Seabury Navigators

Happy New Year!

2012-01-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

This week, the Navigators created invitations for their families to attend the Seabury Heritage Dinner. This gave us a chance to take a short piece of writing through the writing process, including the ever-popular "publication" step on the computer. See you at the dinner!

This week, we also welcomed a Korean exchange student to the Navigators' classroom. Our new Navigator will be with us for the next six weeks. It's fun to have a new friend! We're excited to help her learn English and to learn about Korea from her!

We started swimming lessons this week and we have been having an awesome time!

Before break, we ran several science experiments to help us learn about the scientific process. In this one, we were trying to build the highest structure we could, using a limited number of supplies. We practiced writing up lab reports, making sure to include our hypothesis, materials and procedures.

Here two Navigators decided to spend some of their independent reading time reading the dictionary. "We need more post-it notes, Ms. O'Brien!!!" This is VERY Seabury!

Here are two comics to help us learn some of our multiplication facts. Games, songs, comics, jokes and other tricks really help us get those facts down!

Taco Tuesday!

2011-12-11T15:22:00.001-08:00

Recently we had lunch at the Seabury Middle School in downtown Tacoma. We had the best time ever eating tacos and spending time with the older kids! When we got back to Seabury Lower School, we worked on our letter writing skills and created some thank-you notes for the middle schoolers. Thanks again, SMS, for having us over for Taco Tuesday!

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

Turkeys, Art, Geography, Multiplication...

2011-11-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

We shared our "dressed" turkeys with the school at Gathering on Friday. The Navigators did a terrific job on this at-home art project! Ask your Navigator what each turkeys is dressed as! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We are continuing to work on our geography skills by locating the equator, the prime Meridian, lines of latitude and longitude, and the different hemispheres.

Nice Artwork R.P! We recently worked on sunsets using oil pastels!

We've started our work on multiplication and here you see A.D.

counting by 4's to the extreme! We're above and beyond here at Seabury!

Here we are hanging out at recess in our matching Seabury Shirts!

Technology, Fossils and Veterans' Day!

2011-11-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Navigators have been doing a terrific job practicing typing this year. Recently we have been practicing using Word by learning how to create documents, save and print. We have especially been having fun exploring different fonts, colors, clipart and graphs. We've also been working on typing up some of our favorite pieces from our writer's notebooks.

The Navigators have also been busy making fossil imprints! What is the connection between fossils and rocks? Why do people always talk about fossils and dinosaurs? What types of fossil are there? Ask your Navigator to explain this to you!

Thanks very much to classroom parent Victor for coming in to speak at our all-school gathering about Veterans' Day and his experiences in Iraq. Also, check out the neat flag that the Navigators created (behind them in this picture). Happy Veterans' Day!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Navigators!

We missed a few of you today and are hoping that you are feeling better. Thanks very much to our classroom parents Heather, Kristin, Katy, Christina and Madeline for helping with costumes, taking pictures and bringing us delicious treats. Check out our close up pictures below! Can you identify all the characters below?

Our Adventure on the Peninsula!

2011-10-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here we are ready to take on Lake Crescent!

We worked together to get the canoe moving! It was hard work!

These two third graders set the pace for the rest of us in the canoe.

We had so much fun spending time together!

Here we are doing a little journaling about the Olympic National Park using a good old fashioned Venn Diagram.

In addition to singing the Banana Slug song at our campfire, we also practiced the Macarena!

There were some super cool things at the park...huge trees, weird plants, slugs, bugs, deer and we even saw an otter in Lake Crescent!

I think that maybe there are fairies in the forest...

You two are really starting to blend in!

It was really fun to be at OPI with the Wildcats!

"Mom, can I do your make-up today? And, can I use rock paint?"

Thanks very much to our awesome chaperones: Heather, Wendy, Kristin, Mark, Barbara, Mike, Brenda, Jeff and Diane!

John Cornish was a fantastic speaker and told us all about his rocks and fossils!

Ask your Navigator all about it!

We enjoyed taking a huge bus for our field trip to the peninsula...and it was a very comfortable place to sleep during the ride home!

The Ring of Fire, Seabury Style

2011-10-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

Recently we studied The Ring of Fire (see L.W.'s map below). We talked about where it is located and why volcanoes and earthquakes are found along this loop.

