Fourth and Fifth Grade: September 16 - 20, 2024

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful break! The weather has finally turned, and it was time to give bodies and minds much needed rest. The students were very excited to share with the class what they did over the break.

Before the break, the students continued learning and experimenting with fractions. They worked on many ways to understand and comprehend the concept of a whole and how it can be fractured into parts. They have been especially engaged in this block because it included many snacks, which makes it more tangible for students to understand the concepts. 

The students have new partners they are working with on their end of block projects. It has been very insightful and interesting to see students blossom, take the lead, and show their creativity when working with different peers. 

Announcements and Reminders for Fourth & Fifth Grade:

  • Please send in two full water bottles daily. The children get very warm with all the speech and movement work that they do in addition to recess. 

  • Layers, layers, layers! They will continue to keep your child comfortable whatever the weather/temperature range of the day. 

  • 10/10-10/1:1 Fall Conferences (adults only). Please sign up here. If you need a different time, please let me know.


With Gratitude,

Ki Paulyna

Fourth and Fifth Grade: May 6 - 10, 2024

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

Thank you very much for pampering the teachers and administrators during Teacher Appreciation Week! The food was delicious, and the plants were gorgeous! 

In our Botany Block last week, the students continued taking care of their bean seedlings, exposing them to light, watering them, and carefully observing their growth. Based on their observations, the students drew a series of pictures of the growing plants in their main lesson books to document the transition from germinating seed to a full plant form. Eventually, plants produce flowers, pollination takes place, and a new generation of seeds is formed. To learn more about the pollination process, the students studied the anatomy of flower heads with their various anatomical parts and how pollination takes place with the involvement of live pollinators or the wind. Finally, the students studied photosynthesis, a process in which the energy of sunlight is used to transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose, which, in combination with minerals from the ground, constitutes the primary building block of plant matter. 

After looking in depth at the anatomy and development of archetypal plants, the class focus transitioned to the lower plant kingdom. The students first learned about mushrooms, organisms that are neither plants nor animals and belong to the kingdom of fungi. Mushrooms only constitute the fruit bodies of a large underground network of mycelium that connects them. The students learned that many mushrooms are either involved in breaking down dead wood matter or are living in symbiosis with specific trees, delivering important nutrients to the root system of trees via the mycelium. Then, the class studied Lichen, which is an interesting organism made up of a combination of algae and fungi. We will continue our study until the end of the school year and also finish reading The Golden Goblet. 

Tomorrow is Field Day, and the students will likely get very wet during the course of the day. Please make sure your child is dressed to join the fun, wears sunscreen, and is equipped with a towel and extra clothes.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please send your child ready for full creekcess on Fridays with a change of clothes, hard-bottomed, closed-toed shoes, and a towel. 

  • Please send two full water bottles to school daily; students feel the warmer temperatures and drink a lot of water!

Upcoming Events:

  • 5/15 Field Day / Half Day for Kindergarten

  • 5/17 Last Day of School - Full Day

With Gratitude,

Gaby

Fourth and Fifth Grade: April 8 - 12, 2024

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

Last week, our class started a new block on Ancient Egypt. The students drew a map of Egypt and learned many facts about the River Nile and the fertile land along its banks. They also learned about the Egyptian sun god Ra, who rides on his barge daily across the sky from East to West, and the story of Isis and Osiris. The students continued to read the adventure of Ranofer, a talented young man who strives to be apprenticed as a goldsmith in Ancient Egypt in the book The Golden Goblet. We will continue with our block of Ancient Egypt for two weeks and then switch to Botany for the remainder of the year. 

Last Friday, our fifth graders had a memorable outing at KSU with Mr. Ben. They were enthralled by the performance of the KSU Student Chamber Singers. 

The upcoming Pentathlon also promises to be an exciting event. All Fifth Grade parents are invited to join us and witness the games. If you decide you would like to visit for a day but haven’t signed up, please let me know as soon as possible, as all guests must be registered ahead of time. If you have any questions about the Pentathlon, please don't hesitate to contact me. 


Announcements and Reminders:

  • Dress for the weather with layers and send in full rain gear daily (raincoat, rain pants, and boots).

  • Send two bottles of water every day. 

  • If your child is feeling under the weather, please keep them home to help keep our community healthy.


