Dear Blue Room Parents,
 
We had another exciting week!  Below is an update on what the Blue Room children learned this week at Montclare.
 
Books we read:

• The Fruits We Eat, By Gail Gibbons

• The Vegetables We Eat, By Gail Gibbons
• Its Pumpkin Time, Scholastic, October 2018
• Pete the Cat Halloween, Author Unknown

 
Places we went:

• Art visit in the Classroom
• Trip To the Botanical Gardens

 
​Classroom Activities:

• We discussed the difference between fruits and vegetables both to take a closer look at the insides. We were amazed at the magnificent shapes found inside and decided to make a new mural printing with zucchini, okra, apples, peppers, celery, oranges and many more. Be sure to check out this in our classroom.

• With all of our knowledge of how things grow were excited to see this first hand at the Botanical Gardens. We dug holes , planted basil, harvested and tasted spinach, and watered plants. We had an amazing day that ended with a picnic lunch.
• We wrote in our creative writing journal about this amazing trip.

• Next we began to get ready for Halloween with a story all about Pete the Cat trick or treating with friends. This story inspired us to share our own costumes by dressing up Pete the Cat and writing about our costumes.

 
Theme this week:

• Harvest and Halloween

 
Upcoming dates to remember-

• Monday, October 24th – Trip to Harvest Moon Farm (if you were chosen as a chaperone please arrive to school by 8:45)
• Thursday, October 27th- Curriculum Night
• Monday, October 31st- Blue Room Halloween Celebration (parents are welcome to stay from drop off at 8:30am until 8:50am to take photos!)
• Monday, November 12th & Tuesday, November 13th- Parent Teacher Conferences

• Thursday, November 15th- Blue Room Picture Day

• Tuesday, November 22nd- Native American Festival (each child must have one adult in attendance)
• Wednesday, December 7th- American Ballet Theatre Trip (each child must have one adult in attendance)

Sincerely,

The Blue Room Teachers

Dear Blue Room Families,

We had another exciting week! Below is an update on what the Blue Room children learned this week at Montclare.
 
Books we read:

• Perfect Pumpkins, by Jeff Bauer
• Pumpkin Circle, by George Levinson
• The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin, by Joe Troiano

Places we went:

• Visited Noel in the Music Room
• Played on the Roof

 
Classroom Activities:

• We talked about harvest time on the farm and the many fruits and vegetables that or ripe and ready to be picked at this special time.
• Discussed the role of a scarecrow at a farm and then practiced our counting and geometry skills by creating our own "Shapely Scarecrows”.
• We began a pumpkin investigation by learning about many varieties from this harvest fruit. We even learned that pumpkins come in many different shapes, colors and sizes.
• In Science we dissected a pumpkin and explored its inside. We even learned the names of the different parts of a pumpkin. compared and contrasted different pumpkins.
• We began working on our classroom farmer’s market. We worked together to paint the structure and make signs. 
• This week we had a special visit from Scientist and Blue Room parent Ben tenOever. He conducted a fascinating experiment on DNA isolation. Together we created a special solution, squished and filtered fruit, and then saw the DNA on a special blue light wearing special glasses and a lab coat.  It was an unforgettable experience and we are so grateful for Benjamin’s time.

 
Theme this week:

• Harvest and pumpkins

Important Dates to remember:

• Wednesday, October 24th- Field Trip to Botanical Gardens 9am-1pm (if you were chosen as a chaperone please arrive by 8:45)

1. Wednesday, October 31st- Blue Room Halloween Celebration (parents are welcome to stay from drop off at 8:30am until 8:50am to take photos!)
2. November 12-13th – Parent Teacher Conferences (no classes for students)

• Wed November 14th & Thursday, November 15th - Photo Day (schedule to follow)
• Tuesday, November 20th -Native American Festival (1:30pm in Gym 2-one adult per child)
• Tuesday, December 11th- ABT trip at USQ (one adult must be present) 
• Thursday December 20st- Holiday Sing Along and class breakfast (one adult must be present- details to follow)

Sincerely,

The Blue Room Teachers