General News
We had a really great week–the Gammas were on-task and focused and it made for a really smooth week, even with Ms. Ansley out a few days (We hope she had a great time at the wedding!) We did have a community meeting with Ms. Shari as a guest visitor to talk about the importance of inclusive language at AHB. (I sent you an email with more details this morning, just to be sure that parents are in the loop directly from the horse’s mouth, as they say!)
ELA Update
We started the week off with another lively discussion! We’re reaching the climax of our book and our focus has been on character development and transformation. You might have noticed that many of their response questions analyze character actions and responses to events of the book. This is intentional as we build towards a project analyzing our favorite character from the book. On Tuesday we introduced our writing project for the week: a persuasive essay on the Patriots vs. Loyalist conflict. We used graphic organizers to help format the piece. We took time to read and analyze several articles exploring the Patriot vs. Loyalist conflict from different perspectives before choosing a side (or to remain neutral). We considered the conflict from the perspective of merchants, farmers, enslaved people, and Native Americans. By the end of the week, each Gamma created at least a 6 sentence paragraph backing their opinion.
Math Update
Math was a dream this week! Both groups demonstrated marvelous grit while learning new (challenging!) skills. Year 1 kids learned and practiced the standard algorithm for 2×2 digit multiplication. This one is always a little steep at first, but the kids showed lovely stamina and kept positive even when stuck. We ended the week with a “Resort Report” where kids could design their own hotel (using multiplication to “outfit” the rooms.) They were so creative and eager! Teacher paradise! Year 2 kids also knocked it out of the part this week: we continue practicing the standard algorithm for multiplication with decimals but are now combining that with the different skill of adding/subtracting decimals. I like to present them at the same time so kids can notice the contrasting solving methods. They are doing fabulous! At week’s end, I unleashed an advanced “Riddle Race”–order of operations with decimal operations–and wondered if the kids would want to karate chop me due to the difficulty level. Instead, they turned into amazing math machines and their stamina was so impressive I insisted Ms. Shari come take a peek at their accomplishments. It was a really awesome week!
Theme Update
On Monday we finished up our Rights of a Child illustrations for the hallway and used the But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids podcast to answer the question “Who makes the laws” and learned that Congress and elected representatives play an important role in making laws in the United States. Next, we began exploring the make-up and responsibilities of the three branches of government. The kids were grouped in “reading circles” to explore a mini-book about the topic and then they took their maiden voyage into Google classroom to complete an electronic partner activity. (Kids had the choice between two different activities there. We’ve been offering lots of choice in theme lately to help them develop a sense of their preferred learning style) Next week, we’ll use that exploration/research to “apply” for one of the branches of government.
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