Cursive and Keyboarding

We have been working our way through our cursive workbook and are beginning to put the craft to practice. Following our return from spring break, we will require for all students to write in cursive in all subjects except math throughout the month of April. 

We will also begin a final push with our keyboarding skills through the Typing Club. Look for an e-mail from the 4th grade team about our work with Typing Club for the remainder of the year. 

All Trinity Reads

Our community wide reading celebration will be on Friday, April 19. Between now and then our class will be reading The Other Side, a picture book written by Jacqueline Woodson that discusses the story of two young girls who are separated by a fence. The entire school will read this book and reflect on its themes and what we can learn from them. This book will surely spark wonderful conversations. Copies are available for purchase at the front desk.

http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/the-other-side/

Colonial Garden

4th graders will plant a colonial garden in the 9th Street Community Garden. We have planted lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, kale, and pea seeds in flats. They are germinating and growing in a light cart in our classroom. We have learned some important lessons about how deep to plant seeds and how many seeds to plant in each cell. On Wednesday afternoon we will work with Nancy Duncan and Ann Bass to plant our little plants in the garden. Our hope is that they will provide a bountiful spring crop. We will harvest the food and share it with local agencies that provide food for the hungry.

Important Dates

March 29 - Good Friday Chapel Service / 10:30 in gym
March 29 - Early Dismissal/11:40am
April 1-5 - Spring Break/No School

April 15 - 18 - ERB Testing - 
April 17 - Early Dismissal/11:40am)
April 19 - All Trinity Reads

The Circulatory System

The Heart, Blood vessels, and Blood make up our circulatory system (Hubba Bubba Bubblegum). We learned and laughed at Bill Nye's video about the circulatory system.  We are studying about how the heart pumps the blood, what is carried in the blood, and how the blood vessels are a massive transportation system.  To better understand the complexities of the heart, we will be thinking about it as "the heart house." Please see the Children's Heart Institute website for more information about this.

http://childrensheartinstitute.org/educate/heartwrk/hearthse.htm

Ask your student about how we made blood with food coloring, cheerios, marshmallows, salt, and purple spiky balls? See if they can remind you what represented the plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. We learned about the functions of each of these parts of the blood with our simulation.



Biography Project Photos

Thank you all for coming out to the Wax Museum! It was such a fun afternoon getting to see each student shine as they shared all that they had learned about their selected historical figure. We also enjoyed the fun and fellowship that the event brought with it! Here are a few photos of the students from the day they gave their class speeches. I'll try to post more pictures later too.

Earthshine Packing List

D E S T I N A T I O N :   1 8 4 0 !

EARTHSHINE Packing List

Top on our "To Bring" list is an eager spirit.  Carpe diem! Seize the day, the moment, the opportunity. Earthshine offers you the opportunity for the best three days of school  ever. 

Now, what to pack.  We have a wonderful, natural setting.  When it's windy, it's very, very windy;  when it's wet, it's very, very wet.  Layers of clothes are better than one heavy jacket.  Wool is great because it's warm even if it gets wet.  Nylon stops the wind penetration.  I once heard "there is no such thing as inclement weather, just inappropriate clothing."  Be prepared!  Just remember, we are an OUTDOOR education center.  Anything that comes to Earthshine will get dirty -- wonderfully dirty.  Old, comfortable clothes are best.  Use wool, nylon, polyester and synthetics in place of cotton clothing as much as possible (Cotton, once wet, will not dry by the time they go home).  Bring only what you can carry.

What should be brought to keep warm, dry and happy? How about....

• sleeping bag (or bedroll) and pillow
• towel and wash cloth (old ones)
• toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, hairbrush, etc.)
• water bottle 
• underclothes
• socks
• pajamas
• pants (at least three pair because the first two may get wet!) 
• hiking boots or shoes (a pair to get wet, a pair to stay dry)
• T-shirts, *sweatshirts, sweaters (cozy and comfortable)
• rain gear (from head to toe), dry is happy!
• *hat (cover those ears)
• *gloves 
• windbreaker and warm jacket
• plastic bag to bring home wet stuff
• curiosity, sense of discovery, and smiles

*These items are vital in the winter!

Optional items:

period clothing (i.e. bandana, headband, vest, apron, overalls, bonnet, nothing huge or expensive), chapstick, flashlight, and sunscreen.

PLEASE DON'T BRING:  gum, radio, cell phones, IPODs, snacks, matches or lighters