Upcoming Events:

  • 4/23 Third Grade class play

  • 4/23-4/25 Fifth Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser and Half-day

  • 4/27 Community Work Day 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

  • 4/30 First Grade class play

  • 5/01 Second Grade class play


Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi

Third/ Fourth Grade: May 15-19, 2023

 Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

This past school year has been a wonderful experience for our class. The students went through a fantastic phase of growth and development as a class and as individuals. 

Last week went by in no time. The Field Day on Wednesday was a huge success. The weather was just right for the students to be just children and play the many games set up on the field and get soaking wet simultaneously. We teachers also enjoyed seeing the students laugh and enjoy themselves. We also celebrated the summer birthdays of Aurora, Samantha, and Adam. 

Jaxon, who has made good friends for two wonderful years at the school, will move to Pennsylvania with his family this summer break. The class took some time to write him farewell cards and sign a t-shirt with their names. We will miss Jaxon and his family, and we wish Jaxon all the best for the next school year and beyond in his new hometown! 

Thank you all for your thoughtful gifts and support throughout the school year! It has been a pleasure to teach your wonderful children, and I cannot wait to teach them again next year.

Please look for your child’s End of Year report toward the middle of June. There will be some individual recommendations for working on skills over the summer. But most importantly, use the summer to relax and have a good time with your family! We will see each other again in the fall!

  • May 22: Start of Summer Break! 

  • May 22-26: Teacher In-Service

  • SUMMER BREAK!

  • August 5: Community Work Day

  • August 9: Grades First Day of School!

  • August 10: Kindergarten First Day of School!

  • August 14: Joyful Beginnings First Day of School!


Have a great summer,

Gaby Farrokhi



Third/ Fourth Grade: May 8-12, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

Thank you for the thoughtful coffee, food, and other goodies you supplied for the teachers during teacher appreciation week. 

Besides performing Iduna’s Golden Apples last week, the students had the opportunity also to watch the plays of all the other grades. It was nice for the third and fourth graders to see the progression of the performances through the elementary years.  All classes enjoyed coming together for the performances and did an excellent job in presenting their play to the school.

As we are nearing the last day of school, the students looked back at the school year while continuing to practice their math skills. In their free time, the students enjoyed using our new swing, and on Friday, the students had a blast playing in the creek.  

Thank you for being so supportive throughout the school year. I am looking forward to teaching your child again next year.

Reminders:

Please equip your child with sun hats, insect repellent, 2 filled water bottles, and water shoes that must have hard-soled, closed-toed shoes for safe and fun play in the creek. 

  • 5/17:  Field Day

  • 5/19:  Last Day of School 

  • 5/20: SUMMER BREAK BEGINS!

Warm regards,

Gaby



Third/ Fourth Grade: May 8-12, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

Last week the class concentrated on getting ready for today’s play. The students were very excited. We worked on the flow of the play on stage and off stage. During practice, the students found ways to optimize moving around and using the props on stage. They also practiced speaking slowly and clearly while facing the audience. Yesterday, Virginia, Rowen’s mom, joined us again to review the whole play and advised the students on the performance. The play block is truly a highlight for the students at the end of the school year. The students have worked very hard during the past two weeks. They memorized their lines, practiced their speech formation, and worked together on stage. The students did not only grow into their roles, but they also grew personally. They can indeed be proud of themselves for being able to perform in front of a larger audience.  

Thank you to all parents and wider families for your support. You encouraged  the students at home, helped them learn their lines, brought costumes and props, and, this Tuesday evening, are coming to see the performance. What a wonderful experience!

Meanwhile in the forest, Ki Derek added an amazing rope swing to our outdoor classroom space. It is suspended between two tall trees, and the students cannot get enough of it.


Reminders:

Now that the weather is (finally!) warm, please equip your child with sun hats, insect repellent, 2 filled water bottles, and water shoes. Creekcess will begin soon, and students may only go in the water if they have hard-soled, closed-toed shoes for the creek. 

  • 5/9: First Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/9: Third/Fourth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/11:  Second Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/11:  Fifth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/13:  Community Work Day 

  • 5/17:  Field Day

  • 5/19:  Last Day of School 

Warm regards,


Gaby



Third/ Fourth Grade: April 24-28, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

Last week was a wonderful week at the Garden School. The long-awaited school auction on Friday was a huge success. The event was an excellent opportunity for the community of parents, faculty, staff, and board members of the school to socialize and make a meaningful difference for the students of our school by bidding on the beautiful items that were up for auction. Our students can be proud of making their own contributions to the auction with the beautiful bird mosaic paintings representing our class. Congratulations to the winning bidder! For all who did not make the winning bid, there were plenty of other items to bid on or to buy and take home. The students are incredibly excited about the fundraiser for adding Angora rabbits to the farm. The rabbits will take the farm and our excellent handwork curriculum to a new level. 

