We had a wonderful and joyous last day of Target! We had fun decorating and eating cookies to celebrate!

Unit Study:
We programmed our Robots to dance--so much fun! Then the kids finished their last coding lesson on Code.org. There is so much more to explore on Code.org and it's all free, no sign-up required!

Novel Study:
We finished House of Robots!  There are two more books in the series, if your child is interested. They are excellent! The kids created their favorite scenes from the book. Check them out below.

It has been my priviledge and great pleasure to teach your children. These kids have a special place in my heart!

My very best regards,
​Dr. Kraeger

We got a late start today because of Milestones testing.

Unit Study:
We learned about Events in Coding. The kids worked on using events in Flappy Bird on Code.org. They also learned how to do the Robot so they could create a dance for their robots. Next time, we'll program the robots to see them dance.

Novel Study:
We completed a very challenging Fallen Phrase from our novel. The kids worked hard to figure it out.

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

We had a great day in Target!
Affective Skills:
We read a story about friendship and getting along. The kids created Friendship Comics. The stories were sweet!

Algebraic Thinking:
We worked more on Hands On Equations by learning how to represent parenthesis with our pieces. They did a great job!

Unit Study:
We learned about Binary Code (0,1) and made Binary Bracelets using beads to represent our initials. Check out their work in the photos below! The kids used their coding skills to program their robots for Mission 6: Alien Contact. They did a fantastic job delivering items to the "Aliens".

Stations:
We used our communication skills and creativity to write advice letters to Sammy about how to catch the Robot Thief. They are so clever!

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

We got started a little later because of Kindergarten Gifted Testing.

Unit Study:
We learned about Conditionals in coding--If, else statements. The kids had fun playing a "Conditional Card Game" where they made up their own rules. Later, they used conditional code to solve Lesson 13 activities. They had a chance to earn 3 extra minutes of recess by successfully completing the conditional challenge, "If the class is quiet for 30 seconds, the class earns 3 minutes of extra recess." They were successful!

Stations:
We used convergent thinking to solve a Fallen Phrase puzzle based on our novel. The kids also used their communication skills and creativity to write an advice letter to our main character.

Novel Study:
We read a bit more of our novel. The kids are getting excited about finding out who stole E.

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

We had a rowdy start this morning! It took a while to get settled in and digging into our learning.

Algebraic Thinking:
We continued our Hands On Equations with a new lesson on combining terms. This wasn't difficult and served as a good refresher on the Legal Moves we've learned so far.

Unit Study:
We worked hard on debugging today with two Activities on Code.org. The kids will get to try this skill out again when we program our robots next time. 

Stations:
We wrote Robot Acrostic poems. The kids are really creative! Check out their amazing work in the photos below! We also used our divergent thinking to finish our Robot F2OE task with all the elements of creativity: Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, Elaboration. The results are marvelous!

Novel Study:
We read a bit more of our book to find out about Sammy's plan to find E.

​Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

These kiddos had a fantastic day in Target! I was so impressed with their hard work, collaboration, and problem solving!

Algebraic Thinking:
We used our knowledge of ordered pairs to reveal a Mystery Picture. 

Unit Study:
We continued our coding practice with "Relay Programming". The kids did a great job coding and debugging as a team today! Look at the fun in the photos!

Novel Study:
We read a bit more of our book today. It is getting so good!

Stations:
We finished up our Weighty Word book with "Zealot". The kids did a great job on this today! We used our divergent thinking to create solutions for a Robot F2OE. These kiddos are so clever! 

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

We got off to a good start by finishing up any missing classwork and getting all our supplies ready! We're working hard on this each week to show that we are Self-Directed Learners. We finished up two more of our Weighty Words. Only one letter to go, Z!

Affective Skills: 
We discussed different ways to show fairness in every day situations. The kids came up with some great ideas!

Algebraic Thinking:
We used critical and algebraic thinking to solve a Math Versatiles. The kids enjoyed this hands-on format!

Novel Study:
We read a few more chapters of our novel. We used our convergent thinking skills to solve another Fallen Phrase puzzle. The kids did a good job using critical thinking to predict what happened to our Robot E. They also connected our affective learning and Weighty Words to listing character traits of two of the main characters. Check out the amazing list they created in the photos! The kids finished up by writing about a time when they had to stand up for a friend.

Stations:
We tried a new way to do Stations today--Logical/Divergent thinking games and Study Hall. Those who had unfinished work got their things finished. The others had time to use their convergent and/or divergent thinking, as well as collaboration and respect for others. It was a good start. We'll try it again in Mid April. 

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger
​

We had a fun-filled day of learning!

Unit Study:
We continued our learning on Code.org to practice using loops. They really helped when we tackled Mission 4: Security Patrol with our robots. The kids had a blast!

Algebraic Thinking:
We practiced combining pawns before putting them on the balance scale and used our Legal Moves to solve more challenging equations. These kids are doing great!

Novel Study:
Today we learned about foreshadowing and how that creates suspense in the story. The kids identified an example from the chapters we read today. They also used their critical thinking skills to predict what would happen with Dr. Scientrific. They were right...disaster!

Stations:
We used convergent thinking to solve a new type of logic puzzle, a Fallen Phrase, Quotefall, or Drop Quote. It's kind of like Wheel of Fortune except the letters are underneath the column they belong in. The kids have to figure out which space to solve the phrase. The first one was easy. Next puzzle will be more of a challenge! The kids used their creativity to make a Ninja Comic just like our character in the novel. Their ideas are marvelous! I'll share them next week once all are finished.

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

These wonderful kiddos were ready for Target on Monday!

Unit Study:
We continued our coding with more on Loops on Code.org. The activities were very challenging! 

Algebraic Thinking:
We learned a new Legal Move in our Hands On Equations lesson 4. The kids can now take away equal numbers from each side of the equation to simply and solve. They did a good job with this!

Novel Study:
We read more chapters of our book with critical thinking questions.

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

It was a very busy day in Target!

Algebraic Thinking:
We reviewed our latest concept, "Legal Moves" to reinforce their understanding of this foundational concept in our Hands On Equations algebra program.

Novel Study:
We read a few more chapters of our book. The kids used their critical thinking to predict what the "big" conversation with E would be. The kids also listed some things they are not perfect in and are working on, just like E in our book.

Unit Study:
We worked on programming with our Robots today. The kids did a good job turning on the light and using the Return to Home command.

Stations:
We continued our work in Weighty Word, with Vacillate and Winsome. The illustrations are so creative! Love their ideas! The kids also used their convergent thinking to solve a logic puzzle. This was tough, and they worked hard on it!

We will have Target on Monday next week because of a Watershed Puppet Show on Tuesday. 

Students new to Target will get a Quarterly Progress Report next Friday. Returning students will only have a Quarterly Progress Report if there is concern about their Target progress.

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger