1/2 Revard

China Wrap-Up, Wailele Podcast, and Pennies for Patients Winners!

2008-05-16T20:26:11Z

Pennies for Patients Winners!
Your children won the prize for having raised the most money, $445.05, and having the best art display. We graciously gave the art prize to another excellent entry. We will have a pizza party to celebrate raising the most money on Wednesday, May 21. Please do not sent home lunches on that day unless your child does not want pizza.

China Inquiry Wrap-up
In early May, I showed my aged slides from my visit to China 30 years ago, and Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge presented a PowerPoint of China today. What a contrast!! My photos revealed a country still deep in Maoist traditions: people dressed in drab, blue and gray Mao jackets and pants, almost everyone riding identical bicycles, antiquated factories, defaced religious statues, revolutionary art, and thin folks who were often unsmiling. In contrast, modern China is ablaze with color, people are fashionable and more prosperous, art and religion are thriving, too many cars choke narrow streets, and people are smiling a lot more!

As the children offered their observations and compared and contrasted what they had seen, our discussions ranged from understanding the economic and social changes to exploring the history of this ancient civilization. The Trowbridges had books and photos of their visits to the Great Wall and Xian. The kids were fascinated to hear first-hand about all our adventures.

Ms. Pang and AS also shared their experiences living in Shanghai and AS's Memory Book from the International School he attended there. The children learned more about Chinese language, customs, and celebrations. We wish to thank the Trowbridges and Ms. Pang for enriching our knowledge of life and the world!

Science Inquiry
We've recently explored the power of magnets, dropped oranges and grapes to see which lands first (ask your child about this, if he or she has not already asked for your hypothesis), and made parachutes to test our assumptions about gravity. Next week, we will wrap up this Inquiry with some interesting light experiments. You should be proud of your young scientists. Their scientific curiosity and reasoning are developing nicely!

Poetry
Your children consider themselves poets and have enjoyed both writing poetry and helping others refine theirs on the SmartBoard. We have spent a couple of hours of class time outside observing and writing impressions in our Learning Logs, which we then turn into a variety of poetic forms. We hope our moms enjoyed their Mother's Day poems!

Wailele Podcast
The 1/2 Multi-Age teachers will soon be publishing a podcast with clips from our exciting study of Wailele. There will also be links to individual class offerings. A number of the children in our class will share their legends and poetry about Wailele. We are very excited to be using this technology to share our Wailele Inquiry with you!

Conferences
Just a couple of reminders:

These are Student-Parent-Teacher conferences, so your child needs to attend the conference with you. If this is not possible, please let me know so we can change the conference time to accommodate everyone. Your child has worked hard to prepare for their conference with you!

Please, come about 10 minutes before your scheduled conference to have a look at the things your child has added to their Portfolio. This is not the time to read everything, but to have a sense of what your child has accomplished before you come in to the conference. The Portfolios will go home with you after the conference and you can enjoy looking at them in detail with your child then.

Mahalo
A special mahalo to Dr. Ichinose, who has given our class the gift of wonderful stories that touch our hearts and spirits. His message this week was based on The Rainbow Fish, and the discussion centered on respect; how to be a good, caring friend; realizing that we all have choices; and understanding how our actions affect others. Thank you for caring!

When you see Mrs. Yoshikawa, please take time to thank her for being our 'Ohana representative and doing the Scholastic book orders. We appreciate you!!

Thank you, Mr. Cutter, for arranging our exciting visit with the governor and our tour of the State Capitol!

The Children and I Appreciate You!

2008-05-07T04:03:44Z

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.

Kite Day and Family Science Night

2008-04-25T01:05:15Z

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!

Important info. about Wilcox Building fumigation

2008-04-23T21:43:15Z

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.

The Love of Learning is Alive in the Magic Stone Classroom!

2008-04-18T21:39:51Z

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!

Year-End Dates to Remember:

Thursday, May 1 - Family Science Night at MPI

Potluck dinner in classroom, 5:30-6:00 pm

Science Festival in elementary dining room, 6:00-8:00 pm

Friday, May 2 – China Mini-Inquiry Wrap-Up by Ms. Revard and the Trowbridges from 12:30 to 1:30. We will be using photos and stories to compare and contrast China in early post-Maoist times (1978) with today. Please come if you can!

