I'm sorry I have not posted to the blog often this week but as I am sure you know, BCPSEA has put parameters around teacher work hours and the 45 minutes allotted at the end of the day doesn't leave me time to keep you updated on our classroom shenanigans. I will do my best to continue to post pictures and videos of Team Awesome as well as keep you informed in June.

• Logan shared a Megazord, Tayja had a stuffed puppy.
• It is possible that next Thursday teachers will be out of the schools in SD 73 so keep your ears/eyes open in case something changes.
• We have moved our Stranger Danger presentation to Thursday June 12.
• At this time I am still planning Dads & Donuts for Friday June 13 but I haven't had much response to my query about time. If you could drop me a line or check the sheet hanging outside our classroom letting me know which time works best for you I would appreciate it.
• All library books are due back to the school Friday June 13 and there will be no more sign outs for the year.
• We have tentative trips planned to the airport on Thursday June 19 and one Monday June 23 to Isobel Lake but I will not be informing the children until closer to the dates as I don't want to disappoint them if they have to be cancelled. Please consider joining us for either/or as parent helpers are always appreciated.
• Primary Fun Day is Friday June 20- please join us.
• Thursday June 26 is our last day of school (!!) and it is a partial day.

Go forth and Be Awesome!

I suspect we have exhausted our interest in Rube Goldberg machines but only time will tell. Not only have we observed more machines in action via video, but we spent a solid hour making our own this morning. If you look closely at the photos you will notice that the children's machines look more complicated, which I am going to attribute to the complexity of the machines we watched .

• As I am sure you are aware, there will be no school Wednesday May 28.
• If you have a child joining us in K next year, orientation is either Tuesday May 27 or Friday May 30 as per your letter.
• Friday May 30 is CSI Day at BEST. We will be trying to solve a crime scene using forensic science.
• Our trip to Tranquille Farms has been cancelled.
• Our Stranger Danger presentation for next Wednesday has been rescheduled for Thursday June 5.
• Please let me know if Dads and Donuts on Friday June 13 would work better for you at 8:30-9:00 or 2:00-2:30.
• BEST will host a book fair next Tues/Thurs/Fri and our time to preview what is available is Monday at 1:00.
• Next week is Bike To School week. Get out those helmets!
  
• Cookie dough orders are due into the office on Monday May 26.
• Please return Jump Rope For Heart donation envelopes to the office as soon as possible. Thankfully the weather today was not scorching hot.
  
• Our Garden Critters presentation today was interesting.

Go forth and Be Awesome!

Just like we celebrated our moms with Moms and Muffins in May, we would like to invite our dads into our classroom for Dads and Donuts on Friday, June 13 for 30 minutes or so. I am wondering if it would be more convenient for dads to join us from 8:30-9:00am or from 2:00-2:30pm. Drop me a line and let me know what works best for you. Unfortunately I will have to go with the time that best suits most dads. If you are unable to join us at all on that day please send a male relative or friend.

Don't forget that tomorrow is our Jump Rope 4 Heart afternoon. The children were sent home with envelopes for fundraising two weeks ago and they need to be turned into the office. We will be spending the afternoon outside on the field so please dress the children appropriately- hats, sunscreen and water bottles are a good idea. We will participate in ten or so stations that involve jumping in some way, shape or form so expect team Awesome to come home hot and tired. You are more than welcome to join us for the afternoon. Events begin at 1:00ish. See you tomorrow!

Team Awesome is going to come home today with all sorts of crazy, disjointed stories about some sort of machines we learned about and built today. Here's the ungarbled version:
Today was Wonderous Wednesday, which means that we not only try and find the answers to some of our "I Wonders" that we wrote and put on the chart but we also check out the Wonderopolous site to see what their Wonder of the Day is. Today the question was "What is a Rube Goldberg machine?" and it included a great video as well as an explanation. Rube Goldberg machines are all about creating a machine (or contraption or invention or device or apparatus) that uses a chain reaction to accomplish a very simple task in a very complicated manner - and science is ALL about chain reactions! So after watching the video 3 (!) times, and a few others, Team Awesome was excited to try making their own Rube Goldberg machines during free choice time at the end of the day. They were actively engaged and the ideas were flying. The children were so involved in creating that they were reluctant to tidy up to go home at the end of the day, resulting in a few tantrums and lots of cajoling (which you probably heard if you were waiting in the hallway.)