What Have We Been Learning About in Math?

      

For the past week or so, we've been focusing on geometry in our math lessons.  We've been learning about 3D figures and how they differ from 2D shapes. We've been focusing on the following 3D figures: cubes, cylinders, rectangular prisms, spheres and cones. 
                                

cubes

                                                     
      cylinder                rectangular prism 

sphere

cone

We've been learning about some of the characteristics of the 3D figures.  Does the 3D figure have any faces or flat sides?  Does it roll?  Does it slide, and/or does it stack?   

We've also been looking for and identifying objects in our classroom that look like 3D figures.  For example, markers and pencils are like cylinders.  You can have your child look for objects that look like the various 3D figures at home, too.  You may want to talk with your child about how the shape sometimes helps with the function of the object, too.  E.g., wheels/tires are cylinder shaped and not cube shaped. 

We need your help:  we want to do some art and building activities at school, and we need your recyclable containers. Would you please send in various 3D items for us to use? Here are some examples of items we would like to have: paper rolls, boxes of all sizes, party hats, clean/rinsed drinking cups, etc.  Thank you in advance for your help!

(Look for the photos of our creations on this blog in the near future.)







                                                                                                            

Caterpillar Update #4

In addition, here are some observations recorded by Alon C.:

Today there was a strange thing. The butterflies had four legs today. I felt the butterfly today. It was ticklish. 

Alon C. and Jordan made some very good observations about the Painted Lady butterflies.  They noticed that the butterflies appear to have only 4 legs, but we had learned that all insects have 6 legs.  Chloe then told us that she had read in a book that their two front legs are very short and against their bodies.  Ms. Guerriero then read some information to the class.  She confirmed what Chloe had told the class:  some butterflies do appear to have only 4 legs. 

A photo of the underside of the butterfly's body.  Only 4 legs can be seen.

We have also learned that butterflies are harmless to people. They are unable to bite or sting. We wanted the children to experience this for themselves. So, everyone was invited, one at a time, to gently place their hand in the flight cage so they could hold a butterfly. Most of the children in the class were willing to try it.  The children were very careful not to touch the wings. Doing so may damage the wings, and the butterfly would be unable to fly. The children appeared to enjoy holding the butterflies and there were lots of smiles for the camera!  

Caterpillar Update #3

You can see the butterfly's proboscis in this photo.  The proboscis is a tube-like tongue that they use to suck nectar from flowers.

Here is a short video from You-Tube showing a monarch butterfly sipping nectar from a flower.

A few more photos from our class:

4 of the 17 butterflies and 2 of the remaining 4 chrysalises

You can see the club-like antennae in this photo.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Caterpillar Update #2

We have exciting news!  Yesterday when we arrived at school, we had some new visitors in our room. Here is what the students wrote about the visitors:

Here are a couple of photos of our new visitors:

One of our Painted Lady butterflies drying its wings.  

A butterfly near its food:  a sweet, orange drink.  Ask your child about how he/she can distinguish a butterfly from a moth.  Hopefully, he/she will be able to tell you about the differences in the antennae.  Also, butterflies tend to rest with their wings up and touching.  Moths tend to rest with their wings down or 'tent-shaped'.

Stay tuned for more butterfly news!

P.S.  Thank you to the families who have already sent in items for the School Council Basket!  We appreciate your contributions.  Please send in items by Friday, May 29th.

Class Basket for School Council BBQ

As you may already know, our School Council is having its annual School BBQ on June 11th from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.  It is a fun community event with lots of activities for adults and children to enjoy!  We hope your family will be able to attend.

This year, each class is helping assemble gift baskets that will be auctioned at the School BBQ.  Our class would like to contribute an 'Outdoor Fun Basket'. Would you please help us out by sending new items to fill our class basket? 

Here are some ideas for things that we thought would be good for our class basket, but please feel free to send whatever you think would be appropriate for the theme:   

• Sports equipment (e.g., soccer balls, tennis balls, badminton sets, etc.); 
• Gardening supplies (e.g., gloves, seeds, garden ornaments, garden tools, kneeling pads, etc.);
• Fun outdoor items (e.g., sidewalk chalk, bubbles, pool toys, frisbees, kites, bicycle bells, binoculars, bug jars, etc.);
• Outdoor accessories (e.g., nonbreakable cups and dishes, candle holders and candles, picnic blanket, reusable water bottles, etc.); and
• Outdoor safety (e.g., sunscreen, sunhats, flashlights, handwipes, etc.).   Please send the items to school with your child.  Thank you!

Jump Rope for Heart

As you are probably aware, Nellie McClung P.S. is participating in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's fundraiser, Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart. Yesterday, we watched a presentation about the fundraising event. We learned that lots of people have been helped by the research and medical treatments funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We also learned about the function of the heart and how to keep it healthy. One way to keep it healthy:  get at least 60 minutes of daily activity.  

Our school goal is to raise $3500 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation this month.  There are various prizes available for the students for raising funds. We will be jumping (i.e., skipping) on June 4th at school. Your child may want to also practise skipping at home, in the meantime, for our event.

Caterpillar Update

We have some exciting news! Before we went home on Friday evening, we checked the caterpillars and 4 of them had changed. They were no longer caterpillars. They were now in their chrysalises! Here are some photos since the children did not get a chance to see this on Friday:  

The 4 chrysalises are hanging in the flight cage.

Here is a closer look at a chrysalis.  

Boys and Girls, do you think we will find more chrysalises on Tuesday when we go back to school? Let us know what you think by posting a comment.  

Visitors in Room 110

 On May 6th, some visitors came to our class, and they haven't left, yet!  

As you probably know from your child, we are taking care of 24 Painted Lady caterpillars!  Each caterpillar arrived in its own little cup with its food.  We numbered each cup, and then the children decided which caterpillar they wanted to observe and follow for the next few weeks.  Every week, we'll ask the children to draw and write about the changes they have noticed in the caterpillar.  If everything goes well, the caterpillars will change into butterflies in about 4 weeks, and then we will release them back into nature on a warm day. 

We began our class inquiry about butterflies, by asking the children two questions:  What do you think you know about caterpillars and butterflies?; and What do you want to know about caterpillars and butterflies?  We recorded their answers on a chart, and then we started researching.  As we find out new information and/or confirm what we thought, we add the facts to the chart under the section: 'What we learned/confirmed about caterpillars and butterflies'. Here are some of the questions the children had about caterpillars and butterflies:  how do caterpillars grow and change?; and what do caterpillars and butterflies really eat?

In addition to observing the Painted Lady caterpillars, we are also reading lots of books, watching videos, researching on the internet, learning songs, participating in drama activities and talking to experts so we can learn more about caterpillars and butterflies.

Here are some photos of our little visitors:

May 6, 2015:  the caterpillars have arrived!  Some caterpillars are tiny and some are small.

May 11, 2015:  just 5 days later.  The caterpillars are growing quickly!

A curious caterpillar

We learned that the spikes on the caterpillar are for protection.
We counted 16 legs on the caterpillar.  Ask your child how many legs a butterfly will have.

May 15, 2015:  Some of us wanted to find out what it felt like to have a caterpillar crawl on our hands!  

Stay tuned for more updates about our caterpillars!

Spring Concert Photos Needed

The Nellie McClung P.S. Yearbook Committee would like to publish some photos of the Spring Concerts in our upcoming school yearbook.  If you have photos of any of the performances from either of the two Spring Concerts, would you please let us know as soon as possible.

Happy Mother's Day!

     To Mothers everywhere, we hope you are having         a great day with your family!