New Music Link
December 30, 2009 
Hi all,
I found this AMAZING link from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The interactive pages are filled with music, history, science, and fun. Check it out! (This link is now in our “sound” section of the blogroll as well. 
Week in Review: December 21-23, 2009
December 23, 2009 
- Broccoli ate all of his candy from his candy Christmas tree… and is very full.
- Jack Z. and Leela say, “Merry Christmas.”
- Mrs. McGuinness is leaving.
- Christmas Eve is tomorrow!
- We finished our gumdrop trees.
- We had a half-day. And a half-week.
- We finished the math test.
- We had our social studies test.
- Robin came!!
- We finished “The Life and Times of the Peanut.”
- We wrote the Week in Review.
- Merry Christmas!
- Feliz Navidad!
- Joy!
- Earwax protects your ears.
- Holm and Anjay moonwalked.
- Peace!
Robin’s Visit
December 22, 2009 
Many thanks to Mrs. R., Holm, and especially to Robin! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to talk with Robin, learn about him and his life and times living in Europe. It was such a lovely morning chatting together, wasn’t it? Robin — you are eloquent and thoughtful and genuinely friendly. I found myself wishing that you could stay with us all year long!! Thanks for being such a positive influence on all of us.
Geography Bee
Congratulations to our class winner: Ursula! Ursula will take some time to share the good news at home, and she’ll confirm whether she wants to represent us in the school Geography Bee (I hope so!). If she decides not, we’ll have a tie-breaker round to determine the next winner.
* Sean — you still get to do your last question! Remind me in school, buddy.
Tuesday Homework
READING
- Read fiction: 35 minutes OR MORE + log
- DUE TOMORROW: Write a detailed paragraph in our Shelfari class discussion group “Vacation Reading 09” in response to the new discussion that I began. If you cannot access the Internet, please hand-write or type your plans for reading over vacation (what books? when? where? why? with whom? etc.) and bring the paper in to school.
** Box or bag for gumdrop tree?
** Notes and cards for Mrs. McGuinness?
Gumdrop Trees — Ideas
We had a very successful start to our gumdrop tree decorating festivities in class today! Thanks to all who were able to contribute extra treats for the decorating.
Still, some of you did not have enough gumdrops/dots in your personal supply, and tomorrow afternoon is our last chance to work on the trees here in school. Here’s what to do TONIGHT:
- Ley your family know if you need more gumdrops or dots for your personal supply. If so, get them tonight.
- Along with that, you may want to bring in some “extras” to add a unique touch to your tree, or on the base. Some ideas we thought of in class today: licorice or nerds rope or pipe cleaners for tinsel/garland, tiny boxes (like candy-boxes, for example, to wrap as gifts that can go under the gumdrop tree) and a bit of wrapping paper, a bit of frosting (snow), shredded coconut (snow), marshmallows (to build a snowperson, Hershey bar or minis to make a walkway, etc. BE CREATIVE!
Monday Homework
READING
- Read fiction: 35 minutes OR MORE + log
- DUE WEDNESDAY: Write a detailed paragraph in our Shelfari class discussion group “Vacation Reading 09” in response to the new discussion that I began [...]
SPELLING
- Finish Word Ladders from this morning
NEW Snowflake Maker
Here’s a link to a new digital snowflake maker; Mrs. Felder sent me one from this site, and I loved it! I think you will, too. This one, unlike the other one linked in the math section of the blogroll, allows you to do free-hand shapes with curves lines, not just straight lines. Give it a try!
Quiz
Name the two different purposes for earwax described in ”Oh Yuck: The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty.”
The first person who submits the correct answer gets 10 raffle tickets.
December raffle is next week!
