applying these new poetry skills in a poem about their New Hampshire animal. Speaking of which, their animal presentation is due this Friday! Discuss with your Loon what this presentation requires and what they have learned so far about their animals.

For social studies, we learned about St. Patrick and why he is so important to the Irish culture. We discussed how the celebration started in Ireland and then compared some of the American traditions for St. Patrick. This was a great opener to our next focus in social studies about monasteries and convents and the significant role they played in medieval Europe, plus the influence they had on education, libraries and hospitals. Ask your Loon their favorite fact on American St. Paddy's day tradition.

Lastly, in science, your Loons discussed megafauna and some theories as to why the majority of megafauna has gone extinct. Ask your Loon what megafauna we still have today!

Some quick reminders! As the weather is warming up, Fort Creek is becoming an icy, muddy mess. Please help your Loon come to school with winter boots/boots with spikes so they can travel safely through our outdoor spaces. Sneakers are absolutely welcome for parking lot play, but boots are still a must. Also, another reminder to help your Loons bring in their indoor shoes. Your Loons are growing like spring flowers and may need a bigger pair. Lastly, your Loons have been extra hungry. Have them pack an extra snack or two to help them get through the day.

For your calendars:

• Please make sure your child is coming to school with a full water bottle each day. UE/MS Bring sneakers for parking lot play.

• Mar. 26 Staff In-Service Day- Half day: Dismissal at 11:45am

• March 28 Sign ups go out for Student Led Conferences

• Apr. 2 FC Meeting 3:15 in Brook Trout classroom

• Apr. 12 Campus Clean Up (9am-1pm)... A fun way to get a few Volunteer Hours!

• Please remember to go to the Office if late or if you need to drop off something. Do not just go into a classroom. Thanks!

• Looking for a way to tackle your 40 volunteer hours? Have a talent to share? Interested in running a club after school on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30? Please reach out to Family Committee (mvcsfamilycommittee@gmail.com). Thanks!

Math:

• 4th and 5th years: Continue reviewing
• 6th years: Assessment

ELA:

• Finishing poetry unit-Observing different types of poems such as sonnets and haikus

Social Studies:

• Monasteries and convent lesson

Science:

• Animal comparisons

Presentation due on Friday

What beautiful weather we have been experiencing! We are all hoping that it stays!

For math, your fourth and fifth years completed their math assessments. Your Loons have been advocating to work more on math facts. Here is a link that they have enjoyed using in the past: https://toytheater.com/math-flash-cards/ if you would like to have them work on at home. The sixth years have worked on dividing decimals, learning two different methods. Have your Loons show you how to divide decimals using the two different methods.

In ELA, we moved forward in our poetry unit by observing a poem in hyperbole, creating our own hyperbole poem and then also working on personification. Discuss with your Loon what hyperbole and personification is and come up with your own family poem using these literary devices. We also started our current event work. Ask your Loon about the article they read and why they think that the information they gathered is important to know.

In social studies, your Loons performed a skit about the different groups of the feudal system of medieval Europe. We then moved onto observing the Justinian Code and the Bill of Rights in the United States. Your Loon was then tasked to create a Bill of Rights for children. Did you know that there is not a living document for children's rights? Ask your Loon about some of the rights they came up with.

Some friendly reminders! As the weather (hopefully continues) to warm up, please help your Loon have the outdoor gear they will need as well as a change of clothes, including socks! Also, I have noticed an uptick and hunger. Have your Loon pack additional snacks to help them get through the day, and if you need any help with this, please do not hesitate to reach out. They are growing so fast!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thank you all for coming to exhibition!

Can you believe this whole idea happened because of a simple index card and some scissors? Our journey with our Wednesday STEM day led your Loons to discovering Rube Goldberg and his silly inventive comic column. Unbeknownst to them, they were learning the WHOLE time; not only science and engineering, problem solving and how to observe, but also how to collect data and create visual data charts and how impossibility is a mindset. Sure, pigs can’t fly on their own, but they can take to the skies in an invention that has been created because someone dared to dream. What a journey it has been, and one that I can’t wait to continue sharing with the Loons and yourselves as we move forward with Wednesday STEM day.

Have a wonderful vacation and see you all in March!

In math, we played "math spoons." In groups, your Loons worked together to answer review questions on rounding, prime and composite numbers, multiplication, division and fractions. Ask your Loons how the game is played and how they think they did.

In ELA, we worked on how to write opinions without using first person terminology. Ask your Loons how to do this.

For exhibition work, your Loon learned about biomimicry. Discuss with your Loon what biomimicry is and come up with different examples of biomimicry in our lives.

For science, your Loon ran their experiment. Ask your Loon how it went and how they measured their experiment.

For our service work, your Loon was asked to research about wildfires and to look into materials that those in California may need. We will be collecting resources soon.

Just a friendly reminder to help your Loons be dressed for the weather. This week does appear to have some colder mornings and having gear for the weather will help your Loon stay warm.

Have a fabulous rest of your weekend!

ELA- Mock trial work and essay introduction

Social Studies-Middle Ages study

Science-experiment work

Exhibition work-collecting data, measuring and graphing/charting

Math:

• 4th years=Division
• 5th years=
• 6th years=multiplying and dividing fractions

We made it through freezing cold temps and our first full week in 2025!

Your Loons rocked their school week, picking out their Exhibition topic of Rube Goldberg, wrapping up their time in Rome and moving into the Middle/Medieval Ages, picking out a science "fair" lab, and moving forward in math and their ELA. It was a very busy week for your Loons.

In math, we revisited division with multi-digit numbers for the fifth years, multiplying larger numbers with the fourth years, and working with equivalent fractions for the sixth years. Have your Loons show you what they have learned!

In ELA, we are moving forward to our next topic of argumentative writing/essays. Discuss with your Loon the purpose of an argumentative essay and how it is different from a debate. Further, discuss what they noticed in the two essays that they had to study during our ELA lessons.

In Social Studies, your Loons were introduced to the Middle Ages/ Medieval Ages. They are excited to learn about the different wars, plagues, social life, government, the knights and, of course, death and burial. Ask your Loons why this time period exists and how it began.

In science, your Loon will be creating their very own lab to run and test a hypothesis. Ask your Loon what their experiment is going to be, the process that they have to go through and what their hypothesis is.

Our exhibition lessons consisted of who was Rube Goldberg, simple machines, and energy. Ask your Loon about Rube Goldberg, what are simple machines and examples, and what are the different types and classifications of energy. They are extremely excited by this work and I hope they share some of what they are working on with you.

Just a few friendly reminders: Please have your Loons dressed for the weather. It looks like we may enter another cold snap and our mornings are pretty cold out in the woods. MVCS families are asked to volunteer for 50 hours to help our community.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Math:

• Fourth years- multidigit by multidigit multiplication
• Fifth years- PEMDAS
• Sixth years- adding and subtracting fractions

Social Studies: Medieval study continued

Science: Science fair continued

Exhibition lessons and work continued

What a busy, energy filled week!

In social studies, we wrapped up the fall of the Roman empire as well as working on their biographies of an influential person during ancient Roman. Discuss with your Loons how far the Roman Empire expanded and what happened to help the empire fall. Further discuss with your Loon what they have learned about their person so far.

In math, fourth years covered multiplying mult-idigit numbers by a single digit number; fifth years worked on dividing mult-idigit numbers by a double digit numbers and sixth years worked on dividing fractions. Have your Loon practice their new skills with you, sharing the new way for division that we are working on.

One assignment that is a big and fun hit currently is the holiday assignment. Have your Loon tell you all about the holiday that they chose, what their plan is for their display and see if they need any materials for their creations.

Lastly, our field trip/field study was exciting! Your Loons walked about two miles in the snow to witness the magic and power of mother nature. Your Loons were able to witness bolder deposits, see the notch and discuss it's formation and discuss the history of a bridge in the gorge. They played in small caves, observed the gorge, laughed and wondered. It was a fabulous trip!

It was wonderful to see and connect with you all yesterday during parent teacher conferences. Stay warm over this very cold weekend!

This upcoming week is a wrap up of our last assignments. We have the biography final draft due Wednesday. The holiday assignment is also due Wednesday. Also, our Loon holiday/winter/end of 2024 celebration will be taking place Wednesday morning!

