What an exciting start to our week! Students arrived Monday at school ready to continue playing in the snow. We have enjoyed this burst of winter weather and the timing couldn’t be better. Last week, we read, The Mitten, a story about a boy who looses his white mitten in the snow. Ask your...
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During our music time all grades have been playing the class xylophones. In our room we have three sizes. The xylophones have wooden bars. The metalophones have metal bars. And our glockenspiels, which also have metal bars, but make up the smallest of the barred instruments. Most children love playing these instruments. They love...
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Chess Club shirts have arrived and will be distributed Thursday and early next week. Saturday, February 9th, we will host the Chess For Success Regional Tournament. Please plan to wear your chess shirt next Friday, February 8th. If you are not involved in chess this year (why not??), you can wear a chess shirt...
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Our class is continuing to investigate rocks.  There is much excitement watching the crystals grow.  This week we’ll use 3 sizes of metal screens sifting rocks for predicting, sorting and observing.It is with great sadness that Bill (a classroom friend from Ms. Amsbury’s Life Skills Class), passed away over the weekend.  Mr. Lauer and...
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In Ms. Bennett’s class, we have been working on responding to writing prompts in preparation for our upcoming state assessment. We learned the difference betweem narrative, expository and persuasive prompts and practiced organizing our ideas. This week we are writing expository essays together focusing on the different steps of the writing process. We are...
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We continue to use our senses of sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Last week we had a “Smelling-Bee”, with students sniffing over a dozen mystery scents and and guessing what they were. Scents included rosemary, peppermint, garlic, vanilla, coffee, and ginger. We also did body-bowling, with different moves, including rolling, tumbling, snake-slithering, and crab-walking.  Read-alouds...
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This week we will have Gregory MacNaughton from the Cooley Art Gallery at Reed College visit our class to prepare us for our upcoming trip to the Cooley Gallery in February. In writing, we are working on a writing assessment piece where children are asked to create a fabulous piece of writing using their...
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I’m very sad to report that only 10 fifth graders turned in their reading logs last Friday. It becoming very difficult to get homework back from many students. This Friday all students have a new reading log due and a summary of their science experiment. Please support your child’s homework efforts by checking to...
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***Mr. Lauer sent out another message today (Monday) to alert you of the very final change to our drama production schedule. Due to a scheduling conflict with the PTA meeting, the play will begin at 1:30 and 6:30 on Tuesday, February 5th. Promise! =-) The children have been working so hard and are very...
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Last week the third grade students had a visit from a representative of Multnomah County dental health programs. The students were fascinated to discover how much plaque was on their teeth. This plaque was highlighted with yellow dye, which showed-up in a special lighted mirror. They were shown how to correctly brush their teeth...
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In our reading anthology we are learning about Harry Houdini, optical illusions, and animation. Students are also checking out books of simple magic tricks, practicing their ”act”, and performing it for the class. It’s been very fun to spark their interest and to see some talented “magicians” in our group! If you don’t get...
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We have had some awfully cold weather in Portland recently, but your children have really enjoyed getting outside whenever possible to play basketball, draw with chalk, collect Lewis School rocks, play make believe, jump rope and sing jump rope songs, (true Oregonians!) THANKS SO MUCH for remembering scarves, hats, gloves and warm jackets as...
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Oh, the weather outside is frightful but the classroom life is delightful….Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! In class we are talking about what makes up the weather(perfect timing:o). We read a folk tale called the Weather Makers and discussed the 4 important parts of weather. We talked about what would...
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This week Ms. Meghan Lutrell, my student teacher, begins her ten week student teaching in our class. She has come in each Thursday in the past and will be here every day through March. We are all so excited to have her and she is thrilled to teach your child, along with me. In...
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Last week we did more sensory activities. We used the senses of smell, sight, and touch during a shaving cream art activity. We used the senses of sight and touch to do more finger-and-thumb activities with Lee, including breaking Q-tips, using tape, and making figures with clay. We used the sense of sound during...
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Tomorrow is bring a teddy bear to school day! We will be using our bears for math, reading, writing and art. Even in this cold weather, we are trying to get outside for at least a few minutes. Please make sure your child brings a warm coat, hat and gloves. Last Thursday, we met...
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Hope you are all staying warm and enjoying the sun. This week in math the 3rd graders will be working on finding factors for 100. We began discussing factors for smaller numbers last week and your child did a great job finding factors for 24, 36 and 48. The 2nd graders will be working...
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TAG Testing Testing for students nominated for TAG will take place on January 24th and 25th. Please make every effort to have your child at school on time that day. A solid breakfast and a good night’s sleep is a necessity. The testing that is done is often presented to the children as “games,...
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***Brrr! Thanks for making sure your child is well bundled for this wild weather. You know it’s really serious when they are asking to come in from recess! =-) ***Our author study is continuing with Kevin Henkes. The children are really enjoying the other stories beyond what we saw at the “Lilly and the...
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The first week of “saying goodbye to families in the hall” has been a huge success.  The children are extremely proud of themselves and are doing a wonderful job of taking care of their morning routine.  Rocks have been investigated, sorted, and resorted.  Students have experimented with the effects of water on their rocks....
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Our expository writing on the rainforest is completed, and the students did a beautiful job. They are learning to put information in their own words and to carefully edit their work. In just two weeks our fourth graders will take the state writing test. They will be given 3 different prompts, and will then...
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I hope every one had s great MLK day. Thank you to the volunteers who came to Lewis, the school looks great! Last week the music program received a grant for $1000 from Artists for the Arts. This grant will help us in purchasing hand an African drums for our general music classrooms. This...
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