In High Gear

Dear Parents,

It always seems like we go into high speed with the last few weeks of school.  As I write this we have five more weeks and they are chock full of activity.  Some of our upcoming dates are:

May 15  MAP test- Reading, 8:30 am
May 17  MAP test- Lang Arts 9:30 am
May 22  MAP test - Math    8:30 am
May 24  MAP test - Science 9:30 am

Please note that unlike many countries, we do not place undue emphasis on a single test score at AAS.  We use them as only one indicator of *many* of a child's progress.  Having said that, of course we want our students to do the best they can do, and the best way to prepare for MAP testing is to get a good night's sleep and eat a good, healthy breakfast.

Tuesday, May 31 - Field trip to Experimentarium.  We will leave at 9:30.  Although we plan to be back in time for lunch, Moscow traffic is always unpredictable so you may want to go ahead and send a packed lunch (or a good sized snack) that day.

The International Fair will be on Saturday, May 28.  I sent home bags to pre-order tickets and wristbands for unlimited games.  (Bags were sent with the youngest child in the family.)  Please return the bags if you would like to preorder tickets.  There will be all sorts of delicious international foods and games.

Don't forget if you know you will be moving this year to be sure and let the school know.  We have all sorts of transition activities to help your child through this exciting (and sometimes sad) time.

Unit of Inquiry - How the World Works

4LB is really enjoying our new unit, How the World Works.  Our topic is energy, with the central idea:   Energy may be converted and transferred to support human progress.  Some of the lines of inquiry with this unit will be:

• different energy sources
• how energy is transformed
• how energy is used
• technological advances in energy now and in  the future

Some of the questions we hope to answer as we dive into this unit are:

• What is the source of energy?
• How is energy converted?
• How is energy transferred?
• How is energy used?
• Is it sustainable?

We have begun our unit with exploration and experimentation of different labs involving electrical energy, chemical energy, sound energy and light energy. Here are some photos and videos of us in action!

Winter Sports Day

   We weren't quite sure if the weather was going to cooperate with us, but in the end we did get to have Winter Sports Day and we had a blast! It's always so fun to get to see another side of my students that I don't always see in the classroom. Some definite leaders emerged, some great team players, and some kind and supportive encouragers--a really nice mix! We do have a great class and it was really fun to spend the day with them on the field. I tried to get photos of everyone, but they were moving so fast it was no easy task! Anyway, they say a picture is worth 1000 words, so I'll let
the photos do the talking..

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Math - Dividing 3 digit by 1 digit numbers

Today in class we used place value disks to model division problems, dividing a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number.  Please take a look at the attached video if you get stuck doing your division homework.  Good luck!

PTO Used Book Fair

The PTO Used Book Fair will be this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  I have signed the students up for one of the earliest available slots so we will be going during our reading time on Thursday, February 4th at 9 am.  For those of you who are new to the Used Book Fair, it works like this:  Students are welcome to bring in books that they've "outgrown" BEFORE the fair.  They will turn them in to the Djupedal Library.  For each book that they bring in, students will receive a coupon to exchange for a book of their choice at the used book fair.  Additionally, students can also pay cash for their used book selections.  The prices are quite reasonable--usally around 100 -300 rubles per book.  It's a great chance for your children to stock up on some books for our upcoming holiday!

Ice Skating

We've enjoyed three sessions of ice skating, but sadly our ice skating season seems to have been cut short by the above-freezing temperatures.  I just happened to go out and film the kids skating this past Thursday, and  I was planning to show you how much they had improved by the end in a second film.  But unless we get a miraculous cold snap of below-freezing temps, I don't think we'll be ice skating again this season.  I have to say while I was out there that I was so impressed with Mr. Wohlberg and his attention to the students' safety.  He is an excellent PE teacher!   I invited a guest author to tell you a little bit about the ice skating that they did get to enjoy.

Ice Skating - by Erika

4LB went ice skating with our PE teacher, Mr. Wohlberg.  We played capture the ball.  Capture the ball is like capture the flag, except instead of capturing the flag we have to capture the ball.  We were split into two teams.  The first team wore white and red helmets, and the second team wore black and blue helmets.  In the end, we learned quite a bit about skating.

Holiday Concert Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, (Friday, December 11th) is the AAS Elementary Holiday Concert.  The show starts at 10:00, with 4th grade performing at around 10:40.  Students have been working hard to prepare for the concert and we would love for you to come and see them!

Students should wear their formal school uniforms with ties.

Special thanks to Massimo's mom, Snittra Musto for coming to speak to the class about the Buddhist faith for our Beliefs and Values unit!