This is right outside our classroom window!

Could this be any cuter?!?!?

Garden Planting Day

We have tons to share about planting our garden from last week.  First of all, please read over the student blogs.  If you are not sure about the addresses they are still located in an earlier post.

A big thank you to Burpee Home Gardens and Bailey's Nursery for helping to create such great memories for our kids.  We are also very thankful to Tracy Peterson and the Inver Grove Heights Park and Rec. Department for including us in such a cool project.

Also there were lots of adults there that day volunteering their time to help us get all of the plants in the ground.  Thank you to all of you!!

I am sure you heard plenty about the day from your child but we also wanted to share some pictures and videos about the time we spent up there.

We were on the news this morning too. Here is the link to that page:

Fox9 Morning News

This is another video from the online newspaper call the Inver Grove Heights Patch:

Inver Grove Heights Patch

There is another one that will be coming out soon for the local community access cable.  I will post it here when that one comes out.

No Talking

We Finally Finished It!  Now that the book is done it will be fun to try the same sort of contest they did in the book.  Today is the day.  Here are the rules.
1.  The contest will go from 8:45 until I leave for the meeting at the District Office.
2. You may only talk if I ask you a question.
3.  If I ask you a question you may only respond with 3 words.
4.  You may NOT talk to another kid using words.
5.  You may use the paper on your desk for writing notes to others for communication but you only get one so use it carefully.
6. Other than the rules above it will be a normal morning.
The time from 8:30 to 8:45 will be a time to ask questions.
Once the contest begins we will keep track of "Illegal Words".  This means anyone talking past 3 words or talking to another student without me asking a question.
If the number of illegal Words is lower than 30 when the contest ends, then I will recommend free time for you at the end of the day.

Good Luck and have fun!!!!!

New Blogs

Please take a minute or two to look at the blogs that the kids are creating.  I put the kids into groups of three or four.  They are going to be working as a team and individually to create posts about things that are going on around Salem Hills.  I know that the kids like to publish their writing this way but it only works when you read it.  If you get the chance sign up to be a follower or the blogs.  Thank you and Enjoy!!!

www.kidssalem.blogspot.com

www.krsj4.blogspot.com

www.tcdc4.blogspot.com

www.ksaa4.blogspot.com

www.szjb4.blogspot.com


www.qjma4.blogspot.com


www.mjdj4.blogspot.com

www.mmg3kids.blogspot.com

New Math Game

Two-Dice Sums (Grades 1–8)

Math concepts: Students of all ages can play this game, as long as they're able to add the numbers that come up on two dice. While younger children benefit from the practice of adding, older students have the opportunity to think about the probability of the sums from rolling two dice.

The object: to remove all the counters in the fewest rolls possible.

How to play: Two or more players can play. Each player needs 11 counters, a game strip that lists the numbers from 2 to 12 spaced far enough apart so the counters can fit on top of each number, and a recording sheet. Here are the rules for playing:

1. Each player arranges 11 counters on the game strip and records the arrangement.

2. Once the counters are arranged, players take turns rolling the dice.

3. For each roll, all players can remove one counter if it is on the sum rolled. Players keep track of the number of rolls of the dice it takes to clear their game board.

After students have had the chance to play the game for several days or so, have a class discussion about the different ways they arranged the counters and the number of rolls it took. Have them write about the arrangements that are best for removing the counters in the fewest number of rolls. For an extension, try Which Number Wins?

Video Conference with the Calvert Marine Museum

Today we took advantage of a free video conference.  The Minnesota Zoo is looking to get in to virtual field trips.  They want to see how they work and see what others have already put out there for schools to use so they are paying for classes to do a video conference and then they come and observe.  It was a great opportunity for us.  We visited the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland.  We learned a lot about fossils and the ocean. 

The picture above is our teacher holding Fossiized Crocodile Coprolites.  You can ask your child what that means and much more about fossils.

Thank you to the Calvert Marine Museum and the Minnesota Zoo!