Collecting Fall Words

Our students are thinking about words- words that describe autumn, words that connect to create interesting phrases, and words that start with the same sounds strung together to form fun phrases. For the past week the library has been all about fall with the younger grades.

This was kicked off by the book Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farina. In this story a young fox searches through the forest, looking for something to collect. Just as Lawrence, the young fox, decides to collect leaves, we are collecting fall words and then capturing them on leaves.

First graders generated fall words and decorated their leaves. These leaves will be used to decorate the classroom and also the students will have the opportunity to practice their ABC order using the leaves. We will further be using the leaves as a word wall to help us with any of our fall writing.

Second graders really surprised me with their knowledge of alliteration, and they stretched themselves to create fall alliterations. We modeled this first and then invited students to create their own. As with any skill, some students needed extra support with this skill. We will use these leaves as well to decorate the class, and hopefully grow some fall poetry inspiration.

Deep Thinking About Characters in Third Grade

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson was the first mentor book read aloud with third grade students during reading workshop. Each students had a copy of the book in hand as they listened carefully to the story while following along in their own text. Students thought about the feelings and traits of the main character, discussing their ideas with a partner and with the whole group. We also talked about the main idea or theme of the book.

In the book, Chloe is unkind to a new girl in the class , Maya, who arrives wearing clothes and shoes that look worn out. Despite Maya's attempts to become friends, Chloe and her friends reject her based on her appearance. On a day when Maya is absent, the teacher presents a lesson about kindness. Chloe is changed when she hears from her teacher, "This is what kindness does. Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world."

Chloe reflects on this and decides to show Maya kindness the next time she sees her. Unfortunately Chloe does not return to school, her family moves away. At the end of the book the reader finds Chloe thinking,  "I watched the water ripple as the sun set through the maples and the chance of a kindness with Maya becoming more and more forever gone."

Third graders are finding that books this year contain big, complex ideas that lend themselves to deep thinking. The chapter books Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by our October visiting author,  Angela Dominguez and The Carver Chronicles: The New Kid by Karen English are the current mentor books in third grade. Students are applying the strategies learned during the reading of these books to their own reading.

Teddy Bear Glyphs

The second grade students have loved being immersed in everything teddy bear related in these first few weeks of school.  This included math work when every student made a teddy bear glyph that conveyed information about them, including eye color, birth month, family members and more! After each glyph was complete, the students worked in groups to gather the data and created bar graphs that represented all the second grade information.  Check out these bears that are now hanging in the hallway to learn more about each individual student as well as the entire second grade!

Third Grade Learning Takes Off!

            Third graders began their year-long study of China in style this week, chartering a plane through the Abington Friendly Skies airline from Philadelphia to Beijing!  Prior to the flight, our first task was to make our own passports so that we could get ready to travel and learn all that we could together.  Students listened attentively to their pilots Jeanne and Felix as we reviewed procedures for safety and take off.  Soon we were flying over the Pacific ocean and on our way to China.

We had a special flight path flying past beautiful terraced rice paddies, karst mountains, three-story pagodas and winding rivers in central China.  Then, we ducked through Shanghai to see some of the most famous and tallest skyscrapers in the world.  The captains took a brief break from flying at this point and let auto-pilot take over as they passed out snacks and beverages for all passengers to enjoy.  Through the miracle of technology (and a bit of imagination), our normal 20 hour flight took only 20 minutes!  After we disembarked the plane and had our passports stamped, we were ready for our journey into China.  We can’t wait to learn all about this amazing country!

Students Generated Arrangements of a multi-layered rhythmic chant!

Fourth graders learned about layering different rhythms on top of one another to create a cool piece of music. The chant "Roberta" has several contrasting rhythmic parts that accompany the main chant. These accompanying parts are short repeated patterns also known as the ostinato. Students learn how to say, clap and ultimately, play each part on an instrument, playing simultaneously to begin to understand the experience of being in an ensemble or musical group. 

After learning to say and play that chant and the ostinati as a group, students were put into small ensembles. They were asked to create their own arrangement of the piece. They chose their own un-tuned percussion instruments for each part. They chose what elements they wanted to add, including new rhythmic material, movement, and improvisation. What resulted were creative and fun new arrangements of the original chant. 

Check-out their great work below!

Settling into Math

First grade math begins with reestablishing fundamental principles of number sense in order to build a solid foundation for our more in-depth work throughout the year. We have been recognizing, counting and writing numbers to ten in a variety of ways.  We played Number Match to group sets of cards with numerals, picture sets and number words together.  We use our calendar, 100s chart and ten frames everyday to count, compare and problem solve about numbers.  We also notice sequencing and patterns as we add new numbers each day.  As the students respond to and ask questions about our number work they are discovering that there are many ways to solve problems and strategies to use to understand new and changing concepts.

