Field WorkThe colors, expressions, and fun below tell the story of our field work to the New Children's Museum. Thank you to Cody for leading our class, and Ms. Vinetz for securing our grant that allowed us this opportunity, and our volunteer chaperones who drove our students and supported our learning throughout the day. Thank you! PublishingOur Kindergarten classes reached out to 3rd grade to help teach them about friendship. We are publishing a book titled How To Be A Good Friend. We have used the writing process, including (1) collecting ideas, (2) rehearsing, (3) drafting, (4) critique and revision, (5) editing, and (6) publishing, which we will do on Monday and Tuesday.
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More Me bagsThank you brave presenters. It took some courage from some, but everyone seemed to love presenting themselves and learning about each other. FeelingsComing soon to the classroom! Our 3rd Grade Feelings chart. Here's an inside look - some tremendous acting. Our feelings chart will help us recognize what our peers' faces are telling us. Sometimes they don't have the words, but we can tell by reading their body language. In addition, we learned about Bugs & Wishes, and will learn about I-Messages next week. These strategies help our learners express their feelings and desires. Instead of just yelling STOP! or ignoring something, our community of learners will be more specific and helpful in giving direct statements. For example, "It bugs me when you poke me, I wish you would use your words [or say my name] to get my attention." Mindfulness with 5th Grade
Back to school nightIt was great to meet you all again, and hear all those special things about your children. Lots of caring and creative young people ready to make this world a better place for everyone. Below is a document that reviews our math and literacy curriculum for the year. And soon we will share a project handout for our upcoming project on identity, starting in October. We would really love your support with resources and ideas for final products. The crux of the project is that students will learn that they can be who they want to be regardless of social norms and stereotypes, and should allow that same freedom to others without strengthening those norms and supporting those stereotypes. Math
Me Bags!!It's been so fun to learn more about each child through their Me Bags. Thank you for helping them choose meaningful items to show who they are. So far 15 students have shared, and the other 9 will be able to share next week. Our students have been so respectful and curious to hear their peers share. Next week we will ask each student to keep one item at school that best represents them, and then they can bring the other items home. LegosLegos brings out smiles.
Fun.Our first 6 week mini-project asks the essential question: How can we create a safe and effective learning community? All third graders gathered in one room to answer that question by playing Rock-Paper-Scissors. If you win, you keep playing. If you lose, you now become the winner's biggest fan, following her and cheering him on. After a few minutes, half of the class is cheering on one student, while the other half is cheering on another student. And then there is a victor! It's fun. It's loud. And it led to a great discussion on what makes games fun, which led to a conversation about playing and working together. To feel safe and learn effectively, the students have written and signed agreements that are hanging in our classroom: We need to be safe and kind, which includes whole body listening, looking at the speaker, calm bodies, a low voice volume, and kind words and body language. ... Me BagsAnother aspect of this project is getting to know each other as we build our community, and create friendships. On Friday, we sent home a letter attached to a brown bag: Dear Third Grade Students and Families, In Reading Workshop we read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox about a boy who helps a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s remember by giving her a collection of objects that jolt her memory. A shell reminds her of a trip to the beach when she was young, a medal reminds her of her brother that died in the war, and a puppet reminds her of the one she showed to her younger sister to make her laugh. Writers also remember special small moments in their life in order to gather and collect great ideas for their own writing. Many of the best writers write about what they know most and include real experiences from their own lives. To help students find significant moments in their lives to write about, I would like each student to create a Memory Collection. Over the next few days, students should look at home for objects or images that remind them of moments and memories from their lives. Students can cut out pictures from magazines, look through photographs, or find small objects to put in their zip-lock bag. Rather than a collection of favorite objects, I want students to search for things that connect them with stories from their lives. When looking for things, choose ones that . . .
Writing WorkshopWe introduced ourselves to our new Writer's Journals. Dear Journal... |
Important DatesMarch 23rd - Archives
March 2020
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