Reminder: Publishing Party Friday!

Just a reminder that our Winter Solstice/publishing party is tomorrow, Friday Dec. 21st, from 8:00-8:45. Please note that there will be several classes having parties tomorrow morning, so parking will be tricky, especially closer to 8:20.

Please also remind your child that they are allowed to bring one comfy reading "accessory" (pillow, stuffed animal, blanket) for the afternoon.

I hope to see you tomorrow!

Winter Gear

This post was dictated to Mrs. Parkin by the students.

Dear Parents,

Winter is here! The playground is wet, slushy, and very cold. Some of us noticed today that we were not dressed appropriately for the weather. We also admit that our moms and/or dads told us that we needed to wear something different, but we didn't listen. Boy, are we sorry now!

Just a few chilly children.

We would like your help in reminding us to bring the following things to school, now that the cold weather is here:

• Boots (plus a pair of shoes or slippers to change into)
• Mittens or gloves
• Snowpants (if we want to play in the snow)
• A winter jacket (hoodies just aren't cutting it with the slushy weather!)
• A hat to keep our ears warm
• An extra pair of socks to leave in our backpacks if our feet are wet

Some of us were toasty warm at recess, and nice and dry for the afternoon!

Warm and toasty

Thanks for helping to remind us!

Sincerely,

The Students of Mrs. Parkin's Class

Week 11 in Parkinsville

This week was amazing in Parkinsville we started a researching  something that we wonder using the Nexus7s like I did most expensive car in the world, Olivia  did what seals evolved from, Will did the most expensive pet, Austin did when will the world end, Chase did how many people are in the world. In library we learned about the Dewy Decimal System of Classification. We added and subtracted decimals. We did two quick write (we get a prompt from a book and get five minutes to write about any thing). We did a opera in music. We did six on six in gym with Ms. Pachuta. In art we made the final touches on our project. In guidance we had a gallery walk with poems and chose our favorites. We hope you continue to read and stay updated. Stay tuned!

Weekly update

Written by Patrick
Edited by Olivia

Mrs.Wolinsky asked Google for a grant and won with 2 other classes around the globe receiving 25 brand -new Nexus 7s! And she chose us to use them! A Nexus 7 is run by Google, competing with the best selling i-pad! This week we have been exploring our new apps that we have downloaded for learning. Nexus 7s rock!

On the same day the rollout came we also visited the Longfellow House! The 200 year old brick house was donated by the last member of the Longfellow family to the Maine Historical Society in 1903 (I think this is what the guide said). It was fun seeing how they did things we do now without electricity. The kitchen had nothing besides a table that we use today. The second floor of the house caught fire and they rebuilt and added a third floor. The wallpaper was not the original because it would have been way too old and stinky but still furniture and instruments were original.

Math!!!!!! We started unit four which looks at decimals. Two nights ago the homework we had let us cut out the pieces of magazines that included decimals in all ways. From money to temperatures to weight there are decimals.

This has sure been an out of the ordinary week! We got new technology, had a field trip to learn about old technology, and we started using the awesome decimals.

I wonder what next week will bring???


Note from Mrs. Parkin:

Last week I handed out book order fliers to the children. I am extending the deadline for orders to this Monday, December 10th, in hopes that we can drum up a few more! In these days of budget hardships, your orders through Scholastic Book Clubs earn our class bonus points, which I can then use to purchase books for our classroom at no out-of-pocket cost to me. 

Planning on giving books as gifts this holiday season? Please consider ordering them through Scholastic! They will arrive before vacation and, if requested, I will make sure your order stays hidden away from prying eyes :) Misplaced the order form? Order online by clicking here. All online orders earn you a $5 off coupon for a future order!

The Nexus 7s are here!

Today was a VERY exciting day-- we rolled out the Nexus 7 tablets to the students! It was amazing to see the curiosity on their faces and share in their infectious enthusiasm. 

Lilly's reaction upon taking her tablet out of the box.

Several people came to help us this afternoon: Mrs. Wolinsky, Mrs. Barr, the instructional technology integrator at YHS, Mrs. Lane, and YHS alum Ben Morse. Special thanks to the parents who were able to drop by: Camden's dad Erik, Ned's mom Carolyn, Xan's mom Whitney, and Carter's mom Amie (with little sister Meredith!).

Mrs. Barr helps Kate set up her tablet

We started by creating name labels to go on the outside of the case. Next, students unwrapped the cases, which was surprisingly exciting to them! Finally, they were able to start getting to know the tablets themselves. By the end of the afternoon, students had downloaded about a dozen educational apps from the Google Play store. We even had some time for exploring the different apps! The room buzzed with students excitedly sharing what they were learning.

Students watch as I use the Elmo to model how to change the settings on the tablet

 Tomorrow during morning meeting, we will work together to develop common agreements about using the tablets. Mrs. Wolinsky will join us for this discussion. Our goal is to create a contract that will be signed by all students and parents.

Stay on the lookout for updates as we discover more about how we will use the Nexus 7 tablets to transform learning in our classroom!