Sunday, March 22, 2015

Jan. 16th Newsletter



 Jan. 16, 2015

 This week has been a busy week for us!  On Friday, we participated in our January Nature Journaling.  Last time, Karen taught the class about the different animal track patterns (walkers, gallopers, bounders, and waddlers).  This week we went outside looking for animal tracks and the focus was on “questioning.”  Students sketched, wrote about, and jotted down questions regarding the various tracks they were able to find.  We were amazed at the number of track sets we found in the woods behind our playground. 

Thursday, was our first day of the five week Winter Wellness program.  Whether participating in skiing at Bolton, skating at the Civic Center, or one of the other activities, everyone seemed to have a wonderful time!  Thanks to all the parents that were able to join us.

In writing, we continue our work on informational pieces.  The focus this week was on writing leads.  We looked at a variety of ways to provide an introduction that helps the reader get interested and understand the subject.  Beginning with a question, series of questions, dialogue, surprise, and action were a few of the types of leads we looked at.  Each student was able to practice writing at least two leads for their informational piece.

Students have worked on setting goals in literacy for the third quarter.  Some have included specific genres to read, while others are focusing on the number of books/pages they would like to complete.  We have also been working on a new reading assessment that includes an oral reading fluency component, a reading engagement section, and assesses students’ comprehension skills.
            Have a wonderful weekend!

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