And speaking of volcanoes. . . Check out our projects below!

Yes, they did explode and it was SO exciting that Ms. O'Brien couldn't get any pictures of the eruptions!

Socializing and Social Studies

2011-10-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

This year each Navigator has been matched up with a special friend from the 5th grade Barracuda

class. This past Wednesday, we got to know each other better and worked on a friendship flower, where we listed traits that we value in our

Seabury friends.

The Navigators also wrote on compliment clouds this week. Each week the students will write down compliments for a classmate or community member. It's a great way to bring us together and celebrate each other.

Why yes, the Navigators do know the continents! This Friday at our all-school gathering, the Navigators performed a song to prove it to everyone! Way to go!

Bits and Pieces

2011-10-02T07:44:00.001-07:00

Two gals unveil their latest shoe line in their sketch books. Are you taking orders? This year, as part of the art curriculum, each Seabury student has their own sketch book for practice. In addition to fabulous shoes, I have also seen complicated video game designs, rock samples, angry birds,

flowers and Seabury!

"When can we finish taking notes on the rock book?"

"This is a really complicated formula!"

"Ms. O'Brien, we are gonna need more post-it notes!"

We are working with our own sedimator! (Ask your Navigator for details.) Such impromptu science experiments are a common sight at Seabury.

We love reading!

Independent reading time is a great part of the day where we can curl up with a book of our choice. During this time, Ms. O'Brien can pull individual students or groups of kids to work on reading. We have also been enjoying checking out lots of books from the library - thanks Ms. Becky!

Writing, Math and Science!

2011-09-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Writer's Workshop is off to a great start! We're filling our notebooks with ideas for future stories and we are beginning to explore organizing our stories with interesting introductions. On Friday, you may have seen the Navigators sneaking around the school like spies, exercising our five senses. You never know where inspiration for a good story will come from! Thanks for the jelly beans, Mrs. Wollum!

We love math games! Why do worksheets all the time when we can use base ten blocks, playing cards, dice and small white boards to order numbers, compare values, practice place value and even the always-tricky rounding?

It is always a great time when we have a visit from the EnviroChallenger program! This time we learned about taking better care of Commencement Bay through a memory matching game.

It's all about making CONNECTIONS this year!

2011-09-17T10:55:00.001-07:00

2nd and 3rd grade Navigators collaborate to identify rocks. Are these sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic rocks? Which ones are volcanic rocks again? What kind of experiments can we perform with rocks?

Why would the same kind of fossils be in North America and South America? How would they get there? Do you think the continents fit together like a puzzle? What kind of proof is there that Pangaea really existed?

I've seen these rocks near Mount Rainier! These rocks look like the Grand Canyon! How was the Grand Canyon formed again?

Are these gems valuable? What is the difference between rocks and minerals? Where do you find diamonds? How are they formed?

Introducing the 2011-2012 Navigators!

2011-09-01T17:46:00.001-07:00

2011-2012 Navigators’ Class Supply List

2011-07-12T11:44:00.001-07:00

1 set of washable fine markers

1 set of washable thick markers

1 box of crayons

1 box of colored pencils

1 folder with pockets

1 individual pencil sharpener (not battery operated please)

1 scissors

1 box of pencils

1 pack of small pencil erasers

1 large glue stick

1 painting shirt (an old shirt to be worn over clothes during extra messy projects)

Don’t forget to label all supplies, backpacks, coats and sweatshirts!!!

Additional supplies will be provided by Seabury!

Have a Great Summer!

2011-06-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

We sure have had a lot of fun adventures together this year!

Have a wonderful summer!

We love our grandparents and special friends!

2011-06-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Art!!!

2011-06-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

We sure enjoyed the time with our visiting artist!

Our Trio of Horses!

2011-06-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Bigfoot in Washington?

2011-05-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Bigfoot: Why We Shouldn't Capture Him
By: L.B.
It will disturb their species because they have been living in peace for so long and they might die out. They might plan revenge and they might kidnap or kill a human. I believe it would take a lot of money to get the proper equipment and to prove it. As you can see, we shouldn't capture him because it will disturb their species, they might plan revenge and it would take a lot of money.

Bigfoot
By: S.B.
I think we should catch him and then put him back in the wild. If you caught him, you could get famous or you could get in the world's book of records. You could get on TV or get a lot of money. If you are a scientist, you could be the most famous scientist in the world. And people all over the world will know you, okay maybe not the whole world will know you, but you could have a lot of fans. Your children will say " I can't believe you caught the real bigfoot!"

Bigfoot is Real
By: A.L.
I believe Bigfoot is real because of these reasons. In 1901, a guy named Mike King said he saw one by a river. During 1957, Albert Ostman said he was kidnapped by Bigfoot in his sleeping bag. Sometime in 1967, Roger Patterson claimed to have filmed Bigfoot and there were large footprints that scientists couldn't prove it wasn't a real Bigfoot. Therefore, Bigfoot is probably real because of these reasons.

Pictures from Seabury's Colonial Living History Museum!

2011-04-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Busy Month!

2011-03-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Seabury Auction is coming up soon!

Here we are making our best "puppy-dog-faces" so you'll buy these chairs for us! Don't we look cute? Wouldn't these chairs look great in your backyard?

The Science Fair was terrific this year!

The Navigators are so fashionable!

Seabury raised $781.35 for Japan at the bake sale!
Our coin drive continues through the end of next week.

It feels great to help other people!

Thanks so much to A.L.'s dad!!!

This week he talked to us about the human body and being a doctor!

We learned a whole lot!

Research, Hats and Chairs!

2011-03-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Researching the skeletal system...

Researching the nervous system...

Researching the circulatory system...

Crazy Hat Day!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

This class auction project is going to be awesome!

"PS: The faster you drink it the faster you get F.R.E.C.K.L.E.S"

2011-02-21T11:09:00.001-08:00

How to Eat Fried Worms!

2011-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Some Navigators just finished reading "How to Eat Fried Worms," by Thomas Rockwell. So, on Tuesday, we made our own worm dish! Of course, we decided to use gummy worms and jello instead of real night crawlers, mustard, salt and pepper! We are currently working on more recipes for eating "worms" and making "Freckle Juice." Stay tuned for pictures of our freckle juice!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We sure had fun on Monday with a pajama day, Valentine's exchange, a

Valentine's box decorating contest and Valentine crafts! Here are a couple

of festive crafts we made!

Where would I want to live in the "new world?"

2011-01-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

This week we created ideal locations in the "new world" for characters from Colonial American times. Some students had characters who moved to the new world for religion or a fresh start and would need to be nearby a church or a settlement like Jamestown. Others, from the Wampanoag tribe or Powhatan tribe, were already here and may have preferred not to have any English settlements nearby and to live in there own wetu homes or longhouses. Some colonials were friendly, and others quite fearful of Native Americans, which could influence where they might settle. Others farmed and preferred to live in Southern colonies on plantations. Later, we began a discussion of starting a 14th colony. Could we find a space to meet our needs and live peacefully with one another? What would our rules be? Would we need a treaty or some type of compact? What kinds of compromises could we make?

"If you don't work, you don't eat!" - John Smith

2011-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Everybody gets lunch at Seabury, but people sure worked hard in Colonial America!
Here we are practicing sewing with Ms. Cathy. We've been studying other trades from colonial times too...ask your Navigator if they remember what a tanner does? How about a peruke maker or a house wright?

We love getting our hands on all that science!

2011-01-29T10:50:00.001-08:00

"Hmmm....stress levels look good. It must be from all that reading..."

"Well, my hypothesis is...."

"Hi Mom!"

Strong girl!

"This works because..."

"Zoom!"

"Well, my theory is that..."

"What looks the healthiest?"

We had an awesome time at the Pacific Science Center last Monday. Thanks Joe, David and Harry for chaperoning - we so appreciate you! We enjoyed checking out all the hands-on human body activities since we're studying the human body this term! While we were there we also caught a great IMAX movie, planetarium show and saw our other favorite exhibits! Hmmm...there are so many ideas floating around in our heads for our science fair project!!!

Hollywood here we come! -A.K.

2011-01-23T13:16:00.001-08:00

Special Parent Coffee Chat!

2011-01-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

Save the Date:

Friday, February 4th @ 7:30am

for coffee with the Head of School!

Come and get to know other parents of Navigators and Explorers, hear about what's new at Seabury, and share your questions, ideas and feedback with Sandi Wollum.

Then feel free to stay for Gathering!

I have a dream...

