A Blast from the Past!

Dear Room 24 Families,

Welcome back to school, our final trimester together! 

Over the break I met an Edna neighbor, Janis Bosenko, who shared the above picture with me. Janis was one of the original grass roots organizers focused on saving Horse Hill. The above is part of the original push to garner awareness city-wide. Mil Valley students of the day helped in the campaign, as you can see! Every store and restaurant in town had one on display with an empty pickle jar to collect money sitting close by, or so I've been told! Pretty cool!

I will send home permission slips for our Horse Hill Broom Pull happening on May 2. Technically it is a walking field trip and doesn't require the permission slip, HOWEVER I send it home anyway. On this day we give back to our local open space under the supervision of Open Space ranger, Greg Reza, a.k.a. Gorilla Greg (if you've ever done outdoor ed with kids, you will understand the 'nature inspired' moniker). We work with heavy tools to pull out the broom and come in close proximity to poison oak, both of which require some adult supervision. Hopefully some of you can join us in our effort. This is really why I am sending home the form....I need you!

Our study of our Edna/Alto neighborhood continues. This Thursday Mike Moyle from the Portugese Cultural Center in Sausalito will come and talk about the Tunnel Dairy, the Alto Dairy, and the Wye Dairy, all within a stone's throw from Edna. Each of them were where they were due to the proximity to the train, which ran on the multi-purpose path behind Edna. Weather permitting we will try to walk up there on Tuesday and try to imagine the differences. From about 1830-1950, almost 90% of dairies in southern Marin were operated by Portugese immigrants from the Azores Islands. They wound up here after following the whaling ships, and then following each other in a chain migration. Mike is an amazing asset to our studies! I've learned a ton from him. He is a history enthusiast to be sure.

Our third grade science rotation finished the week before break. Each third grade class is now focused on our physical science unit, Force and Motion. It is big time fun--we build, experiment, rebuild, and experiment as we develop our own ideas about the obstacles and energy required to get something to MOVE. Some of this will be done with our kindergarten buddies, too. 

We continue our study of nonfiction text by reading and writing about the main idea and supporting details, with a little bit of cause and effect thrown in for good measure! Believe me, this is easier said than done!

In math we are working with fractions--comparing fractions, placing fractions on a number line, and justifying our work with equations and words.

Please take a peek at our important dates. There are a few fun things coming up on the Edna campus!

Thanks for everything.

Carrie

Your Kids are Amazing!

Dear Parents and Families,

First of all let me apologize for not including the DATE on the permission slip for our adventure to the Mill Valley Library and Old Mill Park. Our scheduled date is Thursday March 14, leaving at 8:50 and returning to school around 12:00. Moving too fast, I guess, and didn't catch that one! I am still looking for more parent drivers....although there are still more permission slips to collect. Maybe all is good. I will keep you posted.

Secondly, I want to share an extraordinary learning moment from last week. In class we are reading Riding Freedom by Pam Nunoz Ryan. I've used this book for many years; it hits the sweet spot for both teaching and learning in a variety of ways. The story itself is historical fiction and based on the true story of 'Charley' Parkhurst, a woman who lived her life disguised as a boy and then a man in order to live the life she dreamed of in the last half of the 1800's. She ultimately moved west, settled in Watsonville and drove a stage coach, an often treacherous vocation at the time and place. She was a tough and determined woman to be sure! She is given credit for being the first woman to vote in the state. It wasn't until her death that her true identity became publicly known. The book prompts many questions--does her vote count as a woman since no one knew she was a woman? why was it so necessary to disguise herself as a man to live her dream?, etc. Finally, your children feature in this story.
For the first time since I've used this book came the question, "What is the difference between a tomboy and transgender?" I may have shared at Back to School Night that one of my new favorite words is zeitgeist? This was certainly a 'zeitgeist' moment. The question from a child that clearly reflects the moment we are currently living in. Wow. If this doesn't keep us all on our toes, I'm not sure what will!
I wanted to let you know how I answered the question and provide a resource, if you are interested, for further discussion at home. In the moment, the first thing that popped into my mind was my own early elementary school years. I explained that when I first started elementary school girls had to wear dresses, but girls still wanted to play sports, run around, climb the play structure, etc. At that time, if you were such a girl, you were called a tomboy. You were interested in 'boy' things and were a girl--a tomboy. I then shared a story of a child I know, a boy, who loved 'girl' things. We weren't sure if there is such a term as a tomgirl? For the definition of transgender, I kept it pretty simple and used our story, or at least the author's perspective, to guide us. Being transgender is a deeper wish to be the other sex. Did the author's story lead us to believe that Charley had a deep wish to be a man? (no) or did it seem that it was a decision based more on safety and survival? (yes) Interestingly, I found an article from the time of Parkhurst's death, 1879, that referred to 'her' as 'he' and 'him' throughout, at a time they knew he was a she. This use of pronouns also came out in class with the kids being uncertain about how to refer to Charley. Again, we looked to the author and she uses 'she', etc. when Charlotte is thinking of herself and 'he', etc., when the outside world is looking at Charley. We will probably never know how Charlotte herself felt, but the story provides some guidance.
So, now for the resource. There is a book for kids about a transgender boy called I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel. It is based on the real-life story of Jazz Jennings. You can look at it here.
Finally, your kids are amazing. Their openness and willingness to look at the complexities of life is inspiring.
Any questions be sure to email!
Sincerely,
Carrie
P.S. I've rescheduled our Horse Hill visit (although minus the ferrier at this point) for March 13th. If anyone is available to accompany us on our trip, we will leave around 8:45 and return around 11:00.

