Remarkable Rocks

Miss Fournier has been doing an amazing job teaching the children all about rocks!!  She has taught them the three different types of rocks (sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous), the rock cycle,  the earth is made up of layers of rocks, and that we use rocks on a daily basis.  Here are some pictures that highlight the learning that is happening in Room 9!

To start the unit, the children generated a list of things they already knew about rocks and what they wanted to learn about rocks during this unit.



Here are all of the books that we have on rocks and minerals.



Now that the unit is almost over, the chidlren have done a great job filling in all of the wonderful information that they have learned about rocks!

We made a very impressive list of all the ways we use rocks in our lives!

 Here is our rock museum with our rock gardens and pictures of ways that we use rocks.

We made edible rocks during this unit!  We used Starburst to make metamorphic rocks. We used heat and pressure from our hands to mold the Starburst into yummy rocks.  (Then we ate them!) 



I know these don't look like much, but these edible rocks are our "igneous rocks".  We melted chocolate and let it cool and harden to form these rocks.    Who doesn't like a big piece of chocolate?

We also made sedimentary rocks by layering graham crackers, icing, and sprinkles.  I don't have a picture of these rocks because my camera battery died!  All 3 rock types were delicious and were a great visual way to see the difference between each rock!

Colchester Food Shelf

This is just a reminder that our class is in charge of collecting food for our neighbor, the Colchester Food Shelf, during the week of April 16th.  You can donate nonperishable items like toothpaste, diapers, socks, and deordorant.  You can also donate food such as cereal, pasta, sauce, beans, and salad dressing.  Thank you in advance for your support!

Ms. Fournier's Solo Week

Next Monday, April 2 will begin Ms. Fournier's solo teaching week.  She has planned for the week and will be in charge of the class.  I will be in the building, but Ms. Fournier will be running Room 9!  I have gone over all of her lessons and she has a great week planned for your child!  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at marshallc@csdvt.org

Iditarod Dreams

Happy Friday everyone!! We have successfully completed learning all about the Iditarod dog sled race that is run in Alaska every year.  I usually have at least 2 posts about this exciting race, but this year, I totally forgot! I am so sorry!!

We read the true story of Balto which details the serum run that 21 dog teams traveled from Anchorage to Nome to help cure an outbreak of diphtheria.  It was a courageous run through blizzard conditions to save the town of Nome.  The Iditarod race was started in the 1960's to commemorate this historic event.

Each year in March, seasoned dog mushers race over 1,000 miles.  We learned all of the rules and we even presented the rules to the entire school at a school wide meeting!  Each child followed a musher through their journey. It was an exciting race and Dallas Seavey was this years' winner!

We finished our unit by watching the Disney version of Balto and comparing it to the book.  We found many differences between the two stories!  We even discussed that Disney embellished some details to make the movie more interesting, but not truthful.  We had a blast!

Town Meeting Day

Today is the day to vote!  This is a friendly reminder to get out and make your voice heard!  Vote today!

Conference Day

This is just a reminder that comferences are tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6th from noon until 8:00 p.m. I have already sent home a reminder with your conference time. If you can not make it, or can't find your time, please email me at marshallc@csdvt.org and I will respond with your time.  You can also call the Main Office at 264-5959.  I can't wait to see you and discuss your child's progress!!

Three Brothers Pizza Night for the UMS PTO

Today, Monday, March 5th is UMS day at Three Brothers Pizza. A portion from each sale today will go directly to the UMS PTO!  This is a great way to support the school AND have someone else prepare dinner!  Enjoy!