New StoryJumper Publication

The students created a narrative story together as an interactive writing project in our classroom. We studied "trouble stories", stories that have problems and solutions with characters and settings. While the students learned about these stories, they also learned about 3rd person narratives. These stories are told from another person's perspective, not our own. For context, the students also participated in an author study, learning about the books written by Jan Brett. Her books provided a framework for us as we developed our own story called "Sara's Backpack". Please enjoy this book. We only have it online at this point, but we would love to have it in hardcover one day so we can share it with other classes at our school.
As you read the story, challenge yourself to see the story elements from Jan Brett's books. Have fun! Click here to read the book (if the link does not work, copy and paste this url into your browser http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/4321862/VTStudent1

Weekly Update

Dear Families,
Our Iditarod Reading Race is over. The students did an amazing job, reading and writing throughout this race. As you know we followed real mushers in Alaska as we read our own books, reaching check-points along the Iditarod trail. Thank you for all of your support at home. I hope you witnessed the growth of your child's ability to write thoughtfully about the books read.
The students finished a Voicethread on the Iditarod Reading Race. It is here for you to see. Thank you. We hope to invite other classrooms from our team, who also participated in this reading celebration.


Regular reading logs resume next week (they are still inside your child's homework folder). Some children, however, have asked if they can continue using the Iditarod Reading Logs. Of course they can, but they will no longer count towards the Reading Race. Your child can print any reading log on our wiki, if he/she chooses. I have also adapted the Iditarod Reading Log to say Ocean Reading Log. The title of it changed; otherwise it is identical to the Iditarod reading log. You can find them all linked on the wiki, under printables. WOW, I am so impressed with these young learners!

Our new science unit started this week. As discussed in earlier posts, we will study the ocean for the next few weeks. The students will rotate through different workshops provided by the teachers on Team Harmony. In Ms. Crowley's class, teh students will learn about the food webs. In Mrs. Thyng's class, the students will learn about the layers of the ocean, and in Ms. Munt's class, the students will investigate the geography of the oceans of the world. In my workshop, entitled "What harms the ocean?", the students will explore how over-fishing, garbage & pollution and run-off all contribute to the harmful effects we see in our oceans today. We are very excited about the opportunity to learn alongside our team-mates once again. In addition to participating in these workshops, the students will also write an animal report. We will give you more information about these when we get closer. All the writing will take place in school.

The students on Team Harmony participated in yet another wonderful 4 Winds class earlier this week. We learned about woodland deer and had the opportunity to examine hooves, jaws, and teeth a little closer. It was very interesting and the students learned a lot. They even had the opportunity to see how high and how far a deer can jump by using yarn. Amazing! Pictures will be posted shortly.

Thank you for signing up on our parent-teacher conference wiki already. It is linked in this blog's sidebar. If you have not yet signed up, please do so as the slots are filling up soon. Let me know if you need other times. I am happy to make other arrangements with you and your family. I am very excited about sharing your child's learning again.

Thanks for all of your support in your child's education.
Have a great weekend.
Maria

Weekly Update

Dear Families,
Isn't this weather gorgeous? Spring finally arrived according to our calendars earlier this week, on March 20th to be exact, but the temperatures outside make us think that summer already came! It is great to see the students' enthusiasm as they share their stories about all the outdoor fun they participate in at school during recess, but also at home after school.
Although the weather is getting warmer in Vermont, we are still "following" our mushers in Alaska's Iditarod Race. The reading race will last until next Thursday. All reading logs need to be handed in prior to that date to count towards the goal of reaching Nome.
We had a very special presentation in our class this week. Ms. Terese, who works on our team, joined our class and shared about her experiences living for one summer in Alaska. We learned so much from Ms. Terese. We learned that while Ms. Terese lived in Alaska, she worked at a fishery, flew a plane, and one time when she hiked some trails, she and her friends stumbled upon grizzly bears. The pictures were amazing.
Thank you Ms. Terese for sharing your experiences in Alaska with us. Here is a picture of her flying her plane!