Welcome Back!

Dear Parents of Room 24,
Welcome back to one of my favorite times of the year! The kids know our routines so well at this point and their minds are hungry for more learning! I love it.
I was so bummed that our Horse Hill walk was cancelled before break and it looks like more rain is in store. It is the 'good news/bad news' aspect of being able to learn about our own backyard- it is close and available, but we can only get there when it isn't raining. This is true of our Mill Valley unit of study generally. Rain cancels field trips.
Our next field trip is to the Mill Valley History Room in the basement of the Mill Valley Library. This won't cancel! It is a very short visit, only 30 minutes. Our scheduled visit is Thursday, March 7. We need to leave school by 8:55. Our visit is from 9:15-9:45, with Ms. Diamond's class immediately following. I would like to stay and tour Old Mill Park and the Dipsea steps with both classes. There's plenty of history right there in the park! This will probably take us until 11:20-ish. Finally, I would love for drivers to take the kids to the various plaques around town to take photos for a project later in class.
Yes, this is a lot in one day. I'm hoping, however, to get it all done in one day, so we don't need to gather drivers again on another day. Hopefully, you will agree with me;)! I'm hoping we would be back to class by lunch, or maybe a few minutes after 12:00. Fingers crossed we can get drivers AND it doesn't rain. Thanks for your help and flexibility in any case.
The permission slips will be in tomorrow's homework folder!
Also, here is the link to the Edna library page if you need new Young Authors' Fair forms, etc. It is an exciting opportunity for our students but the deadlines are strict! The first deadline is March 13 when stories are due!! Edna Library Page
More details soon,
Carrie

Dear Parents,
Two photos from our field trip on Friday. On top we are looking at photos of pathways of swimming mice, some with Alzheimers and some without. They are looking for a hidden 'dock'. Those Alzheimer mice on the left are having a super hard time finding anything. The below photo is Hannah trying to keep her dry ice soap bubble intact! All that AND time spent in the Buck educational lab looking at the difference soap makes in getting germs OFF of our hands! Wow! What a day. Thanks to everyone who drove us there. It was super interesting.

I can't remember if I mentioned the grant Jackie and I received from Kiddo!? It is a collaborative art/poetry project between 3rd graders in Sausalito, San Rafael and Mill Valley. The theme is pathways....although no Alzheimers in this one! Loosely based on the ancient Japanese art form of Renga, each student in each class begins their art and poem and sends it to the next school. When each of us receives art/poetry from another student, we will add onto it, being thoughtful to interpret best intent! Here are some examples of the art and some poetry:

Run over the bridge and down the stairs.

Go to your destination, be careful, you might fall off

It sure looks like a far way to go

I will wait for you, and good luck!

Leap from lily pad to lily pad

be careful for the flowers

they will blow you up with water

when you come down you will be at the bridge

I’ll meet you there.

The project is about to begin its journey to Sausalito, while we should receive something from San Rafael by the end of January!

In math we have created lots of graphs! The data we collected was the gender breakdown of room 24, third grade Edna, third grade MVSD, Edna, MVSD, Mill Valley, California, and the U.S.A. Then for good measure we graphed the gender composition of the House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Supreme Court Justices, and the Executive Branch Cabinet. No surprises there, however we discovered that while there are slightly more women than men in Mill Valley, California, and the U.S., there are more boys in every category in the Mill Valley School District. We have no idea why, but it was fun to research and think/talk about.

Room 24 continues to get good reports from their science teachers--first Ms. Shern and now Ms. Fisher!

I've been in touch with my Horse Hill contact, Suzanne Gooch. We are currently scheduled to visit the hill on February 15 to see the horse shoe ferrier (is that redundant?) do his thing. We will need to leave PROMPTLY in order to be back in time for chorus, but more about that later. Rain would cancel....and any chaperones are welcome.

It supposed to be clear next week. Personally, that makes me happy.

Enjoy the day,

Carrie

Welcome Back!

Here's the goofy photo of us in front of 85 toiletry kits!
Way to go third grade!!

