May 2, 2014

Curriculum Connections...

Happy Friday friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful week. I know it was a crazy week for me between the state testing, CSE Meetings and everything in between. I felt like I was running around like a chicken without a head on most days this week. LOL! Worst part is, whenever the week is heavy on meetings, it means that I don't have a chance to be in your spaces and be learning aside our kids and watching your awesomeness. I think next week will be a much better one because there are less meetings (although we do have an FEO on Tuesday)! 

Special thank you to everyone, especially Joe P., for working so hard to get our munchkins prepared for the NYS Math Tests! I think our kids did an awesome job and that is because our math instruction goes above and beyond the Common Core and the state of New York. Thank you Joe for setting that bar so high and pushing our kids to think critically and reach for those deeper conceptual understandings - that is always our goal. 

So, this week I am going to try something a little different - I am going to share the #eduwins (its a Twitter thing) from our building! Now, an #eduwin may not be something I observed with my own eyes but it happened in our building and I heard about it (or saw it)...

• A book club group from the Levermans used iMovie to create an awesome book trailer with pictures, text and a perfect accompiament of music!

• Karina was able to facilitate a mock play date in the Learning Center for two boys that typically struggle to make any connections let alone have a play date!

• A group of 5th graders in Rande's had fun using Jenga pieces to create different structures - loved their out of the box thinking and the opportunity to create!

•  Second graders working in small groups to help create their own fractured fairy tales - that is tough stuff!

• 3rd graders blogging about what was happening with the seeds that they planted!

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

Tech Tip of the Week...

Here is the link to a site that explores how to use iPads in the classroom, with a focus on the upper grades- Resources for Using iPads!  


SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK... 

Monday, May 5

"B" Week
Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Tuesday, May 6

Faculty Enhancement Opportunity 
Happy Tuesday!

Wednesday, May 7

Kindergarten Orientation in Mandy's Room!
Gr. 3 & 4 Spring Concert - 7pm/8pm

Thursday, May 8

CST @ 1:20pm
Smencil Sale!

Friday, May 9

Happy TGIF!

Kids' Korner

During the state math test, the 5th grader I was testing in my office stopped and said, "Mr. Sinanis, this is the worst part of the school year - wasting our time taking tests that even some grown-ups cant do!" AMEN to that!        

Pics of the Week...

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

WEEK IN TWEETS