STELLAR STEM CHALLENGES

This week we celebrated Massachusetts Stem Week to help develop students' understanding and appreciation of problem-solving and perseverance. Students were given the chance to explore coding, learn about the engineering process, "visit" the space station, and more. One period was spent on Breakout. This challenge asks students to solve riddles to in order to open a lock. These riddles push the students to persist and learn from their mistakes.
 Click on the links to give some of them a try yourself or, better yet, ask your child to show you the hyperdoc on GoogleClassroom.

EXPLORING ENERGY

4K explored energy and variables in another way with this task. We dropped three different balls from the same height under the same conditions. They predicted which would bounce the highest. Then, students dropped the balls 3 times each and found the average bounce height. We recorded the data and considered all the factors that would impact the bounce height.

We also explored energy with Newton's Cradle. Here is a video that shows a Newton's Cradle in action.

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!

The fourth grade was treated to a visit from author Steve Krasner thanks to TESPTO enrichment.  He was a sports reporter who covered the Boston Red Sox for years and has written several books as well. He shared his talents with the students along with lots of humor!

Each class worked with Mr. Krasner for an hour learning about the craft of writing. Our class worked together to create a story about the theft of a recipe for a new candy flavor right before it was about to be auctioned off. As Steven "nudged" them to add details, details, details, to help the reader understand, they expanded on the mystery. The challenge next is for each child to write an ending for our story.

TAG YOU'RE IT!

We surprised Mrs. Murphy's class today by "tagging" them. We recited a poem to their class (click below to see us in action) and now they are IT! They have to memorize a poem and tag another class (or even us again). That class has to memorize a poem and then "tag" someone else, and so on. Let's see how far it can reach.

REMARKABLE RECITING OF PREAMBLE

After Mrs. O'Leary, our principal, heard 4K recite the Preamble she asked us to say it to the whole school! The students in 4K prepared a mini-lesson as an introduction to our performance. We wanted to teach everyone a few facts about The Constitution and what some of the words in the Preamble mean and then amaze them by reciting the Preamble!

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