Thursday, February 24, 2011
Watch the launch of Discovery
Watch the launch of Discovery on its STS-133 mission at NASA, scheduled for today at 4:51pm Click here to access NASA live streaming. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Weekly Update
Dear Families,
We have almost finished our last week before Winter Break, which starts next week. I hope you and your child have the opportunity to relax and enjoy your time together next week. The students will bring home new books on Friday so they have new books to read over vacation. Happy reading!
We did our constructed writing prompt in school this week and the students did an amazing job! They did their best writing, revising and adding details to their pieces. We cannot wait to share these with you at conference time. Our unit on constructed writing will continue after the break, however. The students will periodically receive topics on which they are expected to write a focused piece upon. Topics will include things such as “My favorite season and why”, “Why rules are good in school” and “Why having a good friend is nice.” The students will continue to develop skills to write on the topic provided and organize their thinking in a systematic and organized manner. The students will also explore report writing when we return. They will investigate non-fiction books and magazines to get ready for our next big writing assessment, which emphasizes similar skills acquired in our constructed writing responses. The students will start gathering information on the planets and write report on them. The students will also begin editing each other’s writing pieces. They will work closely with a writing partner. We are very excited about this opportunity to learn from each other! Stay tuned for more information when we return from vacation.
The students finished a new collaborative Voicethread with Ms. Davison’s Kindergarten class this week. Please see our link on the blog. The Voicethread discusses ways in which we can show how to “Be Safe, Kind, and Responsible” at our school. They did a great job and shared wonderful ideas.
1st graders continued their mathematical investigations of penguins this week. In addition to exploring measurements of height and weight, the students wrote a postcard to their families about our pretend trip to Antarctica. We even podcasted these letters so please visit our podcasting site, click here, or our Digital Portfolio, under Math, Many Different Methods, click here, to hear these letters. This unit will continue after the break.
Valentine’s Day was a great success. Thank you all for your generosity. The treats and snacks were delicious and the students had a great time sharing their special cards with each other. Pictures from our party will follow soon.
Have a great rest of the week, and keep up the reading and writing over the break next week. I am looking forward to reading many posts on our KidBlog!!
Regards,
Maria McCormack
We have almost finished our last week before Winter Break, which starts next week. I hope you and your child have the opportunity to relax and enjoy your time together next week. The students will bring home new books on Friday so they have new books to read over vacation. Happy reading!
We did our constructed writing prompt in school this week and the students did an amazing job! They did their best writing, revising and adding details to their pieces. We cannot wait to share these with you at conference time. Our unit on constructed writing will continue after the break, however. The students will periodically receive topics on which they are expected to write a focused piece upon. Topics will include things such as “My favorite season and why”, “Why rules are good in school” and “Why having a good friend is nice.” The students will continue to develop skills to write on the topic provided and organize their thinking in a systematic and organized manner. The students will also explore report writing when we return. They will investigate non-fiction books and magazines to get ready for our next big writing assessment, which emphasizes similar skills acquired in our constructed writing responses. The students will start gathering information on the planets and write report on them. The students will also begin editing each other’s writing pieces. They will work closely with a writing partner. We are very excited about this opportunity to learn from each other! Stay tuned for more information when we return from vacation.
The students finished a new collaborative Voicethread with Ms. Davison’s Kindergarten class this week. Please see our link on the blog. The Voicethread discusses ways in which we can show how to “Be Safe, Kind, and Responsible” at our school. They did a great job and shared wonderful ideas.
1st graders continued their mathematical investigations of penguins this week. In addition to exploring measurements of height and weight, the students wrote a postcard to their families about our pretend trip to Antarctica. We even podcasted these letters so please visit our podcasting site, click here, or our Digital Portfolio, under Math, Many Different Methods, click here, to hear these letters. This unit will continue after the break.
Valentine’s Day was a great success. Thank you all for your generosity. The treats and snacks were delicious and the students had a great time sharing their special cards with each other. Pictures from our party will follow soon.
Have a great rest of the week, and keep up the reading and writing over the break next week. I am looking forward to reading many posts on our KidBlog!!
