April Happenings

   

There is a lot going on in Cedar 1. Let’s get to it!

Our student teacher, Katie Kinney, is back and will be with us until the end of the year. She is finishing up to UOTeach program and will be taking over more and more teaching responsibility each week. I can’t tell you how helpful it has been to have another adult in the room! The students like her and respond to her well.  She has already dived in and started to plan our new science unit, Plants & Animals.

We started our unit by putting onion bulbs on wet cotton and observing the roots and shoots emerge. On Thursday we cut up carrots and radishes and planted the pieces of roots and stems in vermiculite to see which parts, if any, would grow. This week we will be planting rye grass and wheat. In the coming weeks we will create terrariums for pill bugs, sow bugs, and snails. This is a new unit for me (and the school district), so I’m excited to discover what’s in store. We will be trying to root cuttings, so if you’d like to send in cuttings of houseplants.

We have an artist-in-residence beginning ceramic lessons and activities beginning tomorrow, April 9.  She has requested a parent volunteer or two in the room during the lessons, so if you’d be interested in helping, we will be doing ceramics on April 9 (short notice!), 11, 16, and 18, from 9-9:45.

We are still learning about Asian animals, but very soon will need to move onto Australian animals because we are going to the zoo in less than a month!  Our field trip to the Oregon Zoo will be Thursday, May 3. We will be leaving immediately after the morning bell and arriving back to Edgewood around 5:00. I’ve heard from a couple of people that they are interested in volunteering. Please send me an email and/or sign up using the button at the upper right of this page. And a heads up that most likely won’t be room for all the chaperones on the school bus, so that would mean driving. Another heads up that you have to have a volunteer background check done and cleared before you can volunteer in any capacity. It’s good for two years, so if you’ve done it any time during the time your child’s been in 4J, you should still be good to go. I will send home permission slips for the trip in this week’s Home Folders on Friday.

That’s all for now. Have a great week.

Will