Dear Parents,
Fall is fully upon us and as the leaves dance to the ground, we are wrapping ourselves up in literature. The children are focused in their pursuit of weaving a rich, textured blanket of vocabulary. They nightly pluck words from their independent reading to proudly share in our morning book talks. I can literally hear their language grow. We are compiling a list in our room that includes words such as: assiduous, lucrative, vehemently, crestfallen etc. These words are beginning to creep into their spoken word and will eventually make their way into their writing.
We are gearing up for our second Publishing Party. The middle-schoolers are avid authors and literary critics. I have to beg them to put their writing away! Their stories show incredible attention to detail and a strong awareness of purpose and audience. They are effectively integrating their life experiences and keen observations into their work. Last Wednesday we ventured downtown to look at Charlottesville through author's eyes. We parked ourselves in the middle of the mall and sprawled out with our journals. We used the passing pedestrians as story starters and crafted character pieces. Afterwards, we perused the Chroma gallery where we used Lindsay Diamond's emotionally charged portraits as inspiration. We also played the interactive games to dig into shared experiences and compare perspectives. The children were so engaged we nearly missed our library time and had to race back for Chinese enrichment.
Our Social Studies Crime Scene Investigation came to shocking climax when the children discovered a new suspect in the case. Senora B bolted into our room seeking the source of the collective gasp she had heard from her office. We have been devouring primary and secondary accounts of the Starvation Time that took place in Jamestown in 1609-1610. We are documenting all of the information and discovering that the perspective of the writer can strongly influence your opinion. Coach Dave, with his legal expertise, is going to help the children shape a case. They will use their research to decide who was responsible for the starving time. They will have to back up their case with specific references to the literature. The case will be tried in the next two weeks. On December 9th, our class, along with the Sun Bear class, will visit Jamestown to participate in a comparative cultures experience. They will examine early colonial life from three perspectives; the Powhatan, the settlers and the Western Africans. Afterwards we are hoping to visit Williamsburg.
Ms. Annelise is leading the middle-schoolers through an intensive study of number theory. They are identifying and dissecting prime numbers and are understanding relationships between numbers. They are also practicing prime factorization through games, discussions and problem solving. Their post test on decimals revealed a firm understanding. Those mastered concepts will be repeatedly spiraled into new material.
In early December, our classification experts, led by Ms. Lockwood, will be showcasing their knowledge of the five kingdoms at our very own Classification Museum. All bears and interested parents will be invited to participate in this hands on learning experience. Highlighted exhibits will include photographs, literature and models that demonstrate their understanding of the five kingdoms. The middle-schoolers are also creating interactive games designed to teach the new learners that visit our museum. The children are inventing their own animals that combine traits from mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds. They are writing a scientific description of their animal which will include the habitat, physical characteristics, adaptations, food source and reason for their survival. The writing serves as a review and also offers an opportunity to weave in new scientific understanding.
Your children continue to impress me with their thirst for knowledge and understanding. They recently shared their unique middle school experience with a student visitor. From their perspective middle school is " . . . vibrant . . . filled with adventure and rigorous study . . . supportive . . . safe . . . challenging . . . a rich learning experience." I am thrilled that this is their perspective of middle school.
Thank you for your continued support. Please know how grateful I am to teach your children and spend my days with them. Next Thursday I will certainly be giving thanks for their presence in my life.
Warmly,
Karin
