We talked about the signs of Spring that we're already noticing -- longer days, chirping birds, and warmer days. Students generated some ideas of their own and wrote about them. We did a science experiment in which we made rain in a jar by putting hot water into the bottle, covering the bottle with a paper plate, and putting ice cubes on top of the plate. I was impressed by the amount of information students retained from our lesson about the water cycle and how clouds form. In an effort to encourage neatnesss, we had our first ever coloring contest today. I asked an objective staff member to judge the papers. She had such a difficult time (because they were so good) that there was a 3-way tie. Congratulations to Joe P., Lauren, and Ellie! We decided to make the coloring contest a weekly event. There are 2 items in your Monday envelope that need to be returned tomorrow. One is the blue conference confirmation sheet. The other is a thin orange sheet asking if you'd like to order Highlights Magazine. Even if you do not want to order, please check the "No" box and sign it. If I receive all of the orange forms, our class will receive a box of stickers that can be used in the classroom.