Monday is our Secret Santa!

Tuesday is our last soup day!

Don't forget about Winter Solstice on Thursday night! Bundle up!!!!

Friday is a half day and then we are on winter break!

For this short week, the Loons focused on learning the history of Thanksgiving. Discuss with your Loon what they have learned about the history of Thanksgiving. They also had the opportunity to listen to three different books: The Trail of Tears, We are Water Protectors, and When I was Eight.

Your Loons also practiced survival skills out in the woods using their knowledge about finding or creating a shelter, gathering wood, finding a water source, and creating a water filter. Ask your Loon how they did out in the woods.

Lastly, for Wednesday STEM day, your Loon was able to construct two different paper airplanes, one out of printer paper and one out of construction paper. Ask your Loon which paper did better in flight.

Coming up this week, your fourth years and sixth years will be reviewing what they have learned in math and taking an assessment. Your fifth years will be working on dividing by 10s, 100s and 1,000s. In ELA your Loons will be getting an assignment where they will choose a celebration from a different country and researching and creating a visual for a small presentation. Then, in Social Studies, your Loon will be researching and writing a biography about an ancient Roman.

Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

Thanksgiving vacation vibes are here!

Fourth years covered multiples and common multiples of numbers. Fifth years covered multiplication of multi-digit numbers by double digit numbers. Sixth years covered absolute value of a number. Have your Loons give you a mini lesson on how to find the multiples of a number, multiplying a multi-digit by a double digit number or how to find the absolute value of a number.

In Language, your Loons worked on the different tenses of a verb, annotating a text and are starting their book study book! The fourth years are reading Morning Girl. Ask your fourth year of the characters they have met so far. The fifth years are reading Island of the Blue Dolphins. Ask your fifth year about the character they have met in the book. Lastly, your sixth year is reading Indian No More. Ask your sixth year about what the main character thinks makes someone "indian." Finally, discuss with your Loon what they have learned about the different tribes that these books are based on.

In science, your Loon wrapped up citations and labeling rock cycles. As a fun little hands on activity, your Loon chose a group and a rock cycle to visually create. As your Loon which rock cycle they chose and what they did to create a visual.

Social studies covered what the ancient Roman Republic looked like. Ask your Loon about the structure of this type of government and why it was unlike any other government during this time. Also, discuss how the structure of the republic is similar and different from the American government.

Wednesday STEM day, as always, was a blast. Your Loon was challenged with a group activity of drawing a house. This looked like string tied to a marker and your Loons working together as one to move the marker to draw. Ask your Loon what went well for them during this activity and how their team worked together to create a drawing of a house.

Our word of the week was dithyrambic. Ask your Loon if they remember what this word means.

Lastly, soup day Tuesday was a hit! Thank you for helping me put this together in a short amount of time. Even with our field trip on Tuesday, your Loon will get some soup to warm their soul upon their return.

Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

With this week being short, your Loon will participate in a Nature Connection day where we will be going out into the woods to play "Survivor." They will have to find a place to create a shelter. Further, your Loon will learn how to make a water filter from a plastic bottle and try their hand at tying knots. We will also be using Blooket to cover what they have already learned in Nature Connection and science.

Tuesday is our field trip. Please remember to pack your Loon a lunch that does not have to be heated up, water, and have them dress for the cold. From what has been heard, Franconia Notch is already in her winter stage.

On Wednesday we will be crafting and making ornaments. Also, Wednesday is a half day!

Were you able to check out the full moon this week?!

Math had your Loons busy with fourth years covering factors, fifth years working on powers of ten and sixth years working on negative numbers. Have your fourth years break down the number 18 into its factors and the number 24. Then have your fourth years show you the common factors and the greatest common factor of both numbers. Fifth year families, have your Loon make an equation to solve with ten to the power of two or three (then challenge them with a higher exponent...please keep the ten as the base of the exponent). Then, sixth year families, talk to your Loon about negative numbers and where they can find negative numbers in the world.

For language we reviewed strong paragraph structure as well as historical fiction. Discuss with your Loon what historical fiction is and ask them about the indigenous peoples they have to research (the assignment is in google classroom). We are hoping to start our book study this week!