Throughout the week, the main focus of the class was on practicing the school play. As the students became increasingly familiarized with the dialogues in the play, they practiced speaking clearly and projecting their voices toward the audience. The class discussed the logistics of how and when to enter and exit the stage and which props they plan to use. Thank you to Virginia Vogt, who visited on Friday to show the students how to use their voices and live into their roles. You received an email about the costumes and props, which we will keep simple as the focus is to be wholly on the students and how they embrace their roles. The class will continue to rehearse for the play. We are so excited to present it to you!

Reminders:

  • 5/5 Half Day 

  • 5/9: First Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/9: Third/Fourth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/11: Second Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/11: Fifth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/13 Community Work Day 

  • 5/19 Last Day of School 

Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi





Third/ Fourth Grade: April 17-21, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

This Friday is our annual fundraiser!  We are so excited and we hope to see you all (adults only, please). Thank you for your participation in our class auction project and thank you for your continuous support of our school!

The students in our class are excited to work on our play, Iduna’s Golden Apples. Last week, the class became familiar with the play by reading the script. They had fun reading the dialogues aloud, especially when the role of Loki, who is always ready for mischief. First, the students read the whole play together, and then they took turns reciting the different parts of the play. They also had time to read the script aloud by themselves. In addition, the class practiced singing the songs that are part of their theater performance. At the end of the week, the students received their roles. They highlighted their lines on the script and took it home to practice.  

Virginia, Rowan’s Mom, is helping the class with the play. On Thursday, she will lead the students through the performance and give them advice on projecting their voices. She will also come back to help us to work on stage. In Waldorf schools, class plays are all about cultivating speech and cooperation. Please encourage your child to set aside time to practice at home and help them to memorize their dialogue and add inflection and attitude appropriate to their parts.

Please make sure that your student returns their script to school every day. The students look forward to performing on Tuesday, May 9, at 6:00 p.m.

Thank you to all helpers who brought supplies and put the finishing touches on our auction project last Thursday. It looks amazing! 

Reminders:

Now that the weather is warming, please equip your child with sun hats, insect repellent, 2 filled water bottles and water shoes. Creekcess will begin soon, and students may only go in the water if they have hard-soled, closed-toed shoes for the creek. 

  • 4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

  • 4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

  • 4/29 Community Work Day  

  • 5/5 Half Day 

  • 5/9: First Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/9: Third/Fourth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/11: Second Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/11: Fifth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/13 Community Work Day 

  • 5/19 Last Day of School 


Warm Regards,

Gaby






Third & Fourth Grade: April 10-14, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

Last week, our class transitioned from our animal block back to the Norse Myths. The class studied the story of Sif’s Golden hair. The story begins with Loki mischievously cutting off the golden hair of the goddess Sif while she is asleep. To appease the angered Aesir gods, Loki asks the dwarfs to spin new hair for Sif out of gold. In addition to the hair, the Aesir gods receive magical items forged by dwarfs, such as Odin’s magical spear and Thor’s hammer. Puzzled by the realization that something good sprang from an evil deed, the students started wondering about the true nature of the trickster god Loki. 

The class also studied the poem The Forging of Thor’s Hammer. The poem contains alliterations ( words beginning with the same consonants) to which the students stomped with their feet or clapped their hands while reciting. Alliterations help students pay close attention to the sounds that letters make, which allows them to sound out difficult words more quickly and increases their reading speed. Throughout the week, the class practiced singing the song Limu Limu Leimen, an old Swedish folk song, as a round with four parts. You can watch the students sing here. 

This week, the class begins to work on our class play with a story from the Norse myths, Iduna’s Golden Apples, which they will perform on stage in the second week of May. The school will announce the exact date soon. You will hear more about our play and opportunities to help with stage props and costumes through email and next week’s messenger. 

Reminders:

Now that the weather is warming, please equip your child with sun hats, insect repellent, and water shoes. Creekcess will begin soon and students may only go in the water if they have hard-soled, closed-toed shoes for the creek. 


