TWAS

Hello Families,

We hope you've had a wonderful week and are getting ready for a restful weekend :)

It's been a fun week here at Cranston!  The students have been learning about "buoyancy," in preparation for their boat building next week.  They have completed a couple of experiments and are proving to be excellent little scientists.  In math 51A has been working with geometry and our week ended with geometric building stations, using geoboards, tangrams, playdough/wooden sticks/straws and 3D shape village building.  51B was working with estimation in a wide variety of fun and interesting ways: weight, time, length and capacity.  Ask them about the types of "things" they were estimating!

Language Arts is currently focusing on elements of story.  51A students have developed round characters and an assortment of problems for those characters to work through.  They are plotting these ideas out on storyboards that they will use to help with the story-writing process.  The intention is for these stories to become puppet shows that will get filmed in front of green screens and become on-line movies. 51 B was finishing character studies, self portraits.  and venn-diagram comparisons.
In social studies the students have been continuing their study of Inuit people and arctic animals. Their Ted Harrison art is almost complete, little fingers have been sewing up a storm, and the finished projects are incredible multi-medium reflections of climate, animals and culture.
We are also seeing some incredible tech work with the passion project PowerPoints. This is a completely independent task, as it is the work for writing component of our Daily 5,  and we are thrilled by the perseverance, creativity, and independence that the students are demonstrating as they work through the certain challenges that accompany this inquiry task.

As always we have seen many displays of thoughtfulness and kindness and are continuing to reinforce the importance of maintaining a circle of courage philosophy in our class:  Mastery, Independence, Generosity and Belonging, as this is what makes 51 such a wonderful place to spend our days!

Thank you parents for all of the wonderful teachings that you provide on the home front, and the depth of support that is so evident in all of your little people.

Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to more great things to come next week!!

Sincerely,

The 51 team

(51 B has swimming next week so please remember swim suits, towels and a plastic bag.  51 A starts swimming February 27th)