May summer bring you time to enjoy the company of family and
friends. We hope you have time for adventure and relaxation.
We look forward to seeing you in September!
We look forward to seeing you in September!
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Fourth Grade Moving Up
At the end of the school year, the fourth grade was honored at a special "Moving Up" ceremony. As part of the ceremony, students and their families were treated to a slide show which depicted how much they have grown.
Here is the video from the Fourth Grade Moving Up ceremony .
Here is the video from the Fourth Grade Moving Up ceremony .
Cuarto (4º) grado culmina su estudio de comidas / Fourth (4th) grade culminates their food study
The fourth graders have amazed us all with their
hospitality skills. Their restaurant simulation as a culminating activity for
our lengthy study on comidas has been
a huge success!! The restaurant owner(s) and staff have wowed their clientes (customers) with mouth-watering
meals, delicious drinks, yummy desserts, amazing service, and in some instances
with dazzling entertainment. Here’s what the critics had to say:
If dining
and entertainment is what you are after, then the restaurant “Los
Tres Hombres / The Three Men” is the place to go. It is where one could
find the trio chef-and-owner team of Johnny, Jason and Oliver serving the most
mouth-watering donuts along with bottomless pretzels. It’s the
owner/chef-turned-to-dancer with the exquisite food that makes this restaurant
a must go to. As the patrons are served, one of the owners is seen dancing to
Los Hermanos Rosario’s, La Dueña del
Swing. ¡Experiencia fenomenal!
Independent
owner, Kieran, showcased his awesome hospitality skills during the grand
opening of “La Ensalada Dabbing / The
Dabbing Salad.” The winning plate was his delicious “col rizada / kale” for only $2.00. !Muy rico!
The
delicious aroma coming from “Los Novios de Verano / The Summer
Sweethearts” had everyone salivating. Owners Miranda and Maura worked
collaboratively as they served their customers the most mouth-watering brownie
and galletas de avena y pasas
(oatmeal raisin cookies). ¡Sabrosísimo!
“Habilidades
Profesionales / ProSkillz” gave
us the best of what our area can offer.
Owners Luc, Angela, and Timmy served up the best dishes including a tasty
“perro caliente / hot dog” for just
$5.00. But, the best selling item on the menu was definitely the “galletas dulce / cookies.” ¡Delicioso!
“La
Galaxia / The Galaxy” is the
place to go if you are in the mood for a great tasting dessert. Owners Maggie
and Kaitlyn received many compliments for their fresh tasting “malvaviscos con chocolate (chocolate
covered marshmallows) and “fresas
sumergidas con chocolate (chocolate dipped strawberries) for only $2.50
each. But, the best part of the experience was the delicious “batido de oreo (Oreo milkshake) for only
$3.00. ¡Maravilloso!
“La
Cocina / The Kitchen” was a great little spot to stop in and relax
while sipping on a “batido de banana y
fresa (banana and strawberry milkshake) or limonada. Owners Sophie,
Sarah, Amara and Aly provided amazing customer service and delightful desserts
such as their delicious house specialty “salsa,
guacamole chips.” The dishes were
not only tasty, but they were quite affordable too! ¡Asombro!
Cozy,
yummy and delicious are three words that describe Neil and Brandon’s eatery, “Casa
de alimentos Pro Bro / Pro Bro
Food House” Although few choices were offered on the menú, the dishes were outstanding which included staple favorites
like their famous “la barriga de eructos
de Neil y Brandon (Neil and Brandon’s belly burper)!” A must have! ¡Divino!
Owners and
chefs Drew, Orli, Gen and Marcellus aimed for a warm and cozy feeling when one
enters their restaurant, “El Café de la Máscara de la Cebra Kabuki de
Arco Iris / The Rainbow Zebra Kabuki Mask Cafe” and as the patrons
expressed, they accomplished their goal. Upon entering this pleasant eatery,
one can smell the amazing aroma coming from the kitchen. Although the menú lists other items, without question
the “nuggets de pollo (chicken
nuggets)” and “pizza de queso”
(cheese) were the most desired choices! Unlike other places, at this restaurant the customers are provided with the form of payment this establishment requires, their custom made currency. At the end of the day, they toasted to their well-earned
five stars ¡Asombroso!
“La
Sandía Café / The Watermelon Cafe” was another
scrumptious restaurant that could not be missed. Owners Hayden, Sofia and GK
delivered delightful goodies as they modeled beautifully the roles of both property owners and servers. Not only did the food taste good, but it looked good as well. These chefs really showed their creative side by carving a watermelon into a porcupine to hold their tasty “ensalada de fruta /
fruit salad." Customers just couldn’t get enough! ¡Magnífico!
