Over the past few weeks the children have been using tools in math to make learning easier and fun. Research has taught us that when we use our hands to learn, a deeper level of learning takes place. This way of learning makes it easier for the students to commit the content to memory. The children, working in groups, used math wraps to reinforce counting and to practice adding doubles up to 18.  The class really enjoyed taking turns wrapping the green boards. It takes concentration to ensure you are wrapping it at the correct number. Being in groups helped the children stay on task and check their work. Using another tool, the math fact cards, the students worked with a partner to practice math facts. Learning these math facts is a fundamental step to learning more complex math problems. Memorizing these math facts has been linked to improved abilities to estimate, which aids in positive problem solving skills. The children have asked me, almost daily, when we will use these tools again in math. It’s a great thing to see young children excited about math!

We have begun a new unit in science, air and weather. Last week the groups made air and water fountains. My favorite portion of our science lessons is being able to allow the children time with the materials to explore and problem solve. Learning what air is, how it moves, how pressure affects it, and the power it holds has been fascinating to the class. They get animated when they find new ways to manipulate the air pressure and move the water. One group noticed that the water would only move up the side with the longer pipe. They yelled to me, “Look, if you flip it over the water can reach the short pipe and water moves into the syringe!” Some of my greatest joys as a teacher are seeing concepts click with the children as they are laughing together, jumping around with excitement when something is figured out, and sharing ideas with others.

Our youngest students on campus held a food drive and gave every student an orange ribbon to bring awareness about hunger in our world. Lower School (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade) students were happy to wear the ribbons and be reminded how blessed we all are, and the need to share our blessings with others. Involving our students, even the youngest, in community services teaches them to be stewards of Christ and to care about the place they live.

Claire Gordon

First grade is well underway and we could not be having more fun! One of their favorite subjects is science. I love the science curriculum we use in lower school. FOSS (Full Option Science System) is a hands on system, it challenges the students, and it encourages creativity. The children have fun while they are learning and they get so excited they can’t help but reach out to one another and problem-solve.

Our first unit covered was Balance and Motion. The class balanced paper crawfish, used counterweights to counter balance objects, and tried different ways to make a sharpened pencil balance on its sharpened tip. These investigations teach the principles of balance, force, gravity, stability, and motion. The investigation that involved the children trying to balance the tip of the sharpened pencil on the table was very challenging. Each group/pair of students was given the task to get the pencil into a stable position; they had an aluminum wire, two clothespins, and a sharpened pencil per group/pair. The children worked diligently to achieve the stability.  After about ten minutes of working, one group had a break through and was able to use the counterweights and get the pencil to counterbalance.

It was like watching magic before my eyes – to see such excitement when they were successful with the pencil! Then those two students went to other groups and taught those children how to balance their pencils. This took the lesson to a higher level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Being able to take what you learned and teach it to others solidifies it to the one teaching, and can make the subject matter more relatable to the peer group. One of the best things a teacher can see is her students having fun while learning. I am looking forward to many more of these moments this year!

WOW! I cannot believe that we are already at the end of the year, it has truly flown by! We have had the opportunity to end the year with some really fun activities. We had a week of testing, and I think that the students loved that week more than any other week of school. They enjoyed getting to have relaxing afternoons and popsicles, and most of them loved taking the tests because "they were more fun than learning new things"- according to a few of my students. :) 

I was also able to share some exciting news with my students, that I am expecting a little girl in the fall. They were all so very excited and had plenty of advice and name suggestions from me. 

We still have a few more fun events to end out the year with. The students have spent the morning at their field day, playing all sorts of fun and muddy games. The air is full of giggles today. I am thankful for all of the happy memories that were made this year with my sweet group of kids! 

Our first grade class has loved watching our ladybug larvas change into pupas and then into adult ladybugs over these last couple of weeks. No one in our class had ever experienced the lifecycle of a ladybug, so everyone was in awe of each change that our little insects went through. Once the ladybugs hatched from their pupa stage, it was time to feed them as they prepared to be released into nature. This was another neat part, we were able to observe the color changes that they went through. When they first came out, they were pale with not much color and by the time we released them they had a rich color on their back with their signature spots. The day we released them was bittersweet, we were so proud to see our little ladybugs take flight into nature, but we were also sad to see them go. Of course, we did have to pray for them before they took off! 

One of my favorite parts of spring, is getting to see all of the new life. There is something so exciting about flowers blooming, trees getting their leaves, and new incests coming out. So, we decided to study and learn about the complete life cycle of a ladybug. Last year, we were able to do this with butterflies, so we are excited to compare these ladybugs with our butterflies from last year. We ordered our ladybug land and larva and we just go them in, so we are excited to begin observing their behaviors and physical changes that will occur. We were all so surprised by what the larva looked like and can't wait to watch them change into their different stages. Everyone is loving to watch the ladybug larva crawl around in their habitat!