Sounds Abound

Here is a video of the children in small groups sharing their findings from the various sound activities they encountered. It was interesting to see who choose what role in the group and how well they planned their sharing.

May the force be with you!

Hi Trevor,
We have been experimenting with lots of different magnets and have been quite surprised by what we have found out.
1) Tinfoil is non magnetic. We thought for sure that because it looks like metal it would be
magnetic.
2) Coins are not magnetic. They look metal too.
3) Spoons are made out of different kinds of metal and not all of them are magnetic.
4) The wire we used bends like a paperclip, which is magnetic, but the wire is non magnetic.
5) Some magnets are stronger than others.
6) If you are very careful and hold a magnet close to a magnetic object you can feel the force!
Have you found anything magnetic at Disney? Do any of the rides in the parks use magnets?
See you soon Trevor,
Your friends at school

A post for our friend Trevor in Florida!

Hi Trevor,
We are beginning a study of magnets. We are wondering what do you think of when you hear the word MAGNET? Here is what we think of when we hear the word MAGNET.
Beckett - bar magnet
Camille & Sophie- The big whiteboard.
Riley - A bunny magnet.
Lily - A robot.
Tommy & Patrick- The word magnetic.
Eric - A compass.
Sam - It sticks on to the wall.
Zach - Batman magnet.
Evey - If I had a magnet I would be able to take nails out of a board.
Noah - Sticky
Chase - Magnets stick.
Adele - I think of my two magnets on my locker.
Lily - I think of a magnet stuck on a window.

We hope you're have a great time in Florida and we want you to find magnets all over Disney! We will be expecting a report.

Fun Night

Allen Brook School has invited you to Fun Night on Saturday, December 6th. We are going to have a food drive for The New Williston Food Shelf. We welcome you to bring food for the food drive. You can drop off your food and your kids from 6:00 pm - 8:00pm and have a night to yourself. There will be many activities. Here are some of them. bowling, crafts, bounce castle, face painting, and much more!!!!! If you pre-register it costs $6 per child and for a family $12. If you walk in it costs $8 per child and $18 for a family. If you have a 4th grade child they can help run a station with a friend. The forms went in the Friday folders last week. Just remember to bring in food for the food drive.

by Olivia in Calliope

Good Vibrations

The children have been experimenting with a number of sound activities. Everything from watching and feeling the vibrations of stringed instruments, making waves with tuning forks, making maracas and egg shakers, and creating a human sound wave with their bodies. As with most activities we begin with one outcome in mind and they very quickly reroute our efforts turn it into something so much more. After determining that the sound from the tuning forks traveled in waves when submerged in water they began using the tables to determine that sound can travel through solid objects (we can thank Tommy for that stroke of experimental brilliance).

We are working on revising our stories in writers workshop. The children are quite adept at listening to others stories and coming up with questions that will encourage the author to include more details. Everyone now uses a writers carat to include information where ever necessary, highlighting tape to enhance the effort, and writers bandaids (paper strips) for entire sentences that may need revising.

Thanks to the generosity of so many of you we now have several new books in the classroom. Some we are reading aloud and all of them are being circulated through the room during readers workshop. The life size reptiles book has received many accolades, some mystified and some terrified! Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.

Election Day

The children were so excited to inform me of our new president elect when they arrived at school yesterday morning. While greeting them at the lockers I overheard one child telling another that her mom got to count the ballots. The reply was, "You are so lucky!" We are in the middle of coloring a US map with either a red state or a blue state and learning what an electoral vote means. A little closer to home the children are feeling how democracy works first hand. Two weeks ago they voted to adopt a new job chart system where everyone would have a specific job each day. Unfortunately it was a bit too complicated and left us in chaos and scrambling to get out the door and on the buses. We had a new vote as to whether or not we should keep the new system, it was a landslide vote to keep the chaotic system. Unfortunately the vote was vetoed and went back on the table for further discussion. After much discussion and a few wise words from Sophie, Tommy, Eric, and Patrick we had a another vote and the old system was readopted with a new look!

Two coin drops collided in our school system. The book fair coordinators were soliciting for a penny drive however they didn't realize that on the children's election ballot they were voting on a charity in which to raise money. It was decided that the children's vote should stand so all coins sent in will be put towards the charity that was chosen by the children, The Vermont Humane Society. Thanks for your generous donations!

Harvest Festival & Voting

The children had a wonderful Harvest Festival thanks to the many helping hands who made it possible. Our gardener, Andrew, put in countless hours of preparation and with the help of a few parent volunteers made 40 gallons of delicious Stone Soup. Almost everyone enjoyed a steaming hot cup of soup with delicious homemade bread. We exchanged songs with Esprit as a gift in celebration of our garden and it's bounty. The children took part in a variety of activites ranging from folk dancing, paper hat making, and orienteering.

After the outdoor festivities we moved inside for a reading of the Bill Martin Jr. book Old Devil Wind. The children acted out the parts and joined in the repetitive text. Wearing the spider hats that we had made earlier in the day everyone enjoyed a plate full of seasonal treats. Thanks to all who donated and came in and helped out. A good time was had by all.

If you are able to take your child with you on Tuesday while you vote please do so. It will surely be the climax of our civics unit of study. As an added bonus you can dot the bubbles next to your candidate and allow them to fill in the bubble! We'll be switching gears mid week post elections and starting a science study on sound and magnets. If you happen to have any magnets that we could borrow please send them in with your child. Make sure they are clearly labeled with your name. Thanks!