4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  

5/5 Half Day 

5/13 Community Work Day 

5/19 Last Day of School 


Warm regards. 

Gaby

,




Third/ Fourth Grade: March 27-31, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

The last week of school before our spring break went by lightning fast. In our main lesson, the class ended our first zoology block by comparing and contrasting the anatomy of the white-tailed deer and the horse with the anatomy of the human being. Both horse and deer are herbivorous mammals with specialized limbs that sprint up to thirty miles per hour. They stand on their toes (hooves), whereas humans stand on their whole feet. They have acute hearing and, with their eyes situated on the sides of their heads, have almost 360-degree vision.

While studying horses, the students heard the coming-of-age story of Crazy Horse, a young Dakota Sioux. He was known as Curly because of his hair until he went on a vision quest at age 11. He took the initiative without the aid of the clan elders. In his vision, Curly saw a man riding on a horse and galloping through the sky in thunder and lightning. He also was given guidance on how to go to battle. Curly’s name was changed, and he became known as Crazy Horse. 

The weather was beautiful at Grandfriend’s Tea. Watching the students sing and perform for the special people in their lives was awesome! Enjoy your time off, and Happy Spring Break!

Reminders:

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  

5/5 Half Day 

5/13 Community Work Day 

5/19 Last Day of School 


Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi








Reminders:



Third/Fourth Grade: March 20-24, 2023

Dear Third- and Fourth-Grade Parents

This past week, the class continued their animal lesson block with the Eastern Harvest Mouse, found in old fields and meadows in the Southeast. The students then split into three groups and each group studied a different library book to find facts about how pigs look, what they eat, and how they raise their piglets. In their groups, they gathered important information about pigs, wrote down their findings, and presented what they had learned to the class. Afterwards, everybody created a main lesson page about pigs. 

We went to AB Farms in Canton on Friday with Ki Ieva and Mr. Matan. Helen Boyle, the owner, and her daughter greeted us on the farm and invited us into their stable, where they keep horses, donkeys, and angora goats. The students watched how Mrs. Boyle sheared Albert, one of her angora goats, and they helped her collect the fleece right from the back of the goat. From there, the students went on to carding beige and brown wool fleece on hand carders to prepare the wool fibers for spinning. Mrs. Boyle also showed the students how to save time carding by using her large drum carder. After carding the wool fiber, the students went ahead to spin the wool into yarn with wooden spindles that they had handmade with Mr. Matan. The students also planted tomatoes into one-gallon pots which they took home at the end of the visit. Thank you to the volunteer parents who took the students to the farm and back to school. The trip to AB Farms was a fantastic experience. 

Yesterday, the students took home a canvas for our class auction project. Each student will paint a bird perching on a tree branch. Once finished, these paintings will be arranged as a mosaic of birds on a tree to be auctioned off as our class project at the Annual Fundraiser in April.

If you haven’t yet, please email me with an RSVP of the number of guests and their names, who will be attending the Grandfriends Tea on March 31st. Please do not forget to include yourselves in the RSVP if you are also attending.


Reminders:

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea (11:00-12:00)

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  

5/5 Half Day 

5/13 Community Work Day 


Kind regards,

Gaby Farrokhi



Third/ Fourth Grade: March 13-17, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

Last week, our class celebrated two birthdays. Lochlan turned nine, and Julian turned 10. Happy birthday to both! 

In our first Human and Animal block, the class is studying different animal species in relation to the human head, trunk, and limbs. The human head is the seat of the brain. It takes in food and many different sense impressions. The same applies to octopuses and squids, which we studied last week. Looking through the lens of “head, trunk and limbs”, we refer to octopuses and squids as “head animals” because their whole bodies have similar functions as the human head. In addition to our study, the students painted octopuses, drew the Midgard Serpent in Form Drawing, and listened to stories about imaginary sea monsters like the legendary Kraken. This week, we will look at examples of trunk and limb animals.

On Friday, the class will go on our field trip to AB Farms in Woodstock to help shear angora goats and plant vegetables. The students will also learn about processing wool into yarn at the farm. It will be the first visit to AB Farms for the third-graders. The fourth-graders are looking forward to their second visit. Please arrive at the school at 8:30 a.m.  because we will leave the school right away at the beginning of the school day.

