Building Community
/Our second week together was filled with learning, creativity, and community-building. We continued getting to know one another and practicing our routines. Students shared their All About Me posters with the class, which was a fun way to learn more about each other. In Writers’ Workshop, students worked hard on their individual stories. As students finished stories, they shared their published pieces with the class and received a compliment as well as constructive feedback from their peers. We are practicing how to both give and receive feedback so that we can all grow as writers. Science was extra exciting this week! Mr. Mark discovered a huge nest of stinging insects in our cedar classroom. Our outdoor classroom had to be closed for multiple days (we played on campus instead), but Mr. Mark brought us a specimen to examine under the microscope. After researching, students came to the consensus that the insect was a type of wasp called a yellow jacket. Mr. Mark wore a bee suit and tried several methods to remove them—and after much effort, he succeeded! Now we can safely play in our outdoor classroom again. Davis also brought in a snake skin, which we examined closely under the microscope. During word work time we reviewed short vowel sounds and the floss rule. We practiced spelling words with partners using whiteboards and learned how to check each other’s work. On Friday, we took a practice spelling assessment and discussed how these checks help teachers know what students already understand and what they need more practice with. We also worked on our penmanship and writing conventions. Our classroom is becoming more colorful, too! We created beautiful illustrations to accompany our daily schedule and continued filling in our September calendar, coloring in the days that have passed. In art, we began detailed self-portraits. A handful of students finished theirs this week, and the rest will complete theirs next week. Each day we wrapped up by giving shout-outs to classmates who embodied our community values through their words and actions. It was a joyful, busy week of learning and community.
