A Very Busy Winter

Happy Spring everyone!   We have been working very hard throughout the winter!  

As writing is this year's school wide initiative, our students have been spending a lot of time responding to writing prompts with text-based evidence.

   

According to research from Grant Wiggins, feedback on student work is critical to improvement.  Our students have become very savy at analyzing one another's writing, and providing "hot" and "cold" feedback. 

 Below you can see students engaging in peer editing.   

Here the students are working with a Journeys text.

Some of our students chose to enter a ClassDojo contest to design the next ClassDojo avatar.  An underlying theme in the classroom has been the idea of a growth mindset.  We believe that intelligence is not inherent, but something that can be acquired each and every day.  Mistakes are not viewed as failure, but as opportunities to improve.  Below you can see some examples of artwork, which has been improved upon through trial and error! 

We have just closed our unit on plant development.  It was interesting for the students to observe the plants' cycle of life from seed, to mature plant, and after cross-pollination, back to seeds again.
Below you see an integration of art and science, as the children construct models of bees and crucifers.

As the State Assessments begin next week, I am confident that our students will perform very well.  I have watched them improve and absolutely blossom before my very eyes.  I am so proud of their accomplishments.
Before we take any test, I always remind them that I don't need to wish them "good luck".  Luck is not the reason for their success, but all the time and hard work that they have put in throughout our days together.

 As always, please reach out if you would like to have a conversation.  Have a wonderful Spring season!