This week, the students continued their Red Clover Books and explorations with various reading responses. It is great to read books with students from all over the school. The students will vote soon.

Team Harmont will start our new science unit next week. Our next study will be of the oceans. The teachers will, once again, offer different science workshops and the students will be mixed with kids from the entire team as they learn about the ocean together. I will offer a workshop around the essential question: "What harms the ocean?" The students will explore pollution, over-fishing and run-off in three different stations, using their scientific inquiry skills. In this unit, the students will also learn about the geography of the oceans, the layers of the oceans and the different food webs of the oceans. All students will also learn to write an animal report, which we will officially present at our reading restaurant later this year.

In preparation of our nonfiction study of ocean animals, three students from Ms. Crowley's class visited our class this week to teach my students how to begin writing non-fiction writing pieces. In our classrooms, the students are writing "All About" books. Rather than researching and reading and finding information, the students start writing about topics they already know a lot about. For example, some students wrote about swimming. As they take swim lessons, they could write extensively about different strokes, the clothes you wear, and where you go, for example. Another student wrote is learning to play the guitar, so she decided to write about different types of guitars and the equipment you need, The topics are varied but all filled with terrific details. I hope you get an opportunity to ask your child about this writing unit at home.

The students all finished their letters to our new penpals in Costa Rica. I will take them home this weekend and type them up as we will share them electronically. The students also drew pictures, which we will photograph. We would also like to send our pictures along with these letters so if you did not respond and let me know if your child's picture can be included, can you please let me know. Thank you.

Have a great weekend.
Regards,
Maria

Updated Podcasting Library

Please check out our newly updated podcasting library with audio files of letters to the characters "Henry & Mudge" recorded by our students. The characters Henry and Mudge were created by the author Cynthia Rylant. Click here.

Weekly Update

Dear Families,
It is so great to be back. I hope everybody had a terrific winter break. The students had great stories to tell about adventures and special trips.
This week, we started our Iditarod Reading race. I hope you all received the information before the break. If not please click here to access our wiki, where you can print your own letters of information and reading logs.
To clarify, the Iditarod reading log replaces our traditional reading logs for the week. The students are expected to write 3 reading entries per week, only they will turn in the Iditarod Reading logs instead of the one found inside the homework folder. The students advance in the Iditarod race by completing reading logs that are neatly written and detailed. We wish for the students to include their thinking in their responses by writing about why something was their favorite part of the bookm, or why something was important in the book. Additionally, the students are encouraged to read books that are "just right" for them. Please let me know if you have any questions on this. I am happy to help clarify and explain this reading race.
I am so impressed with the number of logs I have received so far! WOW, what a class of readers. Many children are already ahead of their mushers!!! Some students have already passed the half-way point and earned a reading certificate. I am so proud of their hard work. Thank you for supporting this at home and keeping us all motivated.
Don't forget to access www.iditarod.com to check at your child's musher from home. Also, Netflix has a terrific documentary on the race, and we have watched a couple of episodes from school. We are also reading a new chapter book about Balto. Ask your child to explain who Balto was.
Your child came home with brand new Thursday folders this week. I hope you saw them and unpacked all the materials inside. This week, your child brought home many new pamphlets on different school-related activities and initiatives. For example, we are participating in a basket-raffle. To encourage our students to make responsible choices and return the Thursday folders on Fridays, I have a treasure box in our classroom, from which they can choose a prize if the folder is returned on time (ie, the next day, Friday, empty). I have also stressed to the children that it is their responsibility, not the parents', to pack them. We hope to see many more Thursday folders returned next Friday!

I hope you have a great weekend,
Maria

This week

This post was written by Alexis:
This week me and my class went to the computer lab and went on Google Earth.I zoomed in and out. When I zoomed out I saw trees and a lake and houses. We are getting pen pals in Costa Rica.