Our Classroom Blog

Under the African Sky - Another Wild Swan Success

2012-01-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

We love going to the performances at Wild Swan. We usually go several times a year. On Friday, we went to Under the African Sky, and the children really adored this one. It was a collection of three African tales, complete with storytelling, costumes, and drumming. We sang and danced along with the actors.

After the performance, we got a chance to chat with a few of the actors. Several of the children in my class go to an after school acting program at the Wild Swan studio, or have been in past summer camps there. We feel completely at home there, and are so lucky to have such a great resource in our town.

We will be going to two more performances this year - Strega Nona in March and Cricket in Times Square in May. Stay tuned for details!

February Events

2012-01-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that February is right around the corner. February means several things to us, including the 100th day of school, Valentine's Day, and mid-winter break. It also means the start of a new monthly theme - this time it will be Migrations. And, of course, a couple of special field trips. Here is an event calendar to keep us all on track:

Friday, February 3 Field trip to the Map Library at U of M. Tim will have some special maps that document human and animal migration for us to explore. Many thanks to Ella's mom, Amy, for setting this up.

Tuesday, February 14 Valentine's Day. We celebrate simply in our room. The children will have decorated their boxes beforehand as a class project. On the 14th, please bring in a valentine for each child in our class. I have already emailed all of the names. No food items please, but of course little gifts are fine. We will also have a special (fruit) snack.

Wednesday, February 15 100th Day of School. We will have some special stories and activities.

Friday, February 17 Sweet Honey in the Rock concert

Friday, February 17 Skating Party at Buhr Park (details soon)

Monday, February 20 - Friday, February 24 MID-WINTER BREAK

Monday, February 27 Back to school

Special Readers for February

2012-01-26T17:03:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars! Here is the special reader list for February:

Thursday, February 2: Eli and Ben

Thursday, February 9: Ella and Juna

Thursday, February 16: Oliver and Elliot

The Continents - Mapping with Playdough

2012-01-26T16:50:00.000-08:00

We did a lovely project this afternoon with our K Buddies. We made a map of the continents of Earth using playdough. The results were quite beautiful, and - better yet - made learning the names of the continents, what a continent is, and where they are in relation to each other, much more fun and memorable.

Making the playdough yesterday - fun and messy.

We made the playdough yesterday during a Tribes activity. Each tribal family had to work together to make the dough nice and soft - but not too sticky. Then they had to figure a way to color the playdough that would please everyone.

After the playdough was made, we spend some time practicing making and naming the continents. We had to make sure we would be ready to be the teachers when our K Buddies came to visit.

This afternoon, the children were paired up (or in some cases worked in 3s or alone, depending), and tried to represent to seven continents as accurately as possible. Once the continents were formed and placed on blue "ocean" paper, children cut out pieces of paper with each continent name and put the labels where they belonged. Students took turns closing their eyes while their partner mixed up the labels - then were challenged to place the slips of paper where they belonged.

Elliot and his little buddy Folu work on their playdough map together.

The dynamic trio of Ben, Ava, and Ollie always work well as a team.

Beautiful Maddy and her continent map - so proud of the results!

This is just one example - lovely! The children added great detail.

Multiplication Stories

2012-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

For the past couple weeks, we've been focused on multiplication in my math group. There are several great introductory books, including Each Orange Has 8 Slices and Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream. These books emphasize what multiplication actually MEANS. It is not enough that children memorize facts if they are not really clear on what is happening.

We spent some time brainstorming on "things that come in groups". For instance, shoes in a pair, people's eyes, slices of bread on a sandwich all come in 2s. We also learned that multiplication is a faster way to count, but that the groups we are counting need to be equal.

Now, we are ready to make a book. I told the kids that this will be a long project, but once we "publish" it, it will help future groups of beginning multipliers. Starting with the 2s times table, we are illustrating the equation, writing the numbers, and adding words. Here are just a couple of examples from today:

Our Raptor Visits!

2012-01-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

We had a special surprise this afternoon! We knew that a raptor would be visiting us, but we didn't know it would be "our" raptor! The Leslie Science and Nature Center had told us that the new screech owl would not be ready for travel - he was still quite new and not so used to people. However, we got to be one of his first visits, and he was as cute as we could have imagined.

The LSNC people think this little guy was hit by a car, but they can't be sure. His wing is hurt, and he can't fly. But thanks to the children in our classroom and the bake sale they had, we can pay for his food, medicine, and all other requirements for a full year.

Updated Snack Provider List

2012-01-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

January 23 - 27 Hume Clark

Jan 30 - Feb 3 Matzger

February 6 - 10 Kulper

February 13 - 17 Maynard

Feb 27 - March 2 Pritts

March 5 - 9 Levin

March 12 - 16 Miller

March 19 - 23 Pui

March 26 - 30 Stuckey

April 9 - 13 Applegate

April 16 - 20 Davies

April 23 - 27 Godwin

From Home to School - Our Big Mapping Project

2012-01-20T10:05:00.000-08:00

What an ambitious project! We were successful in making our big map this morning that shows everyone's route to school. The students are experts now on how to draw a compass rose, and all seem comfortable with directions (Never Eat Soggy Waffles!) We also had to agree on symbols and what should be included in our key.

Some kids live right in the neighborhood, and some live very far away. But we all love to come to school! (As a sweet aside, one child mistakenly called me "Mama" today. It happens all the time. The student was a bit embarrassed until another child said, "Oh, we all do it. And it does make sense, because we are like a family.")

Here are great examples of just a few of the maps we saw today:

Making "Old" Treasure Maps with our K-1 Buddies

2012-01-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, Val's class and my class got together as usual for K-1 Buddy time. We read a story called Treasure Map (really a math story about reading maps), and then Val showed us a clever trick to make paper look like the old map in the story. Children drew their treasure map, tore the edges, and crumpled the paper up. After that they soaked it in coffee water. We are all very pleased with the results!

the demonstration

drawing our treasure maps

a dunk in the secret aging solution

success!

County Farm Park, Faye, and Maps

2012-01-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we got a very lucky break - snow! This made our winter nature walk with naturalist Faye Stoner much more meaningful. We saw lots of little animal tracks in the fresh snow. I asked Faye to encompass maps with our winter walk, so after looking at different trail maps, the children decided on a destination. The children used their maps, posted signs, their knowledge of cardinal directions, the sun, and Faye's compass and worked together to try to get us to their selected spot. Success!

Special Events - January

2012-01-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some special events happening for the remaining days of January:

Monday, January 16 - No School - MLK, Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 17 - No School - Report Writing Day
Thursday, January 19 - EB Number 1
Friday, January 20 - Map Homework Due
Friday, January 20 - Treasure Hunt Outside - Bundle up!
Sunday, January 22 - Open House Potential Families (Be sure to tell your friends how much you love S-K!)

Tuesday, January 24 - Raptor Visit from Leslie Science and Nature Center
Thursday, January 26 - EB Number 2
Friday, January 27 - Under the African Sky at Wild Swan Theater
Friday, January 27 - Special Chinese New Year Story and Activity with Samantha's Mom

Maps - A Grand Beginning

2012-01-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

A Map of One of My Favorite Places. Recognize it?

We've had a lovely start to our month of maps. Today at morning meeting, I had the school community tell me some of the different kinds of maps there are. Children mentioned street maps, maps of theme parks, maps of zoos, floor plans and pirate treasure maps. One of Elaine's students said that they had made a map of their families in class! I then read our poem of the week, aptly named Maps.

High adventure

And bright dream--

Maps are mightier

Than the seem:

Ships that follow

Leaning stars--

Red and gold of

Strange bazaars --

Ice floes hid

Beyond all knowing--

Planes that ride where

Winds are blowing!

Train maps, maps of

Wind and weather,

Road maps-take

Altogether

Maps are really

Magic wands

For home-staying

Vagabonds!

Also, please enjoy this video I found - I love it. And, if you haven't had a chance to check out the video on Chris's blog, please do so - quite amazing and inspiring.

Update on Raptor Sponsorship

2012-01-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

Before the winter break, we spent some time reading about and discussing which raptor to sponsor with the proceeds from the very successful "bake" sale. The vote was fairly close, but the bird chosen was the eastern screech owl. Sadly, this particular owl recently passed away, but the Leslie Science and Nature Center told me that they have a new screech owl. This new member of the science center is not quite ready for visits, so he wouldn't be allowed to visit our classroom. I checked with the kids this morning, and they were still clearly in favor of sponsoring the screech owl, visit or no visit. Therefore, we have sent $120.00 to the LSNC in order to take care of the little guy's needs for the next 12 months.

But we will have another type of owl visit our classroom instead - details to follow soon!

In the meantime, please enjoy the picture of a screech owl, and, if you click HERE, you will get to hear what one sounds like. Warning: It is a good idea to make sure any cats are out of the room before you play. I know this from personal experience.

This Month's Read-Aloud

2012-01-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

This month's read-aloud will be The Slippery Map. I thought it sounded perfect for our monthly theme of Maps. It is about a little boy named Oyster who, through the course of the story, learns that imaginations can be mapped. What a concept! Perhaps we will do a little imagination mapping of our own...

This has been described as an adventure story like Harry Potter, but less scary. I hope the children find it intriguing, exciting and heartwarming. Feel free to click the link above to read more about it.

Big Mapping Project for January - HOMEWORK, due 1/20/12

2012-01-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

As forewarned in a recent email, I've been thinking of a real-life and useful classroom project that will give us experience and practice with reading and making maps (our monthly theme for January). This is what I've come up with:

For HOMEWORK, each child will be making a large map that will show the route they travel to school. This can be a walking route, bus route, or (most common) car route. Before they begin, however, they should bring a notebook and pencil with them several times on the trip. Encourage and help them jot down names of important streets, landmarks, parks, etc.

After completing their map, your child should mark the route they take from home to school with a colored pencil. Also needed is a compass rose * and a map key * that shows what any symbols mean. Before bringing the map to school, your child should show it to a friend or family member and describe the route out loud - they might find out at this point the modifications are needed. This will be due on Friday, January 20th.

