Spring has sprung! And with it, our long-awaited overnight class trip to the Boston Museum of Science is nearly upon us. While the fourth grade has been hard at work with our curriculum, anticipation is building as our departure date this coming Thursday is fast approaching. In our preparatory discussions, everyone has decided that they are especially looking forward to the movie in the Mugar Omni Theater, as well as the late night Dip-n-Dots ice cream treat. The kids are also very excited about the Duck Boat Tour of Boston, which promises an opportunity for each of them to steer the amphibious vehicle a little bit while we make our way down the Charles River. Please refer to the email I sent last week for important details on departure and return timing, as well as the items each student should and should not bring. Parents should not hesitate to contact me via email or phone if you have any questions regarding the trip. I am really looking forward to sharing this experience with the class!
Before we get to Boston, however, the students will be presenting their State Bag Projects on their chosen western states. Each student has researched seven different subjects, ranging from their state’s natural resources, a business that is based in their state, and a sports team that calls their state home. Some of the topics they have explored include rodeos in Wyoming, the Dole Food Company that makes Hawaii its home, and Mt. McKinley in Alaska. The children have all done a really nice job decorating their bags and gathering items that represent each of the seven topics that they’ve researched. Each bag and their contents will be presented in class over the next three days.
As you know, I ask each student to read a book of their choice for a minimum of 30 minutes per day as a standing assignment since the very beginning of the year, and when a student completes a book, they write the title, the author and their name on a blank paper book which we pin to wall, with the goal of completely circling the room during the course of the school year. I am incredibly proud to announce that the students have almost entirely “read around the room!” As a class of only ten students, they have read an astounding 220 books since the beginning of September, an accomplishment each individual reader should take great pride in. As a teacher, and a lifelong reader, it is my hope and goal to inspire students to always read and to find both satisfaction and joy in doing so. The sense of accomplishment that I see the students have upon seeing their reading acknowledged and celebrated on our classroom walls gives me hope that their fourth grade year is just one more step in the creation of lifelong readers.
Be on the look-out for pictures from the State Bag Project presentations and our Boston Trip next week! Let’s hope the museum’s T-rex doesn’t make too much noise while we are trying to sleep!