Weekly Update

Pinebrook STEAM Expo:Thank you for the supply donations for our upcoming STEAM Expo!  The kids are excited, and us teachers are looking forward to Friday, February 24th!  We are still in great need of volunteers to help our day run smoothly.  Please come spend the day with us to see your child's creativity in action!  Don't be intimidated about volunteering ...we provide all directions, and all materials for each activity.  A teacher is present in each classroom at all times. 

Here's a little more information about volunteering at the Expo:

• If you volunteer, you will be placed in your child's grade level.  If you have more than one child, you may volunteer and split your time between your children's grade levels.
• We need volunteers for both the morning and afternoon sessions...sign up for just one or both!
• The STEAM Expo is a school wide event...if the grade level for which you'd like to volunteer is full, please consider volunteering for another grade level in need!

STEAM Expo - Calling All Crafty Kids:

As part of our STEAM Expo, each grade level will complete activities related to a particular theme.  Our 1st grade theme is Fairy Tales!  To help create a Fairy Tale atmosphere, each 1st grade classroom will decorate its door to reflect this theme.  We will work on this project at school, but for those kiddos who love a good art project...well, I invited the kids to work on this at home too!  Anything goes...a coloring book page of a favorite fairy tale character, a free form drawing, a cut out scene.  It's okay to use markers, crayons, colored pencils, glitter, stickers, and embellishments...just remember, the project has to be taped to our door, so nothing too heavy.  This is not a requirement; nor is it meant to be parent homework...just a little crafty project for those little ones who love to sit, draw, and create.

Valentine's Day Party:
One final reminder...our Valentine's Day party is Tuesday, February 14th from 1:05-2:15 pm in our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend.  I sent home a food permission slip in the kids homework folder; please kindly return it as soon as possible.  

Next Week is Spirit Week:
In celebration of Random Acts of Kindness Week, next week will be a Spirit Week. Here are the themes for each day:

• Monday:  We are a global community!  Wear blue and green to symbolize the colors of the globe.
• Tuesday:  It's Valentine's Day!  Wear hearts, pink, and/or red.
• Wednesday:  Superheroes show kindness!  Dress like a superhero.
• Thursday:  Spread sunshine!  Wear yellow clothing and sunglasses.
• Friday:  Show your Puma Pride!  Wear Pinebrook colors (maroon, navy, and gray) or Pinebrook spirit wear.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will practice summarizing fiction stories as we enjoy some Valentine favorites.
• Writing:  We will learn about informational writing as we focus on editing for mechanics, punctuation, and proper sight word spelling.
• Math:  We will continue our Fractions unit.  We will practice identifying the fractions of a set and fractions of a whole.  
• Science:  We will begin our Matter unit. We will discuss the 3 states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas).  We will experiment with a variety of liquids and solids to discover how various liquids mix, and whether various solids will dissolve in water.

The calendar is starting to fill as we move into the second half of the year...while I highlight many events in my update, please be sure to check the "Important Dates" section of this blog regularly for the most up-to-date dates and times for our school events.

Have a great weekend!  I'll see many of you on Tuesday at our Valentine's Day party.