There's more snow outside today than there has been all winter. Fickle New England weather. Yet the mile winter has made daily travel easier and we have rarely had to cancel recess or school all winter long; that's been positive. Hopefully we'll have one of those true springs this year; the kind that's sunny, cool, and bright most every day. We had one of those a few years ago and it was awesome.
No matter what the weather, we try to create a teaching/learning program that creates warmth, enthusiasm, engagement, teamwork, and fun--the type of program that keeps students coming to school each day and the kind of program that teaches well too.
As I focus on the big picture today, I'm thinking about all that we're promoting in the days, weeks, and months ahead as well as what we might work on more and promote in the future. When you look at the list below, you'll realize that it's a full schedule for the total of about three months ahead.
Math Expectations
There's a lot of expected learning standards in math and we continue to chip away at those standard-by-standard.
Math Tech
There's expectations that students will complete Symphony Math which I believe is an awesome tool for visual learning. We're making the time to meet that goal. We have a host of other online tools we use too to boost math skill and practice.
Computational Thinking and Fractions
I'll be embedding a state-supported standards-based computational thinking/fractions unit into the curriculum guided by a state sponsored professional learning endeavor.
Science Rotations
Students rotate from class to class to engage in hands-on exploration of physical, life, and Earth science standards. We use a team approach, and it's a favorite study time for students.
Climate Change Projects and Environmental Education
We're working with the support of a SUASCO grant to teach children about the science of climate change, foster student-driven climate change projects, and learn the science and engage in stewardship of the local habitat. Students, many families, educators, and community members are enthusiastic about this work. Our upcoming Great Meadows hike is a signature piece of this overall project.
March Madness Reading
Students are reading and voting on a number of great read alouds throughout March. This is creating a lot of good book talk throughout the school.
Fifth Grade Play
Our wonderful music teacher leads all fifth graders in a fifth grade play where every child plays an important part. This musical provides children with the opportunity to speak, sing, act, dance, and more on stage as they entertain the whole school and their family members. It's a great chance for students to try-out what it's like to be in a play to see if they want to continue to perform in our school system's wonderful musical and theater program.
STEAM Projects
We have three essentially survival STEAM projects ahead including the plant packets, water filters, and solar oven projects. Again students love working on these projects, and when we give it a survival theme they love it even more. The recent story about the two girls who survived being lost in the wilderness is a source of inspiration for our work in this area.
Biography Global Changemakers Project
Students will step into the lives of global changemakers as they research, writer interviews, create costumes, practice presentations, illustrate portraits, and more to eventually present a human timeline of extraordinary inspiring people throughout time.
MCAS Tests
These tests and the practice sessions that go with it last for about 8-10 days altogether. Students are tested in ELA, math, and science.
Boston Walking Tour
Student review social studies standards related to the Revolutionary War and then do a walking tour of Boston guided by a descendent of Paul Revere who weaves historic stories and the many historic sights together for an engaging 5 mile walk throughout Boston.
Global Cardboard Challenge
At the end of the year we clean out the cupboards, collect cardboard, and let children use the materials to create cardboard arcade games. Then we have an outdoor arcade that's open to the entire school. Students throughout the school enjoy this project. It's lots of fun and a great way for children to synthesize their STEAMwork and enjoy the final days of school.
Middle School Visits and Family Night
Since our students will be moving on to the Middle School, they'll have the chance to visit and the sixth grade teachers will also visit us to talk about the upcoming change. There's also a night for families to visit the Middle School and learn all about the programs ahead.
Buddies
We'll continue to read to and learn with our kindergarten and first grade buddies.
Science Recess
At the end of the year, some recesses will morph into science recesses when students are able to explore with bubbles and more.
Fifth Grade Fun Day
Fifth Graders spend the final day of school at the high school where they have the chance to play, create, sign yearbooks, and relax in the field house, on the sports fields, and on the grassy fields.
Fifth Grade Memory Book Day
Fifth graders each get a Memory Book that the parents put together. It's a terrific book that they use for autographs on the final days of school.
School Picnic
This year's school picnic will include a special tribute to the school's principal who is retiring this year.
Parent-Sponsored Fifth Grade Events
The parents sponsor a number of special events to mark the fifth graders final year at elementary school.
Continued All Drop and Read Time
We'll continue to make lots of time for in-school reading particularly since many families lament that busy schedules outside of school don't make time for this important focus.
As I look at the lengthy list above and think about all we've done throughout the school year, I'd say the only area that I think we're missing is the inclusion of video games. I'd like to include this at school because I know some students are engaging a lot with this at home and others aren't engaging with this at all. Some of the at-home gaming is positive and some may not be as positive. To include this as a learning venue in school means that this valuable vehicle for learning would be talked about and learned in broader and more inclusive ways. Students who love to game would have a vehicle for learning that they enjoy during the school day. Platforms like Minecraft also fully bring children into the world of 3D modeling which is so critical to their later understanding of the kinds of data visualization they'll work with in almost any field.
