February 28, 2014

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday to everyone on this last day of February - this definitely had to be the fastest month of the year so far between the snow days and vacation. I hope everyone had a wonderful week back filled with great learning experiences. It was a wonderful week for me to walk around and check out all the awesome things happening in our building - we definitely picked up where we left off! From reading workshop to developing conceptual understandings in math to celebrating the 100th Day of school, it was an amazing week - BRAVO! Finally, HAPPY MARCH to everyone! March means the beginning of spring and I don't know about you but I am totally READY!

One of the key ingredients to our success as a school is the incredibly awesome work of our dedicated, passionate and giving teacher aides! THANK YOU ALL because without you, Cantiague would be a totally different space! Thank you Amy, Ashley, Linda, Tara, Gillian, Alana, Mallory, Brittany, Casey, Rachel, Karen, Christina, Matt, Debbie, Jeanette, Terri, Daisy, Jackie and Katie - you are all AMAZING! When this school year started out, I was a bit concerned about some of our involved behavior problems (and there quite a few) but somehow, you have all relied on your patience, compassion and flexibility to meet with varied levels of success with each of your students. Whether it was an intense behavior plan or just helping to alleviate a child's anxiety, you have all gone above and beyond this year and I, for one, would be honored to have ANY of you working with Paul each day. BRAVO!   

Over the last week or so, as I walked around the building, I spotted these awesome things...

• WRITING, WRITING and more WRITING! Our kids have been immersed in some wonderful writing opportunities over the last week. Whether they were publishing poems or just free writing in their writer's notebooks, I have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of time we are giving children to write. Thank you for making that happen because writing is so directly connected to thinking so if we give our kids time to write, we are giving them the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills! Finally, as a different point of view, I was talking with Peter Catalanotto, an author, who said that instead of talking about beginning, middle and end in stories, we should just be focusing on a want, problem and solution because they are at the core of every written text... interesting perspective!

• Book Clubs are unfolding EVERYWHERE! From the primary grades all the way up through 5th grade, our kids are taking control of their literacy experiences and bringing their voice and ideas to the forefront of the discussion. I have watched kids take turns reading excerpts aloud; I have heard them discuss their personal connections to the text; and I have listened to them debate about the details in the text and how they impact the plot. Overall, this opportunity for us to relinquish control over the reading experience is an important one as they develop stamina and critical thinking skills!

• Finally, the various celebrations of the 100th Day of School were awesome and adorable. Whether our kindergarten students were taking 100 giant steps around the building or our kindergarteners were eating 100 different snacks or our 5th graders were reflecting on their lives as if they were 100 (loved their pics that were modified to look old) the 100th Day of School impacted so many of the children in different ways - LOVE IT!  

• In case you missed it, here is the Video Update of the Week featuring Jill's students - please show it to your class...

Tech Tip of the Week...

Check out this link spotlighting 3 apps kids could use to design creative animations - Educator's Technology!


SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, March 3

"B" Week
Happy World Language Week!
All LOGO Contest submissions are due today!

Tuesday, March 4

Faculty Enhancement Opportunity - 3PM in the Library!
Gr. 5 DNA Lab In-School Presentation

Wednesday, March 5

Middle School Articulation is happening all morning in the Faculty Room (may conflict w/ lunch periods so staff members may want to eat in the Conference Room)
Shared Decision Making Team - 3PM

Thursday, March 6

CST @ 1:20pm
FINAL Cultural Arts is happening today
Bake Sale

Friday, March 7

Happy TGIF!
Tony is out of the Building today presenting at LILAC!

Kids' Korner

So, while in the lunchroom on Wednesday, one of the kindergarteners came up to me and asked if I knew how to throw a frisbee. When I said yes, he produced the flat circular cap to his tupperware lunch container and asked me to show him. Well, before I knew it, there was a full on frisbee throwing experience unfolding in the lunchroom with kids diving to the ground to catch my throws. Needless to say, the adults trying to supervise the lunchroom were not that happy! LOL!  :)       

Pics of the Week...

Check out Cantiague's Week in Tweets - click on the following link to see our Pics of the Week...

WEEK IN TWEETS - FEBRUARY 28