Family Science Night

Our final inquiry of the year is all about physical science. Concepts include matter, gravity, magnetism, sound, and light. In all cases we begin with what the children know and then move into discovery through investigation. The children have learned that scientists must be good observers and that they must use all their senses to gather information. The children will learn to record the properties of various objects during the Object of the Week activity and will perform various other exercises to heighten their observation skills and awareness of their five senses. We have also been learning to think and write like scientists -- asking questions, making predictions, performing investigations to answer the question, observing, sketching, and recording what we have discovered. The children express their ideas in a variety of ways: journals, drawing, or graphing. They listen, speak, and write about science with their peers and teacher and hopefully at home with you. They are all communicating their level of understanding of concepts that they have developed to date. Ultimately, each experience the students have with science investigations in the classroom does more than teach science content; it also helps to shape student perceptions of what science is and what scientists do. The goal is to shape students’ ideas about science and about how they can work as scientists.

To celebrate our super scientists in first and second grade, we are hosting a Family Science Night on Thursday, May 1, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.  The Bishop Museum offers a special program called a Festival of Science, and our elementary dining room will be transformed into a “festival” of hands-on science activities.  During this “open house”-style festival, students and their parent(s) inquire and experiment together, making fascinating discoveries in Hawaii ecology, biology, health, and anthropology.       

Some logistics for the event:

Each 1/2 class will have a potluck from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. in their respective classroom.  Stay tuned for details from your room parent. 

The event is JUST for first- and second-grade MPI students and their parent(s).  We love siblings, but there is not enough room to accommodate all the parents, students and siblings.

If your child is going to attend, he/she must be accompanied by at least one adult.

Parking will be down by the gym or possibly on the football field.

This is not a mandatory school event.  

Please fill out the form sent home today and return it to me by Monday, April 21.