* Please note that concepts like the compass rose, symbols, and map keys will be taught at school next week.

When I have all the maps back at school, we will use all the individual maps (along with a city map) to create one large class map which will show each student's route from home to school. If it turns out as cool as I think it will, this map will be used to teach other children mapping skills, as well as for a great visual display in our classroom and for the open house.

Happy Holidays, and THANK YOU

2011-12-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for the most generous gifts. I am truly overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness and astounded at how well you know me! Hmmm, so I really talk about Zingerman's, knitting, pie birds, opera, chocolates and other sweets that much? Lovely, lovely. Thank you.

Most of all, thank you for sharing your children with me! Today was a special day - just look at these faces.

See you in 2012!

Special Readers - Updated List for 2012

2011-12-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars! Here is the schedule that will take us from the first of the new year to mid-winter break:

Thursday, January 12: Ariana and Clementine

Thursday, January 19: Leo and Owen

Thursday, January 26: Samantha and Maddy

Thursday, February 2: Eli and Ben

Thursday, February 9: Ella and Juna

Thursday, February 16: Oliver and Elliot

Hanukkah Party

2011-12-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Maddy's mom, Jill, came in this afternoon to share some of the traditions of Maddy's family. She read a Hanukkah story, and then handed out a simple craft for the children to work on while munching on delicious laktes and applesauce. We also learned how to play the dreidel game!

Many, many thanks to Jill and Maddy for the lovely hour of fun.

Time Out

2011-12-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Any teacher can tell you: Students become "wiggy" in the days before a holiday or break from school. Parents will relate as they also experience increased melt-downs, wild and demanding behavior, and even rudeness from normally sweet-acting children.

I had to give myself a "time out" this morning as I became frustrated with the loud demands of the students as I tried to cram in one more amazing science experiment before lunch time. I simply shut the book I was trying to read and quietly left the room for a few moments. As I gave myself time to think and to give myself a figurative thunk on the side of my head (D'oh!), I realized that of course I SHOULD have simplified today's schedule. Why didn't I build in more time for the children to simply relax and read, or draw and tell stories to each other?

Why this time of year? Studies show that children are extremely sensitive to change and stress - and even when we think that they are unaware of the stresses around them, children do know when the adults are feeling frazzled. So my advice to all of us is this - let's give ourselves a break and demonstrate taking time to relax.

Over the next couple weeks, I'm wishing for all of you to:

* Say NO to things so as not to overschedule yourself (or your kids!)
* Schedule downtime for everyone
* Keep sleep and meal schedules the same whenever possible - sleep and eat well
* Be present
* Ask for help
* Take walks - a great way to connect peacefully with your children

And take a time-out when you need it. Sometimes it is the best lesson you can give to your children. Sending you all loving and peaceful thoughts ... BREATHE.

Sharing Compliments

2011-12-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

First thing this morning, I showed everyone what I had been working on before school. I had written a compliment for each one of them on a colorful strip of paper. I read them all aloud, and clarified that a compliment was a nice or positive statement. For Read/Write time this morning, the children were challenged to write a compliment about each of their classmates. I heard exclamations of, "Let's make this the longest compliment chain ever!", and "Maybe we will get in the world record book!"

I was pleased at how thoughtful (and true!) these compliments were. Children were acknowledged for their listening skills, imaginations, silliness, intelligence, and friendliness. My favorite overheard comment? Juna saying, "I'm writing Owen is ADORABLE."

Tradition Sharing - Danish Hearts

2011-12-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

This morning we had a very special guest. Ella's mom, Amy, come in to share part of their Danish culture. First Amy showed us lots of pictures of Hans Christian Andersen and told us about his life and works. We learned that he was not always a writer, but used to be a weaver's apprentice and a taylor. We saw some of his amazing artwork, which included intricate cut paper figures and collage (much like the children are
doing in Art class!). He loved to work with fabric and paper.

Ella's mom then read The Emperor's New Clothes, one of Andersen's most famous tales. Most children knew of the story and were thrilled to hear it - anticipating, no doubt, a possible glimpse of a naked emperor. Again, we thought of Andersen's early life as a weaver, as the scheming weavers in the story wove the "extraordinary fabric". I'm am thrilled and honored that Ella's family has donated a gorgeous hardcover book of Andersen's fairy tales to our classroom, to be read for years to come. Thank you!

Lastly, we learned that Hans Christian Andersen was the first to make the beautiful red and white woven hearts that are often a symbol this time of year. Red and white are, of course, the colors of the Danish flag. Danes often make them with their children, and use them to decorate their Christmas trees. We got to use lots of different colors and patterns of paper, all lovingly precut by Amy and ready to weave.

Such a thoughtful and beautiful presentation. Thank you, Ella and Amy!

We Did It! Bake Sale a HUGE Success!

2011-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Our Environmental Super Heros did it again - through their tireless efforts making bird treats, advertising, and selling, they raised JUST enough to sponsor a raptor for a full year at The Leslie Science and Nature Center. This means that we can provide food, medical services, and lodging for one bird of prey for the next 12 months! You can read more about the program by clicking here.

After counting the proceeds, I read a description of the birds available for sponsoring, and also posted pictures of the birds on the blackboard. Much discussion ensued about what raptor was more endearing/needy/interesting. I believe that, once again, I will be the sole vote for this guy:

Thank you to all who purchased a bird treat. I hope you have hours of enjoyment watching the birds and animals enjoy their bounty of your generosity.

"Humerus" Bone Pictures (Get it?)

2011-12-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

Today we did something that was a fun way to look at some of our bones and learn some bone names. I supplied a lot of different shaped pasta, glue, and big pieces of black paper. The children began by looking at pictures and diagrams of the human skeleton and arranged their pasta pieces to recreate all or part of the body. We are still waiting for some to dry - lots of glue was necessary - but others were ready for display. Over the next few days we will be looking at some of the x-rays families have provided, and learning a lot more about bones.

Lots of different shapes - Hmmmm, I wonder what would work?

A labeled skeleton diagram and some examples to inspire

Experimentation time

Ariana chose the arm and labeled some of the bones.

Here are some on display. Others will be added soon!

Fingerprint Science

2011-12-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we continued our study of skin by taking our fingerprints. We learned that while each person's fingerprints are different, they have four basic patterns - whorl, arch, double loops and simple loop. Clementine wondered aloud if one of her fingers was one way, all her fingers would be the same way (like all whorls, for example). It would also be interesting, I think, for family members to compare types of fingerprints.

Your child can show you how to do it - you will need a pencil, some paper and some tape. A magnifying glass will help, but it isn't absolutely necessary.

Bake Sale for Birdies

2011-12-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

On Friday, December 16th, we will be holding a Bake Sale for the Birds. This is our Environmental Superhero project for December.

If you purchase a goodie (birdseed coated pinecones, ready to hang, cranberry chains, and cereal rings), proceeds will go to sponsor a bird at Leslie Science and Nature Center.

This will happen between 8:30 - 9:00 on Friday morning. Please consider buying a treat to hang in your yard. You will then get to watch the birds (and squirrels) enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Human Body Writers Workshop

2011-12-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

This morning, Juna's mom Christine arrived with two of her students - Nathan and Elizabeth - to lead a writers workshop with us. First we introduced ourselves and said what our favorite body part was. Then we were challenged to make up a first name for our body part and learned about alliteration (like Fiona Foot). Partners traced each other's bodies, and we labeled the body part we named.

Then students were asked to write a silly or serious story about their body part.

Owen's story got the best applause, as it was 1) silly and 2) "inappropriate". But if you don't mind 2nd grade humor, I thought I would share it with you:

Edi Epidermis V.S. The Fart Power

Edi Epidermis had just defeated Dr. Poop. Meanwhile, the Fart dr. was making a plan to get rid of Ann Arbor. Then Edi came. He took out some air freshener and sprayed it on the Fart Power. The end.

Many thanks to Christine and her students for volunteering their time and efforts!

Publishing Children's Writing

2011-12-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

Once apon a time a little boy called Davis he was at the beach. So he went in the water. However it was so hot outside the water that he wished it was colder. kaBOOM! thunder and lightning crashed everywhere he went. Then he wished the sun back in the sky - in a flick of a switch the sun was back in the sky.

So begins The Magical Sea by Oliver. He brought in this book to show his classmates, and we started the day yesterday with a very special read-aloud. Oliver definitely thinks of himself as an author, and enjoys sharing his work. This morning his audience grew, and Ollie bravely read his book to the entire lower school (and some parents) at drop-off time.

Sharing our writing is often called "publishing" - just as posting things on the classroom wall, or posting on this blog can be considered publishing. Publishing is an often neglected part of the writing process - but it is really important. It encourages the reluctant writer, strengthens kids' self-confidence, and promotes positive attitudes towards literature. I try a variety of ways to publish children's work, but this type of sharing is one of the best because the feedback is so immediate and so positive. Ollie's face just glowed as he heard laughter at the funny bits, and a huge round of applause at the end.

I'm hoping other children will be inspired to write books of their own - knowing that there is a audience here who will be thrilled to read them.

The Skin We're In

2011-12-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

In thinking of all the ways to approach our monthly theme, the human body, I thought of perhaps starting from the outside and going in. It seemed logical. So the first organ we are learning about is the very largest organ - the skin! You may have noticed some tricky spelling words on this week's list - epidermis, dermis and melanin. WARNING: If you visit the room any time soon, you may get teased with children chanting, "I can see your epidermis!"

Our special guest teacher today was Dr. John Pui, Samantha's dad. As luck would have it, he happens to be a dermatopathologist - a skin doctor! He spends a lot of time looking through microscopes, studying skin samples to diagnose diseases. John brought in two microscopes for us to use this afternoon - a regular slide microscope and a dissecting scope. We got to look up close and personal at our own skin, fingerprints, and other interesting objects.

John also drew a diagram that showed a "map" of that amazing organ, the skin. I was impressed with how much the children had to offer about what they knew about the topic, as well as their very genuine and enthusiastic interest.

