Writer's Workshop: Personal Narratives

In writer’s workshop, we are learning how to write effective personal narratives. We began with a review of the elements of the personal narrative genre. We have learned some new craft moves, which a writer can use to make their narrative more effective. So far, we have learned to ensure our stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end. As well, we have learned how to make effective beginnings through the use of dialogue, action sentences, and sound words. 

Check out the video below to hear a little more about our personal narrative unit from two of our experts! 

Our First Full Week of School!

Our first and second graders are nearly finished their first full week of school! We are beginning to become familiar with our classroom routines and expectations. Please see below some of the great activities, which we have completed!

The Dot - “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”

We shared a read aloud of The Dot by Peter Reynolds. In this realistic fiction story, the main character, Vashti, learns to be brave enough to try painting even though she believes she is not talented at drawing. We learned from Vashti that taking the first step and trying can lead to a journey where we discover and develop our talents. 

Our discussions focused on questions such as:

• How did Vashti feel about herself at the begging and end of the story?
• What did Vashti discover while painting dots?
• What made Vashti try something new?
• Why did Vashti’s teacher ask her to sign her name?
• What do you think happened after the boy signed his name?
• Have you ever felt like Vashti?
• What is something you would like to improve?
• What can we learn from Vashti? 

Wemberly Worried 

We also shared a read aloud of the book Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. In this story, the main character, Wemberly, is a worrier. She worries about a variety of different scenarios. Then she encounters the biggest worry of all - the first day of school. We discovered how Wemberly overcame her worries and had a great day at school! Students made text-to-self connections and identified times they also felt worried. 

Beautiful Oops!

Finally, we shared a read aloud of the book Beautiful Opps! by Barney Saltzberg. Through this book we learned that mistakes are opportunities. We learned that mistakes are not a negative experience  but an opportunity for learning and personal growth. 

Each child received a page which had a randomly drawn “mistake”. Their challenge was to make the mistake into something beautiful. Everyone rose to the challenge!

Click on the link to see how our first and second graders used their creativity to turn a mistake into something beautiful! 

Beautiful Oops! Photos

The First Day of School!

Our first and second graders had a wonderful first day of school! We spent the day participating in activities which supported us in establishing a warm and inclusive classroom environment. Please click on the link below to see some of our first day photos!

First Day Photos

End of Year Celebration!

Yesterday, we had our end of year celebration. Our students had the opportunity to celebrate a year’s worth of hard work with their parents. During the celebration we had a poetry reading and shared the contents of our portfolios. The students were very proud!

Click on the link below to see some photos from the event.

Photo Album

Writer’s Workshop: Fairy Tale Adaptations

We recently finished publishing our fairy tale adaptations! The children had a fantastic time putting their own twists on some of our favorite fairy tales. The fairytales have now been posted on the bulletin board in the hallway. Drop by and leave a comment for our authors! 

Watch the video below to see one of our first graders' adaptations. 

Science: Plants

We have finished our final science unit, Plants. Our students have learned about plant needs, plant parts, the plant life cycle, how plants make food, and how plants help to clean the air. We have also grown a number of plants while observing and recording their growth and changes. 

Next week, we will move on to our final social studies unit, Meeting Our Needs. This unit will focus on people’s wants and needs.  

Click on the link below to see some photos from our Plant unit. 

Plant Photos

Social Studies: Cultural Celebration

Last week, we held a cultural celebration as the culminating activity for our social studies unit “Who Are We?”. During the celebration, each child presented their photo essay, which shared how their traditions, celebrations, and culture has helped to make them who they are. As well, our parents made a traditional family recipe, which they brought to share. We had an amazing time sampling recipes and learning a little more about each other. Many thanks to the dedicated parents who made this event possible. The students were elated! 

Cultural Celebration Photos