BRRRRRRR!
1/11/2020
As temperatures in Anchorage hit the negative single digits for a full week, PNA fifth graders headed back to school after a relaxing winter break! The best way to sum up our week is… BRRRRR! Being in school full time after two weeks of late nights and sleeping in proved to be challenging AND fun! Students were happy to see their friends, enjoyed drawing with charcoal in Art class, playing floor hockey in Gym class, and discovering “Apples to Apples Junior” during break time. By Wednesday everyone was dragging a bit, but they dug deep and finished the week strong! Reese from Australia joined us for a day to learn about PNA. We had fun getting to know her! Reading logs moved online. Students track their reading each morning in our online Google sheet. This allows them to see their progress and make decisions about their reading goals. We also started using an online form to report about finished books. Recess was indoors all but once this week. Many bodies packed the gym at recess time! Reading workshop took a backseat to writing workshop as everyone worked to bring their American Revolution informational books to a satisfying conclusion. Peer editors made suggestions for revision via “comments” in Google Docs, and then students used cool techniques in Google Slides to publish their books. Lots of new tech learning this week! Rug space opened up in our classroom. Our big screen was mounted on the wall over the break, and there is now more space in the classroom for circle time, game playing, and stretching out. Mrs. Henke is hunting the town’s stores for a nice rug for our new open space! Reading the Weather, Reading the World is the name of our next reading unit, which dovetails nicely with our continued science study of Earth’s systems. Students will turn their attention to the skills and strategies of reading informational books about weather and other natural disasters while exploring the interactions of Earth’s atmosphere with other systems. A trip to the NOAA Weather Station is in our future! The air was bracing, the landscape beautiful, and the students busy this week: a memorable beginning to a great new year! |
Elizabeth FerryMs. Ferry's experiences include teaching with the Peace Corps in Tanzania, teaching high school English in Maine, and this is her second year at PNA. She loves moose, outdoor activities, and being with her students. Archives
April 2021
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