A Measuring Quandry

2011-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

We've been having a lot of fun in my math group so far this week, exploring the ways our bodies can be used as measuring tools. Yesterday, we learned about the historical significance of a "foot" or "ruler", and traced our own feet on pieces of construction paper. We also made a different kind of ruler - using the width of of thumbs for each "inch". We noticed that only my thumb, an adult thumb, was almost exactly the same width as an actual inch. The children excitedly compared their foot ruler and thumb ruler.

Making a ruler from a foot

And some thumbs

Today, we extended this to learn about other types of body measures - the span, yard, fathom, and cubit. I asked for a couple of volunteers to demonstrate measuring each other using a cubit (from elbow to fingertips). Clementine measured Ariana and then Ariana measured Clementine. Oddly, Clementine seemed to measure taller than Ariana, even though the students could clearly see that Ariana was taller. Someone mentioned that perhaps one had shoes on, so both girls took shoes off and tried again. Same results! Another child thought that maybe one child was not standing quite straight, or one was bending their arm. Another demonstration, but it still was clear that Clementine was somehow measuring taller than Ariana. Finally, Maddy said, "Oh! I know! Clementine's cubit is smaller than Ariana's cubit!" And, indeed, the math mystery was solved. Partners then helped each other cut a piece of yarn one cubit long, and measured different items around the classroom.

Different children, different sized cubits!

"Look! This poster is exactly one Noah cubit long!"

Upcoming Field Trip on Friday, December 9th

2011-12-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

I am excited to report that Tracy will be guiding the children through the Rackham Graduate School Gallery's collage and assemblage exhibit. It features assemblages composed of many different materials, and includes both 2D and 3D works. Please click on the link to see some of what our lucky children will be enjoying. This is such a wonderful way to inspire them and get them ready for their own collage projects. Thank you, Tracy!

Our Next Math Unit - Measurement and the Human Body

2011-12-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Our theme for December is The Human Body. As I was thinking about different projects and lessons I could bring to the classroom, as well as how to teach this theme in a cross-curricular fashion, I immediately thought of math and measurement. It is a natural extension, and an mathematical area that all children would benefit from. Most students have not had enough experience with nonstandard units, and therefore have an incomplete understanding of measurement. I hope to provide more of these experiences as well using the lessons as a bridge into familiar standard units of measuring length. An additional connection is measurement in ancient cultures, so this will have a historical hook as well.

For children in my math group, our first lessons this week will have students using historical nonstandard units (digits, hand, cubit, yard, foot, pace, fathom) to estimate the lengths of common objects and then measure using modern standard units. They will discover the usefulness of standardized measurement units and tools. I will begin by reading a book many of heard before, called How Big Is a Foot. It is a funny story of a king who wants to have a bed made for his wife, the queen. He measures her width and length with his king-size feet, and give the measurements to a little apprentice who uses his little feet as the unit. Of course the bed turns out to be much too small. Although this is a fictional story, it is based upon fact. Our standard unit of measure, the foot, actually did come from making a model of a king's foot and the standardized tool become known as a "ruler"!

Cookie Cottages - Supplies Needed

2011-12-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

Some works of art from last year

On Thursday morning, December 22nd, we will be decorating houses made from graham crackers. It is my FAVORITE winter holiday tradition to share with people I love. I will provide each child with a house that I’ve made from graham crackers and frosting, and I will also provide lots and lots of white frosting to use as “glue”.

In the next few weeks, please consider contributing a bag or two of candies to use as decorations. I’ve listed just a few ideas of candies that have worked well in the past. Please remember that S-K is a nut-free school, even when decorating with candy!

Thank you so much!

CANDY IDEA LIST:

Dots
Gum Sticks
Necco Wafers
Silver dragees
gum drops
Sugar cubes
Red Hots
mini marshmallows
thin licorice ropes
Skittles
gummy rings
jelly beans
Good and Plenty
square pretzels (for windows)
colorful cereal

Goodbye Patricia Polacco

2011-12-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Today, we did our final Patricia Polacco activity - we completed our final copies of letters, which will be sent to the author. The rough drafts were written in each child's journal, and as their "editor" I was called for help in making them grammatically correct and to correct spelling. I did not correct all their spelling mistakes, just the words children knew just didn't look right. We took this time to talk about writing neatly, to use sentence stoppers, and appropriate space between words. I hope Ms. Polacco enjoys reading these letters, and can appreciate how much we all enjoyed and learned from her books. As Maddy says, her "books are different - in a good way."

More Traditions - Birthdays

2011-11-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

My last post was all about sharing traditions, and how important it is to do so, especially around the holidays. There is also a tradition with many families to send in a special treat on their child's birthday, as a way to mark the occasion and honor the child. Sometimes this is a food treat, but often it is something more lasting. One of my favorite ways is the tradition of bringing in a book for the classroom.

Today, we celebrated Samantha's birthday with singing the happy birthday song, a special treat of mandarin oranges, and a book by Samantha's very favorite author (signed by Mo Willems). You don't need to feel obligated to do anything, of course, but bringing in a book that students will enjoy for years to come is a lovely thing. Thank you, Samantha and family!

Heading into December - Sharing Our Traditions

2011-11-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

December is nearly here – one of my favorite months. I love it for so many reasons … the first snow is always delightful, and everyone seems to be in a good mood. It is also a perfect month for us to share our family traditions and reflect on ways we all both similar and different. Sharing your culture with the students will not only please your child, but will benefit all of the children. Imagine how much richer the learning experience can be when people share stories, music, and experiences from different cultures.

If you are willing and able, I would love to encourage you to come share what is important to your family. This goes for every month of the year, of course, but December is an especially great opportunity. In past years, I’ve had parents come and make everything from latkes to pepparkakor, Chinese lanterns to candles for Solstice. We’ve heard parents read the books that are their night-before-Christmas tradition and stories about Kwanzaa. We’ve learned Swedish folkdances and the dreidel game. It doesn’t have to be fancy or involved…sometimes just reading a story is lovely and very appreciated.

The traditions that I share with the classroom vary little from year to year (I guess that’s why they are traditions!). As in the past, I will help the children decorate a tree for the animals (birdseed ornaments, strings of berries and popcorn) and we’ll do our annual cookie cottages on the day before Winter Break. I will be writing more about these later.

Please let me know if and when you are able to come to the classroom, and I will try to make it happen. Fridays are generally more open than other days, but other days are certainly available too!

Dr. George Levitates First and Second Graders!

2011-11-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Science with Dr. George is always worthwhile, but today it was positively UPLIFTING! The children used plastic bags, straws, and their own breath to lift up really heavy things - like each other!

Here's how it works. When you blow air into the bag, the air is pushed together, or "compressed." The compressed air pushes on the bag. This makes the bag push on the tabletop and child and lift them up. So the bag filled with compressed air can support their weight. The tires on your bike work in the same way. They are filled with compressed air and can support your weight. When the air leaks out of bike tires, they can no longer support your weight. That is why it's hard to ride your bike when the tires are flat.

Up we go!

Flea Market a BIG Success!

2011-11-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

Our flea market math activity was very fun for all shoppers this morning. Each child brought in a dollar from home, and bought many items from the various tables. We practiced naming coins, counting coins, and making change (depending on the child's comfort level).

Here are just few pictures from the morning.

Tables laden with toys from 1 cent to 25 cents

Oooh, these are lovely - and priced to go!

Irma was our cash register person - look familiar?

Baby Shower

2011-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

This morning, the children and I threw a baby shower for Clementine's parents. They are expecting their second child in the not-too-distant future. The students had fun decorating the room - and themselves - in blue and pink crepe paper streamers. We also worked hard on making a book for them, titled How to Take Care of a Baby.

After reading a special story (a gift for the future big sister), Mark and Linette opened their presents and then we had a special treat (vegan chocolate brownie - yum!). Lastly, we played a shower game that had blindfolded children trying to spoon cotton balls from one bowl to the other. It sounds easy, but it was really hard!

I think a good time was had by all. Many thanks to our special guests of honor for taking time out of their day to be celebrated!

Fun Friday

2011-11-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

As you know, we like to stretch out and enjoy our Fridays together. Because there is only one "special" class, and no predetermined math time, we are free to read a little longer, bake special treats, or just build with Lego and blocks. All that happened today.

But my favorite time today when we spontaneously decided to go into the woods to play, instead of the playground. It was a lovely sunny and cool fall day, perfect for a little hike. Most of the children played Harry Potter together, and being in the woods definitely added to the atmosphere. We were transported to the Forbidden Forest, and the "dark mark" was seen on nearly every tree. Wands out, the brave students cast spells at every thing that moved.

Then we saw a big pile of logs and twigs from felled trees. We decided to try to build a shelter. While not the most waterproof, it did provide some protection for the children who squeezed in together. The teamwork I saw as children had to work together to carry heavy branches was inspiring.

K-Buddies - Learning about Gerald McDermott

2011-11-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

There are many sweet times in our daily routine. I love first thing in the morning, as we settle in for our Roald Dahl dose. I think Quiet Reading times are lovely - there is nothing quite like a room full of usually active 6-8 year-olds, silently engrossed in their books. But the very sweetest time of the week is usually our K-Buddy time. Today was no exception.

We traveled to Val's classroom this time, to learn about the author the kindergartners are learning about, Gerald McDermott. You can read more about the K's adventures by clicking HERE.

Val read Monkey - one of many trickster tales retold and illustrated by McDermott. Then children buddied up to draw/write an adventure with a trickster and a trick-ee. The room hummed, and there was a lovely and engaged sharing of ideas. Afterwards, the children took turns either telling about their picture or acting it out. Each pair/small group of actors received wild applause.

Many, many thanks to Val and her amazing group of kindergartners for sharing their energy and good ideas with us!

Reading IS Sweet!

2011-11-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Our Patricia Polacco story today was The Bee Tree.