Friday, May 9 - Opera Performances at 9:00 am and 6:00 pm (regular school day)

Opera Performances at MPI gym

For 6:00 pm performance, students arrive at 5:00 pm to get ready.

Saturday, May 10 - Opera Performance at 6:00 pm

Students arrive at 5 pm to get ready

Friday, May 16 - No School for Students, Conference Preparations for Teachers

Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23 - Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences

Monday, May 26 - No School in observation of Memorial Day

Tuesday or Wednesday, May 27 or 28 – Paddy Party at the park near the entrance to MPI. Gramma Jeanne will bring Paddy for the children to pet and play with, and we will have lunch and celebrate summer birthdays and being together as our school year ends. Details soon!

Thursday, May 29 - Last day of school, Field Day

***Further details regarding Opera and other events will be coming as information becomes available.***

Inquiry

Wailele

This week we finished up our study of the water cycle by revisiting our original Mind Map, checking our previous assumptions, and discussing what we have learned. The children’s assessment of their learning required them to redraw the water cycle, compare it with the drawing they had made at the beginning of the unit in February, and reflect on their learning. They were all amazed by how much their understanding had changed with the study of Wailele and Manoa Valley and Matter in Physical Science.

Physical Science

As we began our unit on Sound, the children came up with some interesting observations for their Mind Map: “Sound goes in one ear and out the other” and “Echoes happen in empty spaces like my living room when we were moving out and all the furinture was gone.” Most of their discussion centered on “vibrations” and many came to the board to draw their interpretation of sound waves and how they work.

It is very exciting to observe the children learning to think and write like scientists. They ask questions, form hypotheses, conduct experiments, record observations in words and drawings, and write conclusions. Most importantly, they continue to work collaboratively with their peers. Your children are developing a love of science and a different way of looking at everything around them. Without a doubt, this is the breeding ground for future scientists who will change the world!

Incredible Generosity!

The Magic Stone Kids and their parents have helped us raise over $400 for leukemia patients in the Pennies for Patients Drive. Mahalo nui loa for your generosity. Children mopped floors, gave up some of their savings, asked family and friends to help, and found money in parents’ cars to donate to the cause. They also collaboratively created a unique concept for the donation-box art contest. Be sure to check our photo gallery to see it and other photos of your children’s activities!

Math

The 2nd Graders will be bringing home their last sets of “combination fact cards” (Plus 9 and Remaining Combinations) on Monday. The goal is to know all of their combinations fluently by the end of the semester in order to be prepared for 3rd Grade math. Most are proficient with the previous cards, but some still need a lot more practice. Please, take time to work with your child on these and encourage self-study. By writing the answers on the back of the cards, they can check themselves. Practicing in the car on the way to and from school is a great time for this! There will be an assessment on the previous sets of combinations (Plus 1 and 2, Make 10, Doubles, Near Doubles, and Plus 10) on Friday, April 27, and on all sets the week of May 12th.

As we move more quickly through the units in order to cover everything by the end of the year, there is more homework. Your support at home is appreciated by your child and me! Mahalo nui loa!

A Belated Mahalo

I want to thank Mrs. Meyer for the wonderful Easter-egg activity she planned and supervised for the children. They always have so much fun when she comes to do crafts with them. Mahalo for sharing your time and energy with us!!

Enthusiastic Young Scientists

2008-04-04T00:43:16Z

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!

Wailele and 100 Years in Manoa, Easter Celebration, and Flat Stanley's Visit

2008-03-14T00:47:22Z

What a great week this has been! The children are surprising me in all sorts of ways. One thing I've noticed is their developing maturity and ability to use their words to solve problems. In all areas, they are feeling more confident and excited about the next challenge. What a joy for you and me to see how much they love learning!