In science your Loon learned about the three different ways that rocks are formed and the life cycle of rocks. Ask your Loon about the igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and their life process. Also, have your Loon figure out where these types of rocks can be found in the world.

In social studies we discussed the Period of Kings, how legends may hold some truth and how the Romans overthrew the last monarch to then create the Republic. Discuss with your Loon some of the legends they learned about and how some of it may be true, such as how Romulus may not have been an actual person but may have characteristics that have been pulled from a leader during this time. Also, discuss why the Romans overthrew the monarch Superbus.

Wednesday STEM day was a day of building a tower with angel hair pasta and marshmallows. Ask your Loons about what previous knowledge they used to build successful towers that was capable of holding our tiny T-Rex, Mello.

Please remind your Loon to dress warm in the morning! We are heading into colder weather and our mornings are definitely chillier out in the woods.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

This week, your Loons were busy with presentations, learning about how the United States government works, math word problems and learning how to annotate.

For math, talk to your Loons about how word problems are real life math. Ask them how they figure out word problems, such as what information do they need and what words tell them what to do for an equation.

Social studies presentations were beautiful with not just the visual pieces but their ability and skill to present. We covered the Oligarchy, Monarchy, Dictatorship and the Republic. Discuss with your Loon what they learned about each of these government types and which one they believe is best and why. As a mini lesson, we discussed the United States government. Ask your Loon about the three different branches that make up our government and what each branch is responsible for.

In science, your Loon worked on APA citations. They do have a follow up that has been posted in our Google classroom if you would like to take a look at their assignment and be a part of their follow up.

Finally, for Wednesday STEM day, your Loon was challenged with creating a floatation device using only tinfoil. Discuss with your Loon what they learned about boats and the reason why they can float. Also, discuss the different types of floatation devices their peers did and how those worked.

If your Loon hasn't shared with you, every Friday morning I hide a word in our classroom for them to find. Once they find it, we break down the word and try to find what it means through it's Latin or Greek origins. Ask your Loon if they remember any of the words and what they mean. (We have covered logorrhea, irascible and marmoreal).

Have a wonderful extended weekend!

What a week! To get us started off on the right foot, the Loons cleared and prepared our fire pit for the cold mornings that are coming. We observed mushrooms, rotting logs and even discussed how some of our Mountain Village critters seek warmth under the leaves.

Science was exciting with your Loons researching different natural disasters around the world and creating a mini version of a natural disaster. Ask your Loon which natural disaster presentation was their favorite and why.

Social studies brought us back to the different theories of how Rome began. There is the story of Romulus and Remus, but also the archeology discoveries of Etruscans, Greeks and Indo-European people started to settle in Latium, Italy. Ask your Loons why we are unsure about the time period known as the Period of Kings in Rome.

In math, fourth years covered abstract multi-digit multiplication. Have your Loon practice this new skill at home. Fifth years learned the 0 trick in multiplication. Have them show you how it is done! Lastly, the sixth years worked on an assessment. Discuss with your Loon what they felt confident and where they feel like they need more work.

Lastly, in ELA, we worked on creating "juicy" sentences. Your Loons learned how to expand a sentence to make it more interesting and would draw attention to the reader. Have your Loon show you how to add seasonings to a boring sentence.

One more thing, as your Loon about the word logorrhea and the activity they took part in to get us to this word. This activity was a super hit and will be a new Loon learning tradition.

Have a fabulous Sunday!

Can you believe that we just wrapped up week 8 in the Loons?

This shorter week was filled with curiosity, excitement and learning. First, in ELA, your Loons started a small text observation in the different between biographies and autobiographies. Talk to your Loons about the differences they observed and also about their writing assignment. Your Loon has the opportunity to collect information about someone they are interested in learning more about.

In math, the fourth years worked on rounding numbers to the nearest thousand as well as rounding the sum or the difference, and the product or the quotient. Have your fourth year show you the steps to this new skill they are learning. The fifth years had an assessment this week. Ask your fifth year where they felt strongest and where they felt like they need a little more focus. The sixth years worked on cube and cube root of a number. Ask your Loon how to find the cube root without a calculator.