This is the tale of a little girl who exclaims that she doesn't want to read, but would rather play. Her wise grandfather takes were on a rather wild and exhausting trip following a bee to a bee tree, so that they can get some delicious honey. At home later, he dabs a little honey on the front page of the book, and has the little girl taste it.

"There is such sweetness inside of that book too!" he said thoughtfully. "Such things . . . adventure, knowledge, and wisdom. But these things do not come easily. You have to pursue them. Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things through the pages of a book!"

After reading, we all enjoyed some herbal tea, sweetened with honey from the honey straws donated by the Pritts family (thank you!). We also decorate some special bookmarks, each inscribed with "Reading is SWEET!", as we listened to a Magic School Bus book about honeybees.

Flea Market Math

2011-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Today in math, we warmed up our math-money brains by trying to come up with as many ways of making $1.00 as possible. Most children could come up with about 7 in the 5 minutes allotted. The students were surprised to learn that there are actually 293 ways! Wow! This would be a good thing to work on at home, if you and your child are interested - and a way to solidify concepts of coin values and counting piles of change.

After that warm up, we started to price some items for our upcoming Flea Market Math activity. Don't forget, it will be on Tuesday, November 22 (one week from today). Here is the email that I sent this weekend:

The first and second graders have been practicing their money skills recently. Elaine, Marshall and Susan would like to reward all their hard work by having a "flea market" day. This is how it will work:

Starting Monday, please bring in unwanted junk. This should include cheesy McDonald toys, little hot wheel cars, plastic jewelry/trinkets - you get the idea. Clean out those toy chests and closets! The more stuff we collect, the more fun the activity is. We will price all items between 1 - 25 cents.

On Tuesday, 11/22, we will have our flea market! Each child should bring in a $1.00 bill and a shopping bag. I will draw names, and each person in turn will get the opportunity to purchase one favorite item. After the most desired items are purchased, then additional turns will be given until everything is gone.

Questions? Don't hesitate to ask!

The 1^st/2^nd Grade Math Team

P.S. This is a good opportunity to practice counting piles of coins and making change! We've been working on it in school, too, but a little role-playing at home will be excellent preparation for the big day!

Just Plain Fancy Pretzels!

2011-11-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Today we read Just Plain Fancy and learned about the Amish culture. Many children told me that that had met or seen Amish people before - either by seeing them in the buggies while traveling in Pennsylvania or at the local farmers market. I showed them my beautiful basket that I had purchased from Amish people in Ohio.

I really like to use books as a way to explore social studies and/or history topics. If I can make it hands-on, then it is all that more meaningful, and more likely to remembered. Today, I thought it would be a good idea to explore a tiny part of Amish culture by baking. We made Amish-style pretzels - oh, how I wish this blog had smell-o-vision!

Here is a picture of Samantha's pretzels, plus the recipe we used. It is a very, very easy (and quick!) treat to make. We practiced making traditional pretzels this morning, using clay. Each child made at least one the traditional shape, and one a shape of their choosing. Maybe there will be one left for you at pick-up time. But they are small, so ...

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups water ( approx 105 degrees)
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups occident flour ( bread flour)
2 cups flour

Dipping solution

1/2 cup baking soda, into
3 cups hot water

Directions

Dissolve yeast into warm water.
Add sugar, then flour& mix well- do not 'knead' as this toughens the dough.
(Mix just until combined well) Let rise until doubled, at least 20 minutes.
Cut into long 'ropes'.
Shape into pretzel shapes, then dip into prepared dipping solution.
Place on well-greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
Bake at 500-550°F for 4-6 minutes until golden brown.

Appelemando's Dreams

2011-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Today for our K-Buddy time, we watched a Reading Rainbow DVD featuring Appelemando's Dreams by Patricia Polacco. After the sweet story of Appelemando (who has dreams that change his village by their beauty), we saw clips of other artists and types of art. The children's favorite by far was Hani Shihada. Mr. Shihada is a sidewalk artist in New York who uses his special homemade chalk to create spectacular images.

Of course, we all had to go outside and make our own magnificent works of art, as children drew their dreams and expressed their creativity. It was pretty magical. I think we even made it snow.

Mr. Lincoln's Way

2011-11-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

He led Eugene to the window of the atrium. It was alive with the songs of the birds. "I see sparrows, jays, cardinals, nuthatches ... and the mallards. Don't all those beautiful types and colors make this a beautiful place to be -- for all of them?"

Mr. Lincoln is the main character in the story about a troubled child, Mean Gene, who is the biggest bully in the school. Mr. Lincoln is principal of the school who takes this bully - with his racial slurs and physical agression - and celebrates the child's obvious love and knowledge of birds. Together they work to make their school atrium a place where birds of all types and colors come together, and Eugene is changed by the experience.

It was hushed as I read this story. That's what I love about a Patricia Polacco story - they really grab an audience. Although they are picture books, many are written for a more mature audience. This one has always been one of my favorites (of course, I like all of her books that make the teachers the heroes!).

After I read the story, I asked the children to draw a picture of a spectacular bird - one of their own imagination. I said, "Imagine yourself as a bird. What would you look like? What color would you be?" Then they added their names and listed at least one thing that made them unique - It could be their religion, cultural background, hobbies, or anything else that made them special and could be celebrated.

Here are three that I thought turned out especially well:

First Round of Exploration Classes Nearing the End

2011-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

This round of Exploration Classes (or EBs) are almost over. Next Wednesday will be the final class of our 5 week session. Teachers and children alike love EB's - they are truly a chance for teachers to teach our passions. It is also a wonderful opportunity for mixed age groups of children to work with each other. This time there were four interesting choices:

Immigration stories and cooking - today we made Matzo Ball Soup!

Dr. George's Robotic Lego Session was a popular choice for young designers.

One of Val's passions is artist Andy Warhol - she shared a story with her group this morning.

Marshall's Korean Pen Pal/Culture group is learning so much about Korea!

Morning Routines

2011-11-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Today, I noticed that Joanna emailed parents outlining the many reasons that it is important for children to get to school on time. I couldn't agree more! I thought I would take this one step further and give some tips that may help your family stay on track. Nothing is less fun in the morning than a group of crabby people, running around because they know they are going to be late to school and/or work again!

While there are many websites and advice columns about morning routines, I found information that seems really simple to follow:

1) Parents get themselves ready first. If this means losing another 1/2 hour sleep, it may take some getting used to. Once you get rewarded with a smoother morning, though, I think you will agree that it is worth it. Shower, dress, get caffeinated!

2) Wake up the kids and start a timer. This should be talked about before-hand, but tell your child that they will have X amount of minutes to do everything on their list. For some children, it may take an hour, so set the timer for 60 minutes.

3) The list should include all the items that needed to be done. You could laminate the sheet and have kids check off items as they complete them - or use a white board.

Get dressed
Brush hair
Eat breakfast
Brush teeth
Prepare backpack

If your child is successful for a full week, and are at the door ready to go before the timer goes off, then a small reward may be in store.

Let me know if you try this! I'm curious to know if it works for you. I know it really helped us when Ray was little - we had a checklist for both morning and before bed routines. It kept him on track, and empowered! With less nagging!

November's Environmental Superhero Project

2011-11-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

This month, our class will be entirely responsible for all the recycling for the whole school! Tribes will take turns doing this important task. This picture shows The Sparkling Waterfalls taking out bags of paper, plastic and aluminum. Go, Heroes, Go!

Hundred Board Logic Puzzles

2011-11-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

The children who come to me for math had a special challenge today. In cooperative learning groups, they were asked to solve a logic puzzle using clues and a hundred board. In each group, there was a reader, a recorder, a checker and a leader (if the group had only 3 members, then the checker and leader were the same child).

These logic puzzles have a lot going for them. Logic puzzles encourage children to stretch parts of their brains not often exercised. Students need to carefully analyze the words and the meanings of the clues provided. Using information provided to eliminate wrong answers, they come closer and closer to the correct one. Finally, the lightbulbs go off, as there can only be one correct solution. This type of deductive logic is really an important skill for life.

These hundred board logic puzzles have the added benefit of reviewing concepts already learned - for instance, today there was greater than/less than, place value, even/odd and what the term "sum" means. Here is the story today, called Detective Party:

Jimmy was having a detective party for some of his friends. He gave directions to his house but decided not to give the house number. Instead, he gave his new friends some clues to see who could find his house on Bell Street. Here are Jimmy's clues for his house number:

* The number is greater than 50.
* The number is less than 90.
* The two digits are different.
* The tens digit is larger than the ones digit.
* It is an odd number
* The sum of its digits is 15.

We will continue explorations of these types of logic puzzle this week - and may branch out to creating our own for others to solve!

New Read-Aloud

2011-11-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

We finished Matilda today and each child can take home their own copy, if they like. When I asked for suggestions on what to read next, chants of "BFG! BFG!" rang 'round the room. Some of the children heard this last year when they were first graders, but they really wanted to hear it again. Of course, I don't mind - it is one of my favorites.

So while we will be reading lots of Patricia Polacco pictures books for Author Study month, our morning dose of Roald Dahl will continue.

Backyard Field Guide Finished!

2011-11-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Our Backyard Field Guide is finished! Each family received a copy - please check your child's cubby today. Please enjoy learning about our "backyard" - County Farm Park.

The theme for September and October has been so enjoyable and full of active learning opportunities. I'm sorry it is over - I still had quite a few things I was hoping to do with the kids. I think I will be using the "Science Friday" times to extend this unit - just too much fun to stop!

Smart

2011-11-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

As you know, our math groups have all been exploring the concept of money, in preparation for our big flea market event coming up in a few weeks. In my class, we are learning different ways of counting piles of coins, and are practicing making exchanges.

This was a fun activity that we did this morning - we read this poem and then pairs of children acted it out a couple of times. As time allowed, pairs of children got to act it out in front of the others.

Andreas and Kaden act out the poem as I read it.

Exchanges were made.

Kaden shaking his head, "too proud to speak".

SMART

My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes -- I guess he don't know
That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head--
Too proud of me to speak!

