Gong xi fa cai! (Mandarin) Gong hei fat choy! (Cantonese) Chúc mừng năm mới! (Vietnamese)
We celebrated the Lunar New Year on Friday. We had parent volunteers join us and they read stories of traditions for the Lunar New Year while Temescalians tasted tang yuan and tangerines. Tang yuan are chewy rice balls with either sesame or red bean paste filling. They are often served hot in a sweet soup. They represent unity, harmony, completion, and look a lot like the moon. They are eaten at the end of the 15 day celebration for the new year, on the first full moon of the new year. Jackie led a group in matching food items with their meanings from both the Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. Lisa led a group in looking at the difference between a lion dance and dragon dance. Both are important parts of the new year celebrations, but both are very different styles of dancing.
Our assembly on Friday featured a Temescalian calling attention to those who first lived on the land that we currently occupy. There was also a call from third graders who are part of Ashoka Jr. for tents to support those in the Seabreeze encampment during these colder and wet months. We also closed our time together sharing our thoughts about gender.
In Math, we continued to introduce different strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems. While there are many strategies out there, we hope that Temescalians familiarize themselves with each one and are able to decide which strategy would be suit each problem. You could, for example, subtract 299 – 38 = 261. But if you use “constant difference”, you could shift both of those numbers and turn that problem into 300 – 39 = 261. The aim is to have problems that involve “friendly numbers” and may be more efficiently solved. Or if you’re adding 279 + 34, you could “give and take” and turn the problem into 280 + 33 = 313.
In Science, we gave Temescalians three bags of ice and they had to decide where to put them if they wanted to keep them (A) warm, (B) cold, and (C) underground. It was interesting to see whether our conjectures turned out the way that we thought. Many put bags in a bush to keep it warm, but it ended up having more ice in the end of the experiment than other places. One group thought that putting the ice on a metal cart would keep it cold, but most of the ice in the bag melted. The bags of ice underground melted a little, but still had a little ice in them. Ask your Temescalian about their group’s results!
We celebrated two Temescalian’s birthday and half birthday! It is always a pleasure to see images of our peers as younger people, and to hear about what they were like when they were little.
Coming up this week are the field trip on Wednesday, 1/29, the Art Show opening on Thursday, 1/30, and a Meet and Greet with Lisa AND Family & Friends Reading on Friday, 1/31 from 8:30 – 9:15am.
Field trip to the Exploratorium on 1/29: Please send your Temescalian to school wearing layers, comfortable walking shoes, and a packed lunch. Please keep candy and gum home! We will take BART to and from the Exploratorium so please review BART etiquette with your Temescalian at home!
Art Show opening on 1/30: We look forward to welcoming families at the opening of our 18th annual Art Show Thursday, January 30, 6:00-8:00p here at the UAC! All Students, ECC-8th, will be represented. Each class has been working thoughtfully to create a show that shares the art-making processes, creative learning, art history study, innovation, and civic engagement that happens every day in the Art Studio. This year’s show, called “Art Show 20/20: What is Your Art Language?” features artwork inspired by identity and human connection and asks viewers to think about how they interpret the world through artistic methods. Come experience the language artists use to communicate! You’ll enjoy pieces in chalk pastel, paper sculpture, clay, painting, drawing, cartooning, installation, textiles, and wool felting. Attendees will also be invited to participate in art experiences based on curator Hans Ulrih Obrists’ longest running art show, “DO IT!”
Artists who have inspired the student pieces in this year’s show include: Romare Bearden, Mark Bradford, Nick Cave, Mildred Howard, William H. Johnson, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Cy Twombly, and more!
We hope to see you! Can’t make Thursday’s opening reception? Stop by during our scheduled gallery hours: Friday, 8:30a-6:00p and Saturday, 12:00-2:00p.
Meet and Greet with Lisa AND Family & Friends Reading on 1/31: Please come for Family Reading this Friday. We’ll extend the time a little bit so that I can introduce myself, for those who don’t know me, and answer any questions you might have about third grade.
Looking forward to this week of learning with the Temescalians, and meeting you on Friday!
Warmly,
Lisa
Happy Lunar New Year!
A science experiment, deciding where would be the best place to stay warm or cold outside.
Birthday celebrations!
Introducing homework, practicing handwriting through “backboard writing”, finishing up Ohlone projects, and learning different strategies to do addition and subtraction, and practicing writing numbers in expanded form.
Julianne talking to the kids about the upcoming Art Show!
Temescalians presenting at the assembly on Friday.
