A focus on writing....as we prepare to do an end of unit assessment on small moment writing, it is wonderful to see the "fast and furious" writing students are devoted to each day. The Lucy Caulkins Writing Units are our framework. Our small but important events of daily life are the focus. We have used many authors as mentors for our own writing. We even had a PTO funded visit from Author Nicola Davies. She read a bit of her book Tiny Turtle and then we chose an animal to write about collaboratively. Students wrote again independently using this collaborative piece as a mentor text. We have explored craft moves and languages choice such as; adding sensory details, comparisons, alliteration, repetition, sound words, personification, 'sparkle' or WOW' words, and dialogue. During read aloud students comment when they hear these moves. In turn they are adding these to their own writing. What makes a good writer? I say, reading and rereading.
"Responsibility is about trust....independence is a must." - line from the Stratton PRIDE chant. The November PRIDE Meeting is being lead and inspired by second graders! All the classes have brainstormed "I Can..." statements for procedures and expectations around the school. These places include; the playground, Cafe, and bathroom. We hope to empower the school to make school appropriate decisions that make our community safe and comfortable. One example of our leadership is the playground clean up we initiated last week. All three classes went out with gloves and trash bags and were trash detectives. When we returned to class students shared what they noticed. Comments included thoughts about how much litter there is. One commenter said he was surprised about how much we collected and thought...because it was so spread out in a large area it was less noticeable. They saw broken glass and cigarette butts they had not noticed before. Another example is the collaborative letter our class wrote to Mr. Hanna. Students have noticed and participated in some unsafe behaviors in the Cafe. We invited Mr. Hanna to our classroom to share ideas about how we could make the lunchroom look and sound safer and more comfortable. The letter is posted below...
Our work with Mrs. Henry continues to add important and empowering language to our class. Last week she read us a book about using your eyes, ears and brains to predict 'expected behavior.' The ability to notice and analyze what is happening around us is key to productivity. This week we filled in a brain worksheet that highlighted expect school and social behaviors. Be sure to ask your child about their ideas!
Homework: The students will be starting moon journals at the end of the week. We will be reviewing the directions and sending home a file folder with directions and the recording sheets they will need for this special assignment. In addition, a spelling page will come home each Monday. This is due the following Monday. Students will continue to practice words during this time and it is important for them to practice at home too. Finally, continue to encourage your children to read their world for many reasons and as often as possible.
letter_to_mr._hanna.docx |
addition_and_subtraction_strategies.pdf |