Our weekly favorite: Wednesday STEM day! This week your Loons had the challenge to build a marble roller coaster only using construction paper, scissors and tape. We discussed the skills that they had to use create these roller coasters and how to never give up. Ask your Loons what skills they used to create their roller coasters.

In Nature Connection, your Loons observed a raccoon skull as well as finding a sit spot to observe the changes in nature. Discuss with your Loons what they noticed in their sit spots that is different from their last observations.

Finally, in science, your Loons are moving into natural disasters. Talk to your Loon about the natural disaster they were assigned and what they are creating for a visual of their natural disaster.

Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

This week, your Loons focused a lot on prepping for the goal setting conferences. It was great to see everybody and watch your Loon share their goals for this year with you!

In math, your fourth years took an assessment on everything we have covered so far. This includes place value, adding and subtracting larger numbers, and comparing numbers. The fifth years moved onto rounding and front end estimation with adjustments. Have your fifth year use rounding in an activity such as grocery shopping or measuring for supplies. Your sixth years moved onto square and the square root of numbers.The most exciting part about their lesson....figuring out how to use a calculator to find the square root.

In nature connection, we went on a hike and observed our boulders' locations at Slippery Slope. This tied into our science lesson about glaciers and that rock formations and deposits could potentially be due to glaciers.

In social studies, we traveled to ancient Rome and discussed the two different tellings of how Rome became the civilization that we are learning about today. Discuss with your Loon the two different versions of how Rome came to be.

To wrap up, Wednesday STEM day was another hit. Your Loons broke up into groups to build sky scrapers using only index cards. There were two goals: 1) to build the tallest building and 2) to be stable enough to hold the Incredible Hulk (lego version of course). We discussed the obstacles they observed and challenges they faced. We tied it into everyday life and discussed about even when there are challenges or obstacles, we must not give up. You can do hard things!

Have a WONDERFUL long weekend.

Fall is here! The air is crisp in the morning and the leaves are turning magical! Make sure your Loons have warmer gear for the mornings; we have some nights dipping into the 30s which will mean chilly mornings.

Which brings us to Nature connection! This week, your Loons explored our woods looking for decomposers. Did you know that moss is considered a producer and a decomposer? Ask your Loons what decomposers they found out in our woods.

For a type of Science challenge this week, which also tied into our Wednesday STEM day, your Loons had the choice to research if earth has a second moon (did you know that we will till Novemeber?!) and if there is wind in space. This ties into our STEM challenge of landing a space craft onto an asteroid. The excitement was infectious and they were able to step back and make observations to then better their plan for their space craft. Discuss with your Loons all the skills they used for this activity and how their space crafts work. Also, ask them what they would change about their space craft to improve it.

For math, we slowed down and had a review week on addition and subtraction up to the ten thousands (fourth years), comparing numbers using the skills to put numbers in order from least to greatest and vice versa as well as recognizing number patterns (fifth years). Then, lastly, finding the factors of two numbers with the goal of finding common factors as well as looking at multiples of two numbers with the goal of finding common multiples (sixth years).

In Language, we continued our discussion on informational texts with the focus of biographies and autobiographies. Further, we discussed the difference between primary sources and secondary sources. We are preparing for our first big writing assignment which will cover identifying different resources and developing the skills to write in a formal style. Have your Loons think about someone they want to do short research on to practice their skills of gathering factual information to write a short biography (think of a short bio about an author at the end of a book). This will lead to our bigger writing assignment.

Finally, in Social Studies, we worked on a classroom timeline of ancient civilizations to look at the overlap and that, yes, they developed their versions of writing and the wheel etc at different times. We are FINALLY going to enter ancient Rome on Monday. Your Loons have been front loading their knowledge with a just right for them packet. Ask your Loon about Rome's beginning according to their packet. We will be discussing the legend of Rome's start and then the evidence of how Rome began, comparing legends to research and how legends may have truth to them. This is going to be an exciting unit of study!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and enjoy those fall colors!

Did you know that your Loons worked hard this week in all subjects? They are starting to get the hang of the schedule and what is expected.

Starting off with math, your fourth years are working on adding and subtracting numbers up to the ten thousands. Your fifth years are working on greater than, less than and finding patterns in a list of numbers while the sixth years worked on the difference between factors and multiples, as well as finding the greatest common factors and the greatest common multiples. Discuss with your Loons where these skills can be useful out in the real world.

