I wish we had S'MORE time together!

Today was the last day of school. It's always bittersweet. Everyone is excited for summer and what the next year will bring, but we're also sad to leave each other- the family we've had for the past 10 months.

We enjoyed one last treat this afternoon- indoor s'mores. All they need is to be zapped in the microwave for 10 seconds or less. You have to stay nearby and watch as the marshmallow grows bigger and bigger and then stop it, before it's TOO BIG! They were delicious!

Have a fabulous summer everyone!

Advice for future 3rd graders

Follow our advice and you'll do great in 3rd grade!

• Have a good time on the field trips. They're fun. -Jasmine
• Pay attention and try your hardest everyday because the hard work pays off! -Dontrell
• Read everyday. If you're stuck on a word, sound it out, and you'll get it. -Jordan and Alanna
• Try your best to stay on blue, but green is also a "happy face" so if you get on green, don't be mad. -Hannah and Christopher
• Listen to the STAR expectations. -Madrek
• You should work on elapsed time, because it is hard. -Sabrina
• If somebody says a bad word you should ignore them or tell the teacher. -Jordan
• You should listen and follow directions, and have a good attitude every day. -Alanna
• If you're mad you should take a deep breath and sit by yourself for a little bit. -Niya
• If someone is bothering you, tell an adult or the teacher right away. -Summer
• Try to be the best that you can be. -Renee
• If somebody is bothering you ask them to leave you alone. -Deontay
• Put effort into your work. -Madrek
• You should practice multiplication, because it might not be that easy for you. -Dontrell
• Do your homework and don't fake it. -Kameren
• Good luck on the FCAT. -Niya
• If you study and read for 20 minutes each night, you'll read better. -Jasmine
• Study your spelling words, so you can get a good grade. -Sabrina
• Don't skip pages when you read. Read the whole book. -Jordan
• Do what you're told and listen to the teacher. -Alanna

End of Year Activities

Last Tuesday, was bubble gum day. We practiced blowing bubbles and graphed how many of were able to (15 out of 17). Then we wrote the steps to blowing bubbles, don't forget to take off the wrapper first! We also made collage self-portraits of our bubble blowing. Check out the pictures!

Last Thursday, was NO SHOES day! Inside our classroom we kicked off our shoes and wore only new, fun socks. It was fun to be shoe-less, but you had to be careful in the back of the room on the tile- it was slippery!

Last Friday, was The Lorax day. We read the book (again, we read it for Dr. Seuss's birthday as well). Then we watched the original movie and compared the two in a Venn diagram. There were a lot of differences! We also played a fun Lorax dice game and made truffula trees! If you were the Lorax, what would you speak for?

End of Year Slideshow

What a great year it's been! Have a happy summer and remember to READ!

How to be Honest

This month's STAR skill is honesty! Here is what we think it means to be honest.

Field Trip to the Thomas Center

On Tuesday, we visited the Historic Thomas Center to learn more about the history of Gainesville. Construction began on the Thomas Center in 1906 and was completed in 1910. It was named "Sunkist Villa" and Major Thomas and his family moved in on February 9, 1910. On that day the youngest of the five Thomas children, Margaret, was born in an upstairs bedroom.

The Thomas family made Sunkist Villa their home for 15 years. The large estate had 21 rooms and 12 fireplaces all made from terra cotta. We saw five of the fireplaces while we were there. In the 1920s Major Thomas decided to convert the home into a hotel. They added on another building, creating 94 guest rooms, three dining rooms, and four lounges for guests to enjoy.

The Thomas family sold the property in 1968, and its new owners leased it to Santa Fe Community College for seven years. The city of Gainesville purchased it in 1974 and it now houses art galleries, and government offices.

When we toured the Thomas Center the docent told us the stories that Margaret Thomas had told her about growing up there. We saw an example of a 1920s parlor, and got to hear a record play on an Edison phonograph. We saw a replica, or a copy, of Major Thomas's bedroom. We had to be careful walking around the Thomas Center because it had many antiques, such as an old telephone, typewriter, camera, binoculars, and a piano.

To help us play the role of early 1900s boys and girls, the boys got to try on collars, bow ties, and arm bands, and the girls enjoyed fanning themselves, wearing necklaces, and clutching hand bags.

We also went on a walking tour (or rather a scavenger hunt) of the historic neighborhood that surrounds the Thomas Center. Many of the homes on our tour were even older than the Thomas Center, built in the late 1800s. We saw and read about different examples of Victorian architecture, pillars, cross-gabled roofs, and colonial architecture. It was hot, but it was interesting!

After reading about our field trip comment with your answers to the following questions:

(Remember to go back and reread parts of the story to search for answers.)

1. What was the original name of the Thomas Center?

2. When was Margaret Thomas born?

3. How did the Thomas home change when it became a hotel?

4. What happened AFTER the Thomas Center was a hotel, but BEFORE it became a building with art galleries and government offices?

5. Why did we have to be careful while walking around the Thomas Center?

Hope you enjoyed the field trip and learning more about historic Gainesville!

Our Fraction Films

We have been working hard on comparing fractions, finding equivalent fractions, and ordering fractions from least to greatest and greatest to least. Watch as students play "fraction war" and have mathematic discussions to determine who has the greater fraction.

Kirby Smith Field Trip

On Tuesday, we journeyed back in time 112 years ago to the one room school house of Schoolmarm Smith. Schoolmarm Smith taught us to sit up straight in our desks and to write with quills and ink. So, really we just traveled by bus to the History Room at the Kirby Smith center. The History Room is a 112-year-old classroom, with some slight modifications (like lights with lightbulbs instead of lanterns with candles). After learning about being a student at the turn of the century, the class acted as detectives in the hall to do some sleuthing for clues. The bulletin boards in the hallway are full of photographs and information about Gainesville in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We had a great time.

Comment with your answers to the following:
1. What was your favorite part of the trip?
2. What was different about life 112 years ago?
3. What was similar about life 112 years ago?