Grade 1-2

We had a wonderful week! We started with a Cooperation Celebration. Every child from B3 to Grade 3 brought in a piece of fruit. We all gathered in Oakes and cut the fruit to make a huge fruit salad. Older students worked with younger students to make bite-sized pieces. It took 10 minutes to cut 40 pieces of fruit. We figured out that it would have taken 1 person 7 hours to cut the fruit alone. Then, we ate the fruit and listened to a lovely story. In the end, we played a cooperative game of sliding a hoop all around the circle without letting go of our hands. It was difficult for the adults to squeeze through. We sang “Make New Friends But Keep the Old.” It was a delightful day and we all practiced true cooperation.

We visited the Grade 3 Berkshire History Museum. The children went from presentation to presentation and learned a great deal about our local history. They also about how proficient the 3rd graders are in reading and writing.

In class we are finishing our study of Colonial Times. Each child is making a 5 page book that includes reflections of their study of the colonists. The cover includes quill and ink signatures. We are hoping to have them done and displayed in the next week.

We are starting to prepare for our “Rocks, Sand, and Soil Presentation” on December 11th. Each child has their own part as well as several ensemble parts. We hope to share our knowledge of geology and technology with you. Mark your calendars.

Special thanks to Jenny and Krithi for a delicious Lunch Bunch of tacos and black and white cookies. It is fun to eat all together at one table in our science room.

Next week we have only two days of school. On Tuesday we have the BCD Thanksgiving Soup day and dismissal is at 1:00. If you are leaving early for the holiday please let us know.

Happy Birthday to Alice!

For those of you looking for the pictures on your iphone or ipad, use this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcdtech/sets/72157648976294838/

The week was filled with revelation and adventure. It began with careful observation of decomposers in soil through microscopes. The children were able to sift through their soil samples and find all kinds of tiny critters: worms, ants, spiders, millipedes, worm eggs, grubs/larva and plant matter. The sand in the soil presented as individual rocks laced through the dirt. There were many spontaneous remarks of wonder. Neal said the shiny pieces of rock in the sand looked like “ice cubes”. The children recorded the properties of the soil. Mrs. Allentuck took children out onto Mike’s trail to find fungus, another organic helper in decomposition. Looking at anything closely is quite magical, as well as scientific.

Thanks to the families of Ellie and Jacob for a FANTASTIC Lunch Bunch! We had homemade macaroni and cheese, fresh vegetables, cookies and muffins for dessert. “It is the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had!” commented Gabi. Those hot meals make all the difference. We really love Lunch Bunch days.

We stepped back into Colonial Times on Wednesday and the children made tin lanterns in the shop with Mrs. Allentuck. First they made designs and then hammered nail holes into the tin cans for the light to shine through. Meanwhile children were making hand-dipped candles with Ms. Milani in the classroom. They had to dip each candle 20 times to get a whole candle. The process had a real impact on the children. They have a better sense of the time and care that it took for the Colonists to simply have light in their lives.

We travelled off campus and climbed a mountain in Kennedy Park on Thursday. It was windy and cold on the top but that didn’t’ stop the BCD Lower School’s adventure! The K-3 children did a nature scavenger hunt, created leaf rubbings, and made natural bookmarks and necklaces. We huddled together in the sun for our picnic lunch. We finished Mountain Day with a 45 minute hike through the park. The BCD Lower School students were resilient and strong. It was a great adventure!

And then it was Halloween. The children dressed and paraded around campus. We recited three poems at our all school assembly. Ask your child to recite them for you. Then we had our fantastic treats. Thanks to all the families who contributed to our Halloween party. It was festive and delicious.

Happy Birthday to Libby and Bronly!

Next week we travel to the Berkshire Botanical garden on Wednesday to learn more about soil.(Details will be emailed). Parent Teacher Conferences are Thursday after school and Friday morning. Please schedule a time online. No school for students on Friday.

For those of you viewing this blog on your iphone or ipad, you can view the pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcdtech/sets/72157648645245729/