On the Last Day Before Vacation...

...the Perkins School was buzzing.
























Ms. Haney's class was having a Reading Pajamathon. The kids were wearing their 'jammies; some had brought their favorite stuffed friends.



















All of them were reading books!



















Some read more than one. Then they met up with the other first grade class to watch the movie, Polar Express. Does that count as a book too? Not really, but it was based on a book by author Chris Van Allsburg!

Meanwhile...



















...Ms. Murphy had mentioned to her class that she wouldn't see the kids until next year. Some of her second graders seemed confused, so they began looking at dates. Sure enough, the next day of school would be in 2012!

Somehow the discussion moved to the practice of making New Year's resolutions, and the kids learned a new vocabulary word. A resolution is a decision to do something, a goal. Ms. Murphy said that her New Year's resolution was to keep up with washing her laundry. She asked the kids if they might have something they would like to work on doing differently or better in 2012.

One student said that he was going to cook more with his dad.

Another said he wanted to bring up his grades in science.

Still another said she would try to help her mother clean up her baby brother's mess. In other words, she resolved to change a few more diapers.

Ms. Murphy, who is pregnant, brightened up at that one. "Great choice!" she said.

Across the hall...
























...Ms. Sweatt's second graders were also wearing pjs and looking forward to watching Polar Express later that day. Ms. Sweat wasn't wearing pajamas, though. She was dressed for the holidays. If you remember, we also saw her dressed as a Pilgrim around Thanksgiving. It will be fun to see what she wears for the next holiday too.

Downstairs in Ms. Breneus's kindergarten class...



















...the kids were super busy. They were making decorations to take home. Everybody was making ornaments.



















They made gingerbread girls and boys too. All our kids were getting ready to have a great vacation.

We hope you will have one too. We'll see you in 2012!

MCAS Math Marathon and the answers are...

It's time to report on the weekend's MCAS homework--the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade each having one math question from an actual MCAS exam, and then one based upon data from the Old Colony construction site across the street.

As you know, we can't show everyone's work. We don't have enough room. Here are some samples, though.

Here's the official 3rd grade MCAS question.























Here's the Perkins construction version.
























Now, the fourth grade's MCAS answer.















































Finally, here's the fifth grade's MCAS answer.























Now, the answer to the Perkins construction version:























Okay kids, enjoy your MCAS-free vacation!

MCAS Math Marathon

It's Friday and we're handing out MCAS Math homework for the weekend again. In part, we're helping students get ready for the statewide MCAS tests.

There's another important reason as well. Sometimes kids feel as if they learn math in school and they will never use it again. That’s just not true. People in all sorts of jobs use math. People across the street on the construction site in Old Colony, for example, need all their math skills. They use math all day, every day.

That’s why students everywhere have to study math. We, however, are going to do it, Perkins Style. Each Friday we give third, fourth, and fifth graders one math problem from a previous MCAS test. Then we’ll give them another similar question using real data from the construction site. Our kids are learning to be elementary school students and real world workers at the same time!

Here are the third grade's questions.









































Here are the fourth graders' questions:























Now the Perkins construction version.





















Fifth graders, it's your turn!






















Now the Perkins version.
























Kids, enjoy these problems. They are the last ones you'll have this year. Don't worry, though. There's always 2012!