I am very pleased with all of your children’s progress this year.  So much of your child’s success and confidence is a testimony to the time you spend reading to your child, helping with those pesky math problems, playing math games, helping learn facts, checking homework, guiding the creation of book projects, and, especially, talking with your child about interesting ideas and current events.  I  appreciate all you do, and so does your child!

Opera
We are busy preparing for the Kahalaopuna opera.  Here is some information you will need:

All children will report to their classrooms by 5:00 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. They should be dressed in board shorts or surf shorts, a t-shirt, and slippers. Girls should have their hair in a ponytail.

In the classroom the children will receive their costume bag. They will change their t-shirts into the official program t-shirt provided by the school and their capes or other costuming. They will place the t-shirt they wore to school in their costume bag (with their name on it). The teacher will walk the students down to Scudder Hall for warm-up. The children will take their costume bags with them.

Upon completion of the opera the children will return to Scudder, where they will change back into their own t-shirts (girls will change in the kitchen area), neatly fold their performance t-shirt and cape or other costuming, and replace it in their costume bag.

Children will be dismissed from Scudder Hall after their change and parents have signed them out.

Kite Day
What a lovely sight to see hundreds of kites in the air with the backdrop of Manoa Valley and the Koolau Mountains! Our kites were perfect! Look for photos in the gallery this week. Mahalo nui loa to all the parents who came to help the children fly their kites and have fun!

Family Science Night
I had so many parents and students tell me how much they enjoyed this event. Thank you all for your participation and the great food. A very special mahalo to Mr. Cashion, Mr. Meyer, and Captain John for manning the stations.

Upcoming Events for the Magic Stone Kids
May 20 from 11:00 - 2:00 
Visit to the State Capitol, including a meeting with Governor Lingle, lunch, and a tour of the capitol. More information will follow next week.

The children have been studying different aspects of governing throughout the semester. You might remember that they demanded to caucus after the Hawaii Caucuses. We also talked about the differences between the Chinese and the U.S. governments last week and the structure of the national, state, and city governments in Hawaii, today. There is keen interest to see firsthand how government works.

May 21 from 11:30 - 2:00
Paddy Day with Grandma Jeanne in the little park at the entrance to MPI. This is a wonderful end-of-the-year event for our class. We all enjoy petting my dog, Paddy, celebrating summer birthdays, and playing together. The children bring home lunch and usually the birthday parents provide dessert. Of course, any parents who want to come play with us will be welcomed with open arms. Look for details next week.

Book Projects
We had our first two book projects this week, and they were very good! Please encourage your child to bring his or hers as soon as possible so we don’t end up with too many the week of May 19th.  It will be a busy week with the two excursions. 

Posted by Ms. Revard at 6:03 PM | Permalink

Our attention has turned towards finishing Portfolio reflections and preparing for all the upcoming events. The following information will help you prepare for the next week.  I will be sending home a sign-up sheet on Friday asking for volunteers.

Kite Day - We would love to have some parents help out with this event. With each student flying a kite, there will certainly be some strings to untie and some last-minute repairs. If you are available from 9:45 to 11:20 am on Thursday, May 1, and are interested in joining our class "kite pit-crew," please sign up.

Family Science Night - We're very excited with all the "yes" RSVPs for the Family Science Night on Thursday, May 1. Once again, we're in need of some volunteers:
         - one strong person to help unload supplies and set up at 4:30 and help break down at 8:00 (until 8:30).
         - three adults to man or woman the stations during the science fair. Volunteers should arrive at 5:15 for an explanation from the Bishop Museum staff and then plan to be at the stations from 6:00 to 8:00.  You will be helping the children and their parents do experiments and learn new things. What fun! We will make sure that the volunteers have time to eat dinner.

Potluck--Our Room Parent and I decided to just let everyone bring their choice of item to share at the potluck. We will have fourteen children and twenty-four parents attending. We are asking each family to also bring their own favorite drinks. I will ask for volunteers to sign up to bring paper plates and chopsticks.

It has been a busy, exciting week.  The children continue to enjoy their science experiments and had so much fun playing tunes on their straw "oboes" and musical bottles.  Be sure to talk with them about what they are learning!

Posted by Ms. Revard at 3:05 PM | Permalink

Wilcox Building will be fumigated this Saturday, April 26.

DO NOT ENTER THE BUILDING BETWEEN 8:00am and 2:00PM.

There may be some odor, so please open doors if you're working on Saturday.

Don’t leave food out in the open (on desks, etc.).
OK to leave food in the fridge (no need to bag anything)
OK to leave potted plants in the building

Insects won't die immediately, so we'll probably see "bodies" in 2-3 days, which maintenance will clean up.
 

Posted by Ms. Jacobson at 11:43 AM | Permalink

What an exciting, fun-filled year of learning this has been! The children are busily engaged in finishing up final drafts for their portfolio reflections, writing and sharing poetry, learning about sound, exploring amazing books together, understanding new strategies for addition and subtraction, making beautiful stuffed fish for opera props, and collecting money to help leukemia patients. I am delighted to observe all of your children embracing each new day with enthusiasm for learning. The love of learning is alive and thriving in the Magic Stone Classroom!

Posted by Ms. Revard at 11:39 AM | Permalink

It is so much fun to be back with your amazing children. The first day back, they were so excited to be together again. Our excursion to Ferdinand the Bull was a perfect time for them to sit with friends on the bus and share Spring Break stories. In the afternoon, we all wrote about our adventures, then read and discussed them during "Chat Time." We heard about trips to the Southwest, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and many other interesting places. The kids who stayed home in Hawaii had a wonderful, relaxing time at the beach, playing with friends, and enjoying games they usually don't have time to play. Your children love their vacations, but they also love being back with their Magic Stone 'ohana.

Our New Inquiry
This week, we began our Physical Science Inquiry, and the enthusiasm for learning is more exuberant than ever!  I hear things like, "Ms. Revard, I really love science!" "Science is so cool!" "I feel like a scientist!" Yesterday, we used our senses, essential tools for scientists, in all sorts of interesting ways. Then we explored the three types of matter and their properties. Today, we did some very cool experiments. One was called "Magic Water" and the other "What happens when matter is heated?" Be sure to talk with your children about all the exciting discoveries they are making. This Inquiry unit will cover Matter, Sound, Magnetism, Light, and Gravity. The children will even have opportunities to come up with their own ideas for experiments, as well.

Wailele
We will continue to learn more about Wailele and the water cycle in the next few weeks. Yesterday, Mr. Arthur from the Board of Water Supply came to tell us all about how the water cycle works in the islands, where our water comes from, and how to practice good conservation. Don't be surprised if your child insists that you turn off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth! 

China
We are still having discussions on China and those long-awaited slides of mine will be shown soon.  I'll let you know when, in case anyone would like to come.

Book Project #2
We all enjoyed the children's first book projects, and now it is time to think about the second. I am asking that they all be presented by May 18th. Most of the children already have ideas about their book and visual aid.  Encourage them to finish these early. The last few weeks of school are very busy!

Pennies for Patients
The children brought home information today about the "Pennies for Patients" drive that begins this week. I have encouraged the children to earn some money to donate. They might also want to collect from friends and family for this worthy cause. Your help will be appreciated, as always!

Mahalos
Special mahalos to all the parents who helped with Ho'olaule'a. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves!  The class also wants to thank the Cutter family for the beautiful Easter House made of chocolates, taffy, and jelly beans.  Yum!

Posted by Ms. Revard at 2:43 PM | Permalink