Dear Room 24 Families,
Welcome back to school and the year 2019! I look forward to hearing of everyone's adventures during the break. Wasn't the weather gorgeous?
Now to jump right into the nitty gritty......Our field trip to the Buck Institute is Friday, January 18. Because of the craziness before break, I am missing a number of field trip permission slips. I am sending home new ones in homework folders tomorrow. Please check your child's homework folder/packet, if you don't see a permission slip it means I have yours! If you do find one, please sign it and return it. We have plenty of drivers already. In fact, we really have more than we need! The drivers signed up are: McIntyre, Boyd, Welte, Chaimongkol, Erving, Mount, and Terrier. This gives up a total of 27 seat belts, so one or two of you might want to do a raincheck? Just let me know. There will be MORE field trips!!
There are lots of new things happening in room 24. Our second science rotation begins this Thursday. Room 24 students will be joining Ms. Fisher for 12 lessons of coding. Pretty fun and all thanks to our wonderful PTA for purchasing the licenses for 80 third graders!
In social studies, we will take another look at our government and the Constitution. We will learn about Shirley Chisholm and Fred Korematsu this month. Give us a few weeks, but then go ahead and ask your child about them! And, if anyone is so inclined, the exhibit 'Exclusion' at the Presidio Officers' Club is well worth the visit....it's free, too!
We will continue to practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication, but will also begin looking at geometry next week. Specifically, we will calculate area and perimeter for polygons, or at least polygons that can be broken into squares and rectangles, and compare the rationale for learning them both.
We are finishing up our unit on character in fiction.....didn't quite finish that one before break. We are close though.
I'm ready to return. I hope you are ready to send your kids back to school!
Carrie

Belated Thank Yous!

Dear Families of Room 24,

This is a belated note of thanks. First of all, I dropped all of the Adopt-a-Family gifts off at the collection site Saturday. Coincidentally, there was another local agency doing their gift give-away a few doors down. There were many families lined up, waiting their turn to receive their gifts. It was the perfect compliment to my dropping off process. Thank you for your generosity in making another family's holiday brighter! My one disappointment was I completely forgot to take a photo of our kids in front of all of the presents.....that they wrapped.

Another thanks for the wonderful books from the book fair. I'm half way through Bob (yes, I do read kid books, too) and the picture books are all written by some of my favorite authors.  We do love the book fair!

We've been finishing ongoing projects. As a teacher you always hope to time completion of projects with holidays. It often takes some maneuvering.  The kids are to be complimented; they've risen to the occasion beautifully. We will end with some time to spare, hence the 'stuffie condo' project you may have heard about? We have a playground, a bus, and many cool 'condos' underway in room 24.

The kids' expert books (nonfiction!) are almost completed and they make me smile. Most of them reflect an interest developed with you. I view these little books as a love letter to your family. They know a lot about their topics, which represent time spent with you. I love these books. And, many have 'great beginnings', decent paragraphs, and 'endings that offer a conclusion and don't just stop'! A bonus!

We've finished another unit in our math book, taken the assessment, and corrected the same assessment. I'm pleased to say that everyone did well. They will come home for review after break.

Room 24 finished their science rotation with Mrs. Shern and will begin with Mrs. Fisher after break.

We also finished Because of Winn Dixie. Many of the kids have seen the movie, so I suspect many of you have, too? It is a story of the redemptive power of love, but it is sooo sad! I hadn't read it in a long time. There is a part in the book where the father cries, something long overdue. We had an interesting talk about why men don't cry, but boys do. When I asked them why they thought this was so, one student offered up the suggestion that 'they grow up'. So, dads, my challenge to you is to let your children see you be emotional! If you need any help, just read Because of Winn Dixie!

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday filled with family, food and fun.
See you in the new year.
Carrie

Reminders and News!

Dear Room 24 Families,

Not sure about you, but the holiday 'busy-ness' has descended upon my house! I hope you are still able to find moments of rest and relaxation amidst all of the fun!

As many of you know, our chorus concert is this Tuesday at 12:40.  We share our wonderful music and chorus teacher, Elizabeth Robertson, with the five other elementary schools, so, yes, it is in the middle of the day! There has been a request of me to ask if anyone is available to record it? If so, let me know.

Our nonfiction writing project is coming along! We are typing it into a google document to transform into our very own nonfiction book. Please send in photos, copies of photos, or downloaded photos for your child's book. It makes the world of difference for the finished product! 

Speaking of Google Drive, we had a great discussion last week regarding technology use. It appears that some children are using their school account for personal use. Here are some of the agreements regarding Google Drive:

*The MVSD Google account is NOT private. It is a learning tool and teachers can view everything that is happening in Google Drive.

*Use of Googel Docs is for classroom assignments only-not for personal use.

*Documents can only be shared with your teacher, unless a collaborative project is assigned and specific directions are given. 

It is room 24's turn to volunteer for carline the week after this one! Please consider volunteering to make sure our kiddos make it safely and efficiently into their car! Carline Volunteers!

The entire third grade will be having a pajama and movie celebration on Thursday, 12/21 and we’ll be making a baggie of trail mix to snack on. Check here to see what you might send in for our Holiday Party Trail Mix

Lastly, I have started to receive Adopt-a-Family donations....thank you!! A few items were not 'claimed' on our sign-up genius, so I updated the list. Please send things in by Friday of this week as we will wrap all of the gifts Friday afternoon! If you want to help wrap, let me know! We will probably begin the process (madness?) around 1:00.  Here is the updated sign-up for Adopt-a-Family

I think that is it....for the time being!

Thanks for all of your help and support. I know I am asking a lot of you at this time of year! I truly appreciate it!

Carrie