Thank you for putting your heads together for our school auction class project. We are looking forward to you all attending and contributing this Friday afternoon when the students and parents meet after school to paint individual birds. Please watch the class Facebook group for details about the meeting. The project will look great when we combine the paintings into a flock of birds sitting on a tree. I cannot wait to see the finished installation at the auction!

Reminders:

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea (11:00-12:00)

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  

* Please RSVP to your child’s teacher the number of guests, and their names, that will be attending the Grandfriends Tea on March 31st. Click here to email Ki Gaby.

Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi


Third/ Fourth Grade: March 6-10, 2023

Dear third and fourth-grade families,

Last Wednesday, the students brought their finished shelter and bridge projects to school. Together, they set up an exhibition on the basketball court. Then, they presented their projects to each other, describing their shelters and answering questions from their classmates. In the process, the students explained which materials they used to construct their models and how they solved problems during the building process.  After presenting their creations to their class, we invited the first, second and fifth-grade students to view our exhibition. While the other grades were visiting, the students stood behind their projects and eagerly answered any subsequent questions. The first and second graders were inspired when they realized that they will build shelters themselves when they are third graders. The fifth-graders were reminded of their own projects that they made two years ago and had animated talks with the third graders about their presentations. 

We ended the week with the beginning of our first Zoology block: Human and Animal. The first question that we looked at was how humans and animals are alike and how they are different. The students found that animals are naturally highly specialized in comparison to the generalist humans.  We will now study different types of specialization in the animal kingdom.

After our return from the break, not all students remembered to bring their instruments to school. Please ensure your child brings their ukulele and the blue music folder to school for Music lessons on Mondays and Fridays. Just like painting and drawing, music is an integral part of Waldorf education, and we want all students to be able to participate. 

The class looks forward to Grandfriend's Tea Day. The students will learn songs for our Grandfriend's Tea Day and share them with the community on March 31. Please inform your child's grandparents and special family friends about this fantastic opportunity to glimpse our school. 

Reminders:

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea (11:00-12:00)

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day

4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  

Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi

Third/ Fourth Grade: February 27- March 3, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

During the week after winter break, the class practiced monetary transactions with different coins and bills by holding two arts and crafts fairs in the class on Wednesday and Friday. The students brought homemade crafts and drawings to school to offer for sale at the fair. Each student received one dollar in coins to make purchases from others. From the time the market stands opened until they closed, the students were busy and had fun trading with each other. The students had to record their sales and purchases on paper to track money flow in and out of their purses. It was interesting to compare how much money each student made from their sales, how much they spent, and how much they had left at the end of the day. Some students were surprised to learn that they had less or more money than they had calculated, indicating they might have missed writing down a transaction, they might have been overcharged or handed out the wrong amount of change. This experience helped them understand the importance of keeping track of their transactions. Yesterday, the students traded fruit with an initial two dollars to spend per person. 

Complementing the shelter block, the students also created a wall of cave art, imitating the stone-age cave drawings found in many places around the globe. Although the people at that time did not necessarily live in caves, it was interesting to see their art. After looking at some examples, the students put their handprints on brown packaging paper and added animal drawings. The finished art was crumpled to look like rock and hung in the basketball room. Pretending to be in a cave, the class turned off the lights and looked at the cave walls with a flashlight. Other classes also came to enjoy the art. Now, we are moving into a zoology block, looking at animals in relationship to the human being.

Reminders:

3/11: Community Work Day 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day 

WarmRegards,

Gaby Farrokhi

Third & Fourth Grade: February 13 - 17

Dear third and fourth-grade Families,

Thank you, everyone, for attending the parent-teacher conferences last week. I am glad we had the opportunity to talk about your child's progress, and I learned a lot through all our conversations. 

The conferences made the whole week pass by very quickly. In the main lesson, the third-grade students chose the dwellings they will build over the break. We had a small library of books at the school for the students to look at, and they took notes about the building materials used and other helpful information for their project. Now it is up to the students to learn more about their projects by visiting the local library. All students have time until Wednesday, March 1, to finish their projects and bring them to school. We will have a special exhibition for the whole school to see. 

Reminders:

  • 2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School) 

  • 2/27: Teacher In-Service (No School) 

  • 3/11: Community Work Day 

  • 3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend's Tea 

  • 4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

Thank you for sharing your children with us and being part of our community. I hope you have a wonderful break, and I look forward to seeing you again on Tuesday, February 28.