Events

Ho'olauale'a has everyone excited. I will enjoy seeing many of you there, as well. Thank you for your support!
Rumplestiltskin was enjoyed by all! The play was full of song, dance, puppetry, and very clever adaptations of an old fairly tale.
The children learned a lot from Mrs. Yoshikawa about "Healthy Habits" and taking good care of their teeth.
Ms. Graves and Mrs. Montes presented information about Wailele and the history of MPI in Manoa. Some came from oral histories collected by the 6th Graders this fall. We were fascinated to hear the stories and see old photos of Manoa and the school.
Mrs. Meyer engaged the children in a wonderful Easter craft activity today. That was followed by two birthday celebrations. What a fun afternoon!

Mahalo
The children took time this week to write special mahalo letters for books you donated to the class library from the Book Fair and for special things that many of you have done for the class. We just want you to know how much we appreciate you! A special mahalo to the Cutter, Mukai, Scott, Yoshikawa, and Montes families for the wonderful books.

Peer Editing
The children have been focusing more on editing their own writing and learning how to be competent peer editors. Two students volunteered their work to be projected on the SmartBoard. We worked as a team to read for meaning and then look for spelling and punctuation that could be improved. The children then collaborated to peer edit each other's work before giving it to me for a final edit. Many are already working on final drafts, which will be reflected upon and placed in their portfolios.

Book Projects
The Book Project presentations are excellent this year! The children speak with such confidence and enthusiasm, and their visual aids are very well done.

Flat Stanley's Visit
I suspect many of you are familiar with the children's story about Flat Stanley, the boy who is flattened by a blackboard at school. My granddaughter, Claire, sent us Flat Stanley in an envelope (no need for an airplane when you are flat!), and asked us to give him some interesting experiences in Hawaii. The children wrote letters to Claire and her class to thank them for sending him. We all had so much fun with Flat Stanley! Be sure to check out our photo gallery for all the details!

Kahalalpuna Opera
Our class is working with Ms. Holzman's 3/4 class on props for the opera. The children have decided to make kahili and stuffed fish. We will also make a lovely ribbon rainbow with the 3/4 class.

Enjoy a safe and happy Spring Break!

Ho'olaule'a, Book Projects, and Peer Editing

2008-03-07T00:46:29Z

Ho'olaule'a
The children are getting very excited about this wonderful schoolwide celebration. Be sure to send money for your child's scrip ($5-$7), and to sign up to help with small groups of children on Friday, March 14. What a great way to celebrate the beginning of Spring Break!

Book Projects
Our 2nd Graders are very experienced at presenting Book Projects, and, as expected, they are doing an excellent job! We are especially proud of our 1st Graders, who have not only amazed us with their creativity, but have also entertained us with their presentations. So far, we have had PowerPoint presentations, a diorama, a play using dolls, a student dressed as his main character, posters, a mobile, and letters to a favorite character. We are all enjoying the Book Projects! Thank you, again, for all your help and encouragement at home. We will be putting a photo and a rubric in the Portfolios.

Peer Editing
Two brave students offered their latest writings to the class to use for learning more about editing. Using transparencies, I projected their creative work on the SmartBoard, and we worked through the steps for editing (self, peer, and teacher, each using different-colored pencils) and the process for editing, which includes reading for meaning and then looking for spelling and punctuation that can be improved. We are learning so much by this activity! In one case, a student will revise his story, adding important and exciting details that the class suggested along with fixing spelling and punctuation. We will then take a final look at the writing to learn how editing leads to a better final draft.

Spring Break
If you are taking your child out of school early for Spring Break, please let me know! I hope this will be a wonderful time for you to spend with your child here or off on an adventure!