- Shel Silverstein

Updated Snack Provider List

2011-10-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Just an updated list - mark your calendars, please. Thanks for providing us such wonderful, healthy snacks.

October 31 – Nov 4 Maynard

November 7 – 11 Pritts
November 14 - 18 Levin
November 21-22 Leftovers/Carpenter
Nov 28 - Dec 2 Miller

December 5 - 9 Pui

December 12 - 16 Stuckey

December 19 - 21 Applegate

January 9 - 12 Davies

January 18 - 20 Godwin

January 23 - 27 Hume Clark

Jan 30 - Feb 3 Matzger

February 6 - 10 Kulper

Special Reader List - Updated

2011-10-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Many continued thanks for a successful Special Reader time so far this year. Keep up the good work! We will have just enough time for each child to get another turn prior to the New Year.

Here is the schedule for the next six weeks:

Thursday, November 3: Ariana and Clementine

Thursday, November 10: Leo and Owen

Thursday, November 17: Samantha and Maddy

Thursday, December 1: Eli and Ben

Thursday, December 8: Ella and Juna

Thursday, December 15: Oliver and Elliot

There will not be Special Readers on December 22 - that will be a half-day only, and I always have something special planned!

And Our Author for Author Studies Month is...

2011-10-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

PATRICIA POLACCO!

Yes, the big news is that Michigan native Patricia Polacco will be our author for November. She is one of my all-time favorite children's books authors, for a variety of reasons. Many of her books are autobiographical in nature, and she never shies away from tough social issues. Racism, learning disabilities, bullying, homelessness, and fears are all handled in a gentle, accessible way.

If you would like to learn more about Patricia Polacco, please take the time to watch this video interview.

Eco-Fair is a Big Success

2011-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

I love Eco-Fair! It is definitely one of the best days of the year. The kids all looked great this morning, and once again I'm blown away by the creativity shown in the costumes. And it is lovely that recycled and reused materials were used, instead of simply purchasing (and soon throwing away) a plastic costume at the store. Need other ideas for a green Halloween? Click HERE.

Here, for your enjoyment, are pictures of the kids (thanks to Marshall, who really stepped up and saved the day by taking pictures (twice!))

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/how-to-go-green-halloween.php

Jeff Duncan, Playwright

2011-10-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

Christine, Juna's mom, arranged for Jeff Duncan to visit our class on Wednesday. Jeff is a professor of English at Eastern Michigan University, and also a playwright and an author. He has written many of the plays we see at the Wild Swan Theater, including a new play called "Shipwrecked". He came to our class to talk about the craft of writing plays, and what makes a story interesting. The children learned that stories need conflict to be engaging to an audience - and conflict can be both internal and external. Jeff also read a few scenes from his new play to us.

I am excited to see this idea of conflict come up in our writings. I'm sure we will revisit this idea throughout the year as our young readers and writers hone their skills.

I am also always amazed at the generosity of our community. How lovely for Jeff to come in and spend an hour with us. Thank you, Christine, for arranging this.

TRIBES - Acting out Social Situations

2011-10-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I said a word that is sure to elicit excited responses from the children: "Tribes!" They quickly got into their tribal "families" and waited for their assignment.

Each tribe got to draw a "social situation" from a bag. (Even this takes conversation and compromise. Who will get to draw the slip of paper? Who will read it?) After reading the paper, they then had to work together to act it out in two different ways - a positive way and a negative way. For instance, one of the slips said, "You and your friend are trying to work out a problem, but your friend covers his/her ears instead of listening." Another one said, "There is a child visiting the school, and she/he isn't playing with anyone at recess. You are already involved in a game with your own friends."

After the tribes acted the situations out (both positive and negative), we talked about the solutions presented, as well as other possible answers.

This was such a fun experience that one of the groups took the slips of paper out to recess so they could act them all out again. It was also a valuable activity for a couple of reasons - the assignment itself had many opportunities for talking, compromising and teamwork. Plus, we got to visit many of the social situations that actually happen in the classroom and at recess, and talk about various ways to handle those tricky problems that occur in a young child's life.

Yeah, We're Cool Like That

2011-10-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Tracy, for helping the children make these amazing nature headbands! I love my goofy and sweet students.

Fall Walk with Faye

2011-10-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the combined 1st/2nd classes took a long nature walk with "our" naturalist, Faye Stoner. For many years now, Faye has taken us on 3 walks per year - in the fall, winter and spring. Faye is a wonder - she teaches the children (and teachers!) so many things about the world next door at County Farm Park. We are lucky to have the beautiful park be literally in our backyard, and we are also extremely lucky to have Faye.

We spend quite a bit of time out in our woods - sometimes playing, sometimes reading, and sometimes closely observing and documenting. I think it is one of the many things that makes our little school so very different than many schools - we know children need this.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, says this about getting children out into the natural world:

When a child is out in nature, all the senses get activated. He is immersed in something bigger than himself, rather than focusing narrowly on one thing, such as a computer screen. He's seeing, hearing, touching, even tasting. Out in nature, a child's brain has the chance to rejuvenate, so the next time he has to focus and pay attention, perhaps in school, he'll do better.

For more pictures, and much more information on what we learned on this particular walk with Faye, be sure to check on Elaine's blog post.

Reading with our "K-Buddies"

2011-10-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Buddy Time is looked forward to with great anticipation in our classroom. We've done a variety of projects with them during our hour together each Thursday afternoon. We've collected leaves, made leaf placemats, played in the woods, and done crafts. Today, however, everyone was in the mood for some simple reading time.

The part I love the best is seeing my children stepping up and being "the big kids". They love it, and demonstrate a huge amount of pride in being able to read to littler ones. They are sure to select books they really enjoy, or perhaps have heard so many times they can tell it by heart. Often, they will practice during the morning, just to ensure a good performance later on.

As a side note, I make sure that the children know I practice too. For instance, today I asked Juna and Ella if I could practice reading a book to them that I am planning to read to my EB group next week. I told them that I usually practice reading a new picture book once or twice with my son Ray, but I thought perhaps they would allow me to practice with them. I stumbled once or twice, but they both thought that I would be okay by next week.

Here are just a few pictures of some sweet readers:

Owl Pellets - Learning about the Food Chain

2011-10-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

At Howell Nature Center, we learned about different types of owls, and got to see several varieties up close. It was a real treat - I really am a big fan of owls. Beautiful and unusual creatures! Two owls we saw were the Barred Owl and the Barn Owl. One of the things we learned is that the call of the Barred Owl sounds like, "Who Cooks for You", so this poem seems very appropriate. We read it today, and talked about what it meant.

We also learned that the Barn Owl is a very useful creature to have in your barn, handily taking care of many of the critters that eat the grain - mice, voles, etc.

Each child got a pellet of a Barn Owl to dissect. It was so exciting to find the different bones, and skulls were particularly thrilling! We leaned the voles make up most of the owls diet, although we found other types of bones and feathers as well.

Without further ado, here is the poem and a few pictures of the activity:

A Barred Owl

BY RICHARD WILBUR

The warping night air having brought the boom

Of an owl’s voice into her darkened room,

We tell the wakened child that all she heard

Was an odd question from a forest bird,

Asking of us, if rightly listened to,

“Who cooks for you?” and then “Who cooks for you?”

Words, which can make our terrors bravely clear,

Can also thus domesticate a fear,

And send a small child back to sleep at night

Not listening for the sound of stealthy flight

Or dreaming of some small thing in a claw

Borne up to some dark branch and eaten raw.

Spelling Starts this Week!

2011-10-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today was the first time the children received spelling lists to study. Mondays will be reserved for "Spelling-Go-Round" activities, which provide fun ways to practice their words. Today, for instance, we decided that:

1) Writing words in the air with a finger would earn 20 points
2) Writing each word in a fancy or artistic way earns 30 points
3) Creating a word search with all of their words was worth 50 points as was
4) Writing each word in a pyramid (see example below)
5) Teacher quiz was a bonus of 10 points

I challenged each child to earn at least 100 points in the 30 minutes or so we spent with spelling. Their lists now reside in their cubbies (fingers crossed), but if you can't find them, please email and I can provide an extra copy. A little extra practice at home during the week is usually helpful, although I am hoping that it is only for a word or two. You can certainly use some of the activities I do in the classroom, or simply use those car rides to and from school for a refresher.

Oh, and here is an example of a pyramid word:

c
c a
c a t

I am using a combination of common sight words and word family or spelling-rule words (phonics), with the goal of increasing confidence in writing and using strategies to figure out how to spell new words.

Field Trip to MRF (Materials Recovery Facility)

2011-10-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, the combined 1st and 2nd grades took a field trip to MRF (pronounced "merf"). This amazing place is the recycling center on the corner of Platt and Ellsworth. The children took a tour to see how the place operates, learned about what can be recycled, and participated in a plastic recycling activity. Each time I go there, I learn something new!

Did you know that one Saturday per month, MRF holds an open house? There is no charge (except for worm bin supplies in February), and it is held from 10:00a.m. to noon.

Tomorrow, October 15th, happens to be an open house day! This one is called Nature's Recyclers. Leslie Science and Nature Center will be there with a vulture and other live recyclers. Call 734-794-6000 X43118 to preregister. On November 5, you can build a bird feeder from a recycled soda pop bottle and on December 10th you can make your own paper! There are lots more too - check out the entire list by clicking HERE.

On a Lighter "Note"/Music from Our Backyard

2011-10-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

A confession: I have a problem with most "children's music" - I tend to find it a bit annoying, honestly - and I think our children deserve better than a lot of what is out there. (That said, Dan Zanes is pretty darn cool.)

I like kids to listen to what I like, which is an eclectic mix of reggae, indie rock, gypsy jazz and opera. Today, for instance, we are listening to music from "our backyard" of Ann Arbor. We have SUCH a vibrant music scene here! As we play with Lego, make our Friday applesauce, sew, etc. we are listening to a mix tape with Matt Jones, Chris Bathgate, Misty Lyn, Dave Boutette, Royal Garden Trio, Orpheum Bell, Jim Roll, Timothy Monger, and Great Lake Myth Society. If you have a chance to get out and listen to any of these amazing musicians (with or without your children), please do!