Have a restful week off,

Gaby Farrokhi

Third/ Fourth Grade: February 6-10, 2023

Dear 3rd and 4th-grade families,

The students immersed themselves in the Houses and Buildings block this past week.  At the beginning, we discussed the planet Earth as a home for humanity and the body as the home for each individual.  Then we traveled to Mongolia and looked at a traditional ger, also known as a yurt in other parts of the world.  The students listened to a story by Dashdondog Jamba, a Mongolian storyteller who spent many years traveling through Mongolia with his camel to bring books to children living in remote locations.  The story is about seven brothers working together to rebuild a ger that their father had left them and which had fallen into disrepair.  From this, they learned how gers are built and wrote about it.  We will also look at other examples of dwellings this week and talk about grammar. 

At the end of the week, the third-grade students will go home with an assignment to build their own dwelling.  They will have approximately two weeks to build a miniature dwelling and then bring it to school to present and display.   They should use natural materials.  Materials such as sticks, leaves, or moss are great for building, while other natural materials, such as clay can be store-bought.  The students will also take home a main lesson page to write a description of their project.  Detailed project instructions will go home at the end of the week and will also be emailed.
The fourth-grade students will have a slightly different assignment this year. They have teamed up in pairs or will work individually on building a wooden bridge made of popsicle sticks. The goal is to create a bridge suspended over a “river”. The bridge has to be one popsicle wide and three popsicles long, and it needs to be able to support the weight of four small toy cars. All materials will be provided at school for this project. There will be instructions and a writing assignment for this project as well.

We are so happy that our fourth-grade students could work with Mr. Matan on building the hutch for our garden rabbits (to be established at the farm later this year), and our third-grade students are currently building a playhouse for the forest. These experiences have allowed them to work hands-on with carpenter tools.

Thank you all for signing up for conferences this week. I'm looking forward to talking with you about your child this week. 

Reminders:

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences:  Please sign up for your slot here.

2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School) 

2/27:  Teacher In-Service (No School) 

3/11: Community Work Day 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 


Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the break!

Gaby Farrokhi

Third/ Fourth Grade: January 30- February 3, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth Grade Families,

This week, we finished our first Key to Fractions block. We drew continuous line patterns in Form Drawing based on 1, ½, ⅓, and ¼ length lines. The smaller the denominator, the more complicated the pattern became. Then the students worked independently on following the same pattern with ⅕ and ⅙ lines. The students are welcome to show me any time how they can alter the pattern to include even larger denominators.

The class also used the time to explore the factors of given numbers, working independently and in groups. The students discovered that some larger numbers have fewer factors than smaller numbers. Also, some numbers only had two factors: 1 and the number itself (prime numbers). On Friday, the students went home with the question of how many prime numbers they could find between 1 and 100 and we talked about it in class yesterday. As we work more with fractions, the students need to know their multiplication facts. Please practice multiplication up to 12x12 at home, if required. It will be helpful as we work in our fractions workbook throughout the school year. 

After fractions, we now continue with a house building block. The third grade has already begun to build a small wooden house in the forest with Mr. Matan. The students will hear stories about how people used to build houses and other dwellings in the past.  They will also work on a miniature building project together. 

The class has also started to sing canons in the morning. Our first canon is “Are you sleeping?”. So far, we know how to sing it in English, Spanish, French, and German. We will continue to add Hebrew and Romanian. 

Thank you to all of our families who joined us this past Saturday for our All School meeting.  Coming together as a community to support our lovely school is what keeps us strong and helps us grow.  

Reminders:

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences:  Please sign up for your slot here.

2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School) 

2/27:  Teacher In-Service (No School) 

3/11: Community Work Day 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi

Third & Fourth Grade: January 23 - 27

Dear Third and Fourth Grade Families,

Last week, the class continued to explore the world of fractions. We expanded our study of equivalent fractions by folding differently colored paper strips into sections of different sizes between ½ and 1/12. Not only did the students get a visual idea of their relationships, but they also had to figure out how to cleverly fold the strips of paper to evenly divide them into 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, or 16 equally sized pieces. Then, the students laid their paper strips side by side and formed teams to find as many equivalent fractions as possible. This hands-on activity will help the students visualize and better understand math operations with fractions. In Norse Mythology, the class learned more about Odin, Thor, and Loki’s mischief. The students drew Odin, sitting on his throne in Asgard, surrounded by his two ravens Muninn and Huginn and his two wolves, Geri and Freki. They also painted Thor with his lightning-producing hammer Mjöllnir in watercolors. On Friday, the students had a look at the Nordic runes, which the Vikings engraved into wood and stones with their knives and axes. 