2011-01-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Preparing for our play....

2011-01-16T11:46:00.001-08:00

Here we are creating props for our play, "The Tortoise and the Hare!" Mark your calendars for Friday, January 21st at 8:30am at Gathering for our acting debut!

Term 2!

2010-12-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

Science: We have begun our unit on the human body! So far we have measured ourselves and written questions about what we are most curious about concerning the body. We have recorded data and observations on our baby teeth and adult teeth. We have run experiments using mirrors testing our night vision and eye muscles, and carefully studied diagrams. We also put together “Mrs. Bones,” who has been hanging out in our classroom (thanks fund-an-item)!

Social Studies/Writing: We have started studying Colonial America! We have been studying the thirteen colonies, identifying New England, the middle colonies and the southern colonies. We took a look at colonial clothes and we created models of colonial men and women sporting britches, coifs and pockets (the original fanny-pack!). We reviewed the lost colony of Roanoke, and then studied the design of Jamestown, which led to our own models of the original settlement. We discussed the Mayflower and wrote a log about being on a ship for 66 days with rats, roaches and flies!

Reading/Writing: We have been finishing up various books from book groups. We really enjoyed the short story “The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling from our Junior Great Books series. We focused on summarizing (picking out the characters, setting, main events and problem and solution of the story) and visualizing the story to retell it with details.

Math: In math our focus has been on multiplication on various levels, factors, multiples and word problems. Practice with speed and accuracy up to 12s in multiplication at home will help every Navigator to be successful in math!

Art: We had a lot of fun creating holiday decorations, our monthly newsletter and ginger bread houses on Pajama Day this past Friday!

Predators or Prey???

2010-11-21T17:53:00.001-08:00

We sure had fun (and learned a lot too!) playing "Predator!" This card game focuses on the food chain in the forest. What eats what? What gets eaten? Who had that animal again? The Navigators are interested in creating their own version of "Predator," too. Only this time it will take place in the ocean! I can't wait to play with these
"card sharks!"

Navigators Using Navigational Tools!!!

2010-11-07T11:25:00.001-08:00

Check out these Navigators using parallel rulers and dividers to “navigate” their way to North America! They are just like explorers Henry Hudson and Sir Francis Drake!

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Book are Awesome!!!

2010-10-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

The book fair was terrific!

Thanks to Ms. Becky and all the parents who helped with the fair. A special thank you to the families who purchased books for our classroom!

They will certainly be enjoyed!

"Hmmmm....which one???"

Books are Awesome

By A.L.

If you like fantasy books, maybe you should read the Harry Potter books. If you like mystery books, maybe you should read Bunnicula. If you like myths, maybe you shoud read D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. If you like poetry books, maybe you should read Pet Poems. If you like fact books, maybe you should read a book about planets and stars. If you like drama books, maybe you should read Romeo and Juliet. If you like fables, maybe you should read Androcles and the Lion.

From our Seabury School Newsletter by the Navigators

We sure have been busy learning!

2010-10-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

At Seabury, it's very common to see students reading, conducting science experiments, taking surveys and coming up with brilliant ideas for new projects during recess. Here you see one of our Navigators devouring Harry Potter 4. Great choice!

Here we are in our native backyard garden, collecting specimens for science class!

We had some Halloween fun creating spiders and webs for our classroom!

Our classroom is now home to baby slugs AND baby spiders - a third grader's paradise! The are great for observing, writing about, classifying and studying life cycles. Some Navigators have even named their new little friends.

We had a terrific visitor from the Tacoma Zoo come and talk to the Navigators and the Beacons. We learned more about classifying vertebrates and invertebrates. She brought in awesome artifacts with her and a special friend. Ask your Navigator about the special friend - who had a blue tongue!

Great Day in Seattle!

2010-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday we took a field trip to the Seattle Children’s Theatre to see “The Borrowers.” The play was excellent! Afterwards we ate our lunches and caught a beautiful rainbow over the fountain before heading back to Seabury.

This year our theme is Transitions and our first unit focuses on explorers and animals. In Social Studies this week we finished studying about John & Sebastian Cabot. John Cabot enjoyed fishing in shoals while he explored Newfoundland. We finished up our watercolor shoals with a variety of sea life. We then began researching Hernando Cortes, who traveled to what is now Mexico City. We discussed his choices and his relationship to the Aztecs living in Tenochtitlan at that time. We created sea chests and made a list of modern day items that we would want to bring with us on a voyage across the ocean. We came up with a long list of iphones, ipads and i-somethings that would certainly make a great advertisement for Apple. One of my favorite things we came up with was to be sure to bring our Seabury sweatshirts!

