Vision, Courage, Integrity, Profit?
1/24/2020
We often talk about our school mission and having vision courage and integrity. We educate students to have those intrinsic traits as well as being exceptional learners and independent thinkers. One way to develop those traits is to follow the examples set by others. In this case Martin Luther King Jr. By celebrating this as a day 'on' rather than a day 'off' we can learn from his example and what he stood for. By having the integrity to do the right thing, the courage to stand up and speak out in the face of adversity and the vision to see a better future for all Americans. Educating students to have and value these traits in themselves and others and to not be afraid to give voice to what you believe in will only benefit society as students grow up to be leaders of the next generation. With Brown Bag this week we had the grand opening of the fourth grade store 'New Year Treats'. This was the end result of our project answering the driving question; "How can we design, market and sell a product to create a profit?" This originally stemmed from our persuasive writing unit where we used language to convince others of our point of view and how advertisements and commercials do the same to make you buy their product. With the holiday season and a cold snap occurring the idea of a store selling delicious treats was conceived. The students really became invested in this project and were impressive in their ability to run the store independently. They completed all the research, pricing, advertising, buying of items as well as actually making and selling the products during lunch and brown bag time. The skills they used and developed are transferable real life skills that will be used throughout their life. Such as; learning how to handle money, (which coincidentally tied in very nicely with the 4th grade math unit of fractions, decimals and percentages). Learning how to stay within a budget and financial literacy. Estimating quantities and measurements. Planning and organizational skills, as well as learning some restraint in not actually eating all your own product before you sell it! To advertise the store 4th grade made radio and TV commercials. The radio adverts were played across the school during morning announcements with the TV commercials being shown as a small intermission between Brown Bag acts. While it may have been slightly embarrassing to hear and see yourself acting on the big screen or on the announcements it brings a sense of accomplishment as well as being proud of oneself to see your hard work displayed and well received by others. However the driving question was "How can we design, market and sell a product to create a profit?". The money the store raised has yet to be counted so we are not sure yet if we managed to make a profit. However all profit that is raised will be going towards new playground equipment for the whole school to enjoy! While teachers and students strive to uphold PNA's mission every day, it is never more evident and on display as during Brown Bag. Each year this event shows how our students really and truly embody the mission of the school. It takes a lot of courage to get up on a stage with a roomful of people watching and do something that only you have envisioned. The integrity shown not only by the performers, but also by the audience each and every day is amazing. With spontaneous clapping to singing out forgotten lyrics to applause after each and every performance, the students really and truly do support each other, from kindergarten all the way to 8th grade. Working Hard
1/17/2020
Some weeks there are no big events, assessments, assemblies or projects to finish. Some weeks we just get our heads down and work. Learning new things and developing our 21st century skills. This week was one such week. The calm before the storm. As next week is MLK Day and Brown Bag. Perseverance and determination are two words to describe how the students were this week as in our core lessons we have started new learning units. Learning new things is hard to do especially when you have just mastered old skills. For Math, we have finished with fractions, decimals and percentages for the moment and are now learning about numbers and measurements. In reading and writing we are exploring reading history and literacy essays and writing fiction. While in science we are conducting a short unit on plate tectonics. This week we also made our treats for our New Year Treats shop, which will have its opening in time for Brown Bag. Our commercials and radio advertisements will also be airing and playing next week. With MLK Day, Brown Bag and the store opening, next week is going to be a busy one! Explorers in 2020
1/11/2020
After a well deserved if not somewhat cold winter break, fourth grade returned to the classroom to start 2020 rested and fresh! Worried that we might be a little sluggish upon returning we dived straight into our new topic of Explorers and 1492. For this topic, we are each taking on a created character that has been hired to sail for either Spain or Portugal to the New World in search of fame and riches. However the journey is long and perilous. The crew is going to be presented a series of dilemmas and challenges that they have to overcome. Only by working together and making best use of their unique skills can our crew ensure they survive the journey. Each day a new challenge awaits and there are consequences to their choices! Students also got a fresh start in their language arts class, where they worked on daily word journeys to keep expanding vocabulary and spelling. Learning new word patterns and helping getting their reading and writing brains back into shape. Ready for a brand new year of learning! |
Martina HenkeMartina Henke has been a K-8 educator for 30+ years. A life-long learner, she loves working with kids of all ages, new technology, great books, fiber arts, and her wonderful family! Archives
April 2021
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