The second week of school is over and what fun it was! This week we focused on getting routines cemented and started some longer projects.
The first major project is our first writing piece. We started working on Memoirs by reading five examples of memoirs, discussing what a memoir is and how author's write them, and brainstorming our own memoirs. I can't wait to read these memoirs- the topics brainstormed were all very interesting and quite varied. Our goal is to have them published (final copies) by October 1st.
We also began our Saxon math books. Students now switch classrooms for math and it's been a big success so far. As a general rule, students won't have math homework unless they did not finish the lesson in class. Please don't worry if your student isn't coming home with math homework; it most likely means they are getting their work done in class.
Reading letters were introduced this week. Each student is responsible for writing a letter to me about the book they are reading (questions they may have, thoughts, predictions, etc) and turning it in every other week. The week with no letter is a reading conference week, where we will verbally discuss the book. Students should know their day of the week and that the first letters are due beginning the week of the 21st (if you are curious about their day or the expectations of the letter please ask your student- they may appreciate the reminder!). Class time will be available for writing the letters. I will respond to each letter and I can't wait to hear what everyone is thinking about their books.
We also started our daily poetry study with the poem "The Fog" by Carl Sandburg. Today we did quick sketches of our reactions to the poems. I am always impressed the amazing art talent in the class! Next week we are looking at concrete poems, which happen to be one of my favorite types of poetry.
One of the bigger projects we started is our year-long Nature Journals. Each week for the rest of the year we will be observing "our spots" at the same time on the same day of the week. Once a month students will publish an observation about their spot in the form of a poem, short essay, or illustration. These weekly observations will lead into a once a trimester "I Wonder" research project. We have selected an area of the trail behind the softball field as our area of observation. It's a truly beautiful space and I hope students enjoy this 10-15 minutes a week of quiet nature observation. Please be aware that we will be observing in all weather conditions (perhaps for less time but it is important to remain consistent with our observations) so please send extra socks and an extra towel if possible. I will acquire towels and umbrellas but feel free to send more if you can.
I had a wonderful week with everyone. We are definitely coming together as a class community and I always leave the school feeling lucky to have such a great class.