Who are these kids???

2010-10-03T18:48:00.001-07:00

Exploration & Adventure!

2010-09-26T10:29:00.001-07:00

Here we are playing a game called "Race to the West Indies." Who will get to the New World first? Recently we reviewed the compass rose, nautical tools of the Age of Exploration (bummer, no GPS!), different parts of the ship, sea monster myths, sailing challenges, different jobs on board and we checked out and interpreted some primary sources.

Cool!

Wow!

Yum!

"Say Cheese!"

Last week we went on an evening zoo adventure! We saw some cool animals, ate some tasty pizza, and despite the rain, had fun spending time together!

Recently, we made some hardtack, the flavorless biscuits that explorers like Columbus ate on their voyages across the sea! This food was popular on board because it wouldn't spoil for quite some time. Some students liked it, while others thought it could use some butter or jelly!

Caution: Scientists Hard at Work!

2010-09-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

This past week we studied birds during science, and we focused our study in on owls. Here you see us dissecting owl pellets! It was a whole lot of fun! The Navigators worked hard to identify what each owl might have had for dinner. Many students found a variety of bones from mice, moles and other small rodents in the pellets. Some students found little skulls, ribs, jaws and legs. Ask your Navigator what was found in his or her owl pellet! Also, your child may have come home with the found bones in a ziplock bag, so if you haven't seen that bag, you might want to check your child's backpack! :)

Seabury's very own "Slug Club!"

2010-09-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Several Seabury students have been seen collecting slugs and setting up terrariums during recess time. It just so happens that our science unit this term is animals and we have begun working our way through the animal kingdom, paying special attention to classification. We focused on reptiles this past week and learned about snakes (including our classroom pet, Pyth). This week in science we'll take a closer look at slugs and worms - since we have such a huge interest in our "cool, but kind of gross" new friends.

Hmmm...are we missing someone today???

2010-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Birthday Girl!

2010-09-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

Going...

Gone!

Gum Art!

2010-09-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

The 2010-2011 Navigators!!!

2010-09-04T10:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome 2010-2011 Navigators!

2010-08-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have each and every one of you in my class this year. We will have some awesome adventures together!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the annual back to school potluck at Brown's Point Lighthouse Park, Sunday, August 29th, from 1-3p.m. It's a great way to reconnect with teachers and families before we dive into the school year! I hope to see you there!

In the meantime, if you have any questions please email me at MaryO@Seabury.org.

2010-2011 Navigators’ Class
Supply List

1 set of washable fine markers

1 set of washable thick markers

1 box of crayons

1 box of colored pencils

1 binder, 3-ring, (please only 1or 2 inches thick ‘cause they won’t fit in their
desks!), dividers are not necessary

1 folder with pockets

1 individual pencil sharpener (not battery operated please)

1 scissors

1 supply box, not taller than 3" so it will fit comfortably in their desk

Don’t forget to label all supplies, backpacks, coats and sweatshirts!!!

Additional supplies will be provided by Seabury!

Viking Ships & Field Day!

2010-06-27T11:07:00.001-07:00

Viking Ships!

Field Day!

Music & Play Performances!

2010-05-31T17:33:00.001-07:00

Recently, we have been studying Scandinavia and the Vikings. Here we are practicing our play, "Loki and the Magic Hammer." It has everything...ice giants, elves, gods, goddesses and royalty!

Wow, what a great music performance this week!

Another Great Week at Seabury!

2010-05-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, we had a great trip out on Commencement Bay! We ended up having perfect weather, probably because the Beacons and Navigators are such great students. :) We learned about sailing, environmental issues and the many organisms in the Bay.

Good luck in Tennessee, D.I. team! We are proud of you all!

At gathering on Friday we saw an awesome play called, "The Sneetches!" We have lots of potential actors and actresses on our hands!
Great job!

This week we were also treated to a beautiful art show by one of our very own Navigators. Wow! C'est Magnifique!

