Last Blog of September with CRAYFISH PICS!

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Greetings from Room 10,

            We shared another short but productive week.  Completing DOL timely, dropping notes in the basket, and turning in homework before the “locker closes” is coming along.  We are still working on consistently putting names on their classwork and homework.  It’s a “work in progress!” 

Have you heard about the crayfish?  This week I introduced “feeder fish” into the aquarium.   We started with 10 and we are down to about 5.  So the crayfish ate really well this week.  In addition, I have been feeding them lobster pellets.  The kids experimented by introducing food to the crayfish.  Each group added a small piece of their snacks to the crayfish.  The children made predictions, experimented with foods and drew conclusions about what they ate and what they shied away from. 

            I gave the children their first reading comprehension test.  In fact, they completed four 12-question tests throughout the week.  I really like this series of tests because it specifically identifies the skill (i.e., compare and contrast, main idea, etc.) associated with each question.  I will use this information to identify the reading comprehensions skills I need to concentrate on during small group instruction.

            The kids have completed their second piece.  This time they wrote about a “special place.”  They each graded their own piece with a rubric the class developed.  I also graded the piece using the same rubric.  They also began to write about a “special object.”  All of this writing is preparing the children to write a memoir.  Our mentor author for this unit is Patricia Polacco.  The kids are reading a variety of Patricia Polacco picture books and responding to the literature in their Reading Response Journals. 

     The NED Show was well-received by the kids.  The presenter was both entertaining and engaging.  It sent a great message to the children.  Yo-yos will be sold at school.  A flyer was sent home on Tuesday to order yo-yos.  Mrs. Bonacquist, Mrs. Palagyi and Mrs. Gaffney will be selling them.  Enjoy some additional crayfish photos!