In Mandarin, the third-graders finished their calendars, and all students folded origami rabbits for the Chinese New Year Festival to welcome the Year of the Rabbit. They had fun making some origami rabbits to keep for themselves and some to share with students in Kindergarten. With Mr. Matan, the third graders are planning to build a house made of wood in the forest. This week, they all came up with designs and discussed which design elements they would incorporate into their building. Lastly, the chickens have begun to lay more eggs in the garden, so the students take turns bringing the eggs home. The eggs are pretty large, and some of them are blue. The only challenge is to keep the eggs intact on the way home. There is undoubtedly a learning curve involved!

This Saturday, February 4, is our All School Meeting (adults only, please)!  Following our community workday, we ask you to please join us at 12:00 for a faculty-sponsored, complimentary soup bar before we join together to hear about the “State of the School” at 12:30.  As an added incentive, each family represented receives 2 volunteer hours.  Adults only, please.

Reminders:

2/4:  Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event (adults only, please)

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences:  Please sign up for your slot here.

2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School) 

2/27:  Teacher In-Service (No School) 

3/11: Community Work Day 

Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi

Third/ Fourth: January 16-20, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,


This past week, the class explored fractions using practical examples. The students compared equivalent fractions and learned how to add and subtract simple fractions. While working in our fractions workbook, the students encountered the following question: How many different ways do you think there are to shade ⅜ of a square (made up of 8 equally sized triangles)? Rather than just making a guess and being told they were wrong or correct, the students found the answer by shading paper squares in as many ways as possible. It was a fun activity that required sustained concentration and teamwork. 

In addition, the students continued hearing stories from Norse Mythology. They learned about the great tree Yggdrasil that holds together the nine realms of the Norse universe. The Norse god Odin, who was always on the lookout for knowledge, found immeasurable wisdom at the base of this giant tree. He learned to read and interpret Runes, the ancient alphabet used for writing oracles and charms by the Nordic people.  

We had two special highlights this week. We had a visit from the Southern Trail Museum and the students had the opportunity to view their model trains and learn how trains operate. Thank you, Southern Train Museum! The second highlight was our visit to the first grade. Each of the first-grade students received a surprise pocket baby sewn by our third and fourth-grade students with Ki Ieva. The first-graders loved receiving their gifts and it was even more special for students with siblings. 

Parent Conferences are coming up soon!  Please sign up for your slot here.I look forward to meeting with you to review your child’s progress and work. 


Reminders:

2/4:  Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences 

2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School) 

2/27:  Teacher In-Service (No School)


Warm regards,

Gaby Farrokhi




Third/ Fourth Grade: January 9-13, 2023

Dear Third and Fourth-Grade Families,

After our return from Winter Break, the class began a new math block introducing fractions, going from the whole to the part. The students explored ways to fold a square into equal parts by folding them in half, into quarters, eighths, and sixteenths. They discovered that while the number of equal parts increased with every fold, the size of the pieces became increasingly smaller. They also found that there is more than one way to divide a piece of paper into equal parts. The class learned how to write fractions and started working independently in their newly introduced “Key to Fractions” workbook. As we can look at the class as the whole and the students as individuals, the students had fun expressing fun facts about the class in fractions. For example, two of fourteen students wore mismatched socks on Thursday, which we expressed with the fraction 2/14. 

The block is accompanied by stories from Norse Mythology, beginning with the creation of the world and its different realms, with Asgard as the dwelling place of the Nordic gods and Midgard as the world of humans. We bring Norse Mythology and the study of fractions in math to the students at a time when they feel a strong separation from being one with their families and surroundings and awaken to their individuality. The Norse Myths in which Loki's mischief disrupts the world's order and even the gods become mortal, are a beautiful mirror of the new experiences and challenges the students face as they grow. 

Mark the date: February 4th is our All School meeting, please see the Main Messenger for more information . This is an event for our entire community and all families are asked to attend. We share in a soup bar, compliments of our faculty and staff, and focus on the State of the School. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!

Warm Regards,

Gaby Farrokhi


Reminders:

2/4:  Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences 

2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School) 

2/27:  Teacher In-Service (No School)