This week we also continued our study of Scandinavia and the Vikings. We took some time to practice writing in Futhark Runes and to play a game called Hnefatafl (also called "Viking Chess"). Ask your Navigator if they can teach you how to spell anything in Futhark or if they would like to play a game of Hnefatafl with you!

Seabury is Awesome!

2010-05-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here we are selling pinch pots to help the D.I. team get to the global competition in Tennessee. Thanks to Ms. Cathy, the after school clay
class and everyone who purchased pots!

We had a lot of fun with our grandparents and special friends on Friday!
Thanks for coming to visit our school!

As usual, the book fair was pretty great...we sure do like to read at Seabury!
Thanks Ms. Becky!

We had a great time working on the glass murals for our Artist-In-Residency
program! Thanks Mauricio!

Snowman on Pizza

2010-05-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

When it's not raining, we like to practice our spelling and vocabulary words outside in the sun! Sometimes we play spelling and vocabulary games like "Sparkle" or use sidewalk chalk!

For Earth Day, Dr. O'Brien came in to teach a special lesson on creating a strong argument. The Navigators watched "WALL-E" before spring break and then analyzed the movie for environmental themes. Dr. O'Brien remarked that he "enjoyed working with a class of such enthusiastic and passionate learners!"

We have been working on some cool art projects lately: Georgia O'Keefe/Acrylics with Ms. Cathy, experimenting with mixing secondary colors, Earth Day messages with oil pastels, popsicle stick crafts/puppets and of course "your choice," which launched "Loch Ness Monster with Removable Top Hat and Cape" and
"Snowman on Pizza."

We were happy to see the end of ITBS testing so we could get back to hands-on learning! The Navigators were extremely focused during testing. I was so proud of them! Strangely enough, several students commented that they thought the testing
was kinda fun sometimes!

Bake Sale!

2010-04-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Roto-copters, MOF and lunch at the MS!

2010-04-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

Recently, we experimented with roto-copters! Ask your Navigator if a large one spins differently then a small one.

On Monday, we had a great field trip to the Museum of Flight!

On Thursday, we enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the Seabury Middle School students. We really liked playing with all of their cool games over there, too!
Thanks, MS!

Strawberry Plants, D.I., Circuits and Inventions

2010-03-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we worked with the Explorers and Ms. Head on some garden projects. Many students worked hard on this area of the grounds to clear rocks and weeds away to make room for strawberry plants!

At gathering this week, Mrs. Wollum recognized the Destination Imagination teams that are moving on to the state competition. Congratulations D. I. teams! An ENORMOUS "THANK YOU" to the parent volunteers and D.I. leaders, Amol, Tina, Sam, Tasneem and Michelle!

In this picture we are performing a skit that includes several of our weekly vocabulary words!

We have been learning about famous inventors/scientists, including Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. We took some time this week to write and sketch about our own future inventions.

We are also studying inventions in science class. Here we are experimenting with electrical currents, conductors and insulators. Ask your child if she or he remembers the difference between a parallel circuit and a series circuit.

Science Fair!!!

2010-03-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-08T18:38:00.001-08:00

We're Ready for Spring!

2010-02-28T13:25:00.001-08:00

The weather has been so nice that the Navigators have caught a little bit of spring fever! Why not pretend we are at the beach while we do our school work?

The Percy Jackson series sure has been popular in the Navigators' room! Many students have been seen negotiating for more independent reading time!

On Friday, the middle school came over to perform their rendition of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," we really enjoyed it, and we laughed our heads off!
Thanks for coming over, MS!

It's time for the Seabury School STAR Auction!

2010-02-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

Our Butterfly Neighborhood class project is starting to look really cool! We've had a great time sanding wood, using power tools, hammering and researching native butterflies. Thanks for helping us, Barbara! :)

Our class ice cream basket is looking pretty delicious as well! We've all been eyeing the fancy ice cream toppings, treats and supplies coming in for that basket. Thanks so much, Navigator families, for all of your donations and support for this year's auction.
It should be a really fun evening!

A Platinum Celebration
Seabury School STAR Auction

Saturday, March 6, 2010
Silent Auctions begin at 5:30 pm
Live Auction and Dinner at 7:00 pm

Landmark Convention Center
Plaza Grand Ballroom
47 St. Helens Ave
Tacoma, WA

Tickets
(253) 952-3111
or
janices@seabury.org

Experiments, Yo-Yo's and Science!

