Rocks and Expert Projects!

Good Afternoon CFI Families!

This week’s recap will be short and next week’s will wrap up splash day, expert projects, and water experiments.

This week we learned more about rocks and minerals as we explored the different types of rocks and were engrossed with how igneous rocks are formed. We looked at videos of how a volcanic eruption can create several different types of rocks. We also looked at how sedimentary rocks form from the sediment layers that collect and are pressurized. We will continue with this study next week looking at how water affects rocks (specifically erosion) and the properties of water that lead to its movement and collection in different forms (oceans, rivers, etc.). This will culminate with our end of the year celebration of splash day!

We have already shared a number of amazing expert projects this week along with the writing samples each child has been creating in class. We learned about Judy Blume and heard Bella’s own The Pain and The Great One, about Tedd Arnold and heard Darryl’s book Darryl Presents Basketball, and many more. I love how each writing sample is unique to its author while patterning their writing off of author’s craft elements they were inspired by. The projects from home have also shown just how much each child has grown both in the depth of their research and writing, and in their confidence in presenting in front of the class. We will continue sharing these next week and will have a share fair with the school before sending them home. Thank you for all the at home work that went into these, they are so proud of them and excited to share! I will upload a picture of each child with their project at the share fair on next week’s blog and will be sending the video for each child’s in class presentation.

I will be sending out an email to parents with kids who have summer birthdays. Each child can pick a day they want to celebrate their in class birthday. They will receive their hat and cool pencil like other children whose birthdays we have been able to celebrate. If you chose to send in a snack please remember our district policy. I am not able to pass out candy, cupcakes or other unhealthy snacks. We have enjoyed several parents bringing in fruit popsicles but other ideas include fruit, pretzels, crackers, etc. We would love to be able to celebrate our summer birthdays too! Please look out for this email.

We will have our last sandhills library trip next Friday the 26th. We will leave on the bus around 9:30 and will hopefully arrive by 9:45. If you would like to join us, please let me know. We always welcome your help! You can meet us at the library at 9:45. I will send home each child’s library card after this final trip so you can enjoy using it during the summer. Our Award Winning (Congrats!) library has many great programs to enjoy over the summer and I hope you are able to participate or at least take advantage of the great books they house over the summer.

That’s all for now but thank you for reading. Here are the few remaining upcoming dates:

May 26th- Sandhills Library Trip and Splash Day

May 29th- No School- Memorial Day

May 30th- 5th Grade Graduation

May 31st- Half Day

June 1st- Half Day and Last Day of School