To finish out unit on the California Gold Rush, students made brochures.

Students created their own Gold Rush town. They named their town, created businesses, and even made up a slogan!

Students have been working hard on these brochures all week. 

On September 22nd, SFCS had a professional development day so we could learn about Building Thinking Classrooms. 

There is a lot to this program, but one of the main goals is for students to work together on math problems in small groups. 

This week, fourth grade students enjoyed working together to solve word problems. 

On Fridays, students get together in small groups to work with our STEAM Lego Kits.

For our first unit, students are creating carnival rides. They then use coding skills to move parts, change colors, and have their Legos make sounds.

Students are doing great working in small groups together. 

Students brought it pictures and were given stickers to decorate their writing journals.

Students did a beautiful job making collages to make their writing journals extra special.

Our first writing unit is narratives and these pictures will help inspire students with their writing.

This week, Room 3 has been working on learning some of their harder multiplication facts by learning fun rhymes.

To help students remember the rhymes, students were split into groups and worked together to make posters for each multiplication rhyme.

These posters will be up for you to view at Back to School Night tomorrow night.

This week and last, Room 3 has been practicing our multiplication facts and fact families through games, songs, and engaging worksheets.

This has been a great introduction into multiplication for third graders and a nice review for fourth graders!

Recently, Room 3 took a field trip to Raw Roots Farm. In the fall, Room 3 went to the farm and they returned again in the spring to see how the farm had changed and which crops were growing. They started their tour by getting to see the strawberry patch and being able to pick their own strawberry to try.

After that, students visited the vernal pond to see the tadpoles and they discussed why frogs were beneficial to a farm. We ended our tour by splitting into two groups to gather vegetables to make a salad. Carrots, celery, lettuce, and other delicious treats were gathered by students around the farm and Lauren and Andrew Glicken, owners of Raw Roots Farm, assembled the ingredients to make salads for students. 

Any left overs were given to the farm chickens. It was so fun for students to be able to try new veggies and see how much the farm had changed since the fall. A big thanks to Andrew and Lauren Glicken for letting Room 3 visit Raw Roots Farm and thank you to my parent volunteers.

On Wednesday, April 30th, Clay River came in for the final time. Clay began the lesson by reminding students of all the Miwok words they had taught them.

Students were given bark and they wrote their favorite Miwok words on the bark. 

Then, students worked together to use the bark to make Miwok houses, called umachas. 

On Tuesday, April 15th, Clay River came in full Powwow regalia. Clay spoke about her clothing, what it was made of and the history behind it. Another student brought their Powwow regalia as well and shared it with the class. 

Clay then shared different instruments that California tribes use and all students had a chance to use them.

Finally, with the help of the instruments and Clay's singing, students learned how to do several different dances that are performed at our local Powwow.

On Wednesday, April 9th, Clay River came to Room 3 again to create fish nets with students.

Clay also brought a loom and rug that each school in our county is adding to as they visit different schools throughout the year.

Students were able to learn how to make their own fish net and will be able to continue to work on it from home. 

For the next four weeks, Clay River, who works for our Mariposa Arts Council, is working with Room 3 on art projects to teach us more about our natural habitat and our local Native American tribes. 

Today, Clay taught us about the history of murals and about the murals that have been painted in town.

Then, students worked together to paint our own mural. 

March's Artist of the Month, for Women's History Month, was Georgia O'Keeffe. 

We read a book about her life, watched a short informational video for kids, and studied her work. 

On Friday, students chose a flower and drew it in Georgia O'Keeffe style. We used oil pastels for this project.

On Thursday, May 27th, Kelly Harrison came to Room 3 to do a nutrition lesson with students. For this lesson, Kelly taught students about citrus. She presented a powerpoint presentation on different kinds of citrus and how citrus plants grow and are harvested. 

She also explained the vitamins and minerals in citrus and how beneficial they are. At the end, we had a tasting where students were able to try four different varieties of citrus- blood orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime. Before our taste test, Kelly explained how to be polite and adventurous tasters and gave students vocabulary words to use so that they can explain the taste of each piece of citrus. 

One by one, students tried each fruit, explained what it tasted like, and voted on whether they liked it or not. It was a fantastic lesson that students greatly enjoyed. We appreciate Kelly coming to Room 3 to teach us about citrus! 

For Women's History Month, we read Who Was Amelia Earhart as a class and watched several videos about her life.

After we finished the book, students made lapbooks full of information about Amelia's life.

We also drew Amelia and are now learning about other prominent women throughout history. 

On Friday, February 21st, Room 3 visited the Mariposa Ewing Wing for Service Learning.

Along with our music teacher, Mrs. Gail, students sung three songs to the residence, including one they wrote.

After the concert, residence gave Room 3 students valentines and we gave them some as well.

Each month we create art for the residence of the Ewing Wing. 

This is a part of our Service Learning project. 

Pictured here are Valentine's that students made for the Ewing Wing.

From December 4th- December 10th, it is Hour of Code Week. However, Room 3 is celebrating coding for the entire month of December. 

