Mr. J’s Learning Lab News
Vol. 2 Issue 2- September 2014
Have a SWIMMING time! Winter + Hope have updated our website! Visit the new site @
This school year we have THREE Learning Labs for our students (Arts, Sciences, and Tech). These labs will reflect the latest skills needed for Florida students in the STREAMing world: Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
THEME OF THE MONTH
This month we begin our second month theme “Dolphin Tale” starring those famous cetacean mammals from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium! We will be learning two songs from the Dolphin Tale soundtracks. We will learn “Waves” by Blondfire and “I Believe” by Basic Vacation. In science we will be doing various hands on examples of Oceanography and Marine Biology that will help with your next STREAM project. In Art, we will be learning about the Wyland Foundation, how to make ocean vistas, and draw marine life seen at the aquarium.
Here is a calendar for what we will be doing this month in the three learning labs:
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3 - Sciences Lab- Learn about tanks & aquariums (for your STREAM project)
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4- Tech Lab – Typing Web, Moby Max
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5- Arts Lab- Learn new songs “Waves”, “I Believe”, begin to paint oceans
MONDAY, SEPT.8- Arts Lab- Continue new songs “Waves”, “I Believe”, continue oceans
TUESDAY, SEPT. 9- Tech Lab- Typing Web, Moby Max
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10- Sciences Lab- Learn Oceanography
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11- Tech Lab- Typing Web, Moby Max
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12- Arts Lab- finish oceans, Dolphin Tale 2 opens! Come to Oakmont 8 for Family Movie Night! (Time To Be Announced)
MONDAY, SEPT.15- Arts Lab- Make waves, practice songs
TUESDAY, SEPT. 16- Tech Lab- Typing Web, Moby Max
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17- Sciences Lab- Various pre-field trip CMA lessons
THURSDAY, SEPT. 18- Tech Lab- Typing Web, Moby Max
FRIDAY, SEPT. 19- Field trip day! Going to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) to see Winter & Hope
TUESDAY, SEPT. 23- Tech Lab- Typing Web, Moby Max
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24- Sciences Lab- post field trip CMA lessons
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25- Tech Lab- Typing Web, Moby Max
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26- BOXTROLLS DAY! Create our own BOXES! Bring any boxes you can!
Saturday, Sept. 27- Run/Walk for Life and Student Art competition (Downtown Btown)
MONDAY, SEPT. 29- Arts Lab- Final rehearsals for showcase, Wyland mural
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30- MASTERPIECE SHOWCASE! 12:15 at Gecko Stage, all classes perform and whole school presents TMNT and Dolphin Tale medley for the Finale!
STREAM Projects
This year we have NO STEAM Reports! We have added the "R" for Reading, and now have monthly STREAM Projects instead of the weekly STEAM reports. Woo Hoo! Mr. J believes this will be a better way to truly use all SIX areas of STREAM better! Attached to this newsletter will be a STREAM PROJECT page detailing the second project based on our Dolphin Tale theme, and the project will be due to Mr. J by MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Moby Max Update/ New Contest
Our first contest for this school year is based on NEW BADGES! We are looking to see the students who can earn the most NEW badges from August 26th to September 22nd. Remember you earn a NEW badge each time you get 50 questions answered correctly. You can check you progress by clicking the BADGES tab in your Moby Max account.
TypingWeb First Contest
This year, Mr. Y found us a great new site that challenges your typing skills in unique ways. This will be great learning for our new state test, the FSA, and we will be having monthly contests based on various elements from the website.
Our first contest will be MOST WPM (Words Per Minute). When you log onto your Typing Web account you can practice your typing skills, play typing games, and then challenge yourself to the typing test! You can take the test as many times as you wish, and each time it will let you know how many words per minute you can type. We are looking for ONE STUDENT from each grade level (K- 6) who can type the MOST words per minute to win our first contest. Then we are looking for the HIGHEST WPM in the WHOLE SCHOOL for the Grand Prize! You will have until September 25th to see if you are the winner, so keep trying and typing!
Sea The Unseen at DALI MUSEUM … FREE ART EVENT!
On Saturday, September 13th at 10 am, the Salvador Dali museum will be hosting a FREE Art workshop using marine debris to create new works of art. The day will be full of fun and lessons related to our Dolphin Tale theme. If you wish to attend RSVP to Mr. J so you can have a guaranteed spot for this great event!For more details visit http://thedali.org/event/plastic-art-marine-debris-workshop/
Field Trips
Our first field trip will be on Friday, September 19th to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to visit Winter and Hope from the DOLPHIN TALE movies. Permission slips were given out at the Open House and first day of school. The second trip of the year will be in October to the STRAZ Performing Arts center for a fun filled day seeing a play, going behind the scenes/backstage, and learning improv skills. Permission slips will come home the first week of September.
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
September 3- Start our second theme- Dolphin Tale
Friday Night, September 12th- Dolphin Tale 2 Movie Night at Oakmont 8 (More details soon)
Saturday, September 13- Free Art Workshop “Sea the Unseen” at Dali in St. Pete (RSVP to Mr. J)
Friday, September 19- Clearwater Marine Aquarium/Dolphin Tale field trip
Friday, September 26- Boxtrolls Day! Bring in empty boxes to create your own boxtroll!
Saturday, September 27- Run/Walk for Life and Art show (Downtown Bradenton)
Monday, September 29- Dolphin Tale STREAM Projects due!
Tuesday, September 30- MASTERPIECE SHOWCASE at 12:15
Wednesday, October 1- Begin Minecraft/modern video game theme
EXPECT A NEW LEARNING LAB NEWSLETTER AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH
