Marion Square Christmas Tree

As students and teachers thought about the theme for this year’s tree, the idea of gratitude came up again and again. Students in Kindergarten and First Grade wanted the community to remember that gratitude can be a year-round practice. They worked in partnerships to write what they were grateful for and they invite the community to do the same! Passersby will grab a marker and make their mark! Students throughout The Cooper School collaborated to create the finger-knit garland. We hope to spread gratitude this season, and that everyone has a peaceful holiday with friends and family.

Math

It is measurement week in math! Students started off by measuring the classroom with parts of their body. They used paces, arm spans, hand spans, digits, and even cubits to measure things on the tables, walls, and floor. They even measured each other! Later, we got to compare a cutout of a foot-long foot with a cutout of our own feet. There was a big difference. Next week we will get to measure items using rulers and tape measures.

Social Studies

Our very first social studies unit is in full swing. Students spent the week learning about American history. Our main focus was that life long ago was very different than life in America today. The Pilgrims, for instance, had to build their town from scratch and they had a very hard time surviving at first! We also touched on the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. First Graders remarked that they did not expect to study history in First Grade and that it felt like “college work!”

Important Dates

•  Friday, December 16 – Pajama Day! (Half-Day, 11:30 dismissal)
•  December 17 – January 3 – Winter Break, No School
•  Wednesday, January 4 – School Resumes