Lots of good stuff

There was so much going on this week, I thought I'd share just a few of the images I captured over the last few days.  Lots of good stuff...

We started our week celebrating National School Counselors Week.   Mrs. Land provides an invaluable service to our school community and we are so very thankful to have her a part of our campus.  You rock, Mrs. Land!

 

Mr. Robenhorst simulated a volcanic reaction for third grade scientists through the use of Mentos when dropped in a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke.  Lots of ooohs and ahhs.  We estimated one of his demos spewed approximately 4 feet high.  Later in the week, he was doing a bit of hands-on learning with 3 dimensional shapes during a math class.  Students were uber-motivated by the activities and building conceptual knowledge through the demos/construction, later discussions, and extensions.

Mrs. Kilgore implemented the DBI strategy of artifact for her third grade social studies students.  I was able to be a part of the "set", bringing a "found purse" to the classroom in search of the owner.  When opened by Mrs. Kilgore, we saw lots of typical purse items - eye glasses, sewing kit, a black and white photograph - and one letter written by the purse's owner to her brother in Detroit.  Intriguing.  We discovered the letter was written by Rosa Parks (actually developed from the teacher's imagination and the words from a real interview given by Mrs. Parks). In the letter, she wrote about her arrest following her refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama.  As Mrs. Kilgore went through the artifacts, many students caught on that the purse did indeed belong to Rosa Parks as they were familiar with her story.  Still, they all became very quiet as the letter was read aloud, listening intently, especially to the last line - "the only tired I was, was the tired of giving in...".  A well done intro to a lesson connected to further lessons in honor of Black History Month.


Over in the fifth grade hall, Mrs. Dean was deep in her language arts unit around the novel The Watson's Go to Birmingham.  This is one of my favorite units as the teacher always brings in a variety of texts and activities that help connect the early civil rights movement to what's happening today.   This year, she included the Inauguration poem One Today by Richard Blanco. Students used the DAR strategy as they read through the poem, describing, analyzing, then relating the text to the overall theme of civil rights.  She became a bit choked up in describing to me her students' reactions to the poem itself, as she knew it was powerful, but she wasn't quite sure if they would "get it".  Jack stated to the class after reading the poem,  "I felt like I was punched in the gut".  I think it's safe to say he got it.

And there was so much more.  Mrs. McLelland's third grade language arts students reading the novel The Hundred Dresses, learning about story elements, tying it into other texts and their own immigration histories.

Mrs. Goldsmith and Ms. Ferguson's first graders writing about When I'm One Hundred Years Old as we celebrated the 100th day of school.  Hilarious and in many cases, very detailed on what they'll be doing (or not doing) at 100.  Loved it!

Ms. Ferguson additionally conducting a science experiment with her students, learning about whale blubber and if you are colder or warmer because of it.  I was able to join in the actual experiment portion of the lesson - one hand in ice water and another in a bag of crisco in the ice water - and I can tell you the hand with the "blubber" was definitely warmer.

An abundance of after school activities.  Tutoring  to help those who need that bit of extra support.  Plus clubs and camps,  such as the newly formed Lacrosse camp and coached by our very own Mr. Gay.

Clifford, aka James

Finally, we wrapped up the week with the always popular early morning Dad's Breakfast as part of our Book Fair Week.  Dads come in, grab a quick bite to eat, and do some book shopping with their kids in tow.  Always a great energy and always a good chance to be together, "yawning to life, crescendoing into our day...".