In ELA, we went over some of the articles that you and your Loons found, playing a game of is it factual or disinformation/misinformation. We also discussed how finding the main idea/purpose of an article or text can help your Loon navigate what they read while researching. Ask your Loon about the article discussing NASA's rescue of the astronauts that were stuck in space, and how they figured out if the article was disinformation, misinformation or fact.

In science, we discussed how the tectonic plates created some of the worlds most beautiful and interesting land forms. Discuss with your Loon the difference between convergent and divergent, how some islands have been formed, and what hot spots are.

For Wednesday STEM day, your Loons worked on creating a bridge using only straws, tape and scissors. The goal was to work together to build a bridge that weight could be added to. This led to a wonderful lesson about how success looks different. Discuss with your Loon about how these bridges were successful in their own ways.

Finally, your Loons were able to present their ancient civilizations to the Black Bears, as well as have a review lesson on what is considered a civilization. This led to a deep conversation about what the definition tells is a civilization, and what they consider a civilization/civilized society looks like. Ask your Loon what they consider a civilized society looks like.

This week looks to be on the warmer side, so make sure your Loon has lots of water and dresses appropriately.

Don't forget to sign up for your Loon's goal setting conference, which is taking place in two weeks on Friday, October 11.

Happy fall!

Another week in the books!

This week in math, your fourth years tackled comparing two numbers and learning how to put numbers in order from greatest to least, and least to greatest. Have your Loon show you their new math skill. Your fifth years worked on writing numbers in expanded form, and further worked on identifying the place and the value of a number. Quiz your Loon using different numbers. Then, your sixth years worked on prime factorization. In other words, your Loon had to break a number down into only prime numbers. Have your sixth year show you how to break down the number 124 into its prime numbers.

We covered a lot in ELA this week. Your Loons focused on identifying pronouns, learned about strong lead sentences, and covered what informational texts are. Ask your Loon which lead they tried in their free write, and why they choose that type. Also, ask your Loon about the news article that was shared and how they determined if it was real or fake.

In science, your Loons learned about the different layers of the earth and discussed tectonic plates. Ask your Loon about which layer of the earth they found most interesting and what their thoughts are about Pangea.

In Nature Connection, your Loons discussed what life would be like without decomposers. Ask your Loon why decomposers are so important to our ecosystem and what life would be like if decomposers didn't exist.

A new excitement has been added this year to the classroom. We will be doing Wednesday STEM day! This Wednesday, your Loon was challenged to fit their whole body through an index card. They were only allowed one index card and scissors. This lead to a further lesson about how things are only impossible if you believe it to be; that there are two choices that one has when faced with something that is difficult: (1) to give up and (2) to persevere through it, even if it takes a long time. The "table talks" that were overheard were incredible!

Finally, don't forget to sign up for Goal Setting conferences, which are taking place on October 11.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

What a busy week!

Your Loons are starting to get the hang of our daily routine! With math lessons, ELA lessons, science, nature connnection, social studies, art and music, your Loons rocked it.

As a whole group, your Loons revisited place value and built their skills up to identify place values as high as one million. Your fourth years worked on identifying the place that a number landed in and the value that it is worth as well as working on written form, standard form and expanded form. Have your Loon show you how to make our place value grid, identify the places and the values, and then have your Loon work on written form and standard form. Your fifth years had a similar lesson but also worked on expanded form. Give your fifth year a number up to 100,000 (or even a million) and have them identify the place a specific number falls in and the value of that number. Further, have your fifth year show you what expanded form looks like. Finally, your sixth years worked on identifying and defining positive whole numbers, fractions, and decimals as well as being able to place them on a number line. Ask your Loon what a fraction is and how fractions work on a number line.

In ELA, we covered parts of speech and nouns, spelling rules for this week's spelling list, along with revisiting what a digraph and a trigraph is, and how to write sentences in the past, future and present tense. Ask your Loon about the different types of nouns they learned about, and what a digraph and a trigraph is.

