Topaz Update

Literature with Ms. Edgington:

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We're spending the first half of March wrapping up The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. The students are learning about and finding examples of figurative language including similes, metaphors. personification, alliteration, hyperbole, and idioms. We will watch the movie version of the book and eat (nut-free) Turkish delight at the end of our unit to celebrate.

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Our next book will be Riddle of the Runes by noted historian Janina Martinez. This historical fiction ties into Topaz's current history unit about the Vikings. All students will be provided with their own copy of the book.

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We are continuing our weekly spelling tests with differentiated lists. Please remind your child to study and practice their highlighted words. The entire class is responsible for learning the five words on the "Both" list and the other five words on either "List A" or "List B." 

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Our Topaz students are doing an incredible job with their cursive handwriting skills! 

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Math with Ms. Freck:

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We are just motoring along in math and I am so proud of everyone's hard work on their math facts. All the students have been working to become more and more confident and the progress is evident. We just finished working through some very interesting projects that put all of our hard work to the test. Some members of the class created their own sports leagues and used their multiplication and division skills to build rosters, tally season points, and work out profits from food and merchandise. The other portion of the class planned a theme park including measuring room and budgeting for rides, developing prices for concessions, and working on employee time schedules. We have started to complete reviews and check for understanding in all previous areas of study using Khan Academy. 

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Science with Ms. Freck:

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We wrapped our chapter on the brain and I can definitely say that we all learned a lot. We have begun our journey through the digestive tract and have already had a number of opportunities to giggle as we learn about all the sights and especially sounds involved in that process. 

 

Everyone has been very excited about our final monthly project of the year. This is the first project that also requires Topaz to participate and they will be presenting to the K and 1st graders. All the students had the opportunity to bring home a sheet of science topics and pick their two favorites. We will be walking through a good portion of the project planning in school so that all the students will feel confident about the work that has to be completed at home.

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Writing with Ms. McGlathery:

 

Hello Parents! For the month of April, after the conclusion of their puppet show unit, the Blue group will
be moving forward into crafting a collaborative “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. This will continue
to build narrative skills as well as an emphasis on collaboration. Due to the nature of the project, grammar
conventions will also be highlighted to ensure that the story is structured as smoothly as possible.

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History with Ms. Freck

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We continue to have a great time learning about Europe in the Middle Ages. We read Beowolf, talked through mythology, discussed the crusades and feudalism. It is a time that the students feel especially excited about and it has been so exciting to journey through this area. We are wrapping our discussion of the Battle of Hastings, Normandy, and how that affected the progression of the English language that we speak now.

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Art with Ms. Cornwall:

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April will be a fun month filled with Springtime inspired art activities. Students will work on worksheets that explain The Elements of Art and will learn more about how to develop craftsmanship.

 

Yoga with Ms. Hurst:

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Now that we have learned the five yamas (the things you should not do) This month we will discuss the five niyamas of yoga, which are the things you should do in your daily life. We had some amazing discussions last month and I look forward to continue in April.