Spring is in the air! In the classroom, we have been exploring spring in a variety of ways. We began this past week by planting a variety of seeds into small greenhouses. Many of our plants have already begun to grow! Then we created balloon greenhouses to hang in front of our window. Students added water, soil, and grass seeds. I blew up the balloons. Some children do not think that anything will grow since there is no way for us to water the plants, while others believe it will still grow due to condensation.

We have been doing observations of our eggs everyday. Thus far, we were able to candle the eggs. We held a bright flash light behind the egg to check the growth of the embryo. Within two of the eggs, the students were able to see a tiny chick moving around! We will candle them again this week to hopefully see more. Our expected hatching day will be Tuesday, May 4. Then we will have the baby chicks in our classroom for approximately two more days. What a wonderful way to celebrate spring by seeing new life up close!

MATH: We have been working very hard on the concept of subtraction. Students have been using manipulatives, drawing pictures, or even their fingers to figure out various math problems. For a large majority of the class, we are working on subtracting 1, 2, or 3 from a larger set. We encourage them to continue using the strategy that they are comfortable with. However, we also have students share their strategies to help each other.

**Another reminder: We will not have school this Friday, April 30, due to a professional development day.

**Report cards went home this past Friday. Please contact me via email if you would like to set up a conference about your report card. (krista@pembrokekids.com)

**Upcoming child led conference details: We will have 15 minute child led conferences Tuesday May 11, and Wednesday May 12. Students will still have class those days. Parents will be able to sign up for a time to meet with me and their child. Sign up times will be Tuesday afternoon, or Wednesday all day. All sign up times are during regular school hours.