Wailele, The Water Cycle, and Butterflies

2008-02-29T00:34:52Z

Inquiry
Our study of Wailele is still exciting your children. They really enjoy the process of forming hypotheses from what they think they know and working collectively to come up with more developed ideas about everything from where Wailele's water comes from and why there is a fence around it to how the water cycle works. Today we confirmed several of our hypotheses by interacting with Mr. Hank Howlett, MPI's Director of Facilities and Maintenance. He was our expert who could answer all those questions the children have been contemplating since their first visit to Wailele. Be sure and ask your child about what they learned. Next week, we will have Ms. Rianne Graves and Ms.Torry Montes coming in to tell us more about what life was like around Wailele in ancient Hawaiian days, at the time MPI was founded, and up until the present. Ms. Montes' 6th graders have collected oral histories from longtime Manoa residents, and she will share what her students discovered about the history of the valley and MPI. Ms. Graves will offer a cultural perspective that she gleaned from her kumu hula, Uncle Kimo, also a longtime Manoa resident. All of our Inquiry activities are being videotaped, and we will soon be sharing our experiences through podcasts. How to do a podcast is the teachers' current Inquiry!

Book Fair
Our class will visit the Book Fair tomorrow to check out what's available and get ideas about books we can put on our classroom "Wish List." The Scott family has already given us money to buy books in honor of their son's birthday, which we celebrated last week. As always, your generosity is very much appreciated!

I prefer that parents accompany their children to the Book Fair for actual purchase of the books because some listed in the catalog may not be available, and there will likely more than just those in the catalog. Thank you for your support of your child's love of books and reading, as well as for supporting our classroom and the school. Remember that March 6th is Family Day -- with refreshments!

Book Projects
One child has done an excellent presentation, and another will present tomorrow. The children enjoy the creative aspects of the projects and learning about fascinating new books to read. Thank you, again, for helping with these!

Butterflies
We were able to accompany four caterpillars through their metamorphosis and send them on their way out into the world to continue their cycle of life! We actually saw one emerge from its chrysalis. Check out the photo gallery for pictures of a butterfly walking from hand to hand before it flew away. What a lovely miracle of life to share with children!

Assembly Performance

2008-02-21T20:39:36Z

February Assembly Presentation
The Magic Stone Keiki and Ms. Graves' 6th Grade Hawaiian Culture and Hula Class performed our class 'olelo noeau (Hawaiian proverb) and the MPI 'oli (chant) for the Elementary School this morning. We have been collaborating with Ms. Graves and her class to learn Hawaiian pronunciation and meanings and to practice the 'oli and 'olelo noeau for almost two weeks. We have made new friends and enjoyed learning together. Today we put it all together in the lovely morning sunshine surrounded by the beauty of Manoa Valley. It was perfect! The wisdom of our 'olelo noeau speaks about how a person with a little patience will not achieve much in life, but a person who accepts challenges and perseveres will accomplish important things. That is an important lesson for all of us! Everyone was touched by the voices of 35 children chanting the 'oli composed by Ms. Graves (RGL's mom). The 'oli speaks of the gifts of Manoa (your children) and asks for the protection of the guardian of the valley, the pueo, now and long after they have graduated from MPI.

Dr. Ichinose's Message
This week Dr. Ichinose spoke about the need to accept responsibility. He shared a story about a famous football coach who told his players, "Don't whine, don't complain, and don't make excuses." The story he read illustrated the importance of those values for all of us.

Book Projects
I am encouraging the children to finish and present their book projects in the next couple of weeks instead of waiting until the week before Spring Break. That is already a busy week, so I would like to have most of the projects presented well in advance of that!

Jump Rope for Heart
Mahalo to all of you who so generously donated to the Jump Rope for Heart last Friday. It is an event that is always enjoyed by all! After the fun of jumping together for an hour, we returned to the classroom, and the children insisted on dancing to end the day. Mr. Cutter joined in, and we were all impressed by his fancy footwork and "Funky Chicken!"

Valentines Day
A big mahalo for all the wonderful cards, candies, balloons, and other gifts that you gave me and the children in honor of that special day!

A Rainy Day Visit to Wailele and Chinese New Year!

2008-02-08T01:01:15Z

Wailele
The children donned raincoats and ponchos and off we went to Wailele just after a heavy downpour last Friday. I was reminded of how much children love puddles and mud! Some of their observations: there were lots more ponds on the football field, the water level in Wailele was much higher than the last time we visited, and there was no stream running into the pond. HMMMMM! And, of course, there were more hypotheses about where that water comes from. We are currently searching for an "expert" who can explain how this "pond" is fed. Any ideas?

The children have drawn their version of the "Water Cycle," and we are mind-mapping what we think we know and want to know about that subject. Many of the students had a good idea about parts of it, and some knew all about it. We will be learning more about the Water Cycle in the weeks to come. At the end of our inquiry, we will draw the Water Cycle again and be amazed by how much we have learned.

The children are putting finishing touches on their "Legends of Wailele," and we will soon be exploring haiku poetry using our sensory impressions at Wailele as inspiration.

China
Our study of China was enriched today by the celebration of Chinese New Year. The children learned to say "Happy New Year" in Mandarin and Cantonese. Mr. Trowbridge came in and wrote the Chinese characters on the board for us, and we had a great discussion about dialects from different areas of China.

The lion dancers brought great joy and excitement to the campus this morning, and Mrs. Yoshikawa, Mr. and Mrs. Eng, and Mrs. Saruwatari organized a wonderful afternoon of learning about and making a Chinese zodiac, doing calligraphy, listening to stories from China, and eating gau and Chinese fortune cookies. A big mahalo to Mrs. Yoshikawa for planning this wonderful event, to all the parents who helped, and to everyone who sent the money or the little red envelopes for the lion dancers and the children.

Next week I will be showing my slides of China in 1978. I will let you know when, so you can attend if you would like.

Be sure to check the photo gallery tomorrow for great pictures of your children enjoying their learning.

Lesson From Martin Luther King, Science Exploration, and Wailele!

2008-01-31T20:32:24Z

The past two weeks have been filled with special learning experiences and explorations! Here are just a few of the activities that enrich each day of our school lives:

Mr. Chance's Visit

Mr. Chance brought photos of Dr. Martin Luther King and the fight for African-American rights to show the children, and guess what! They could identify almost all of them and explain the issues and concerns they represented. He told them that even his high school students were not as knowledgeable. The children were especially touched by Dr. King's own words about hope and non-violence from the diary he wrote while in jail. Your children clearly understand the sacrifices of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and so many others, and they can explain the need to stop prejudice and embrace all people. Thank you for sharing with us, Mr. Chance.

Science Explorations

If you check out last week's photo gallery, you will see your children engaged in a very exciting science exploration. Using Learning Logs and keen senses, they recorded their observations at eight centers that included, a live slug, our computerized microscope for viewing bugs, prisms, magnets, the skeletal remains of a shrew, whale bones, a moldy pumpkin, Monarch caterpillars, a carnivorous Hawaiian caterpillar, and giant seed pods. There was some very intense research going on and lots of exciting learning!

Vocabulary Bee

At the beginning of this new semester, there were approximately 80 words on our "Wonderful Word List." These are words we gathered throughout our inquiries, stories, and discussions. It seemed a pity to just erase them, so I came up with the idea of a Vocabulary Bee. Two teams worked together to come up with a clear definition and example for each word in order to score a point. I made sure the final score was a tie, but they really loved the experience, and I was amazed by how much they remembered about those words and all that those words encompassed!

Inquiry

I've been reading Hawaiian legends to your children, and they always beg for more. On you next visit to the library, consider some legends, myths, and folk tales from around the world to read to or with your child. They are fascinated by these stories because they are so magical and imaginative, much like the stories they enjoy writing and reading. The children have also enjoyed acting out some of the legends, particularly one that talks of Wailele, called "Ka Puhahou." They are currently busy putting finishing touches on the first drafts of their own legends of Wailele. They all shared the beginnings of their stories with the class, and we talked about what grabbed us, what flowed well, and how much better the movie in our head would be with more detail and description. Many of my Morning Meeting lessons are now focused on enriching and clarifying our writing. Today we begin talking about the water cycle, and tomorrow we create a timeline for Wailele. I've overheard some of them talking about needing to start at the beginning of time on earth! Here we go again!!

Mahalo

A special mahalo to Dr. Ichinose, who came in to read to the class and bring a very timely message that was summed up in a very funny book. His message: good communication from the heart is very important for each person and the world. It is important to really listen to others and use our words to effectively communicate our ideas. It is all right to disagree, but there are ways to do it that work and some that don't! I think we can all benefit from these lessons. Dr. Ichinose will be a regular reader in our classroom, and we love having him! Mahalo nui loa!

