Tuesday

You can find good writing in the form of essays without much trouble. Take a look at this one on tea by George Orwell. He certainly had some strong opinions on the subject. Perhaps you did not know that learning to make a pot of tea was part of the fourth grade curriculum, but it is, at least it is in Room 17 at Franklin Elementary School.

It started out many years ago as a Friday reward for good work during the week and as a warm-up for the Friday Sing Along. Then it became apparent that lots of people not only like and drink tea on a regular basis, but some of them like to write and read about it. Have other famous authors written about tea? Well, hop on that computer and find out.

Invitations for the parent/teacher conferences next month go out this week. Please send them back promptly. Yes, tea will be served!

Wednesday

“Do you watch NCIS?” asked the fourth grade student.
“Well, I guess so, but only once in awhile,” said the fourth grade teacher.
“You look a little like Gibbs. Once my mom pulled my hair back so I looked like Xeva.”
“Hmm...I see some resemblance to her. Actually, Gibbs is a few years older than me.”

On Monday several students brought in newspaper clippings about the Fungi Fest held last weekend in Sequim. This is the time of year to see lots of different kinds of mushrooms. Sometimes the kids bring in examples(see photo.)

Ahhh, the Fall season....spiders and mushrooms with Halloween coming up in a week or so. Several more students found the answer to the bonus question, "Who was the U.S. president during the American Civil War?" Nice work!

In Science we move forward with our study of water. Now that we've learned about water tension and how water behaves on slopes, we'll learn about the effects of heat and cold on water.

Here's one you can try: Write a compound sentence using these two Math facts: 6 + 5 = 11 and 8+4 = 12.

Wednesday

Students work in teams on our new water unit for Science. As they found out, a penny will hold between ten and twenty drops of water. It's all about surface tension, domes, flows, and slopes. Stay tuned for more photos of Science activities this year.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," is an expression that has meaning for people of all ages, including nine and ten year olds. The kids have been asked to find out what this old saying means. We'll see if anyone comes up with the answer to this bonus question.

Thursday

Is it possible to eat spaghetti in the car after a soccer game? Apparently, it is now. The New York Times reports that spaghetti tacos are now the rage among kids, but no one in Room 17 has yet mentioned them. Take a look at the article for something fun to read.

The kids are doing a fine job with the weekly bonus questions. Yes, the capital of Washington State is Olympia, not Washington D.C. The bow is the front of a ship or boat, the stern the rear, starboard-right, and port-left. The chum salmon is nicknamed the dog salmon not only because of the pronounced canine-like teeth during spawning, but also because they spawn last of the five Pacific species. By the time the chum salmon returned to the rivers and streams native people had already caught and preserved plenty of fish for human consumption. Thus, the chum were often fed to the people's dogs and the nickname ensued.

No school for the kids on Friday this week. That means it could be a good day to find current events or news items for Monday's discussion. A little extra reading homework is a good ideat, too, along with some practice on the multiplication facts. Here's hoping you have a nice weekend.