As we go into the weekend...

It has been another great week in 5G!

We are in the discussion stage of the Science Fair project that will be done predominately in class (with the exception of the experiment itself and creating the poster board - but all of the writing, in accordance with the Scientific Method, will be done in class). I will go through each child's question next week, ensuring that it successfully fulfills the three features of strong Science Fair questions:

• Is the language clear?
• Does it test only ONE variable?
• Is the idea feasible for a student to carry out with limited parental guidance?

We have worked through these ideas in class this week (and edited many examples of questions to fit in with the guidelines), and I will sit with each child individually next week to fine tune the direction of their project. Creating three possible questions of study will be homework for the evening of Monday, February 4th.

**The package for this project that will come home with your child on Monday night is very comprehensive, and the expectation is that by spreading the work load over approximately eight weeks, any stress for both child and parent will be alleviated!**

The Math test has been postponed until Friday, February 8th to ensure that every student fully understands the abstract and difficult concept of fractions. In addition to your child's math set class, we are reinforcing the learning objectives as a homeroom class each day.

I strive to cultivate a class community that is peaceful and respectful, and this week we have been doing work in the area of patience and gentleness (both within ourselves and with our classmates). Our study into several written works by author Jon Muth sparked interesting connections for the class between the significance of the moon in his writing and his clear message for balance and peace in the way we live our lives. Muth often uses bamboo in his illustrations, which the class concluded was a symbol of strength and resilience. From these lessons, I have picked up a paper moon and some bamboo for the classroom to serve as visual reminders of these great books and their important message.

Enjoy your weekend!