On Tuesday, the Middle School presented their annual Poetry Assembly in front of the student body and many parents. Each class presented a group of poems that the students had memorized. The 5th grade presented poems that played off of language, and the 6th grade showcased poems from varied poets such as Shel Silverstein and Taylor Mali. The 4th grade did a fantastic job performing a variety of poems, including Spring, Mark’s Hands, and The Secret of the Polar Bear (to name a few,) that the students themselves chose, memorized and rehearsed. They brought great enthusiasm and, in some cases, accompanying movements that truly brought the poems to life. All of the poems were well received and the children should be very proud of their efforts!
In English, having finished Poppy, we are looking forward to starting the Reading / Writing Workshop. Be on the lookout for a change on the bulletin boards in the classroom, as well as a change in the way we will be looking at literature. I am very pleased that many of the books that we will explore will be selected by the students themselves, giving them ownership of what they are reading, as well as an individualized program of study as the books they each choose will be geared toward their own reading levels, encouraging them to stretch at their own pace. Another benefit will be the encouragement to select genres and authors that are unfamiliar to them, thus increasing their book repertoire. The new program promises to meet each reader where he or she is, giving them a personal stake in their growth as readers, and thus increasing the joy that can be found in the journeys that books provide.
In math, instead of the unit on time as mentioned last week (which we will get to a bit later in the year,) we have turned to an exploration of number comparisons. We worked with the concept of place value earlier in the year, which is an important piece in the ability to compare numbers. We will also be focusing on the problem solving method of the “guess and check” strategy. This strategy is one of the more useful problem solving skills, which the students will be using extensively as the year progresses.
We have begun our Land Form Project! The students have all chosen their topics, and they have begun their research to learn more about the different land forms they are exploring. Aside from gathering information which they will share with their classmates when they present their projects, they have all begun to plan a visual representation of their land form. Most have chosen to create dioramas and models, and some will create posters. The project is due on November 23rd, so if there are any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out directly to me. Most of the research will take place during class time, but the actual creation of their visual representations will occur at home.
Next week is the last full week of class before Thanksgiving Break. Remember our Thanksgiving Soup will be held on Tuesday, November 24th, the last day of class before the holiday break.