Monday, April 16, 2012

5th Grade TAG Students Tackle Graphing - with Technology!


5th grade TAG students tackled pie graphs and converting fractions to decimals and percents.  They took data from bags of M&M, put it in the calculator and programmed to make it graph!  This activity helped them learn how to organize data, use the graphing calculator and compare their handwritten graph to the one the calculator generated.  Then we compared data with classmates and drew conclusions.  

4th Grade Students Take Action - On Their Own


4th Grade has been studying how the availability of clean water affects people's opportunities.  After diving into this unit, students took matters into their own hands!  THIS is what it is all about.  These students are the IB learner profile in action, and we couldn't be more proud of them! The note below confirms that parents are seeing some pretty amazing things too.
  
Ms Haynes,
I just wanted to share this picture and story with you.  Ms Gray taught the
students this past week about families in Honduras who didn't have clean
water; they kids had to do a project describing how their lives would be
different if they had to walk two miles to get clean water and had to
figure out how their family would handle it.

After learning about this the kids, on their own, decided they wanted to
raise money to send to Honduras for clean water.  They, again without any
help from parents, decided to sell lemonaid and sno cones.   They
determined who would bring what, how much to charge, and when they would do
this.   All came home very excited on Thursday and us parents realizing
they were very serious helped them pull this together on Friday.

They raised over $75 in just a few hours.  According to Ms Gray, $25 gives
a person clean water for life.  Because of their efforts they gave 3 people
clean water for life!

I just wanted to share this with you, one because I'm proud of them.  Two,
and most importantly, Ms Gray not only educated these kids but she also
inspired them.   Ask any of them and they can tell you exactly what is
happening in Honduras, about why not having clean water is bad, and how
lucky they are.   IB education does work and will help create some amazing
kids!
Thanks
Julie

Friday, April 13, 2012

Third Graders Get "SMART" with Probability


Third grade students have been investigating probability in math, so they utilized the Smart Boards in our village to try it out.  Students played interactive games of chance as an engagement to their problem solving.  Teachers and students agreed it was a great way to test some of their theories out!

Second Grade Responds to Problems

Second grade students have been investigating the central idea "Societies respond to problems with action" during their How We Organize Ourselves unit.  One problem that is current to our students is safety!  We recently wrapped up two weeks of safety reminders.  Second grade took the opportunity to teach us about the problems we face at the crosswalks and how to do it safely.  They researched the problem, then decided how they would take action. Students in Mrs. Koester's class decided to make a Power Point and Ms. Birrell's and Ms. Kenisell's classes made public service announcement videos.  2nd grade presented at the assembly this morning to help other students make safe choices.  Check out their work below! 
Other second grade classes are also investigating problems - look for some of their projects soon!


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Students Take Their Spanish Skills Up a Notch!

4th and 5th grade students are applying their knowledge of Spanish vocabulary by writing some amazing stories.  See if you can figure out what they wrote. 

Here is some vocabulary to help you out:
otra vez=again
oveja=sheep
pastor= shepherd
corre= he/she runs
cuida= he/she cares for
grita= he/she yells