HOMEROOM
Next week, the students in my homeroom will begin writing letters to Sarah Ferguson, our Peace Corps Pen Pal.  Sarah has earned a Master's Degree in Environmental Science, and has volunteered to join the Peace Corps, for a two-year commitment in Senegal, West Africa.  Over the next two years, Sarah will be helping improve the water and living conditions for the people in that region.  In addition to the letters the students will be writing, I will be sending Sarah some fun and useful items from here in the US.  Donations are optional, but if your child would like to add an item to October's care package for Sarah, please send the item in by Tuesday, October 18.  Be aware that I plan on sending the children's letters with a care package every month, so if you can’t donate next month, there will be other opportunities to do so.

Math
In math this past month, we have been working on place value and writing numbers, multiplying two, two digit numbers, using more than one strategy, and subtraction using more than one strategy (especially adding-up).  The class will be having an end-of-unit assessment on Wednesday, October 5.

ELA
The children have been switching groups for Guided Reading within the ELA class. In addition to Guided Reading, they have begun learning about figurative language that is used in poetry, they are writing poems using alliteration, writing personal narratives, learning the elements of non-fiction, and they are getting really good at making connections to the stories we have been reading in class.  

Science 214
We have just completed our first science unit (Light).  They learned how light is a form of energy, how light travels, sources of light, how we see colors, how light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed.  The children have also learned that objects can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. They have also learned that white light is made up of the colors of the visible spectrum and that Sir Isaac Newton discovered that a prism can refract white light into the colors of ROY G BIV.  The class was able to experiment with light, lenses, mirrors, and prisms.  They learned that the human eye is very similar to a camera, and they can name several similarities.  214 has taken the test on Light and should receive them back by Monday.

Science 215
This class has just begun seeing me for science.  This class will be in my room for ten school days, learning about Light.  Room 215 will have their science test on
Wednesday, October 12.

Our trip to Camp Bournedale
by Cassidy MacMunn

It was the twelfth of September.  The fifth graders of Pine Glen and Francis Wyman
School went to Camp Bournedale for a day and a half of unexpected fun. Camp Bournedale is located in Plymouth, Massachusetts. There were so many wonderful activities that we were able to be a part of during the day and a half that we were there. This trip was a science based field trip, which was fun and educational.

Camp Bournedale was an amazing and beautiful camp. There was the Great Herring Pond that lay upon the west side of the camp. Within the camp, there were two gyms, one had a basketball court where many kids played dodgeball during free time, and another gym that had ping pong and fuseball.  There was an outdoor basketball court, baseball fields, marine lab, roller hockey, tennis courts, and much more.

We had some very delicious homemade meals. The first lunch we had was yummy pizza that was shaped as a square. For dinner, we had a delicious turkey dinner and it felt like it was Thanksgiving. For breakfast we had cereal, coffee cake, scrambled eggs, and toast. Last but not least, we had pasta with sauce or butter.

The entie trip wasn't just about the food, we also were able to participate in some very fun, jam-packed activities.

Adventure Time

All of the kids got to climb ropes, swing through tree’s, and jump from one tire swing to the other. We got to climb a ladder and get flipped over the other side.  We got to swing from one side to the other without hitting the bottom of the sand. All of us had to work as a team to be successful.



Dissecting a Dogfish Shark

All of the kids got to dissect a dogfish shark. It was gross, smelly, and disgusting, but cool at the same time. We got to cut open the shark and see all of its organs and we got to touch its brain. The fifth grade learned all about this type of shark and how he lives.

Lobster Boat Trip

The time spent on the Lobster Tail (lobster boat) was one of the best things offered at Camp Bournedale. Paul, the host of the boat, was very funny and he made the entire trip fun and educational. We learned how to tell the difference between a female and male lobster. If you look underneath the tail, you will see two spikes at the top. The male's were very strong and sturdy, while the female's were very small and dainty.

Ecological Tour

We got to walk along the paths of the ocean. We went onto the rocks that lay upon the ocean. We found hermit crabs, crabs, sails, and beautiful shells. We also got to see some amazing trees, plants, and flowers. There were trees swaying by the wind and it was a marvelous view.

Final Word
All of the kids enjoyed their time at Camp Bournedale. We learned a lot and had lots of fun. We all wish we could have stayed just one more day, if we had, just imagine how much more we would have learned.