Regards,
Maria McCormack
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Moon Phases
Our study of the moon continued this week. Thank you all for sending in your child's Moon Journal.
Happy 100th Day of School
We celebrated our 100th day of school last Thursday. The students created projects at home, which they brought in to school to share. We had the opportunity to visit other classrooms to see some of their projects as well. Please click here to access our Digital Portfolio for individual pictures of these special creations.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Guest Blogger: Bonnie Birdsall
Dear Families,
I am excited to announce that we have our first Guest Blogger on on classroom blog. The first guest is Bonnie Birdsdall, our school's Technology Specialist.
Thank you Bonnie to contributing to our blog. We hope you will post again.
The Appropriate Use of School Email
We are incredibly fortunate in Williston to be able to provide all of our students with their own email account. It’s not something you’ll find in all schools. Our teachers work with students about the ethical and acceptable use of email for educational purposes. Our students- as young as kindergarten in some cases- are using email to build upon their literacy skills. They send emails to one another, to their teachers, and to parents- all helping them to strengthen reading and writing skills. Yes, students test the rules and limits and learn in the process.
Students are taught about ‘netiquette’- using good manners online. It’s the same as using good manners offline and face to face. We’re kind and respectful. They are also taught that email is a privilege and should be used for educational purposes. This is a part of the continual learning process. Therefore- we have a request to make: Please do not use the school email account to send your child jokes or funny videos. Remind extended family members of this as well. Instead, if you email your children at school - ask them what they’re learning, ask them to describe what they’re doing in math or what book(s) they’re reading. But please don’t use the school email account for entertainment purposes. We are all role models in our children’s lives. Help us deliver the right message about how we spend our time at school and becoming positive digital citizens.
Feel free to review the CSSU Acceptable Use Policy with your child.
I welcome your thoughts and feedback, and your support.
Bonnie Birdsall, Technology Integration Specialist bbirdsall@cssu.org
I am excited to announce that we have our first Guest Blogger on on classroom blog. The first guest is Bonnie Birdsdall, our school's Technology Specialist.
Thank you Bonnie to contributing to our blog. We hope you will post again.
The Appropriate Use of School Email
We are incredibly fortunate in Williston to be able to provide all of our students with their own email account. It’s not something you’ll find in all schools. Our teachers work with students about the ethical and acceptable use of email for educational purposes. Our students- as young as kindergarten in some cases- are using email to build upon their literacy skills. They send emails to one another, to their teachers, and to parents- all helping them to strengthen reading and writing skills. Yes, students test the rules and limits and learn in the process.
Students are taught about ‘netiquette’- using good manners online. It’s the same as using good manners offline and face to face. We’re kind and respectful. They are also taught that email is a privilege and should be used for educational purposes. This is a part of the continual learning process. Therefore- we have a request to make: Please do not use the school email account to send your child jokes or funny videos. Remind extended family members of this as well. Instead, if you email your children at school - ask them what they’re learning, ask them to describe what they’re doing in math or what book(s) they’re reading. But please don’t use the school email account for entertainment purposes. We are all role models in our children’s lives. Help us deliver the right message about how we spend our time at school and becoming positive digital citizens.
Feel free to review the CSSU Acceptable Use Policy with your child.
I welcome your thoughts and feedback, and your support.
Bonnie Birdsall, Technology Integration Specialist bbirdsall@cssu.org
Picture from indoor recess
It was too cold for the students to go outside today during recess so we stayed inside. Look at this amazing structure some of our friends built together.
Weekly Update
Dear Families,
Once again, it is getting colder again outside. Please make sure your child comes to school warmly dressed with winter boots, snow pants and jackets for our outdoor fun. Also make sure your child has gloves, or mittens, scarves and hats. The students have outdoor recess every day unless the temperatures drop too much. Thank you.
