Oct 26 2012
Today we learned a new game called “Will It Fit?” in Math Workshop. The kids had to roll two dice and create a number and make it fit in the puzzle. This game makes the kids think about number order and distance. It was a favorite today!
Oct 25 2012
Today we asked our friends what other collages we needed to make in order to accurately give the weather forecast each day. Our friends suggested cloudy, tornado warning, windy, snow so tomorrow we will make one of those so we can continue to give accurate weather forecasts.
In Studio, our friends began to make weather symbols so that we can give the seven day forecast as well. They worked with different materials: collage, oil pastels, paint, and markers, and they were really beautiful! They are going to work on them next week as well so that we can begin using them for our forecast!
During recess today the children were having so much fun throwing the leaves in the air! It was so much fun taking pictures of them.
Oct 25 2012
As a staff, we have been studying the work of master teacher Ron Berger. One of the things Ron suggests doing with classrooms is having critique sessions. We have decided to adopt this strategy to help improve our work! Last week, Mr. Henderson and the kids started talking about giving “likes” and “hopes” for friends’ work. We talked about how it always needs to be kind and helpful to the friend being critiqued. The other day, we did observational drawings of some pumpkins and squash. Today, we revisited those drawings and critiqued them anonymously. As a class, we did a quiet gallery walk and admired each person’s work. Then, we chose one work to write a “like” and a “hope” for. We shared our likes and hopes and talked about the importance of being specific so we can help one another. The kids did so well with it. We are excited to continue to delve into the idea of critique and we’re excited to see how this helps our class communities grow even stronger.
Oct 25 2012
We had a wonderful time. Hopefully, these pictures can give you a nice glimpse into our day.
Oct 25 2012
Today was a special day for studio because all students were able to go to studio together. You may hear your child talking about studio throughout the week…it is always a highlight. On most weeks, students either go to studio on Thursday or Friday. Half of the class goes during math workshop on each day. This is a great opportunity because students are able to get more focused time from Mrs. Grotjan in the studio, and students are able to get extra one on one time with me during math workshop. This week, Mrs. Grotjan and I decided to have all students do studio together on one day. They enjoyed that time together, and also got to enjoy time in our courtyard studying different shapes they saw in the space. Our courtyard has been recently renovated. It was weeded and beautified on our gardening day a couple weeks ago. There was also work done in the courtyard over Fall Break by a service group who wanted to devote some of their time to our school! They students are reaping the benefits of a new place to learn and explore, especially on a day as beautiful as today!
