By Colleen Vaughan on 1/28/2008

Vaughan's Voice - January 28, 2008

Hope everyone is getting back in the swing of things after the holiday break and conferences. Just some things to make note of:

Book orders are due tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29th.

Third grade reading CSAP testing will be on February 20th and 21st. Please make sure your child is here that day. The rest of CSAP testing will be sometime around the two weeks before Spring break in March.

Next Tuesday, February 5th, is Spirit Day. The students can dress in purple and gold and have crazy hair. There will be an assembly at the end of the day with prizes to some of those showing their school spirit.

There is no school on Friday, Feb. 1st. It is a teacher work day.

I will not be at school on Thursday, Jan. 31st. I will be attending a conference for gifted differentiation.

THEME: Last week we learned about the parts of the bone and did a ... Read More »

By Colleen Vaughan on 1/20/2008

Vaughan's Voice - January 22, 2008

Last week in theme the worked with partners to locate and correctly place human body bones on a poster. The bones were then labeled with their common and scientific names. The best part was naming the skeleton. The students came up with some very creative names such as Mr. Phlat, Mr. Funny Bones, and Skinny bones.

This week we will be doing an experiment showing how the skull, vertebrae, and the rib cage protect vital organs. Also, the students will learn what bones are made of and their structure.

 

 

By Colleen Vaughan on 1/13/2008

Vaughan's Voice - January 14, 2008

Please remember that this is a short week due to conferences. Students will be released at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14th. There is no school on Thursday and Friday.

This week in theme we began our unit on the human body. We are studying the skeletal system first. We talked about how many bones the average adult has in his body (206). We also learned the scientific and common names of some of the major bones. Ask your child what bone is the largest and smallest. This week we will make a skeleton and label it. In addition, depending upon time, we may do some experiments showing how the skull (cranium) protects the brain.

Ms. Zelinger's class (states): The final test on the northwestern states is on January 22nd. Also, the "Spotlight on the City" travel poster is due on January 22nd. If you need the study guide for the test or instructions on the ... Read More »

By Colleen Vaughan on 1/3/2008

Vaughan's Voice - January 7-11, 2008

Hope you had a wonderful holiday! I would like to thank everyone for the fantastic gifts - I truly do appreciate them.

Thank you so much for all of your help during the economics unit. It was a huge success - everyone (kids, parents, grandparents, and teachers) enjoyed the final projects. It was a lot of work and fun, but what a great way to learn about economics and such things as advertising, slogans, demand, supply, scarcity, earning money, interest, and product research and surveys.

Well, I guess it's time to get back to work and let you know what's coming up the next couple of weeks. So here it is:

In science we are starting a new unit on the human body. We will be studying the skeletal, muscular, and digestive systems. One of the exciting projects we will be doing is dissecting owl pellets (don't w ... Read More »

By Colleen Vaughan on 12/14/2007

Vaughan's Voice - December 17, 2007

We have a very busy, exciting week coming up! The students will be selling their products on Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, their stores will be open only to other third and fourth grade students. On Thursday, parents are welcome to come in and buy some of the students creations from 8:30 to 10:00. Please go to your child's homeroom teacher and he/she will give you some of our currency.

Please remember to help your child study for the economics test which is on Thursday, December 20th. (Sorry, last week I incorrectly said that the test would be on December 18th.) If you need another study guide, please check "documents" under 3/4 team.

Ask your child what we did in economics this week and last. We have made store fronts, advertisements, designed money, explored what is on a dollar bill, figured out how much money we earned, signed a rental agreement, and a bank loan.

Read More »

By Colleen Vaughan on 12/7/2007

Vaughan's Voice - December 10, 2007

Well, we're getting closer and closer to Winter break and everyone is getting antsy (including the teacher).  Monday is our field trip to NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) in Boulder. Please have your child  bring a sack lunch and dress warmly. Also, we may be taking a hike while we are there, so please have them wear appropriate shoes for the snow.

In Economics, we will be selling our products on December 19th and 20th. They may begin to make their products at home. This week we began making our advertisements and store fronts. Ask your child the name of his store and product. The final economics test will be on December 18th. A study guide was sent home today. If you need another one, please look under documents for the 3/4 team.

We will begin a new states rotation this week. My homeroom students will be studying with Ms. Zelinger for the next six weeks.

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By Colleen Vaughan on 12/2/2007

Vaughan's Voice - December 3, 2007

It's December! Wow! How time flies! We have been having such a fantastic year!

We had a great time at Celestial Seasonings. All of the students were very interested in how the tea is made and packaged. We learned about how they run their business and how they do their research and development to come up with their products. Of course, the tea tasting was fun, too!

Our next field trip is on Monday, December 10th to NCAR in Boulder. Please remember to pack your child a lunch on that day.

Thank you so much to all of those who brought their children to Elm Haven to decorate the Christmas tree. The residents were very appreciative. A huge thank you to Mr. Horiuchi who donated poinsettias to liven up the home.

We will be making centerpieces for them next week for their dining rooms. I am still looking for more ideas. There are approximately 44 tables. The tables aren't very ... Read More »

By Colleen Vaughan on 11/30/2007

The Christmas tree decorating is tomorrow, Saturday, December 1st at Elm Haven Nursing Home. The address is 12080 Bellaire Way, Thornton. It is off 120th and Colorado Blvd. just east of Kohl's.

By Colleen Vaughan on 11/23/2007

Vaughan's Voice - November 26, 2007

Reminder: Our field trip to Celestial Seasonings is Thursday, November 29th. Please remember to pack a sack lunch for your child.

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Speaking of giving - Elmshaven Nursing Home located at 120th and Colorado Boulevard has asked our class to decorate a Christmas tree for them. We are going to make some old fashioned ornaments in class this week. We will be stringing popcorn and cranberries, and making paper chains, snowflakes, pinecones, etc.  They asked that we come in on Saturday, December 1st at 9:30 a.m. to decorate the tree with the things we made. I would really appreciate it if you could meet me there with your child to help with the tree. The residents really enjoy seeing the kids! Please email me and let me know if you can make it. My email is colleen.vaughan@adams12.org.< ... Read More »

By Colleen Vaughan on 11/16/2007

Vaughan's Voice - November 19, 2007

Reminder: Our field trip to Celestial Seasonings will be on Thursday, November 29th. Please remember to pack your child a sack lunch.

Economics homework: We started our unit on Economics this week. The kids had some wonderful ideas for products to make and sell. We surveyed our classmates to decide which of the products we should sell. The next step is to survey our classmates about what our product should look like - color, size, type, etc. This is their homework for the weekend, it is due on Monday. Please make sure your child stays up on this, it is really hard to get caught up. Please do NOT start making the products yet. There is much to do and decide on before they start.

Please remember that there is no school next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Have a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving!

A special thanks to those who donated to our classroom basket for the Gala. A HUGE THANK YOU to Samantha ... Read More »