We're getting closer and closer to a routine...
The first day of every week will be dedicated to students and their passions / hopes / dreams. Eventually this will be our Genius Hour time. The past two weeks on Mondays, we've "farmed" ideas for what we think people need, and also what we feel passionate about. Next week, you are invited to join us in the LMC for our fourth annual Cardboard Challenge! We'll be in the LMC (library media center) Thursday, October 8th from 10:05-11:23 (block 4/5), 11:27-12:03 & 12:47-1:23 (block 6/8), and 1:27-2:45 (block 9/10). Please stop by and see the result of planning, perseverance, creativity, and collaboration! This day will be remembered by all involved, and the skills practiced are invaluable.
The other four days of our weeks, we focused on narrative writing, using models such as "The Night I Won the Right to the Streets of Memphis" by Richard Wright and a snippet from "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe. We wrote about a "beautiful" evening (or day) - WITHOUT using the word "beautiful," and we wrote about an unpleasant experience, focusing on atmosphere. We've begun collecting tier two vocabulary to remember and use.
We also had another "fishbowl" discussion. The skills we're practicing through these discussions are all about communicating - listening to others, and providing evidence while sharing our own ideas. Ask your child about these discussions, and encourage those who have not gotten "into the fishbowl" to try it out. We're still a little rough, but we've only practiced a couple. It's great to see their growth throughout the year.
To wrap up September, we read The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg (Grammie came in for block 6/8 to read to us!), reflected on our week and then created an action plan for the next month. :) Check out Grammie's reading on this tab, along with all of our latest book talks.
Guidelines for next week Thursday:
The first day of every week will be dedicated to students and their passions / hopes / dreams. Eventually this will be our Genius Hour time. The past two weeks on Mondays, we've "farmed" ideas for what we think people need, and also what we feel passionate about. Next week, you are invited to join us in the LMC for our fourth annual Cardboard Challenge! We'll be in the LMC (library media center) Thursday, October 8th from 10:05-11:23 (block 4/5), 11:27-12:03 & 12:47-1:23 (block 6/8), and 1:27-2:45 (block 9/10). Please stop by and see the result of planning, perseverance, creativity, and collaboration! This day will be remembered by all involved, and the skills practiced are invaluable.
The other four days of our weeks, we focused on narrative writing, using models such as "The Night I Won the Right to the Streets of Memphis" by Richard Wright and a snippet from "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe. We wrote about a "beautiful" evening (or day) - WITHOUT using the word "beautiful," and we wrote about an unpleasant experience, focusing on atmosphere. We've begun collecting tier two vocabulary to remember and use.
We also had another "fishbowl" discussion. The skills we're practicing through these discussions are all about communicating - listening to others, and providing evidence while sharing our own ideas. Ask your child about these discussions, and encourage those who have not gotten "into the fishbowl" to try it out. We're still a little rough, but we've only practiced a couple. It's great to see their growth throughout the year.
To wrap up September, we read The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg (Grammie came in for block 6/8 to read to us!), reflected on our week and then created an action plan for the next month. :) Check out Grammie's reading on this tab, along with all of our latest book talks.
Guidelines for next week Thursday: