Pilgrim Activity Day

Activity Day video

Rocky Woods 2019 (video)

Rocky Woods 2019

Updates from Room 102

Read alouds!  

I covered the title of this book and called it Jack Plank. Jack is an out of work pirate. When he leaves the pirating life, he moves into a boardinghouse to seek new work. Each night a dinner he explains why he can't take up one profession or another for a variety of reasons based on events from his time on board the pirate ship. 
I asked the students to think about what we had read and make predictions about what Jack ends up doing. Many students thought Jack would return to life on the sea, perhaps as a regular sailor. Others thought Jack would become a storyteller. I revealed the title as we finished the book... Jack Plank Tells Tales!



Our latest read aloud is called Chester and Gus. It the story of a service dog named Chester. Chester tells the story. He is excited about meeting HIS person. But his new person is reluctant to meet him. Gus is a ten year old boy who doesn't speak and screams when he first meets Chester. Chester waits and watches and studies Gus each day. Chester is trying to figure out just how he can help him. 




MULTIPLICATION

Students are working on learning multiplication facts. We have done well with learning 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10s. We looked at numerous ways to help us practice the nines. There are finger tricks, subtraction tricks, and adding up to nine tricks. 









We will continue to do timed tests as students work on learn their facts. We will do ongoing in-class practice and quizzes will be given several times a week so students can take quizzes multiple times to be successful.  There are 50 problems on each quiz. Students are given 3 minutes to solve. We will continue to practice fluency in class during math workshop, but additional practice at home is recommended.  Flashcards, websites, and practice sheets will help. 

In addition to multiplication we have been doing QUICK MATH every Tuesday morning which does a spiral review of skills such as addition and subtraction facts, graphs, telling time, word problems, and place value. 

READING WORKSHOP

During our reading workshop we have been looking at nonfiction and how text features help readers better understand the text. We have done some text feature hunts. Students have read self selected nonfiction books and wrote letters to me about what they learned and how the text features helped them. Many students wrote that they don't usually read nonfiction but really enjoyed their books. Others shared that they often read nonfiction but paid more attention to how the text features helped them when reading. 

Our class poster of text features
and HOW they help readers! 

RH wrote, "The table of contents helped me find
big prehistoric mammals." 

BS wrote, "Maps helped me know where whales live.
Also whales can't see forward." 

LK wrote, "Did you know that when a predator comes by a short horned lizard it shoots blood out of its eyes? EWW!"  

After students write letters, I respond to them and we have a conversation about books. This also helps students share their thinking about what they have read. It was great to watch them read and take notes about what they found interesting or what text features they noticed. 

Word Study 


Students are doing word work each week. We look at words and sort them according to patterns. We have looked at compound words. Next week we will look at making nouns plural using -s and -es. 

This group was sorting words by vowels - short and long.

PILGRIMS 


We have been learning so much about the pilgrims. Our trip to Plimoth Plantation gave students a look at the way the colony was oraganized, artifacts from the 1600s, and a chance to ask questions. We also saw Plimoth Rock which is "symbol" of the Pilgrim experience in Plimoth and their difficult voyage. The signs entering Plymouth say, "Four hundred years in the making" (1620 to 2020) Mayflower II is currently being repaired in Mystic, Connecticut and will be back for the 400 year celebration in the spring!

We learned about how a grist mill operates. 

The Grist Mill is decorated for fall. 

Trying games in the Wampanoag homesite. 

A Native American wetu

Groups asked questions!

AV tries out the wheelbarrow! 

This coming Friday 10/25 we will be having our Pilgrim Activity Day. Students rotate through several stations during the morning cooking, braiding belts, making napkins, sewing pockets, and beading necklaces. We really need a LOT of help. Please sign up in link below! 

Pilgrim Activity Day SIGN UP 

Rocky Woods VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 

Our Rocky Woods coordinator tells me that we are missing the following volunteers:  Please consider helping out. 

We are missing volunteers for:

Food Preparation 4 (9:00am - 1:00pm)

PM Cleanup 1 (pots & pans, 12:30pm - 2:30pm)

PM Cleanup 2 (pots & pans, 12:30pm - 2:30pm)

Veggie Washer 1 (at home, night prior)

You can email Karen directly at karentvazquez@gmail.com if you are able to help.  

Victory in the Victory Garden!

On Friday we spent time in the Victory Garden harvesting vegetables. We harvested 34 pounds of vegetables! 

Hands were dirty, but smiles were wide!