2010-02-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

We have been running a few science experiments lately. In this one, we tried to build card houses on different surfaces. We identified our manipulated variable as the surfaces, our responding variables were the cards and our controlled variables were the person testing the cards, time, and the number of cards. Now it's time to run our own experiments for the science fair!

We also recently had a yo-yo contest in our classroom. Our three judges (hmmm...perhaps influenced by "American Idol") ran and scored the contest!
Thank you contestants and judges!

On Monday, we went to the Pacific Science Center. We had a great time at the planetarium, IMAX and Mars exhibit. We got chills when we heard that the scientists who could figure out how to get people to Mars could be
in elementary school right now!

Crazy Hair Day!

2010-02-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

Pulleys, PJ's and Magic!

2010-01-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday, we created our own pulley systems and experimented with how they might be able to support more weight.

On Thursday, to combat the doldrums of January, we decided to have a pajama party!

We also had a fun gathering this week learning about yo-yos and helping with some magic tricks!

Our Classroom Pet!

2010-01-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

Last week we were fascinated by our classroom pet Pyth, who enjoyed his “lunch” (otherwise known as a medium sized rat)! Pyth is a ball python that has, in the last year become a bit picky about what types of rodent he prefers to consume. Watching Pyth eat has been described as "kind of cool and kind of gross!"

Back to School in 2010!

2010-01-10T14:54:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of the year! I took it during independent reading time (a time where kids pick books out for themselves). It shows what voracious readers the Navigator's are, and also how comfortable they feel being themselves at Seabury!

This week we started two new book groups; one group is reading "The Hobbit," by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the other group is reading "The Westing Game," by Ellen Raskin. Book groups, also called literature circle, are a great way to discuss characters, plot and other literary devices.

This term we are studying technology and simple machines in science class. In the activity pictured here, we are building and identifying simple machines (levers, pulleys, wheel & axles, gears, inclined planes...) and then building compound machines (two or more simple machines working together).

In another activity, students worked to learn new vocabulary words by drawing a small sketch to go with each one. Chances to act out words or draw small sketches can serve as memory hooks for students. This can be especially helpful because many words have more than one meaning. This design belongs to M.Y. Way to go M.Y!

Gingerbread Houses!

2009-12-11T20:40:00.001-08:00

Beacons and Navigators Perform at The Festival of Trees

2009-12-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

The Beacons and Navigators did a really nice job representing Seabury and performing at The Festival of Trees! We had a great trip to the convention center and it was fun to see some of the Seabury middle school students cheering us on. After the performance, Mrs. Gellert treated us to hot chocolate! Thanks Mrs. Gellert!

Happy Holidays!

Volcanoes!

2009-12-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

We had a blast (literally) creating and testing out our volcanoes!

Thanksgiving Feast

2009-12-05T17:38:00.001-08:00

On the Wednesday before our Thanksgiving break, the lower school came together to discuss what we were thankful for this year. We then shared some treats together. The Navigators brought chocolate covered strawberries. We had fun making them and eating them!

Math Class!

2009-11-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

In Math this trimester, we studied many topics on many student levels. We spent time on place value through millions, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, multiplication properties (Associative, Zero, Identity and Commutative), estimating and rounding, and organizing and interpreting data (tables, bar graphs, double bar graphs, line plots, probability, tree diagrams, mode, median and outliers). We also spent quite a bit of time on problem solving. Our goal is to become comfortable writing about how we solved math problems in addition to explaining out loud our thinking behind the process. We studied different problem solving strategies and vocabulary (draw a picture, estimate, make a list, look for a pattern, and guess and check, to name a few). Finally we also focused on logical reasoning and worked on solving logic puzzles.
In this activity, we created arrays with fact families. We learned some of the math vocabulary (factor, product, divisor, dividend and quotient) that creeps up on us in word problems!

Can you match the Navigator with the Turkey?

2009-11-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

Check out these "dressed" turkeys!

Our Thanksgiving Food Drive Brainstorming List

2009-11-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

ketchup
canned tomato sauce
canned fruit
mixed fruit
baby food (boxes or plastic)
crackers
noodle cup
microwave items (that aren’t frozen)
oatmeal
applesauce (plastic)
goldfish
mustard
granola bars
cranberries
corn
pumpkin pie filling
instant potatoes
cereal
cereal bars
mac and cheese
soup
cookies
chips
pasta

No glass or perishable items please!
Many Thanks!