Last minute arrangements with the zoning
department kept Matthias’ eatery, Bachata Merengue Café, from
opening on promised day. But, word has it that he will be ready for the grand
opening very, very soon. Although customers waiting in line to give this
restaurant a try were disappointed, many were heard saying that they will
gladly be back on opening day to feast on the popular Spanish dessert, leche frita (friend milk). ¡Qué rico!
Summer Literacy Resources
Read Aloud Tips
Reading to your child is one of the most important
activities you can do.
Choose books that will appeal to your child’s interests,
that have rich vocabulary, and that are a little bit harder than what your
child can read independently.
Emphasize certain words and vary your voice for more
dramatic read aloud sessions.
Encourage your child to make connections between the
read-aloud story and their own life.
Read a chunk of the story and ask your child open ended
questions. It is helpful to give your child a minute to think about the
question. This will encourage your child to think more deeply about the story.
Your questions can also help your child to elaborate and expand their ideas.
This same strategy is equally effective when you play audio books in the car
with your children. Stopping the audio book and having a brief discussion will
deepen your child’s comprehension.
When explaining the meaning of vocabulary, use a child
friendly definition. This kind of definition uses everyday language and
connects to how the word is used in the story.
Most importantly, treasure this time to read wonderful
children’s literature with your child.
Book Lists
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/summer/2017 (Ages three and up)
Audio Books: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncr
Independent Reading
Time
Summer is a great time for your child to seek out books that
reflect hobbies, summer outings and trips. This is a wonderful time for
children to read more books by favorite authors. Our school website will have a link created by our library
staff for summer reading resources and book lists.
Magazines are fun to read in the summer. Your local library
will have a number of children’s magazines to choose from. Some great
children’s magazines include: Click, Kids
Discover, New Moon, Ranger Rick, Stone Soup, Cricket, Cobblestone, Zoobooks
and Odyssey.
Set aside a daily time for your child to read. Scheduling in
family reading times are wonderful ways to model that everyone in the family
loves to read.
An independent book is one in which a child can read twenty
words in a row with only one error. Rereading a book is a perfect opportunity
for your child to further develop their reading fluency. Books that contain too
many difficult words can be read in a partnership with a parent or as a read
aloud.
When children need help reading a word, ask them to use
strategies that they have been practicing all year. This includes: using the
beginning consonant, vowel patterns, and reading to the end of the sentence and
then using context clues. They should ask themselves whether the word makes
sense in the sentence and if it looks like the word in print. If they still
need help, you can tell them the word.
It is helpful for a parent to have read some of your child’s
independent reading selections. They can then retell the story to you and
engage in a deeper discussion knowing that you have also read this book.
A packet was sent home for your Lower School child that will enable them to reinforce comprehension
and writing skills during the summer. The reading log will allow your child to
record the books they read during the summer and to feel satisfaction with
their reading accomplishments.
Writing about their summer reading books helps children to process their
thinking and deepens their comprehension. Included in this packet are pages for
the students to complete that will reinforce the reading strategies that have
been focused on this year. Your child's classroom teacher and I would love to review any reading logs that
the children would like to share with us at the beginning of the new school year. This
would be a wonderful opportunity for us to learn about the books that your
child has enjoyed during the summer.
Additional Literacy
Activities
·
A journal or scrapbook is a great vehicle for
your child to record summer memories. Photographs and illustrations can
accompany their writing.
·
Children can create their own graphic books
using characters from their readings, inventing new characters or using their
own adventures during the summer as the basis for their graphic story.
·
Creating a family newspaper can provide the
perfect opportunity to interview family members and friends.
·
Children can create posters for favorite movies
and books.
·
Writing letters to family and friends is another
way to encourage summer writing.
Children have loved writing poetry this year. Keeping a special journal
just for poetry that your child can take to the beach, on a walk in the woods
or sitting in a garden will encourage the poetic muse.
·
Your child can create lists for practical
purposes such as a list to organize the packing for a family vacation. As a
family, you can read books and travel brochures about and during your
vacation.
·
Reading aloud stories from a particular genre
can inspire your child to write in a similar genre.
Internet Sites
Reading and Writing
at Abington Friends Lower School
https://sites.google.com/s/0B3HTF0VV8cbSSjNIZHdUdWgtb1E/p/0B3HTF0VV8cbSeDBSWE1DVkp0Vms/edit
https://sites.google.com/s/0B3HTF0VV8cbSSjNIZHdUdWgtb1E/p/0B3HTF0VV8cbSeDBSWE1DVkp0Vms/edit
ReadWriteThink Printing Press from the National Council of
Teachers of English and the International Reading Association has tools online
for children to write newspapers, flyers, brochures and booklets. The web site is www.readwritethink.org
Additional web sites that promote literacy include: www.starfall.com. The games on this site
promote phonemic awareness and phonics. Children can listen to stories on line
at www.storylineonline.net. Three sites that your children can use
to research their interests are http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals,
https://www.pebblego.com/
and lastly www.enchantedlearning.com.
