Hello Temescalian families,
We’ve made it through the first nine weeks of school! Wow, time flies! It’s been so joyful to spend our days together, from endless laughter to new challenges, and supporting one another along the way. Each day these kiddos are becoming more curious and confident learners. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to make this school year amazing!
On the first day, we felt both nervous and excited while we also shared out our hopes and dreams for the year!
Temescalians said…
“I hope we go on field trips to museums and the movies!”
“I hope we learn typing and multiplication.”
“I hope we do really cool science experiments.”
“I hope we have fun this year.”
Fidgets are always a popular learning tool! At the start of the year, we discuss the difference between a tool and a toy. While our classroom is stocked with fidgets, we also know they’re for focused use. Playdough, for example, is a fantastic fidget! For one of our first science lessons, we made our own homemade playdough for class use. Here’s the recipe to try at home:
- 2 cups of flour
- ½ cup of salt
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or whatever oil you have)
- 1 cup of boiling water
- Food coloring (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
Instructions:
- Mix the flour, salt, vegetable oil, and cream of tartar together.
- In a separate bowl, mix the boiling water with your food coloring.
- Slowly add your colorful boiling water into the dry mixture, while stirring frequently.
- Play around with how much water and flour you add until you end up with playdough that holds together, but isn’t sticky.
- Have fun with your new playdough!
We love integrating art projects with our learning! Pictured above are Temescalians crafting notes to thank a tree. We’ve just finished the book A Forest in the City by Andrea Curtis while we were trying to answer the question “Why do cities need trees?” We explored the many essential roles trees play in cities, including providing shade and reducing heat, purifying air, offering food such as fruit and nuts, creating animal habitats, and supporting both physical and mental well-being for our communities.
Ask your student: Were you surprised by anything you learned about what trees can do for cities?
Why do you think it’s important to protect city trees and our urban forest?
What can we do to help the urban forest?
Pictured above: Temescalians in sit spots!
What are sit spots? In our fast-paced world, taking the time to slow down and observe nature closely is becoming more essential for fostering curiosity and deep learning. That’s where sit spots come in— simple yet powerful practice that encourages students to engage with the natural environment in meaningful ways. Throughout this year, we will go out to Strawberry Creek park to make noticings, wonderings, and connections to our environment. While the practice sounds simple, it encourages mindfulness and sensory awareness, allowing students to notice details they might otherwise overlook in a busy environment. With a journal in hand, students record their observations, sketch what they see, and reflect on the changes they witness over time.
As we continue to learn more about trees, we started to discuss their fascinating traits – including that they can talk to each other! In this short video, we learned about the mycorrhizal network, or the “Wood Wide Web.” We discovered that nearby trees are linked through mycelium—thin fungal threads—creating vast underground networks that can stretch across entire forests. Keep your students’ curiosity alive by asking them what they wonder about forests and fungi!
We’re continually building our community of strong mathematical thinkers! Our math program is centered in building skills in collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. One way we’re approaching that this year is by tackling tricky problems through group forums, where students work together to explore different strategies, share ideas, and learn from each other.
Pictured above: We played “Guess My Number” using a number line up to 1,000 and engaged in a group activity focused on identifying patterns, thinking logically, and collaborating on a single task.
From Writer’s Workshop and Choice Time to our weekly Talent Fridays, there’s always something new happening. Our students are exploring Chromebooks for fluency practice on Fluency by Heart and DreamBox, discovering new books in our library, and sharing their creativity with one another.
If you have any interests or celebrations you’d like to share with the Temescal community, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your continued support and for sharing such wonderful kids with us!
In community,
Aly