Candy Kingdom

Welcome to Candy Kingdom. The students have worked diligently to build this wonderful place. Students first decided which structures are a part of a town. After creating a huge list, they decided which groups would make which buildings. Each group created blueprints, a materials list, a name and jingle for their business. They first created their structures from cardboard, then added graham crackers and candy to decorate. This two day project was a great way to investigate teamwork and construction of a joint project. Come in and check it out.

The Skyscraper

The Hospital

The Arcade

The Car Repair Shop

The Pet Shop

The Airport

The Park

The Horse Stables

The Ice Cream Parlor

The Library

The Vet's Office

The Power Plant

Longest Cube Tower in the World

The older students created a cube tower over 700 cubes long. They worked together to build it and see if it could stretch from the cubbies to the meeting area.

Paint, Paint, EVERYWHERE!

For the past two weeks the younger students have been learning about how art can be used to inspire ideas for writing. We have been exploring this way of expression through discussing artwork, studying artists, and creating our own artwork to tell a story.

The Henri Matisse group

The Miro group

The Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec group learned that the artist was less than five feet tall. They made a nearly life-size mural to prove it.

Chase describes the "magic" in his artwork.

Hazel decides to add different materials to her piece.

Maggie explains her artwork:

"Well at first I was just painting a window thing and I didn't really know what I was making. Then, suddenly I had an expression in my head and I got the idea to make a half mother nature, half human collage!"

Eric adds color to his fireworks.

Rachel Eaton and Lilly collaborated to create this life-like peacock.

Lindy's garden

We have an actress in our midst!

Isabel, one of our 5th graders, will be performing in this month's Stephens College production of Meet Me in St. Louis at Macklanburg Playhouse! If you would like to see her live on stage, check out the Stephens College events calendar for showtimes. Break a leg, Isabel!

Happy Hanukkah!

Yesterday the students learned all about the celebration of Hanukkah! Ms. Parks told the story of Hanukkah and read Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel, a great Caldecott Honor book about the spirit of Hanukkah. Rachel Gardner's mom, Christina, and Ms. Parks made latkes for all the kids to try. Latkes are potato pancakes cooked in oil that are a traditional Hanukkah treat. The students also made their own menorah paintings with handprints that they will take home. Best of all, though, Rachel's grandma, Ellen Gardner, provided each student with their very own dreidel to take home! A recipe for latkes and the rules for playing dreidel will be included in your child's Friday folder. Enjoy!
For more information on Hanukkah, check out the following web sites...

http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/hanukkah/hanukkah.php

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/default_cdo/jewish/Hanukkah.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah

SCCS Flashback

Did you know....
That Stephens College Children's School has been educating children since 1925? Or that our school used to be a little white house where Hillcrest Hall is now? Or that our very own director, Leslie Willey, used to be an elementary classroom teacher here n the 80's? The older students are discovering all of this and more about the history of SCCS. From now until our big February birthday celebration (more details to come about that later...), the students will be uncovering all of the information they can about our school, dating all the way back to 1925. They will be interviewing former students, teachers, and college students, digging through archives, and researching old newspaper articles featuring our school. Ask your child what they've learned about SCCS's past! Also, if you have any information to share about the history of our school, please let the teachers know!

Math

In math, all groups are continuing their study of number sense, place value, and operations. Check out this fun site! Your child can play games like Pac Man with addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm

Thoughts from a former student...Allyson Kasper

Yesterday, the teachers received a letter in their box from a former student who attended SCCS. Her name is Allyson Kasper and is currently a seventh grader at Smithton Middle School. Here are her sincere words of encouragement to families and students.

Dear SCCS,
"May I have a round of applause?" I had just finished my Independent Inquiry, relieved that is was finally over while still keeping in mind that I was going to have to do another one next month. "Whoopee!" I said sarcastically.
I know that a lot of kids at SCCS don't like Independent Inquiries, (I know. I've been there), but I wanted all of you to know that Independent Inquiries are going to be very useful in your every day life.
I was a student at SCCS during 2005-2008. I am now at Smithton Middle School, 7th grade, team 74. I have done many presentations, reports, and essas on a variety of topics. Every time I've gotten a good grade on one of those projects at least one kid would ask me "how did you get such a good grade on your project?" I would respond in my best educated voice "I went to such a great elementary school; they gave us these little mini projects to prepare us for future projects, kind of like today."
Kids don't realize that what you learn now will be used again in the future, if it's a week from now or three years from now. Independent Inquires is just that, they are practice for projects you will be doing in middle school and beyond. From essays to presenting your work it's all going to be done in the future. Pay attention in class and do the work, and apply what you have learned to your everyday life, school and life will be a breeze.
Your Former Student,
Allyson Kasper

Science Showcase

After weeks of preparation our science showcase opened this Wednesday afternoon. Students worked in multi-age groups to research a topic of their choice within the animal genre. The end result was a colorful classroom full of artwork, information, and lively discussion.

Hazel's group discovered that there are geckos

that come out during the day and at night.

Will explains how to play his Cat Race board game to visiting preschoolers. As players move through the game board they learned facts about how to care for cats. For example, "Don't let them eat paper. Sometimes they like to do that."

The "mad" scientists state their argument that

testing on animals is a good thing for medicine.

The other side gives their rebuttle explaining the

negative effects of testing on innocent animals.

"Don't test on me!"

Savannah the cat tried to convince the audience that animal testing is wrong.

Maggie's group wanted to know when animals and humans first bonded (or became pets).

She learned that Thomas Jefferson was given two bear cubs as a gift and that cave men

took care of wolve pups.

Check out our pics!

Click on the picture below to view photos of the children during Fall Fest. More will be coming soon!

Fall Fest 2010

Family Conferences

To all our wonderful elementary families:
Thank you so much for attending your student's conference, they went really well! We love to hear about what you are doing at home to supplement learning. It is so helpful for us. We really enjoy talking to you and it is such an important time to touch base about your child's learning in our program. Thank you again for taking the time to come by and meet with us! If you have any other questions, comments or concerns please don't hesitate to email one of us or talk to us at school!

-The Elementary Teachers

K-1 Showcase

Lindy as Christine from Phantom of the Opera

Thomas shows his army men

Ms. Parks: Maggie, can you rock out on your guitar?
Maggie: Actually, it rocks out for you.

Nadia and Natalie play with puzzle books

Joey's fossils

Rebekah's singing dog

Robin's corn necklaces

Small group animal projects

This week each student was assigned to a small group to research deeper into a topic related to animals. Now that the students know so much about animals and the biomes of the world, they were able to narrow their focuses. Groups are studying topics ranging from medical testing on animals to domestication to camouflage.

A Walk Through the Biomes of the World

For the past week the students have been working in mulit-age groups to research and create a model of a biome. Each group learned about the types of plants and animals in their biome, the climate, and how the habitat supported the animals' survival. After the last birds (and oceans) were hung from the ceiling, the kids showcased their work and visited each biome to learn what information each group had to share.

The Wetlands

The Tundra

The Rain Forest

Ponds and Rivers

The Ocean

The Grasslands

The Deciduous Forest

The Desert

The Coral Reef

The Coniferous Forest

Field trip to the Etymology Museum

This afternoon our class made the long trek over to the MU campus to the Etymology Museum. There they marveled at giant mammal heads, ducks and other birds, and fascinating insects!