Scholastic web site offers students the opportunity to log
in their summer reading hours to win prizes. http://www.scholastic.com/summer.
Reading Apps Reviews and Links: https://turbofuture.com/cell-phones/reading-apps-for-kids
http://www.readbrightly.com/best-reading-apps-for-4-8-year-olds/
http://www.readingrockets.org/literacyapps
Library Summer
Reading Programs
All public libraries offer summer reading programs. Look on
the website for your local library and you will see an array of offerings. http://www.montcolibraries.org/ This
link will take you to the Montgomery County public library website and you can
then reach a link that will take you to your own public library and the summer
reading opportunities that are offered.
The Philadelphia public library link follows and explains their summer
reading opportunities. https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/summerreading/
Barnes and Noble offers summer reading opportunities as well
and the following link will take you to their website for their summer program.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/summer-reading/379003570/
Narración en 2º grado / Storytelling in 2nd grade
In connection with
second grade’s unit on Pourquoi Tales and Storytelling, the students were exposed to Spanish folktales and legends during la clase de español. Through Lulu
Delacre’s book, “Golden Tales”, the students were introduced to a variety of
“Myths, Legends, and Folktales from Latin America.” We heard the Taino myth, “How
the Sea Was Born”, a Zapotec myth, “How the Rainbow Was Born” and a few others.
We also read Alma Flor Ada’s story, “The Lizard and the Sun / La Lagartija y el Sol” which brought to
light why “all lizards like to lie in the sun.”
As an introduction
to storytelling, the students heard a comical story based on a
popular Cuban and Puerto Rican children’s tale of a little cockroach who, in
her journey of finding love, finds happiness and friendship. The title of this
fable is La Cucarachita Martina
(Martina the Little Cockroach). There are different versions, each more
hilarious than the next. First, we heard Daniel Moreton’s story, La Cucarachita Martina: A Caribbean Folktale.
In this story, Martina lives in a big city with lots of noises she does not
care for. Upon being awoken by a beautiful sound one night, she is determined
to discover the source and sets out to find it. Another version is the one
retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, Martina the
Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale. In this story, Martina’s abuela advises her to use la prueba del café (the coffee test) as she
interviews her suitors in order to decide whom to marry. And lastly, we
listened to Lucia M. Gonzalez’s version as she retells the story in the way it
was told to her as a child “in Cuba.” After reading this version, the second
graders watched as the teacher acted out the story... props and all! Hysterical!
Then, to help the students make a deeper engagement with the tale and exercise
their imagination, they got the chance to act out the story themselves. The students
had a ball performing as each acted out the parts of the humorous characters.
They were spectacular!
This entertaining activity
also helped prepare the second graders for their oral storytelling picnic event
coming soon where each will get the chance to tell their own tale. And, as an
additional support, we invited a professional storyteller to stop by and share
her wisdom and expertise on the art of storytelling. Catalina Ríos is a
phenomenal Storyteller, Spanish teacher, Translator, and Poet whom we had the
greatest honor to have visit and work with us. In small groups, Catalina held
four workshops with the students. To model the art, she began by sharing a Taino
tale about el dios Huracán (The Hurricane god). She told her story with much
enthusiasm and emotion, used gestures and engaged her audience by given them a
part in the telling of the story. Afterwards, she invited each student to tell
his or her story. Catalina listened and observed each as they shared their
story and when done, gave them feedback. What an amazing experience, advice
from an expert!
First Grade Author's Celebration and Breakfast
Thursday morning May 25th, first grade authors celebrated their writing with their families. Students practiced during the week reading their selections with expression while using a microphone.By the time the celebration began, all of the students felt confident and prepared. Families had an opportunity to listen to a poem selected by the students from a book of poetry collated from poems written by the students throughout their first grade year. Another piece shared during the formal presentation was a nonfiction selection written after researching one of there animals featured in fairy tales.
Students also shared their hero writing with their families and the rest of their poetry and animal research writing during the breakfast.
The foods eaten during the breakfast connected with the foods found in the fairy tales studied by the students during this project.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Kindergarten Nature Art and Bake Sale
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| Kindergarten Art and Bake Sale poster |
The kindergarten students wanted to return to the Elmwood Park Zoo but we were unable to with little time left in the school year. Our inspired, dedicated and passionate animal lovers then decided to Adopt-An-Animal at the Elmwood Park Zoo instead. To raise money to be "zoo parents," the class decided to hold a nature art and bake sale complete with music and ice pops too. After much discussion and debate, the students decided to "adopt" the otters at the zoo. If enough funds are raised, the extra money would go to to help the red pandas, another class favorite.
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| Beginning ideas for our coloring book pages |
Please stop by to buy and support our love for animals! Please also send in a few dollars for your student to buy from our Kindergarten Nature Art and Bake sale too. Thank you, thank you!!
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| A few of our coloring book pages |
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