Kites for Our Backyards

2011-10-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

When I think about all the wonderful things we can do in our backyards, I think of cloud watching, picnics, neighborhood baseball games, hammocks and ... kites!

Anne Mondro, from the School of Art and Design at U of M, came today to hold a kite-making workshop. Anne spent three weeks in China learning traditional Chinese kite making, and has since taught college kids how to do so as well. She agreed (thanks to Amy Kulper, Ella's mom) to come and teach our little ones. They turned out so well!

This was such a generous and wonderful thing to do - I'm actually pretty overwhelmed. Thank you, Amy, for arranging this - and thank you to Anne Mondro for volunteering so much time and materials.

Here is a video that tells more about Anne and about the Chinese kites that came to the U-M campus. Please watch and share with your child!

Our Visit with Shutta

2011-10-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice time with Shutta Crum this morning! She knew we were learning about "Our Backyard" and talked about her backyard...which happens to be a big, beautiful farm. She started by showing us some pictures taken at her farm - the things that grow there, and the animals that live there. She said she used her backyard as inspiration for several of her books - including two she read aloud today - Family for Old Mill Farm and Bravest of the Brave. She was nice enough to give us an inscribed copy of Family for Old Mill Farm, and it is now one of our most cherished possessions. Thank you, Shutta!

Shutta Crum to Visit on Monday

2011-10-08T06:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday, October 10th, we will have a famous author from "our backyard" of Ann Arbor visit. Shutta Crum has written 12 children's books and has won numerous awards. I am most excited that she has agreed to visit! She will read one or two of her books to the children, and then answer as many questions as time allows.

I am a big fan of hers, and will bring in my collection of her books to share with the children also.

Why an author visit? Not only will this be a fun way to spend an hour, it is also a valuable and very worthwhile endeavor. This author visit will tie into our month theme of Our Backyard in a couple of ways: She is from the area AND she will read a story relating to a farm and the people who live there. But even better, author visits are wonderful for literacy development. As Toni Buzzeo, author and library media specialist says, "Authors and illustrators are the ultimate literacy initiative. When a kid has met an author of a book, he owns that book more than anything else he's ever read. It streamlines the approach to encouraging kids to read." If you have any doubt of that, strike up a conversation with our own Samantha. She very recently read Knuffle Bunny Free to the class, and proudly showed the inscription by Mo Willems. Samantha is truly invested in reading and learning all about Mo Willems - she is now our resident expert!

If you would like to share this experience with your child, please feel free to come on in. Shutta will be arriving around 10:30 on Monday morning.

For more information about Shutta, click on the link below.

Shutta Crum's blog

Howell Nature Center Trip - A Glimpse of Our Day Together

2011-10-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Tree Identification

Maps

Zip Line

Family Love

Owls

Special Readers

2011-10-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this special clip of Maddy reading.

Digit Place Game

2011-10-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

Here a game we are going to play in math class this morning. This game focuses children on the importance of the digits' positions in numbers, while also challenging them to think logically. We are starting with the very simplest version (2-digits) and then work up to more difficult challenges.

To play this game at home, all you need is a partner, a piece of paper and a pencil.

Each person picks a two (or three or four) digit number with no two digits the same. Partners take turns guessing each other's numbers. Each time someone guesses, the other person tells how many digits in the guess are correct and how many of the correct digits are in the correct place. A chart (see below) is useful for keeping track of the information.

Guess Digit Place
------------------------------------
293 0 0
356 1 1
296 0 0

etc.

Do not tell which digits are correct or in the correct place, just how many. Whoever guesses the other player's number first wins that round.

Memory Books

2011-10-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Memory books are a big part of the writing curriculum in our classroom. Each month, I take pictures of the children doing and learning many different things. I print them out and we spend several minutes reflecting on the fun things we've done or wonderful places we've gone to. I usually start off the year by writing short phrases or individual words on the board - this is so reluctant and/or beginner writers can have success immediately and more advanced writers have a springboard if they need one. Of course, our magic rubber bands get almost constant use.

We also use this time to practice specific writing skills - writing neatly and small, using upper and lower case letters and punctuation, having a space between each word, etc.

Not only are memory books a wonderful means for reflection, they also show writing growth as the year goes on. At the end of the year, the children proudly take their memory books home to share with their families.

Eco Fair/Costume Information - Friday, October 28th

2011-10-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

In lieu of a Halloween party, Summers-Knoll has traditionally held an "Eco-Fair". This is always a day of meaningful, creative and (especially) fun activities.

Children are encouraged to wear costumes, but with a twist. The costumes must be made of recycled/reused materials. Please let the children take the lead in designing their costumes – this should be a lot of fun! It doesn't have to be difficult, either - and you probably already have most of the materials around your house.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Robot – use a box for the body, vent tubing from a dryer to make arms, veggie strainer for a helmet

Flower – green sweatshirt and sweatpants, make pedals out of paper

Dalmatian – white turtleneck and white pants, put blacks dots on them, draw whiskers and a nose

Recycle Bin – Cut a hole in a box that has been decorated with the recycle symbol

Bubble gum – dress all in pink

Pile of leaves – attach a bunch of paper or real leaves to a red sweatshirt

Don't forget that thrift-store purchases and hand-me-downs are recycling too! The Scrap Box (my FAVORITE place in Ann Arbor!) may inspire your child also. Have fun!

October Events - a Busy Month Indeed!

2011-10-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

October is my favorite month, for many different reasons. It is also a very busy month at Summers-Knoll! Here is a brief rundown, with details for most events to follow in future posts:

Thursday, October 6 Howell Nature Center Trip
Friday, October 7 Teacher Inservice Day - No School for Students
Monday, October 10 Local Author Shutta Crum Visits
Tuesday, October 11 Special Kite Making Event
Friday, October 14 Field Trip to Materials Recycling Facility
October 17-21 P-T Conferences
Friday, October 21 Field Trip to Once Upon a Time at Wild Swan Theater
AND Nature Walk with Naturalist Faye Stoner
Monday, October 24 No School for Students
Friday, October 28 ECO-Fair!

K-Buddies

2011-09-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

We are continuing our "Kindergarten Buddy" time each Thursday, which is a very special hour for us. This week, we partnered the children up so that the 1st/2nd graders could read an ABC book to the kindergartners (we practiced earlier that day, so we were well prepared). Then we showed the K's our alphabet leaf project and were inspired to head to the woods for even more leaves to press. Our next time together (in two weeks) will be spent doing some additional art projects with these beautiful leaves.

Science Friday - Casting Deer Tracks

2011-09-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today's Science Friday activity tied in very well with the theme of Our Backyard. First I read an informational book called Tracks in the Wild. This book showed life-sized tracks of a variety of different animals, many of which are plentiful in the wooded areas all around Michigan. I then showed the students two REAL deer feet I found one day (at Treasure Mart, of all places!). These feet were obviously displayed in some den or bar somewhere - and for a long time, as they were very dusty!

Then each child got some clay and made a round, flat disk. Using a deer foot, they carefully made an impression in the clay. While the kids were at lunch, I fashioned a collar around each disk using poster board.

Later in the afternoon, small groups of children mixed up batches of plaster of paris. Once we got it to the correct consistency, we poured about 1/2 inch of on top of the clay. We had to work fast, as the plaster dries really quickly!

About 30 minutes later, we carefully removed the collars and peeled back the clay from the plaster. We successfully preserved the deer tracks, just like real naturalists.

Next week, we will attempt to find animal tracks in the woods. While we may not be lucky enough to find deer tracks, we may very well see some made by squirrels!

Backyard Field Guide

2011-09-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have been really struggling on how to best attempt our ambitious project for this theme - our own backyard field guide. Last week, we went to the woods with trees in mind - I was thinking that each child could pick a different tree, take a picture of it, sketch parts of it and write their observations. Then we would do the same for fungi, insects, birds, etc. After about 30 minutes, it became clear that this just wasn't going to work (for reasons too numerous to mention here).

Today, Dr. George and I talked with the children and asked them how we could make this work. How can we make a field guide that is interesting to everyone, lets each child do their own work (documentation, research, etc.), and allows for lots of one-on-one teacher-child interaction? Juna thought that perhaps just a few kids with one teacher may work, with the rest of the kids doing something else. Dr. George thought that maybe it would make for a very interesting field guide if each child just found their own special something to include in the guide - so, our guide wouldn't have a tree section, an insect section, etc. - rather, it would have one or two pages done per child about whatever they wanted.

So, today, while 9 of the children stayed with Dr. George to continue their work with chicken bones, 3 children came with me - armed with clipboards, pencils, and my camera. Clementine found an interesting plant with berries, Eli saw several variations of a black walnut, and Oliver took us into the creek to document a miniature water fall. Each one made some sketches and took a photo or two. It was very manageable, worthwhile and fun. These children will make a more detailed drawing, write up their observations and descriptions, and do some additional research about what they found.

Clementine described the above: bright red berries, all connected ... straight stem, no branches ... propped up.

A lesson for this teacher: sometimes two (or three or four) heads really are better than one! This project is taking a slightly different direction than what I originally planned, but I think the process will be much more meaningful to the children. I will continue to take small groups out until everyone has had a turn, and then we will combine our work into a beautiful and useful guide.

Backyard Alphabet Line

2011-09-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is Samantha's picture - S is for Snake!

We are doing a special ABC line with Elaine's class. Each child gets to choose a letter and think of lots of things that beings with that letter. Then, using leaves from our backyards, we are illustrating what the letter stands for.

We used lots and lots of alphabet books for inspiration - it is amazing how many of these books have been written!

My class got to go first, so we have 11 letters finished already. When it stops raining, we will go into the woods again to collect more interesting and beautiful leaves to press between pages of a book.

Parent-Teacher Conference Schedule

2011-09-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Fall conferences are quickly approaching! This is a great time to discuss your child's school experiences so far, as well as your goals for his/her growth.