Making Vocabulary & Spelling Words!

2009-11-08T09:08:00.001-08:00

This week we worked on our vocabulary and spelling words while "working" non-hardening clay! Every full week the Navigators learn some challenging words from the Wordly Wise curriculum. Ask your child if they remember what plumage means or what contempt means?

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T17:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!
From, Robot Lady & TP Man

Science

2009-10-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun this year in science class! This term our unit of study focuses on rocks and landforms, and our trip to the Olympic Peninsula was an awesome location to start learning all about geology! Since then, we have been busy making fossils, experimenting with lots of different kinds of rocks and learning about the impact of different landforms on our Earth.

We have also been working on some experiments, to guide us through the scientific process. Ask your child about the explosive combination of Coke and Mentos or how many drops of water they were able to get on their penny before the water spilled. Also, ask them if they can tell you the difference between quantitative results and qualitative.

Our winter term will have us focusing on technology and simple machines, in addition to working on science fair projects. In our spring term we will study inventions and architecture. Environmental studies and the scientific method will also be threaded throughout the year, especially in our second term with the science fair. Check out the pictures above to see science in action!

Seattle Art Museum Trip

2009-10-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip up to the Seattle Art Museum for a workshop and tour about families around the world. Ask your child if you can see the scroll he or she created. Then ask what your child's favorite piece was from our tour!

Writer’s Workshop

2009-10-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

This year in writer’s workshop your child will use a “writer’s notebook” along with the computer to keep track of all of the stories, ideas, poems, lists, and PowerPoints she/he works on. Recently your child created a PowerPoint on our trip to the Olympic Park Institute. The students all experimented with adding pictures from our trip, finding clip art, writing headlines, proofreading each other’s work and experimenting with sound and other fun design features. This year we will continue to work on “The 6 Traits of Writing”: ideas, organization, sentence fluency, conventions, word choice and voice. We have started our study on ideas and organization. As a side note, we have also begun typing practice and cursive practice. These skills will be taught throughout the year. Narrative writing is our genre focus this term, expository writing and poetry will follow. Stay tuned for some interesting stories coming your way!

Learning Chess and/or Practicing Strategies!

2009-10-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for teaching us some chess Ms. Head! Look for information on chess club in the next few weeks. It's a fantastic game for children this age!

OPI!!!

2009-09-27T10:27:00.001-07:00

OPI!!

2009-09-27T10:25:00.001-07:00

OPI!

2009-09-27T10:17:00.001-07:00

Oceanic Crust Models!

2009-09-17T18:46:00.001-07:00

Thanks Seabury Star Auction!

2009-09-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

We sure do like our document camera and projector!

What we like so far about being Navigators...

2009-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about being a Navigator is getting to go to OPI. -A.R.S

My favorite thing about being a Navigator is having lockers. - M.M.

I like being a Navigator because we get to go to OPI. - E.M.M.

The best thing about being a Navigator is. . . getting to learn about earth! - A.A.

I like how Ms. O'Brien is so calm. -Z.K.

The cool thing is OPI! -B.S.

I like being a Navigator because we have new desks. -J.K.L.

The cool thing about being a Navigator is OPI. -C.H.

I like being a Navigator because we get lockers. -C.D.J.

The cool thing about the Navigators is that we get to use the microwave. -R.K.

My favorite thing about being a Navigator is having Ms. O'Brien as a teacher and going to OPI. -XOXO D.S.

I like being a Navigator because we have lockers and we get to go to OPI. -M.Y.

It was a great first week!

2009-09-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Families,

I so enjoyed meeting your children this week; what a great bunch of students! I hope you all have a nice Labor Day weekend together. Your child should have brought home a "Friday Folder" with notes from the office, classwork, and OPI forms. Please keep the items inside the folder at home and send the folder back to school signed. OPI forms are also due by Sept. 14th. It should be a fantastic field trip. Please email me if you have questions or concerns about the trip.

Thanks so much, Mary

P.S. Check out our first day of school pictures below!

Introducing the 2009-2010 Seabury Navigators!

2009-09-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome...

2009-08-25T18:59:00.000-07:00