Tuesday, January 23

 Hi parents,

Here are some pictures from our "Chonker Cat Challenge". As you can see in the top image, the Chonker Cat is unable to slide down the ramp on its own. There's too much friction. The students looked around the classroom to find, design, and test different 'devices' that would allow the cat to move down the ramp, by reducing friction. We learned that wheels and rollers are an excellent way to drastically reduce friction, but also that smooth objects can often do the trick on their own.

The new science curriculum is really fun. Looking forward to more experiments and building in the future!

On that note - the rollercoaster is coming along nicely:

The students have done 100% of the work. I have not helped once.

In math, we looked further into the concept of Area. The students drew rectangles and other polygons, and determined the area by counting up the number of 'squares' in each shape. We learned how to use the unit 'cm squared' when writing area.

In the afternoon, we had Daily LA, Music, and Cubby Clean-up time.

As part of our work around Montessori Practical Life Skills and Grace and Courtesy, we're planning to start "Tea Time Tuesday" next week. This will give students an opportunity to practice basic skills like making tea, pouring, drinking a hot beverage, and cleaning cups. 

Have a nice night,

Zac