Conferences

Monday and Tuesday this week, I had the pleasure to sit back and watch as my students led their self-assessment conferences with ease, humor and grace. I was thoroughly impressed by their continued poise as they presented themselves, on paper and video, to their families. They acknowledged places where they wanted to grow further as a student, and celebrated with great pride where they had already shown amazing growth. This is a truly unique event in Cooper School that sets the stage for thoughtful self-reflection that will last a lifetime.

Science

Fourth Grade recently began a new unit in science called The Sun, Moon and Stars.  This week our focus was on the Sun.  Students first used a compass to locate the East/West line in our backyard.  Standing on this line and facing south we tracked the Sun’s movement throughout the school day.  On Tuesday students tracked their shadow’s movement with the help of a partner.  Students traced their partner’s shadow at two different times during the day.  They discovered that their shadow pointed Northwest at 10am and then Northeast at 2:00pm.   Students also discovered that their shadow was longest when the sun was close to the horizon and shortest when it was high in the sky.

Space Day

This Friday 4th and 5th grade were immersed in the world above us.  The day started off with a morning spent inside a portable planetarium.  Mr. Cohen, from Dome Education, lead the students through an explanation of the reason for the seasons, the moon’s relationship to high and low tide, constellations and the phases of the moon.  Next, 4th and 5th grade headed to the “Above and Beyond” exhibit at the Gaillard Center.  There students were immersed in flight simulations and thinking about space travel!  Ask your child which was their favorite part of the day!

Important Dates:

• Friday March 25th- April 1st                         Spring Break
• Thursday, April 14th                                       TCS Silent Auction
• Friday, May 6th                                               Grandparent’s Day
• Friday, May 6th                                               Pass-It-On