                                       Comparing numbers with a graph and animal counters.

The students have been comparing numbers and sets as well, using the terminology greater than, fewer than and the same as to express what they are noticing. For many, greater than and fewer than have been tricky to keep straight and find using more than and less than more familiar. A fun game that is already being requested to play is Hi/Lo.  It is comparable to a game many knew in the past as, War, but can be played with the higher card taking the hand or the lower card taking the hand.  It has been a wonderful way for the students to practice number comparison.

                                                     A favorite game already, Hi/Lo!

We have had opportunities for several dice games which are a great way for students to develop a visual concept of the numbers one through six.  As they practice with dice, the visual pattern of each number becomes recognizable and can be applied to sets and picture sets so that students can visually determine an amount quickly and without having to count.  Games are a fabulous way to help students practice and solidify number sense in fun and meaningful ways.

                                               Dice Racing helps establish visual patterns!

Our most recent project was to think about how we use numbers in our lives.  The students created a puzzle like frame for a portrait that was made using sentences about their specific numbers.  Some of these included their age, how many people in their family, their shoe size or the number of pets that they have. Their portraits are vividly displayed outside the first grade classrooms.  Stop by and take a look!  'Count' on being amazed! The students are growing as mathematicians every singe day!

Fourth Grade Journaling Observations

What could be more compelling to a 4th grader than to be given a small pocket notebook by their teacher to record observations about the world around them? Our students were quite excited to receive them and put them to use. We asked them to pause for a moment in their busy lives to stop and look around. We have had extraordinary weather of late and took the opportunity to travel around our campus to sit and observe the world happening around us. We asked what happens when you look at the same thing for five minutes? What details do you see that you missed with a glance? We found ourselves down by the creek looking at water striders and listening to the gurgle of the water. 

Another time we lazed around on blankets on the quadrangle and looked up at the sky examining clouds and swaying tree branches and the errant monarch. The students are paying attention to detail and recording it all in their notebooks. This exercise is built into our creative writing program to help students grow and enhance their descriptive writing abilities. We will be introducing simile and metaphor and other forms of figurative language over the next few months but one must be able to write what they see before they learn to compare it. By the end of the year, their notebooks will be filled with wonderful details that will support them in their fiction writing unit.

Kindergarten’s First Field Trip!

We have begun the year by studying our 5 senses in Kindergarten.  Last Wednesday, we rode the big yellow school bus to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education to enjoy their  Sensory Nature Ramble program.  It was a picture perfect day, and the students were excited and engaged the entire time.  We begin the year with a study of the senses to help the children cultivate attention. When we wield our attention with more intention, we become better able to self-regulate emotionally and physically.  We also improve our ability to learn.  Combining fun with attention to sensory input results in effective and meaningful learning experiences.  The joy our students bring to our community is truly inspiring.  Here are some highlights from our trip.

Looking for insects

While walking in silence, and listening to the forest, we came upon a deer!

                                                               What does it feel like?

“We are going on a real yellow school bus!!!”

Join the Lower School Book Club for Adults

Join us for our next Lower School Book Club for adults led by Ann Botel-Barnard, our Language Arts Specialist. We are excited to come together to share a love for a great story!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Location: Lower School Library from 8-9am

Date: October 4, 2019

Enjoy a light breakfast and great conversation as we discuss what we loved about the book, what we had questions about and what we could connect to. Feel free to join us even if you have not read the entire book. You will still have a lot to contribute and the discussion will enhance your reading of the book. You are welcome to bring adult friends and relatives that are also interested in discussing this book. 
RSVP: abotel-barnard@abingtonfriends.net

Second Grade: Teddy Bear Sewing

The second grade tradition of creating hand-sewn teddy bears began more than 20 years ago! The inspiration comes from our first chapter book read aloud, The Teddy Bear Tree by Barbara Dillon.  This project is a wonderful way to begin the year as we get to know the children and their families.

Just last week, this year’s class created their bears!  First, students chose the color felt they wanted to use to make their new friend.  Then came the job of tracing and cutting the bear shape and choosing buttons for eyes and a nose. On Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings, family members and resource teachers joined us to help with the sewing and stuffing of the bears.  Throughout the process there have been animated conversations between children and adults about potential names and possible activities with their new stuffed friends. 

Later this week, the bears will go home for a weekend visit, and their owners will record the adventures they have together in words and pictures.  This will lead to a more extensive writing project in the coming days.  Be on the lookout for the bears to make an appearance soon outside the library!