Science & SS

⚡Exploring Energy 💡

⚡Exploring Energy 💡

Science/SS Update

Dear Families,

Warm greetings! I hope this note finds you and your family well. I am so grateful for your continued partnership and excited to share highlights from our classroom this week.

Important Announcements

• Our students completed a research project on sea animals and organisms — it was a wonderful success! Each child chose a creature that interested them, conducted research, and presented their learning to the class. Their enthusiasm was contagious.

• Students learned about the delicate systems of coral reefs around the world and created beautiful oil pastel coral reef artwork. These Coral Reef pictures are now displayed outside our classroom for everyone to enjoy.

• In Social Studies, students made maps of New Jersey after studying maps and local points of interest. The New Jersey maps are displayed alongside the coral reef artwork.

Celebrations from the Week

• Learning about energy was a highlight! Students showed great enthusiasm as they learned what is required to make a light bulb light up and practiced building simple circuits.

• They enjoyed hands-on discovery and were excited to see the results of their investigations into conductors and insulators.

• These moments of curiosity and teamwork were a joy to see — thank you for encouraging your child’s interest in science at home.

Additional Information — New Science Unit

• We are now in a new science unit using the FOSS Energy Module. Over the coming weeks, we will:

  • Investigate energy and how it is evident in motion, electric current, sound, light, and heat.

  • Build electric circuits powered by D-cell (flashlight) batteries.

  • Explore electromagnetism, light, collisions, and waves.

  • Learn about alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power.

• Ways families can support learning at home:

  • Ask your child to describe the investigations we are doing at school — explaining experiments helps deepen their understanding.

  • Look around your home for examples of energy in action: appliances, lights, magnets on the refrigerator, or devices that use motors and speakers.

  • Take a family outing to find a building or park with solar panels and talk about how sunlight can be turned into electricity.

  • Make an inventory of magnets and electric appliances together — this can be a fun, investigative activity.

• Safety reminder:

  • We will emphasize safety throughout the unit. Please review home safety rules with your child, including never inserting objects into wall sockets and always asking an adult before handling batteries or electrical items.

• If you have experience or expertise with electricity, solar panels, wind energy, or electromagnetism, or would like to volunteer for a short classroom visit or demonstration, please let me know — we would love to include your voice in our investigations.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping your child learn and grow. We are grateful for the time you take to talk with your child about school and for the encouragement you give at home.

We look forward to many more weeks of exciting investigations and learning together. If you have any questions or comments, please send a note or reach out at pick-up. Thank you again for your partnership!

Warmly,

Kay Whang