Friday Musings: A Terrific First Week of School

The first week of school was terrific!

Despite the grueling temperatures, the students, teachers, and parents worked together to make it a wonderful week.

Thanks to one kind parent, we had a super cooler of very cold water in the class all week. Parents also donated fans to keep the humid air circulating. That helped a lot!

The children were eager and ready to learn and play.

Highlights included the following:

• Students eagerness to sign out books at the new book-stop before boarding busses.
• The student teachers' excellent multi-modal, hands-on lesson about human joints and muscles.
• Sharing favorite songs from The Greatest Showman.
• Reading James Printer, A Novel of Rebellion and learning all about the people and history of the 17th Century and, in particular, The King Philip's War.
• Super STEAM start with the notecard challenge.
• Discussing the history of people from the Big Bang to modern times and creating mathematical diagrams depicting that timeline.
• Discussing the fact that no prejudice of any kind is allowed in our classroom, and watching a related video.
• Exploring the class website.
• Taking a couple of math assessments.
• Recess and to the great pleasure of many, the new gaga ball pit.
• Beautiful new tables and cabinets making the learning space more modern and collaborative.
• A wonderful Curriculum Night and our first newsletter.
• Sensational colleagues who worked together to make the week a big success. 
• New TeamFive Twitter site to share classroom highlights with the learning community. 

Truly, I don't think I've had a better first week of school!