Rather than meet with families on the official conference day (Monday, October 24), I will be holding conferences the week prior. Most families have expressed that morning is the best and most convenient time - but I will have some afternoon slots as well.

Please email me with your preference - a 1st and 2nd choice works well. I will be updating the schedule here as I get your information.

Monday, October 17

7:40 - 8:00

8:00 - 8:20 Clementine

8:20 - 8:40 Elliot

12:40 - 1:00 Leo

2:50 - 3:10 Owen

Tuesday, October 18

7:40 - 8:00

8:00 - 8:20 Eli

8:20 - 8:40

Wednesday, October 19

7:40 - 8:00

8:00 - 8:20 Oliver

8:20 - 8:40 Juna

2:50 - 3:10 Samantha

Thursday, October 20

7:40 - 8:00

8:00 - 8:20

8:20 - 8:40 Ella

Friday, October 21

7:40 - 8:00

8:00 - 8:20 Ariana

8:20 - 8:40 Ben

Modified Special Readers Schedule

2011-09-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

We've had amazing special reader performances thus far! A big thank you goes to the students who have been brave enough to do this, and to their families for helping them practice. We've heard a lot of wonderful stories, and I look forward to hearing from everyone in the near future.

Here is the schedule for the next six weeks:

Thursday, September 29: Owen and Leo
Wednesday, October 5: Maddy and Samantha
Thursday, October 13: Ben and Eli
Thursday, October 20: Ella and Juna
Thursday, October 27: Oliver and Elliot
Thursday, November 3: Ariana and Clementine

Making Bread

2011-09-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Gwen, Ben's mom, who came to make herb bread with the kids this morning. I wish this was smelloblogger so you could enjoy the aroma of the dough rising in the big pan next to me. This afternoon, after the dough has risen, the children will add dried herbs direct from Ben's yard and shape the dough into individual loaves.

Before making the bread, I showed the children some wonderful books on breads. I read aloud Everybody Bakes Bread by Norah Dooley. In this book, we are introduced to a multicultural neighborhood that is full of people baking different types of bread from their country of origin. We made a variation of "Great Grandmother's Italian Bread". Some of the children are inspired to try their hand at braiding their little loaves.

At recess I showed the children some wheat seeds and they got busy pounding it to make flour. Maddy, Ariana and Clementine remarked that they felt like the kids in Little House On The Prairie.

Making bread at home is one of our favorite things to do. Our lives changed forever once my husband and teenage son took a day-long course in bread making at Zingerman's. Who knew you could make your own hamburger buns? There is something about baking bread that gives you a huge sense of accomplishment.

Here is an excerpt from the Family Fun website that I thought may be helpful to ensure a great family bread-baking experience:

• Set aside enough time. You don't want to be rushed. Plan on an hour to prepare the dough, a couple more hours to let it rise (you can do other homebound tasks during that time), as well as approximately 45 minutes to bake the bread.

• Make sure you start out with a very basic recipe that does not involve folding in complicated ingredients or hunting for unusual flours. Save those recipes for the future when you are all experienced bread bakers.

• Clear an area of the kitchen or dining room table (with vinyl cloth covering) where you can work together comfortably.

• Make sure you have all ingredients and measuring equipment, an instant-read thermometer (to measure the temperature of warm water you will use to activate the yeast), bowls, pans--and clean hands.

• If you can find an empty bottle and a balloon, you can make the yeast activation into a kind of science experiment.

• Place some yeast, sugar and warm water in the bottle and fit the empty balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Over the course of an hour or more, the gas released from the yeast with blow up the balloon, illustrating how bread rises when the gas bubbles are trapped in the dough.

• Let everyone help knead. Demonstrate kneading as 3 steps: push down, fold over and turn
(1/4 turn). Repeat. Let each family member take turns doing this a few times until the dough is smooth elastic.

• Make sure everyone who helped make the bread is on hand when you remove it from the oven. When the bread is cool enough to cut, get out the butter and jam and enjoy.

Telling Stories

2011-09-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

I love to read aloud to children. If I weren’t a teacher, I imagine myself happily being a children’s book librarian. When I retire, you will probably find me being a volunteer story reader at Nicola’s Books. But as much as I love to read great picture books and chapter books, the children are never so engaged as when I simply TELL a story.

Very occasionally I’ll tell a story I’ve memorized – a “real” story, like a folk tale or a Robert Munsch story. But mostly I tell personal stories from my own experience. It amuses and amazes me that children want to hear these stories again and again. For instance, today I told the tale (yet again) of the time my neighbor friend and I dug up some bones in the backyard when I was about 7. We were so excited to find “ancient Indian bones” and rushed to show my parents our archeologically important find. However, after seeing the burial site, my mom announced that, unfortunately, we had simply dug up the bones of a family pet. Another popular tale is when I wet my pants in school, due to an overly strict and bullying teacher. The children shudder with horror and delight, and rush to pet my arm and comfort me after hearing it.

Telling stories is so important to children. It encourages them to tell their own stories as if they mattered. This mutual telling and listening is such a happy experience, and there is joy in the connection. A told story is different that a story that is read, because that is simply reporting a story told in a book – it doesn’t come from the true source. It produces a particular feeling of well-being and connectedness. Try it soon, and see if you don't agree.

What is Number Sense? Games You Can Play at Home

2011-09-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Number sense is probably the most vague of all the mathematical terms. Even teachers who have taught mathematics for years have a hard time defining it - but we sure know when we see it! Students do not have number sense when they are confused about place value (what numbers actually mean) and can't line up the ones place when for an addition problem. Seeing patterns and recognizing the relationship between addition and subtraction as well as multiplication and division also falls under "number sense". You need this sense to figure out what operation is needed to perform a computation problem.

We will spend a good deal of time at the beginning of this year to explore number sense in my math class, starting with addition strategies/tricks and place value.

Parents often ask me how they can support their child at home. While taking workbooks home and working for a brief time (10 minutes, perhaps) is fine, I do want to say that school is exhausting and children really need a time to play and have fun. Please follow your child's lead in this, and make sure they have plenty of down time.

There are also lots of fun games you can play that are wonderful for practice with numbers and operations. If your child would enjoy playing these types of games with you, all you need is a deck of cards or perhaps a set of dice. We play games at school during math, and I will be sharing these with you during the year. To start off, you can click HERE to see some really fun card games that will have your child wanting to practice their addition strategies!

Idea Maps

2011-09-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

When it is time to write a story, there are many different ways and techniques that can be used. Sometimes I give the children "prompts" to write about, or I may ask them to create lists, letters, recipes or directions to a game. But I often want them to write about something that is important and interesting to them. Getting children to be more independent in a writing workshop is crucial, and it does not have to be mostly teacher directed.

Simply telling children to write whatever they want inevitably leads to the following exclamation, often many voices at once, "But I don't know what to write about!" or "Nothing ever happens to me!"

This is when I demonstrate an idea map. Sketching out a place where I know well, I am reminded of stories that I could tell later. I sketched my kitchen on the board and told quick stories of burned meals, cookies made by my son for a girlfriend, and annual dinner parties.

Then I had each child draw a map of their backyard and put X's where they were reminded of a story. One child, before even putting a pencil to paper, exclaimed that he had no backyard stories, but I asked him to make the map and see. (He ended up with several great anecdotes, much to his surprise.)

After several minutes of quiet sketching, I partnered children up to take turns telling each other one of their stories. Next time, we will attempt to put some of these exciting and wonderful tales down on paper.

Pillow Project Completed!

2011-09-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

We did it! We now have all of our pillows ready for quiet reading times. Children shopped for the fabric, learned how to operate a sewing machine (look at Samantha's face - priceless!), stuffed their pillows and hand-stitched the opening. Some of the students knew how to sew already, and they were a big help to the others.

TRIBES - working and playing together

2011-09-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

I only just touched on the Tribes program last night before we ran out of time. This is one of the tools I use to help build inclusion, kindness, and positivity in our classroom. Over the years, I’ve come to depend on this program to help me to help children learn the very important skills of cooperation and compromise. Children feel appreciated and respected.

Four agreements are honored:

▪ attentive listening
▪ appreciation/no put downs
▪ mutual respect, and
▪ the right to pass

I set up most Tribes meetings so that the focus is on helping each other work on doing a specific task, set goals, solve problems and celebrate achievements.

Our first meeting was several days ago, and the children discovered who were in their Tribes “family”. Each child received a puzzle piece with their name on it. They circulated through the room trying to find all of their missing pieces. We ended up with 3 different tribes with 4 children in each. Their first hard task was to come up with a tribal name that each child could agree to. One tribe had a slightly difficult time, as three of the members loved video games, but one did not. A discussion led to an entirely different tribe name, made up of the tribe member's names - very clever.

Their task today was to make up with tribal banner that included the tribe name and each individual name. Two tribes found this very easy and hummed along happily. One tribe was full of strife. And THAT'S OKAY! After struggling through, we talked about it as a whole group, and suggestions were respectfully given and received. This is part of the process - if it were easy every time, we wouldn't need to do Tribes!

So it is now my great pleasure to introduce to you:

The Happy Starwars Yoshis

The Sparkling Waterfalls

The Electric Eels (The Es and L stand for their names, get it?)

September Environmental Super Hero Project

2011-09-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

We received a mysterious package in the mail today - a rather small cardboard box that was labeled "live product". Ella figured it was our compost worms, but others thought that the package was way too small for over 1000 worms! At the end of the day, we opened the package to prove Ella right.

The set up of our vermicomposting bin is our environmental project of the month. However, this is just the beginning, we all have a LOT to learn. This is the fanciest and most involved worm bin I've ever had (others were simply a black plastic box). As the months go on, we all will be learning more and more about our worms and the process of recycling nature.

Here are the steps that were followed today:

The coconut fiber bedding is ready

I added just a little fruit for the worms first snack

This is what 1000 worms look like!

We checked them out to make sure they are healthy

We added the worms, and misted them

Farmers Market

2011-09-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

Leo enjoys his crispy apple

And demonstrates the proper way to eat it!