This week, Team Harmony had the privilege of having Bonnie Birdsall, our school’s Technology Specialist, join our kiva to share our school’s expectations around internet safety and etiquette. We are very fortunate to have her explain some very complicated and important issues regarding internet use. The students learned about the importance of not opening emails from unknown senders, never to download videos or files unless asked by a parent or teacher and never to post hurtful comments. They had the opportunity to discuss different scenarios with each other and Ms. Birdsall. The students had many great ideas! The students also learned about the importance of internet etiquette, or “netiquette”, as we call it. This means that we always adhere to proper manners, grammar and polite words when we are on computers or using our MP3 players. Please ask your child to explain more and please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. The students and I are very excited about the Team-wide discussion that is happening now because we are going to create a visual representation, a mural, for our school computer lab. The students will use various forms of technology and show, through pictures and words, what they can do to be “Safe, Kind, and Responsible” online. Ms. Birdsall also challenged us to create a book on the subject and I know we are up for the challenge! Please discuss internet safety and internet options with your child at home.
Our 100th day is this week and this very special day is filled with activities related to the number 100. As many teachers at our school will be attending Math Studio Training that day, we have asked the students to keep their 100th Day projects in school so we can share them on Friday. Thank you for understanding.
More will, of course, follow as more projects arrive in our classroom.
Monday is Valentine’s Day. The students will hand out their cards and small treats in our classroom and enjoy a small celebration at the end of the day. If you wish to bring in a treat for our classroom, please send me an email so I know what we have. Thank you. Please also remember to bring in enough small treats for all students in class if your child wishes to share Valentine’s with his/her friends.
Please check out our updated Science page on our Digital Portfolio with podcasts, links and pictures of what Team Harmony students do during our Moon and Sky lessons. Click here to access directly.
I hope you have a great rest of the week.
Regards,
Maria McCormack
Once again, it is getting colder again outside. Please make sure your child comes to school warmly dressed with winter boots, snow pants and jackets for our outdoor fun. Also make sure your child has gloves, or mittens, scarves and hats. The students have outdoor recess every day unless the temperatures drop too much. Thank you.
This week, Team Harmony had the privilege of having Bonnie Birdsall, our school’s Technology Specialist, join our kiva to share our school’s expectations around internet safety and etiquette. We are very fortunate to have her explain some very complicated and important issues regarding internet use. The students learned about the importance of not opening emails from unknown senders, never to download videos or files unless asked by a parent or teacher and never to post hurtful comments. They had the opportunity to discuss different scenarios with each other and Ms. Birdsall. The students had many great ideas! The students also learned about the importance of internet etiquette, or “netiquette”, as we call it. This means that we always adhere to proper manners, grammar and polite words when we are on computers or using our MP3 players. Please ask your child to explain more and please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. The students and I are very excited about the Team-wide discussion that is happening now because we are going to create a visual representation, a mural, for our school computer lab. The students will use various forms of technology and show, through pictures and words, what they can do to be “Safe, Kind, and Responsible” online. Ms. Birdsall also challenged us to create a book on the subject and I know we are up for the challenge! Please discuss internet safety and internet options with your child at home.
Our 100th day is this week and this very special day is filled with activities related to the number 100. As many teachers at our school will be attending Math Studio Training that day, we have asked the students to keep their 100th Day projects in school so we can share them on Friday. Thank you for understanding.
More will, of course, follow as more projects arrive in our classroom.
Monday is Valentine’s Day. The students will hand out their cards and small treats in our classroom and enjoy a small celebration at the end of the day. If you wish to bring in a treat for our classroom, please send me an email so I know what we have. Thank you. Please also remember to bring in enough small treats for all students in class if your child wishes to share Valentine’s with his/her friends.
Please check out our updated Science page on our Digital Portfolio with podcasts, links and pictures of what Team Harmony students do during our Moon and Sky lessons. Click here to access directly.
I hope you have a great rest of the week.
Regards,
Maria McCormack
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Weekly Update
Dear Families,
I hope you are all staying warm and safe in this snowy weather we are having this week! More snow certainly makes winter sports more fun, but the roads can be very treacherous and shoveling is no fun.
Last week, Team Harmony visited the Flynn Theater to see “Seussical: The Musical”. The students have published their reviews of this show in a book entitled “The Allen Brook Magic School Bus goes to the Flynn.” Please visit our classroom to see our printed copy. Otherwise, please go to our Digital Portfolio for an online version. (Click here to access directly). In addition to sharing our thoughts about the show, this latest publication also reflects our new focus in Writer’s Workshop. The students are currently learning about content writing with a constructed focus. They are encouraged to write on an assigned topic, with a clear introduction, followed by three supporting details and conclusion. They are doing very well, and we look forward to sharing more of these writing pieces soon.
