The Week Ahead

Reading Comprehension
We will continue introducing the procedures for our daily reading lessons. This week students will learn how to complete reading comprehension skills and strategies response sheet and study cards. Complete instructions will be a part of each student's reading notebook. Students explore a new lesson in class each day and just like math have a home link activity to do in the evening.

Math
We will have lessons each day with home links in the evening that review each lesson.

History
We begin our study of how the 13 colonies were settled this week. We usually read and discuss the chapter in class. In the evening there's a reaction page to complete. The next day we go over the homework and share our responses. Students learn to take notes and explore the core concepts. Each response paper uses the same four categories: identity (who is this about); perspective (what did they believe, point of view); conflict (what problems did they face); and resolution (how did they resolve their problems; what changes came about.) We start with examining the same four questions for ourselves. We also examine Ameria as we know it now. How did we get to this?

Writing and Science projects and lessons previously explained continue weekly.

Last Week Highlights

Science:
Last week we concentrating on launching our first science unit on electric circuits. Students set up their notebooks did 5 assignments and the first investigation.

Writing:
We also spent much time on establishing our writing workshop procedures and routines. Students have been working on: a fictional story about stickers, a praise poem about an electrical device they admire, another poem introducing the most important things about them and a personal narrative all about a strong memory from their past.

Reading Comprehension:
Students practiced reacting to selections from their reading book series "Voices." I also started the year long project reading the pioneer Florida novel "A Land Remembered." Students started taking notes and responding to the novel in their journals. Eventually they will attempt the first of series of literary essays inspired by this book and others.

Language Arts:
We started studying a list of vocabulary words from across the curriculum. Students will be expected to learn the meanings and spellings of these 23 words. We practice oral presentation skills and public speaking all year. This week we rehearsed a presentation for today's Town Meeting.

My Welcome Letter Returns

Will H. holds his welcome letter from me which contained a stamp from Taiwan. Each student received a different stamp. Everyone was encouraged to research their stamp's nation and return with some fun facts. Will found that the world's 2nd tallest building was in Taiwan. He included a drawing of it and the flag.

Classroom Library Looking Good

All classroom libraries have about $2000 worth of new books added over the summer. We have the latest and best books for readers this age. They are divided in several categories. Besides bins for favorite authors, there are sections for animals, science fiction, sports, mysteries etc. All of these books may be signed out and borrowed. Students read silently their independently chosen books for about 15 minutes on arrival each morning.

Monster Sticker Roll Inspires Group Story

I've never been one of those teachers who use stickers. Maybe my students and I have been missing out on some colorful fun all these years. But I'm making up for it in an alternative way. I found a massive roll of stickers when I moved my classroom across the hall. In an overlooked corner of a cabinet left behind who knows how many years ago was this monster sticker roll. It was the perfect item to kick off a group story writing project. Students are encouraged to listen te each new episode of a story I'm writing and either add to it or make up their own. We'll see how it goes. Last year we worked on a similar project inspired by a Black Racer snake a captured in a bush near our classroom.

More Rainout Recess Action

Thomas M. and Carlos C. enjoyed racing the cars they built with the class Kinex gear construction set. Renown "boy" expert Michael Thompson addressing the faculty at an inaugural school professional day mentioned that boys needed things to build with beyond K and 1st grade. I'm sure the girls will enjoy this fun educational material as well.

Elephant Chess: World's Most Played Boardgame

Experienced standard chess players Aidan S. and Will H. ponder their next collective move against me as they get introduced to Xiang Qi (Elephant Chess) also known as Chinese Chess. Standard chess developed in India and was altered once it got to China to include a river, cannon, and elephants. Ask one of the students in my class the legendary origins of this game. These boys will be among the few American kids to play a game that billions of Chinese around the world know.

Chess to the Rescue on Rained Out Recesses

Those who know how to play have been teaching the rest. We're all chess players soon. I can only hope to win playing "speed chess." The legacy of Mr. T and his chess club lives on at Shorecrest.

First Science Investigations

How many ways can you light a bulb with just a battery and a wire? Alexis quickly figured out two.




And Thomas discovered several more.


Olivia's design for her first science notebook cover.....the wires spell out the words and create a circuit.

Reminders

Our math lessons began today. We did Unit 1, lesson 1. Tonight's math homework is to read together the Family Letter for Unit one. Parents are encouraged to remove the unit one homework (known as "study links") answer page. Students will have math study links homework Monday through Thursday. Once they complete each evening's homework, they check their answers with you as much as possible.

See you Tuesday for Back to School Night....which begins in the theater than an hour with me in the classroom. I'll give an overview of our lessons, procedures and answer questions.

Pizza & Ukelele Songs : Opening Day Fun

My wife Meredith helped launch the new school year in our class with fresh pizza and ukelele songs on Thursday. Friday she was back to tell the class about her life as a writer. Students took notes to be used later. She mentioned that writers are avid readers and keen observers. After speaking to them for 20 minutes, she stepped away. Students had to write a description of her from memory.

Stamp Collectors

From my large collection of stamps (unsorted) I sent each student one as part of their welcome letter. Each child then did a little research and started sharing fun facts about their stamp nation in class today. They used our overhead projection system. We practice presentation and public speaking skills all year.

A Writer's Life

Meredith Sayles Hughes, my wife, gives a talk each year to my class about what it's like being a professional writer. This year she's agreed to come earlier to help launch our writer's workshop program. She writes everyday and so will we. We are both published authors and former journalists. I love writing and teaching it. But Meredith is the real talent in the family. She's written everything from speeches to books (a dozen or so with more on the way) and shares her writing life with us.

Summer Vacation: Alaska

I once heard you should hold off visiting Alaska until you are older and been other places since nothing else will be as grand. I now have been in all 50 states. I'm glad I waited. I can't wait to return.



A two hundred year old ice cube floated up to me.



View spectacular pictures and video of glaciers and learn about the Extreme Ice Survey in the links section to the right.

Summer Vacation part 4

Here's the outdoor pool at my fitness center in Albuquerque. Aren't the New Mexico skies gorgeous?

Summer vacation part 3

Every summer I volunteer at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. This July I assisted this Ukrainian couple.

Summer Vacation part 2

Here we are with our godson and his family at an Albuquerque Isotopes (LA Dodgers Triple A team) baseball game. Rick, Rachel and daughters Sabine and Leah live in Brussels but are a multinational mix of Canadian, Welsh, Slovak and American. Meredith and I lived in Belgium for many years.

My Summer Vacation part 1

Here's my new New Mexico plate celebrating 100 years of statehood. Isn't it beautiful?




So, of course, we had to get a new car to go along with it. But I still have my old green and blue pickup in St Pete.