We are learning about coding in three different ways this month. We are using our Lego Spike Kits to code our Lego sets to move and change colors. We are using the website hourofcode.com to learn about coding through tutorials. Finally, we are learning how to code using small robots, called Spheros.

As we learn more about coding, we are also learning coding vocabulary and different careers that require coding. We are enjoying celebrating Hour of Code! 

As a service learning project, Room 3 has been working with Rotary to get our campus its own Little Free Library. 

Mrs. Starchman's husband, Travis Baumann, built the library with supplies from Rotary and Room 3 parent, Kass Bissmeyer, helped design the decorations for the Little Free Library.

Before Thanksgiving break, Kass came in and pulled students to help paint the library. The library will be installed on 12/12!

On Tuesday, November 12th, the Mariposa Museum and History Center came to visit Room 3.

The Museum brought with them items from the museum and wooden ornaments for students to decorate. 

These ornaments will be hung on the Christmas tree outside the museum and students can go see them. 

Recently, Mrs. Starchman received a grant from Kids First for a class set  of Women Who Dared books.

Mrs. Starchman has a copy of this book that she has read expecerts from and students have always loved hearing the stories of amazing women from the past and present.

These books will be using during March when we dive into our Women's History unit.

The Friday before Veteran's Day, we had the opportunity to have Veteran Bryce Green speak to Room 3.

Bryce Green worked on a special aircraft while in the military and we were able to watch a video on it that had been filmed by the Science Channel.

Bryce Green spoke about his service and explained to students why Veteran's Day was so important. 

During the month of November, Room 3 is learning about artist Andy Warhol.

Andy Warhol was famous  for being a pop artist.

Students are learning about pop art and will be making some inspired Andy Warhol art this month.

Over the last few weeks, students have been working hard on their true stories.

After brainstorming ideas, students typed up their stories on Google Classroom and they made a cover page.

The stories were then put together as a book and students had a chance to read eachothers stories.

During the month of October, we studied artist Camille Pissarro.

We read a book about Camille Pissaro and read about his life and his art style.

Students created two beautiful Pissaro style  landscape art pieces using oil pastels.

On October 28th, Rotary members Jennivieve Harer, Cindy Iudice, and Mark Buenafe came to Room 3 to talk about a new Service Learning project that 3rd and 4th graders are going to be a part of. Rotary members came out today to talk to students about Rotary and about the Little Free Library project. 

In addition to making art monthly and performing a concert for the residents at the John C. Fremont Ewing Wing, Room 3 will be also helping create and  maintain a Little Free Library that will help benefit our school community as an ongoing Service Learning Project. Over the summer, I contacted Rotary about this idea and they created the template for the library. The library has now been built by my husband, Travis Baumann and will be painted during the next few weeks, with the help of students and parent volunteer Kass Bissmeyer. 

Students also made bookmarks today, which people who visit our Little Free Library will get to take, along with a book. We are hoping to have our Little Free Library up and going before the new year.  

On Friday, October 25th, Room 3 took a field trip to Raw Roots Farms.

Lauren and Andrew Glikin took students on a tour of the farms and taught them about sustainable farming

Students enjoyed the tour and were able to try different products that are grown at the farm. We will be returning in the spring. 

At SFCS, we use the curriculum TWIG science to teach students about science.

Right now, students are learning about movement and the action of pushing and pulling. 

We have been working on hands on experiments to try different methods of pushing and pulling. 

On September 27th, Room 3 had a wonderful field trip to the Mariposa Museum and History Center. 

At the museum, students were able to participate in lots of fun activities and get a tour of the museum. 

Student's favorite part of the tour was getting to pan for gold. We had a great time! 

Each month, Room 3 studies a different artist. 

For the month of September, we are studying local artist, Penny Otwell.

Students made beautiful Half Dome art using sharpies and oil pastels. 

Afer we finished Island of the Blue Dolphins, Room 3 started to learn about the California Missions.

Students chose their own mission to study and did a report on their mission.

At the end of the project, students did a beautiful job drawing their California Mission.

Room 3 parent, SFCS board member, and preservationist Ben Goger came to Room 3 to talk about his time at San Nicolas Island, one of eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. In class, we have been reading the book Island of the Blue Dolphins to start our social studies unit on different indigenous tribes in California. 

Island of the Blue Dolphins is a work of historical fiction based on the life of an American Indian woman who spent 18 years in isolation on San Nicolas Island. Mr. Goger went to San Nicolas Island to help excavate one of the villages during his junior year in college. 

He told us about what it was like there, what he found while excavating, the animals and sea life he saw, and he brought in shells and a skull to share with the students. We greatly enjoyed hearing his stories and having a chance to ask him more questions about his time on San Nicolas Island. It was a very special presentation.  

On Thursday mornings, Ms. Gail comes to Room 3 to teach us about music.

Ms. Gail teaches us a variety of different songs, some of which she has written herself. 

Ms. Gail also teaches us how to write our own songs. We love her weekly visits.

As part of our math curriculum, students do between 20-30 minutes of ST Math a day to practice different skills.

Each month we study a different artist and create several art pieces inspired by the artist we are studying. 

For the month of September, Room 3 studied local artist Penny Otwell. Above are Oil Pastels of Half Dome, inspired by Otwell's art style.