Request

OOPS! I erased all the photos in my iPhoto library. Mrs. Jacobson is collecting pictures for the MPI yearbook and needs some great shots from the first semester. I have a few, but if any of you have some good ones showing the kids doing an activity with more than one child in a picture, please make me a CD and send it in by next Wednesday. I will then put together some for her to choose from. Thank you, in advance, for this!

Be sure to check out the two latest Photo Gallery albums. That is the best way to really understand what goes on in the Magic Stone Kids classroom!!

Martin Luther King, Wailele, and China

2008-01-18T01:00:44Z

Martin Luther King

Mr. Chance came in today to talk with the children about slavery, civil rights, and freedom fighters like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. He also shared some of his personal experiences, and the children were fascinated. Not only was he amazed by the depth of their knowledge and understanding, he was also amazed by the quality of their questions, "Why didn't they just talk it out instead of fighting the Civil War?" and a comment from one student about how parents and grandparents can pass prejudice on and make it spread, "Isn't it like the rotten apple that spoils all the apples in the barrel?" Please, take time to talk with your child about some of the important aspects of Martin Luther King's teachings: non-violence, fighting hatred with love, and the right of every person to be free. Keep the dream alive! Mahalo nui loa, Mr. Chance!!

Inquiry

The 1/2 classes were scheduled to study Medieval Times this semester with an emphasis on how people lived in another place and time. However, because MPI is celebrating 100 years in Manoa, we have decided to focus our Inquiry on Manoa and a very interesting "pond" on campus called Wailele. We call it a pond, for now, because after two visits this week, we are in the process of discussing where its water comes from, whether it's polluted, how it was used in the past, and why there is a fence around it. These are the essential questions that came from your children, along with a number of interesting hypotheses for each. Check out our Mind Maps the next time your are in the room.

On Wednesday, the children drew the valley and pond and wrote their own explanations about the source of the water. These explanations will soon be turned into original legends after we have taken a look at legends and folk tales of Hawaii and other lands. There are, in fact, at least two legends about this pond that we will share with the children next week. The students really enjoyed the experience of visiting the pond with their Learning Logs and writing impressions of the place, drawing what they saw, and coming up with some questions and ideas about it. For them, it is learning about their place--very meaningful, indeed! Be sure to check Ms. Field's Photo Gallery for pictures of our visits. Our classes are collaborating, and Ms. Field is our tech person, recording the experience on video and in photos, while I keep the discussions going. We really enjoy working together!

China

The children and I have brought in personal stories, books, Chinese lanterns, dragons, pictures, maps, stamps, and the Chinese zodiac. Thank you, everyone, who is contributing to our learning! Mrs. Yoshikawa is planning a very special Chinese New Year Celebration on February 7th. Let us know, if you have something you would like to do with us or tell us about. We love having our parents in the classroom.

Homework

I will send homework on Friday this week because of the holiday.

Reminder

Portfolios are due tomorrow. Please call me if you would like to keep them longer.

Excited to Learn!

2008-01-10T21:56:12Z

Happy New Year!!

Your children have returned to school with joyful hearts and their incredible love of learning. Yesterday, Holly spoke about some of her experiences in China, and, soon, the children were excitedly sharing information and stories about China, teaching others how to speak Chinese, using the globe to explore why it might have been so cold in Beijing, and asking questions about that fascinating country. Guess what! They decided we need to do a mini-Inquiry about China. Are we surprised? Actually, that will fit in nicely with our "100 Years in Manoa" celebration because we are going to have a Chinese-inspired Kite Day, which will bring back an old tradition to MPI. We are also hoping that some parents and families will teach us about Chinese New Year and other interesting aspects of that culture. I will show the children what China was like when I visited in 1978, and Holly and her family are preparing a presentation of what it looks like today--a nice comparison! Someone offered to bring in their mother's pictures taken a long time ago in China. Someone else volunteered their parent to come and teach us about Chinese writing. As always, you are welcome and much appreciated, one and all!! There is a lot of good translated Chinese children's literature, and some of you might like to come in to read to the children. Please, let me know if you have something to share!

