Wednesday could not have been any busier. We had several special events taking place at the start of school...all fun, engaging, and meaningful for our kids. Tech teacher Mr. Etie was in the computer lab working with Mrs. Collins' second graders on some cool new apps. I saw Mr. Etie navigating remotely the apps Skitch and Imagetricks, showing a few previous student models, with students then taking control and creating their own self portraits, working with various fonts, colors, frames, arrows, and more - or special effects, as Mr. Etie noted. In addition to their portrait creations, students were also to add adjectives to their portraits (minimum of 5, one word or describing phrases), all of which are now featured on our school website - be sure to check out those finished products. Best of all I loved seeing the positive self descriptions our students included on their pictures, such things as "good in math" and "smart". Yes, you are and pretty cool kids as well.
Same time, same day fourth grade was rockin' down their hallway and in the cafetorium. Mrs. Leibick hosted another Parent Visiting Day as the culmination of her Survival and Interdependence Unit. Students were sharing with their parents projects connected to the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins and the non-fiction text, Trial By Ice, A Photobiography of Sir Ernest Shackleton. I saw Venn Diagram booklets comparing/contrasting the 2 text's main characters, board games, models of the novel's island with a booklet overview, a newspaper complete with some very creative ads, animal adaptations flip books and the Maya Angelou poem Alone used as a base for student created poetry focused on things students do when alone because "being alone is not the same thing as being lonely". I even heard there was a film clip done by one budding director and much more. Phew! Love the choice in activities and love that they were embedded throughout the unit of study. Thanks as always.
Mrs. Lundy and Mrs. Snell/Mrs. Burns' fourth graders were performing for parents as a component to their Fairy Tale Unit. Loved the Live! It's Fairy Tale News format, complete with promotional spots for sleeping supplements and an Italian cooking segment with the Three Little Pigs. Not only engaging, but the dialgoue was completely memorized and delivered very well. I hear these students also are completing pop-up Fairy Tale books and fractured fairy tales, along with other activities.
We've been doing a lot of activities connected to the creative classroom as you know. It's amazing how this initiative has energized our campus this year. Even our student teachers are attempting new strategies during their total teach time. Check out Ms. Farmer in Mrs. Guenther's second grade math class below. She connected a mosaic replica of Van Gogh's Starry Night to geometric terms (rectangles, spheres, triangles, and more), ably using this highly engaging visual to " integrate mosaic art reproductions and images to show students how individual shapes can be placed together to make up a larger picture". Thanks Ms. Farmer for jumping in with both feet - you supported varied learning styles and gave kids a way to make connections in different disciplines.
The week could not wrap up without a word about Kinder Rodeo. Y'all know the specifics as you've been there once with your child, but what fun for our littlest ones. The halls were alive early in the morning with the Rodeo Parade, complete with student created horses. Yeehaw! Not to mention the varied activities that took place outside for students and parents to enjoy. Live animals, engaging games, songs, and more.
Finally, parent Julie Danehy is facilitating a special showing of the movie "Forks Over Knives" for HP parents on Thursday, April 26, 6:30 pm, in our library. Per Julie, the movie "is part of my mission to educate" our community about our food choices. Julie is a Natural Foods Chef and heads up the Food-4-Starters program in second grade at our school. She will be available after the movie to answer any questions if interested, so hope you can make it.
