The Pumpkins have begun their Asphalt Green unit in Martial Arts! The two coaches have been working hard with the Pumpkins to teach them how to "tell their bodies what to do" and be in control. Each day in Martial Arts begins at the end of the mat, where each Pumpkin must sit ready and tall. The coach directs them; "On your feet!", and the Pumpkins stand up as quickly as they can while saying "Yes Sir!". The coach is always looking for a "leader"; a Pumpkin that was focused and jumped to their feet the quickest after given the direction. The coaches have started a "word of the month" to familiarize the Pumpkins with words commonly used in martial arts. This month's word is DETERMINATION. The coaches and the Pumpkins sat together, brainstormed ideas of how to be determined, and shared examples of a time when they felt determined. So far, the Pumpkins are happily yelling their "HIYA"s with every kick, jab, and punch! Yesterday was the Pumpkins last day of tennis for the year! Over the past few months we have learned a few ways to hold our rackets including airplane and the two-handed hold. We also have learned how to high-five the ball over the net. The Pumpkins also played many games of Fruit Salad and Fireball to let out their energy by running around the net and playing tag. The Pumpkins are looking forward to starting martial arts when we get back after break! The Pumpkins are having a blast learning how to play chess with Sari, our chess instructor. Sari has taught the Pumpkins how to move all the pieces on the board, including the King and Queen. They started off the year playing with just Pawns; Now, they are using all their pieces, trying to save the King. The Pumpkins are very excited to continue to learn how to play chess! Gabby, our Art Farm instructor, has paid the Pumpkins some special visits. During her visits, the Pumpkins are learning about different habitats. They have studied animals that live in a rainforest, ocean and desert. Among the many animals was a parrot, stick bug, sea star and lizard. The Pumpkins look forward to Gabby's next visit! Happy Thanksgiving! This past Tuesday, the Pumpkins hosted their family members for the annual Gillen Brewer Thanksgiving Feast. During the celebration, the Pumpkins and their families enjoyed a delicious spread of food and shared their "Thankful Wreaths." After reading the book Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, the Pumpkins decorated plate wreaths to display what they are thankful for this holiday season. Ranging from their families to their favorite places to visit and hobbies, the Pumpkins have many things to be thankful for. The Pumpkins had fun sharing this special celebration with their families and teachers. In science, the Pumpkins have been learning about the habitat and body parts of a crayfish. The Pumpkins even have their own crayfish, currently living in the classroom! The students observed the crayfish using their five senses, specifically enjoying touching the crayfish's outer shell! They labeled a diagram of the crayfish body parts and what they're used for. The students noticed that claws could be used for grabbing small food items and well as for defense. They learned that the outer shell protects the crayfish from predators in its habitat. Stay tuned for our democratic process of naming our class crayfish! The Pumpkins welcomed all of their grandparents into their classroom for Grandparents' Day! They were so excited to share all the fun activities around the room with their special visitors. With their grandparents, the Pumpkins decorated puzzle pieces, which will be put together and displayed in the classroom. It was so nice having all the grandparents visit the classroom! Please enjoy the pictures below. Think First, we studied the definition of floating. Floating is when something rests or sits on the surface of water or drifts in the air. Second, we studied the definition of sinking. Sinking is when something rests or sits under the surface of water or sits on the ground. Lastly, we brainstormed a list of items to experiment with! Observe
Experiment Vote Did you know we float upside down?
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