Next week, on Wednesday February 9th, we will celebrate our 100th day of school. Your child is encouraged to complete a “100 Day Project” at home to bring into school to share. This project is voluntary but if your child wishes to create something to show the number 100 in creative ways, we would love to see it. In the past, students have created arrays of 100 cheerios, cotton balls, or legos. Students have also written 100 words they know how to spell. Be creative and please encourage your child to look at our first 100 days together in new ways. Perhaps you can even integrate technology?
As we integrate more technology into our lives, not just in school but also at home, it is very important to have daily conversations about internet safety and expectations with your child. We have many of these discussions in school, but please encourage your child to start this dialogue with you at home as well. Bonnie Birdsall, our Technology Specialist, will visit Team Harmony shortly and speak to all students about the importance of following our school expectations “Being Safe, Kind, and Responsible” on the computers and MP3 Players as well. Having access to email, KidBlog, MP3 Players and google docs is a privilege. Let’s make sure our students use it safely and appropriately. If you have any questions, please feel free and contact me anytime.
I hope you all received our letter regarding our upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration on the 14th of February. We are having a small celebration inside our classroom and your child may bring in cards/small treats to his/her friends in class. Please make sure all students in our classroom receives one if your child decides to bring in treats. I will attach the letter again this week, in case you did not receive it last week.
Have a great rest of the week.
Regards,
Maria McCormack
I hope you are all staying warm and safe in this snowy weather we are having this week! More snow certainly makes winter sports more fun, but the roads can be very treacherous and shoveling is no fun.
Last week, Team Harmony visited the Flynn Theater to see “Seussical: The Musical”. The students have published their reviews of this show in a book entitled “The Allen Brook Magic School Bus goes to the Flynn.” Please visit our classroom to see our printed copy. Otherwise, please go to our Digital Portfolio for an online version. (Click here to access directly). In addition to sharing our thoughts about the show, this latest publication also reflects our new focus in Writer’s Workshop. The students are currently learning about content writing with a constructed focus. They are encouraged to write on an assigned topic, with a clear introduction, followed by three supporting details and conclusion. They are doing very well, and we look forward to sharing more of these writing pieces soon.
Next week, on Wednesday February 9th, we will celebrate our 100th day of school. Your child is encouraged to complete a “100 Day Project” at home to bring into school to share. This project is voluntary but if your child wishes to create something to show the number 100 in creative ways, we would love to see it. In the past, students have created arrays of 100 cheerios, cotton balls, or legos. Students have also written 100 words they know how to spell. Be creative and please encourage your child to look at our first 100 days together in new ways. Perhaps you can even integrate technology?
As we integrate more technology into our lives, not just in school but also at home, it is very important to have daily conversations about internet safety and expectations with your child. We have many of these discussions in school, but please encourage your child to start this dialogue with you at home as well. Bonnie Birdsall, our Technology Specialist, will visit Team Harmony shortly and speak to all students about the importance of following our school expectations “Being Safe, Kind, and Responsible” on the computers and MP3 Players as well. Having access to email, KidBlog, MP3 Players and google docs is a privilege. Let’s make sure our students use it safely and appropriately. If you have any questions, please feel free and contact me anytime.
I hope you all received our letter regarding our upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration on the 14th of February. We are having a small celebration inside our classroom and your child may bring in cards/small treats to his/her friends in class. Please make sure all students in our classroom receives one if your child decides to bring in treats. I will attach the letter again this week, in case you did not receive it last week.
Have a great rest of the week.
Regards,
Maria McCormack
Book Responses: Dr. Seuss
Please visit our Digital Portfolio for our latest book responses using technology.
The students show their thinking about books on space using different digital tools.
Click here to access our Digital Portfolio directly.
The students show their thinking about books on space using different digital tools.
Click here to access our Digital Portfolio directly.
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