Nature connection brought your Loons outside for sit spots. This week, your Loon chose a spot that they had to observe using four out of their five senses. Further, your Loon had to pick something from their observations and make a connection to another part of their life. Take a moment with your Loon to observe your environment. Talk about what you see, hear, smell and feel and what this may remind you of.

In science, we watched a short documentary about one of the theories on how the Mesozoic period ended. Discuss with your Loon what this theory was and what evidence the geologists found to back up their claims. If you would also like to watch this short documentary with your Loon, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRPu5u_Pizk

Finally, we discussed a United States historical event: 9/11. Your Loons joined the Black Bears for question and answers. Discuss with your Loon your experiences during this event. Also, ask about our long term project that we are going to work together to create.

Thank you to those who came to the Open House! It was so great to connect with everyone and meet our new families! If you could not make it, no worries! You can still be a part of the experience. There were three specific stations that were interactive. One is our personal favorite: writing an encouraging letter to your Loon for SAS testing. Please write one and send it in an envelope or via email so that I can surprise your Loon with your letter on our first day of testing in the spring. We also had a station to suggest books to add to "Kelsi's Library" as well as song suggestions for this year's Loon's Play list.

Just a friendly reminder, mornings are chilly and we do stay outside. Encourage your Loon to wear clothing that covers their skin as well as a possible extra layer for the mornings. Have them also pack shorts to change into for the afternoons. With the higher temperatures in the afternoons and your Loons being extremely active during recess, please make sure they have a water bottle as well to help stay hydrated.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!!!

What an amazing week!

Your Loons worked hard on their math and writing assessments as well as a letter to their end of year self. Talk to your Loon about what they are hoping to achieve and learn in the math lessons and ELA lessons this year.

They also had their first Nature Connection and Science lesson. This year our topic of focus is land. Ask your Loon what biotic and abiotic means, and find examples in your world with them.

During math, your Loons were either introduced or reintroduced in the Montessori math tools for multiplication, division, geometry, addition and fractions. Loons who felt confident in a specific tool lead a small group lesson. Ask your Loon which tool they liked most. We also discussed what math is used for, as well as what other tools are used in math. Ask your Loon where we use math and what tools there are for math.

For ELA, we discussed our first literature and writing focus of informational texts and writing. Discuss with your Loons the different informational texts and what they are.

Lastly, your Loons were given a presentation to work on for an ancient civilization. We discussed that learning new information means that you can share it. They will present their findings to the Black Bears in two weeks. Ask your Loon about the ancient civilization they were assigned and what they have discovered so far.

Friendly reminder, this Thursday at 6 pm is our Open House. This is a time for the adults to enter our Loon world and see what it is like.

Have a wonderful weekend!

First week of school is now in the books!

What an AMAZING first week the Loons had. We were extremely busy with activities, tours of the school, working together to come up with classroom expectations, a thunderstorm to start the week , a visit from a black bear mama and her cub, and the Balloonigan Olympics!

Our expectation poster is beautiful with colors and kindness for our community that the Loons worked together to create. Ask your Loon about some of our Loon expectations that they believe will be most helpful to them as a learner and a person.

One of their favorite activities of the week were our "stations" where your Loon could decorate a book mark for themself or to donate to the classroom, song suggestions for this year's Loon Spotify list, book suggestions for Kelsi's Library, classroom job suggestions, silent reading book selection and brain break suggestions. Ask your Loon about their song and book suggestions, what book they chose for silent reading, and their favorite brain break idea.

Finally, our olympics were a hit! In the beginning, there was some hesitance, but by Thursday, there was much laughter and cheering. The teams that were chosen for our very own olympics were Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Singapore. Ask your Loon about their team cheer, as they were all SO great! Ask your Loon what games they signed up for and what did those games look and sound like. Lastly, ask your Loon about their favorite part of their week.

Moving forward into our second week, we are starting academic work. It was inspiring how many questions were asked about starting work. Your Loon seems very eager to get into the swing of things. This is going to be such a great year!

One more thing! September 12th is our Open House here at MVCS from 6:00 to 6:45 pm. This is a time for parents, family members and friends to come join our Loon community to get to see what our environment looks like as well as to see the happenings taking place. We encourage grown ups only as this is an experience for you!

Have a wonderful long weekend!