Literacy Week

Mr. Dillan came and read to Mrs. Bender's reading class.  Jack Dillan is president of the Mid-Prairie School Board.

We've been enjoying special activities in our classrooms this week!  So far we've had guest readers from our school and community, and on Wednesday we are looking forward to hat day. Thursday students can wear their favorite college or university apparel for Oh The Places You'll Go day, and we'll wrap up the week with a Read and Feed day on Friday.

This 'N That

• Don't forget - next week we celebrate Read Across America with lots of literacy activities at KE!  Scroll down to check out the post from earlier this week with details (or check the calendar/sidebar at the right).  We hope to see you at the picnic style supper on Tuesday night!

• We're still collecting garden themed items for the third grade fun night basket(s).  Send items for our basket(s) any time . . . thanks! (Again, see previous posts for more details).

• Mark your calendars - Thursday evening, March 22 is the annual KE spring music concert and art show at the high school.  More details to come soon!

• FYI - Mrs. Brenneman will begin teaching mornings, and Mrs. Hartsock will continue to teach afternoons through Thursday of next week (if baby hasn't arrived by Friday she's getting her eviction notice) :)
If you need to contact Mrs. Brenneman, her e-mail address is bbrenneman@mid-prairie.k12k.ia.us

Stations

Today for stations our topic was Leap Year.  The kids learned which years we will have a leap year, which century will have the next leap year, and how our calendar was created.  Leap Year reminds us of leaping and frogs so that was also a fun theme.  Kids were able to make an origami frog with the help of Mr. O'Brien - thank you so much!

We also made our chromo-photography t-shirts today. Kids had a lot of fun seeing their newly created designs.

Friday! {3H Stations}

It's been a while since we've had regular Friday stations, so this afternoon was extra fun!  Students created their "color bleeding" t-shirts, learned about leap year and folded origami leap frogs, caught up on math, read, and played logic/math/spelling games on the laptops. 

• Care instructions for the shirts are pinned to them.

Science - Enviroscape

As part of our water unit, we invite Pam from the Washington Co. Conservation Office to come and explain about our water shed area.  Pam explained that the water shed is not a building, but an area where water runs off.  She also talked about Pollution and the difference between Pollution and Natural Pollution.  That the material that pollutes Iowa the most is mud.  The importance of wet lands, no till farming methods and buffer strips.  Iowa leads the nation in the use of buffer strips, especially around water.  Lots of interesting information was shared!

Science and Health

We were able to do both science and health this week.  In science we are working on the Water Cycle.  As part of that unit we need to know about the different states of matter and if they go through a physical or chemical change.
In health we are focusing on the human body.  We have learned that our bodies are made up of cells.  Cells need food and water, oxygen and a way to get rid of waste.  Next was bones and muscles.  How bones and muscles work together in the body, that there are three different types of joints and the bone marrow produces blood cells.

Valentine's Day Fun!