Refresh, Renew, Refocus

 On Friday we held the very first, virtual  Student of the Month assembly.  It was great to see all the smiling and excited faces of the children.  Kudos to all of the students for representing Stephen Olney School.  They make us proud everyday.  

Fourth Grade:

Our 4th graders are working on their final copies of the Inventors project.  Mrs. Davia has been working with them on how to research and record information.  These skills are also being rolled out in Library class.

In Math the students are working on multiplication and division skills.  IXL is a great tool for that as a reinforcement.

In Science the topic is Energy and Mrs. D'Angelis is having them watch videos and do hands on activities.

Finally, in history the children are working on researching various countries. 

Lots of learning is taking place.  It is great to see the interactions and effort that is going into completing all of these projects.

Fifth Grade:

Summit is moving right along. Many of the students are taking assessments in the content areas and taking notes on the available resources.

We have reinforced the importance of setting smart goals each morning.  Mrs. Grant, our NE Basecamp coach also came in and had a great discussion about their goals and cleared up some misconceptions the children had.

We also finished reading Ungifted and took the novel assessment on Friday.  

Next week, we will be starting the new Language Arts Curriculum, El Education.  Our first topic will be The Rainforest.  I am looking forward to piloting this program to our 5th graders.  

Mrs. Davia will roll this program out to the 4th graders. Their topic includes Animals.  Again, the roll out begins the week of February 8th.

This week begins Black History Month and I know that Mrs. D'Amico has great lessons and activities planned.  I will also be introducing some African American poets to  the children.  

Hope everyone has a great week ahead and that the snow will not keep us barricaded in our homes.  

Stay safe and warm!!

New Beginnings

 

Monday we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  It was a day of reflecting and spending time with our families.  We all need to take some time out of  our busy days and reflect on the good things that are going on around us even during this pandemic.  Children are able to be around their peers and socialize with many precautions in place.  Teachers and staff are able to see their students whether it is in person or on google meets.  Hearing them and seeing their faces brings smiles to everyone.  Family time is more appreciated and new memories are being created during these challenging times.  

Tuesday we were able to watch on as our 46th president was inaugurated.  The children were able to watch some of the ceremony.  They were able to see the performers and listen to some great speeches given.  Many lessons were taught revolving around Inauguaration Day, in all of the classrooms.

Conversations took place and writing activities were completed. 

The children were able to watch live events as the day progressed.  

Fifth graders are working on Informational pieces.  In the next few weeks they will be starting a new reading and writing program that the district is implementing throughout all of the schools.  Informational text is our writing for the 2nd trimester.  The children will be learing more about research skills, how to read to find information, and various ways of pulling out information from text. 

The fourth graders are also working on Informational text.  The new reading program will open up with this strategy.  They have already begun working on inventors and researching his or her person. 

In Library they are also working on the strategies of how to research, what important information they need to include and how to put the research in their own words.

As we move forward, let's all work together to have our children work independently, encourage them to always do their best, and to treat one another with kindness and respect.