Current Activities
In August of 2014, our classroom was awarded a grant that allowed for the purchase of multiple Rubik's Cubes. The Cubes help teach the students life skills. It may seem silly when you first hear it, but really, learning how to work a Rubik's Cube is all about focus, following directions, memorization, sequencing, problem solving, critical thinking, and most importantly of all, PERSEVERANCE. All skills that help develop successful students and adults. We also use the cubes in math for patterns and geometry! The best solution guide I have used is animated and step by step, HERE. If you have a cube at home and don't have your solution guide, CLICK HERE. |
Rubik's Cubes for Life Skills
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Parent-Student-Teacher
Conferences |
Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences are held 2 times during the school year. Each conference lasts 15 minutes. The main reason for having these conferences is to let the student share with the parent the academic and social progress they are making.
If there are issues that parents wish to discuss and do not their child to be involved in, then we will set up another conference. Having the students and parents in together is great for everyone. The students can be proud of their progress and share their goals for the year, the parents can get involved and be active with their child's education, and the teacher can talk to both the parents and student at the same time. |
During Exploration Station, we invite parents to come in and explore with their child a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning project. We introduce the project, make predictions, gather data, interpret and compare results, make scientific claims, and then engineer an individual creation based on our claim. Sounds easy, right? Welcome to STEM! |
Science
Exploration Station |
The Life of Lincoln Drama
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Every February/March, we practice and perform a live action drama titled, The Life of Lincoln. There are videos, music, some costumes, acting, special effects, and script reading. Some years, we have received acting lessons from Gretta Berghammer from the University of Northern Iowa. We often take photos and record this performance to send to our pen pal. We even appear in our very own PLAYBILL! Which character do you think you would like to play? |
On school years ending with even numbers, we go the Cedar Falls Public Library for tours, stories, and reading. Then, we go to Scratch Cupcakery and talk about how to run a small business. On school years ending with odd numbers, we go to Livingston Aviation at the Waterloo Regional Airport. We learn about flying and sit in an airplane. Then we stop by the Cedar Bend Humane Society. Every year, we then go to a local park to enjoy lunch and some fun time. We end the great day with a stop to the Black Hawk County YMCA for some SWIMMING! |
3rd/4th Grades
End-of-Year Field Trip |
Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
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Once a year, students attend a Kaleidoscope performance at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. Performances vary by topic by year, but every performance is grade level appropriate and often a topic of learning in the classroom. |
Each year the third grade participates in an online science project called Journey North. Sometimes we plant red emperor tulips and compare planting, emerging, and blooming times with schools throughout the country.
Other times, we learn about the great monarch migration and create symbolic monarchs to send to Mexico. Over the winter the butterflies stay in Mexico, but then in the spring, a new set of butterflies arrive back to our classroom! |
Journey North
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Stick With Reading, Make Your Goal
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Each fall, third graders participate in a reading incentive program started by Mr. Sammons. The purposes of the program are to 1) get kids to read more at home 2) learn about hockey 3) integrate hockey into different subjects. Small prizes are give to reward students for their hard work. The most exciting part, though, is when members of the Waterloo Black Hawks come and visit the classroom! |
KWWL Meteorologist Visit
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As a culminating activity to our weather unit in science, we invite a meteorologist from KWWL to come to our class and talk about weather and their jobs at KWWL. For many year, it was Jeff Kennedy. Upon his retirement, Denice Pelster stepped in and did a wonderful job presenting to the students. The kids are always full of questions and SOMETIMES their picture even ends up on the NEWS! |
With money from a McElroy Excellence in Education grant, Mr. Sammons was able to purchase a weather station that stays inside the classroom, but the other half is on the roof of the building! We use it daily for temperature, sunrise/sunset, wind chill, heat index, barometric changes, wind speed, wind direction, and other meteorological uses. It especially comes in handy during our weather unit in science. |
VantagePro Weather Station
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Sign Language
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We use sign language in our classroom as a learning tool. We do not have any deaf students in our school, but find signing both fun and educational. Some things we sign are days of the week, months of the year, the Pledge of Allegiance, greetings, holiday words, and basic vocabulary words. We use Signed English, which is a manual English system designated to be used with speech. It is a semantic system in which the signs, although largely taken from American Sign Language, represent the meanings of words found in standard English dictionaries. "Sign language also serves as a way to stretch the capabilities of a child's still developing brain." - Dr. Marilyn Daniels |
Aplington Gardens
We have three garden areas at Aplington Elementary. We take care of them by weeding and planting plants and seeds.
We have three garden areas at Aplington Elementary. We take care of them by weeding and planting plants and seeds.
Aplington Elementary West Side Prairie
A large portion of the Aplington Elementary prairie has been sold. Portions of the prairie have been planted to the north of the existing prairie.
The Aplington Elementary West Side Prairie was created in the spring of 2004 with help from a McElroy Excellence in Education grant. It is located on 1 acre of land just south of the high school soccer field. The prairie is not only great for the environment, but it saves the school district money from the costs of mowing they no longer do. Thanks to the many volunteers who help keep the prairie thriving! Third grade students also researched and created web pages of prairie plant information. |
U-Garden
The U-Garden was designed and created in 2003. It is located in the area near the playground known as the U. This garden was made possible through a $1,500 grant from the Aplington Board of Education. Below are photos of the creation.
The garden is divided into six sections. The Kindergarten Alphabet Garden, First Grade Storybook Garden, Second Grade Dinosaur Garden, Third Grade Southwest Garden, Fourth Grade Native Iowa Prairie, Annual Garden, and Butterfly Garden. Each garden relates to some part of the grade’s curriculum. The U-Garden was designated an Official Schoolyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation in April of 2005 and was named one of the Best Youth Gardens of the year by the National Gardening Association in January 2004. |
South Garden
The South Garden was created by the Aplington Elementary south entrance door in 2001 by first grade students. It has hosted many types of plants including butterfly plants and tulips for Journey North.
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