At the beginning of the year, we read Life According to Og the Frog, all about a classroom pet called Og.

Each week a student gets to bring Og home and write about their adventures with him in a journal. Students also can include pictures or drawings. 

When Og returns at the end of the week, students share with the class their journal entry. 

On Friday, September 22nd, we decorated our writing notebooks with pictures and stickers. 

Our  first writing unit is writing a True Story, so the pictures will help students gather their memories for the writing. 

Students will be writing a three paragraph story during the months of September and October. They will then will publish their writing. 

On Friday, October 6th Room 3 went to the Mining and Mineral Museum for a field trip. 

Students have been learning about the Rock Cycle and the California Gold Rush all year and they enjoyed getting to see all the exhibits. They also really impressed the guides with their knowledge!

Students also got to get a tour of the mining tunnel and participated in a scavenger hunt around the museum. 

On Friday, November 3rd, Bill Leonard from the Miwok Tribe, came to Room 3 and spoke to the class for Indgenous Peoples Month. We have been learning about different California tribes all year and students were so excited to hear Bill Leonard speak. 

Bill told students about his tribe and about his people. He explained the history of his family, where his Great Grandmother's  and Great Grandfather's people lived. He also shared several Miwok stories with the class that explained the importance of local animals and acorns.

Bill brought in many baskets, necklaces, animal skins, and instruments that students got to see and touch. It was an incredible presentation. 

For National STEAM Day, Room 3 watched a Mystery Science on bridges and what makes a strong bridge that will last for many years. 

After, students were divided into five groups and worked together to make their own bridge with just two pieces of paper. 

The winning bridge held 75 pennies before collapsing. Students worked well together and enjoyed the project.

December 6-December 12th was hour of Code Week and we celebrated all week long in Room 3. 

Before Thanksgiving break, Room 3 received a grant from Kids First for 8 sets of Lego Education Spike Essentails Kits.

Students built Lego carnival rides and used code to help them move and make different noises.

During the month of February, art from SFCS students will be hung up on the walls of Mariposa's Sticks Coffee House. 

You can visit Sticks Coffee and purchase art. All proceeds will be donated back to SFCS. 

Students in Room 3 made beautiful water colored birch trees for their art pieces. 

Room 3 students have been focusing on Unsung Hero essays for persuasive writing. 

Students chose a staff member at SFCS and wrote a thesis statement with three traits that prove their chosen staff member is an unsung hero at SFCS. Students then wrote a paragraph about each quality. 

Students made two copies of their essays with cover art, one for their folder and one to present to their chosen staff member. 

On 2/9/24, Room 3 visited the Ewing Wing at John C Freemont Hospital to sing the residents. 

Students sang three songs, one of which they wrote themselves. They were accompanied by Ms. Gail on guitar.

The residents loved the performance. Afterwards, each students gave a resident a handmade Valentine.

This month, in celebration of Black History Month and upcoming Women's History Month, we have been reading Hidden Figures in Class.

Hidden Figures is about three brilliant African-American women at NASA- Katherine Johnson, Dorthory Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who served as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. 

We watched the movie on 2/14 and created art pieces of Katherine Johnson to hang around the classroom. 

On Wednesday, 3/6/24, local author, Debra Salonen, came to Room 3 to speak to students for Women's History Month. 

Debra told students about her writing career, starting off writing as a young child in crayon, to being a journalist, and then writing fictional literature.

At the end of her lesson, Debra showed students how she brainstormed before starting a new book and students had a chance to start writing their own story.

On March 15th, author and animal rights activist, Beth Pratt, visited Room 3 for Women's History Month. 

Beth Pratt told students her love of nature and how that lef to her career as the California Director of the National Wildlife Federation!

She brought every student a copy of her book, I Love Wildlife, a guide activty journal for connecting with the wild world. 

On Friday, March 22nd, Anita Starchman Bryant, Mrs. Starchman's sister and the first female judge of Mariposa County, came to visit Room 3.

She shared with the class the path she took to become a juge and what her job looks like, day to day. 

Students enjoyed asking her questions and learning all about being a judge in Mariposa County. 

For Service Learning this year, Room 3 has been making art for the elderly patients at the John C. Fremont Ewing Wing once a month.

We have also had a field trip to the Ewing Wing to the sing to the residents.

During the month of March, Room 3 collected donations and made bags full of necessity items for the residents and delivered them on March 28th.

On the Friday before spring break, March 29th, board chair, teacher, and scientist, Denisha Dawson, came to speak to Room 3 for Women's History Month. 

Denisha is a chemistry at Merced College and she explained to the students how she became a chemist and what her day is like. 

She conducted several experiements while in Room 3 and at the end we played STEAM bingo, where students learned about different jobs in STEAM.

Thank to an amazing Room 3 parent, Room 3 was given a class set of solar eclipse glasses so they could see the eclipse on April 8th. 

Before watching the eclipse, Room 3 watched several science videos about the eclipse, as well as why it is harmful to look directly at the sun.

Students were amazed at what they saw. Even though we were unable to see the total eclipse, it was still an incredible experience.