100th Day of School
The 100th Day of school will be Tuesday, January 29th. If you and your child would like to make something to represent the 100th Day, please, bring it to school on that day. This activity will be optional this year, but we hope many of you decide to brighten our room with a collection, collage, or picture to represent that milestone.

Portfolios
Please, return your child's portfolio to school by Friday, January 18th. Be sure to fill out the parent response sheet and share it with your child. You also need to return the yellow Art portfolio.

Camera
Someone left a very small Nikon Coolpix L3 camera on my desk on Presentation Day. Let me know if it belongs to you.

Curriculum
This has been a week to catch up on all the things the children marked as "interesting" in books and magazines. At the end of last semester, we just didn't have time to talk about everything. Today, during Literature Time, I showed all the marked pages in the Amazing Creatures book. Even I was amazed!!

The children wrote excellent accounts of their vacations, and we all shared our writing! They are all able to write narrative with confidence and style now. Time to start focusing more on those pesky periods and capitals, but please leave that up to me. We will be having a poetry unit at the beginning of this semester. Because the children always write a poem or anagram in their birthday cards for others, they have a good sense of poetry already. I think they will enjoy writing Haiku. We will put together an anthology for all of you to enjoy. Mrs. Trowbridge will help us complete our "Just So" stories, and we will put them together to be shared once they are illustrated.

It delights me to be teaching and enjoying your wonderful children in the New Year!

The End of a Great Semester!

2007-12-20T23:10:18Z

What a wonderful, fascinating, amazing, fun semester we have had! The children and I want to thank all of our supportive parents for their generosity and help in making our learning experiences special and rewarding. Mahalo nui loa!!

Inquiry Presentations

I know you all enjoyed and were amazed by the depth of the children's knowledge and experience with their habitats and animals, as well as their clear understanding of what we need to do to protect not only the animals but all life on our planet. Thank you to all who helped with research and to everyone who took time from their busy day to attend.

South African Safari

Mr. McCormick shared his experiences on a South African safari with the children. He cleverly involved each of them in his presentation. Some found animals on maps or in guidebooks, some recorded the animals he talked about, others searched coins and paper money to find pictures of the animals, and we all enjoyed his excellent PowerPoint.Thank you, Mr. McCormick!

Owl Pellets

Because of weak stomach muscles and a lack of strong digestive juices, owls and many other raptors regurgitate what cannot be digested. A farmer in Washington state gathers these regurgitated owl pellets each morning and dries and sterilizes them. Some of the children were a little reluctant to touch their owl pellets at first, but soon everyone was carefully removing fur or feathers from the skulls and bones of birds and rodents including field mice, voles, shrews, and rats. Our parent helpers enjoyed the experience, too. Mahalo for all your help!!

Bake Sale

The entire school came to our Bake Sale, and we sold almost everything. Thank you for taking time to prepare delicious goodies for the sale with your child. The children did an excellent job of advertising, setting up the sale, helping customers, making change, and cleaning up afterwards. They also had help from several parents, who managed the sale for us. Our efforts raised $339 for the Heifer Foundation. The children decided that money would go for several flocks of chickens, ducks, and geese, honeybees, rabbits, and shares of a heifer, a pig, a llama, a goat, and a sheep. What a wonderful way to end our Animal Inquiry and help others around the world. Mahalo, everyone, for your help and support!!

Christmas

A special "thank you" to Mrs. Ichinose, who planned our very fun Christmas party and prepared all the gift ornament materials and treats; to Mr. Ichinose, who read a very special Christmas story about the origins of St. Nick; and to all the parents who came in to help.

Mahalo nui loa to all the Magic Stone Families for your wonderful Christmas gift. I am touched by your generosity!

My thoughts are with you during this special holiday season.

Merry Christmas! See you next year!

Be sure to check the photo gallery for some great pictures of your child's learning experience.