Learning in the Ladybugs

I love this time of year when the kids are comfortable with the routine and they don't mind trying something new.  This week has been all about learning with our whole bodies.  We are currently learning about animals in the Arctic and Antarctica.  We painted the aurora borealis and they turned out great.   We did a scientific observation over the course of two days and watched as the waterbeads absorbed water and we noted the changes we could observe.    As part of our STEM curriculum, we made airplanes with the Bumblebees and Gumshoes.  We talked about changing variables, aerodynamics, prototypes and final design.  There was a buzz in the air as the planes took shape and were tried out in the multipurpose room.  Finally, we talked about what worked and what didn't and what changes we could make next time.  Fully engaged, learning with our whole bodies-it's the best!

Swimming in the Ladybugs

We're just loving swim lessons!

Snowflakes and Crystals

Making crystals

We used a microscope to get a close up look at the crystals.

then we used the microscope to take pictures of what we could see

some of our crystals were in the shape of a rod and others were like flowers

 

we carried our topic into our math time, most snowflakes are symmetrical and shaped like a hexagon

 This week we have been focusing on snowflakes and crystals.  We love being scientists!

Swimming Lessons!

Our first day of swimming lessons were a success!  The kids all had a great time and no tears!

We're Back!

Exploring the properties of absorbent polymers,

science observations are always fun,

everybody likes to get their hands in, 

and it's a sure way to bring smiles to our friends.

The Red Cross came to school to talk about emergency preparedness.

our Math Mentors were back,

this time we're writing equations,

and solving them.

We even had a little time for oral math problems.

We even got tapped at the last minute to perform at gathering.

 It's so good to be back at school!  The kids and the staff, as well as the dog, are all glad to be back in our usual routine.  We're back doing what we do best-learning and playing together!

We wasted no time getting down to business, we're learning about snowflakes and how they are made.  Did you know they are always hexagon shaped and made with water vapor not rain?  We used powdered "snow" to observe how super absorbent polymers work and made our own snow to play in.  The Red Cross came to school for the first of two presentations on emergency preparedness (the kids took it all in stride).  Finally, the Math Mentors were back to help us with domino math, writing equations and solving them.  Those big kids are so great with the little ones, the positive energy in the room reminds all of the adults why we love working with these kids.