Fourth & Fifth Grade: October 20 - 24, 2025
Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,
Thank you for attending our all-school meeting and for your ongoing support for our community! Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 7th, at 12:30 PM.
The students had an eye-opening week learning about decomposers —nature’s garbage collectors —and how they are utilized in our everyday lives. Many children were very surprised to learn that some of their favorite foods —chocolate, yogurt, bread, ice cream, and pickles — are technically rotten, albeit only slightly, and contain bacteria that are good for our bodies. With this new knowledge, they are beginning to understand why preserved foods and beverages via fermenting or pickling taste so different from their original form and how they can be beneficial for us.
In addition to the strawberry preservation experiment, the class started another one, but this time with fermenting a beverage. First, the students had the opportunity to examine a kombucha S.C.O.B.Y. (symbiotic community of bacterial yeast), also known as the “mother.” It was another mind-blowing experience for them to witness a colony of gut-healthy bacteria right in front of their faces. Next, the class helped prepare sweetened black tea. Then, it was mixed with the old kombucha, and they jotted down their observations
During our grammar lesson, we put our descriptive skills into practice by writing a creative descriptive story about the life of the strawberry preserves or kombucha. Students finalized their stories and documented them in their Main Lesson books. See if your child can retell the story they created at home!
Coming up for our final week of Botany, we will do one last observation of both fermentation experiments, and the class will have the option of sampling their creations.
Announcements & Reminders:
On Friday, October 31, the class will join the other grade classes with a campfire (weather permitting) to celebrate the end of the month (Halloween) and the end of our Botany block. Gelatin-free marshmallows will be provided. Your child is more than welcome to bring an additional food item for themselves that can be roasted on a stick.
November 6: Lantern Walk 6:00 pm (Kindergarten through First Grade students, and their families)
November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon at 11 am (All family and students are invited)
November 24 - 28 Thanksgiving Break (No School)
Warm Regards,
Ki Nicole