The Farmers Market is one of my favorite spots in Ann Arbor. You can usually find me there on Wednesday mornings during the summer, and on Saturday mornings year-round. I was so happy to hear that most of the children in the class loved the market too, and were quite familiar with it already.

This morning, however, was a bit different than just the usual trip with Mom and Dad. Today we did a scavenger hunt and had to find 16 different answers. Most of the answers were found by careful observation ("How many different colored tomatoes can you find? What is sold here that is non-edible?") and others required an interview with a farmer ("How many bees does it take to make a pound of honey? How many eggs does a hen lay a day?") and still others were unique to the child ("What is something you've never tasted? What is your favorite smell?") Each child was successful and filled out their entire chart. It was a lovely way to really visit the market with all of our observation skills.

Many thanks to Michael (Oliver's dad), Vivian (Samantha's mom), and Christine (Juna's mom) for being our wonderful field trip helpers!

Reading Inside and Outside

2011-09-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

We love to read! Whether it is "quiet reading time" after lunch, or on a picnic blanket at recess, our children love to read books. I saw a few especially wonderful moments today as two of my students happily read to Val's kindergartners.

Our Pillow Project

2011-09-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Elaine brought in her sewing machine today and about half the kids got a turn. The rest of the children will be able to have a turn by the end of the week. Then we will stuff the pillows and sew up the rest by hand. Thank you so much, Elaine!

Magic Rubber Bands

2011-09-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Ella demonstrates the proper use of a magic rubber band.

Behold the magic rubber bands.They look like normal rubber bands, don't they? I received these as a gift from The Good Spelling Witch who happens to live down the street from me.

Each child listened with mouths agape as I told the story of the magic rubber band. This rubber band is SO magic that it allows every one of us to write words. If you stretch the band slowly while saying the word you want to put on paper, you can hear many of the letter sounds. Wow!

For instance, I demonstrated MY rubber band by using it to write the word wonderful. With the band, I could work out WNDFL. While it is not the "dictionary spelling", it is certainly enough to get us close enough for communicating our ideas.

We will work on the conventions of spelling too. But right now, we are breaking through the walls that say “I can’t write. I don’t know how.” Everyone can write. Everyone WILL write. And it will be amazing!

P.S. Owen really wants to take a field trip to the witch's house. I'm thinking about it.

Field Trip to the Fabric Store

2011-09-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

"1/2 yard, please!" Leo and Elliot with their choices.

Waiting in line is difficult, but we were all patient!

Juna and Samantha love their fabrics - "I found the perfect one!"

One of the very best things about Summers-Knoll is that we can go on many meaningful field trips. Field trips are educational - whether we are attending plays and concerts, visiting farms or the farmers market to learn about organic crops, or visiting museums or interviewing experts in the field we are studying. Sometimes, a field trip is a simply an opportunity for the children to feel like they are part of our larger community - which is why we may take groups to Trader Joe's to purchase the ingredients needed for a baking project or - like yesterday - to JoAnn's to purchase fabric for our reading pillows.

Each child got to choose their own fabric. Some found the perfect print right away, but others had a much harder time deciding. In the end, though, each student was very happy with their decision. (It was so interesting to Elaine and me to see what each child chose!) Then each student handed their material to the employees at the store and ordered 1/2 yard to be cut. After that, another line to make our purchase - very good manners practice as each child said, "thank you!"

This was our first field trip of the year and there will be many more.

Special Readers

2011-09-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

Each Thursday, 2 children come with a book to share with their classmates. This is a great opportunity to practice reading aloud (clearly, loudly, and with expression) as well as being a great audience member (listening with ears, eyes, and heart).

If it is your child’s turn to be a special reader, please help them select an appropriate book. Picture books with humor are always appreciated. I know many children are excited when they are able to read longer chapter books, but I have to say that unless they are short, funny excerpts, it can be difficult to retain the attention of the audience! Have them practice with you at least a couple of times – this will help insure they have a successful and fun time when they are in front of their peers.

Here is the upcoming schedule for the next few weeks – Mark your calendars!

September 15 – Oliver and Elliot

September 22 – Clementine and Ariana

September 29 – Maddy and Owen

Science Friday

2011-09-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have Dr. G. join our faculty this year! The children will be working with him each Tuesday for a dedicated hour of science. Even with this addition, I would like to continue something I started last year - Science Friday. Sometimes our Friday experiment/exploration has something to do with our monthly theme, sometimes not. Children are natural scientists - they collect berries to make ink, observe and describe the worms and centipedes they see on the playground, and love to look under rocks.

Today, we expanded that knowledge and curiosity by collecting different types of leaves. We learned that there are three different broad categories of leaves, depending on their veins - parallel, palmate, and pinnate. We looked at the leaves very carefully - like scientists - and then sorted and classified based on observation.

Back to School Picnic

2011-09-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

From Karen's email:

Dear Parents,

Our annual Back to School Picnic is this Saturday from 12:00-3:00 in the afternoon. The picnic is held at County Farm Park. We will meet at the Pavilion next to the Playground. If you are not familiar with County Farm Park, you can use the entrance off of Platt Rd, just south of Washtenaw. There is a parking lot next to the Pavilion/Playground.

The picnic is a great way to meet other parents, and the kids love the playground at County Farm so it is always a lot of fun for them to play with their new and old friends.

The picnic is a pot luck. If you could reference the list below, I have divided up the alphabet into four categories so that we all do not bring the same thing. Please use the first letter of your child's last name to find the category that applies to your family. This is only a suggested guide so if you have something in mind that you want to bring, please do so, and as always please remember that we are a nut free school. SK will be supplying the main dish.

Last Names beginning with A - G Salads / Side Dishes

Last Names beginning with H - L Snacks (Cheese/Crackers/Dips etc)

Last Names beginning with M - P Desserts / Sweets

Last Names beginning with R - Z Drinks

We hope to see everyone there, even if you can't make it for the whole time just stop by. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me back.

Karen

Kindergarten Buddies!

2011-09-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

There is a pretty adorable batch of kindergartners in the building, have you noticed? Val, their energetic and lovely teacher, and I decided to have a time together every week on Thursday afternoons. For my group, it is an especially nice time because we get to be the "big kids". Mixed aged groupings like these are wonderful for both older and younger children. For older children, it is an opportunity to serve as mentors and to be leaders. We can model more sophisticated approaches to problem solving, and younger children are able to accomplish tasks they could not do without the assistance of older children. This dynamic has been proven to increase the older child's level of independence and competence. Another benefit is that children are more likely to cooperate than compete. This spirit of cooperation and caring makes it possible for children to help each other as individuals and not see each other as competitors.

Oliver works with Ava and Folu...I remember back when he was the kindergartner!

I particularly loved seeing children, now in second grade, being the big buddy to a kindergartner - when just two years ago it was THEM getting the special attention and help as the little guy in Anita's room.

Today, for our "Buddy Time", I told the story of the four pencils. As I showed each pencil, I told the children that I knew people just like these pencils. The first one was unsharpened and had no eraser. After we talked about that, I said that the people I knew that were like this pencil were "do-nothings". Lazy, non-energetic people who just let others do all the work. The second one had erasers on both ends! I said that these type of people were quite like the first - they did nothing because they were so afraid of making a mistake that they wouldn't even try! The third pencil was sharpened at both ends. These people never, ever admitted to making a mistake. They think they can do anything. But of course, the DO make mistakes, as all people do, but they just can't own up to it, and therefore can't fix it. The last pencil had a sharp tip and a big eraser. The children all said, "That's the best! - That's who WE want to be!" This type of person tries hard, even if a task is new or scary. If they make a mistake, no worries! They can try to fix it and go on!

After the story, each child got buddied up and we decorated pencil boxes together. Then each child got a special pencil along with an eraser of their choice for the end.

Here is to a year of trying hard and making mistakes - and trying again.

Welcome, Elliot!

2011-09-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

We had a visitor on the 2nd day of school! His name is Elliot, and he is an amazing 2nd grader. Boy, we just loved him so much we wouldn't let him leave - so now he is a full-time student at Summers-Knoll. When I mentioned this morning Elliot would be staying forever, he got a nice, enthusiastic round of applause. He then very nicely qualified my statement by saying, "Well, not literally forever".

We now have 12 children in our classroom - 6 boys and 6 girls. The students love the symmetry.

Please welcome Elliot, and his parents Jordan and Dan, with open arms.

In Our Own Backyard - a Start to our Monthly Theme

2011-09-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I introduced our first theme of the year. This theme will take us all the way to November, so we will have plenty of time to explore and dig deep in (sometime literally) our local nature areas.

I chose a book called, aptly, In My Own Backyard, by Judi Kurjian. In this story, a child peers out of his bedroom window and wonders what used to be there. Before I read this, I posed this question - if you were to look out YOUR bedroom window, what can you imagine being there, say, 50 years ago? 100? The answers were varied. Some children thought that dinosaurs may have been roaming around 50 years ago (gosh, I feel old!), but others knew that dinosaurs lived much, much longer ago than that. The book I read took us though a succession of scenes and we went back through hundreds, then thousands, then millions and billions of years - from farming communities to settlers in covered wagons, Native Americans, glaciers, dinosaurs ... allllll the way back to when the earth was first formed.

Be sure to ask your child about this book - it was an eye-opener! I don't think the children will look at their backyards in the same way again!

First Day Joy

2011-09-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Are we happy to be back to school - Yes we are!

Have we kept old friends and made new ones? Yes we have!

Sneak Peek - Our Classroom Awaits

2011-08-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

The chalkboard is clean, the cobwebs (for the most part) cleared, pencils sharpened. Only the students are missing! Here is a sneak peek at the classroom and the SECRET little something that is waiting on each child's desk. Can't wait to see you all on Tuesday, September 6th!

Our beautiful space

This puppet reminds us Don't Worry - Be Happy!

One of these guys is waiting on each desk - shhhh!

Another view - ignore pile of junk by teacher desk