The streets are safer with our Safety Patrol on the corner!
We try to provide our 5th graders with special leadership opportunities. Safety Patrol is one of the most popular and visible. They help keep an eye on the arrival locations, carline and assist the crossing guards! We thank them for being great role models!
Whenever possible, we use a multi-sensory approach to learning. It helps to see, hear and feel whatever we're learning about. Even for 5th graders (and even for adults) it can help to build a model to get a better sense of a concept. For example, how big is a cubic inch? How about a cubic foot? What about a cubic meter? 5th graders are exploring volume. Here's what 5G discovered.
Somehow we got through almost all of September without a rainy day. Today was our first indoor recess day. A spontaneous chess tournament broke out in 5G. Jenga was a big hit. Coloring, board games and card games were other popular activities. Some students even managed to read in our busy, noisy gym and we learned that Mrs. Romano leads a mean game of Simon Says.
Teaching and Learning: How do you help someone become a better writer? It’s more than just writing in complete sentences using proper grammar. A great example of how we teach writing was happening in 5Du today. Mrs. Bloch and Mrs. Dunning were combining forces to lead these young writers. Being a good writer involves generating ideas, finding inspiration, communicating clearly (or better yet, vividly). Teachers are always helping students develop the craft of writing. They provide graphic organizers and mini writing prompts. They work on writing “hooks” that will grab the reader in the first few sentences of their piece. Today they were exploring flashbacks and foreshadowing (how to identify them in their reading and how to weave them into their writing). They “conference” with each student. They build a writing community. They encourage students to take risks and try something new. They want them to be brave and share their ideas. They expect them to listen carefully to the ideas and stories of others. They read great books by amazing authors and use those texts as “mentor texts”. A lot is invested in nurturing students to become better writers. They “stop and jot” their ideas into a notebook. They also make sure they eat snack because who can be inspired on an empty stomach?! We want students to find their voices--while doing so they will probably discover something about themselves or the topic they are writing about. In 5Du today, I was reminded once again how great it feels to be in this type of creative space. Not only is it fun and exciting, the results it produces are pretty amazing! The room is intermittently noisy with chatter and silent as students write the ideas that sprouted in their heads when they were engaged in a vibrant discussion about their assignment--memoirs.
Music class update from Mr. Geyer: Third graders creating melodic contours with pipe cleaners, and then playing them on xylophones. Fifth graders, recognizing Hispanic heritage month by performing a folk dance from Mexico. First graders singing a song working on our pitch set of sol, la, and mi while encouraging, independent singing
We love our buddies! Our buddy program matches 5th graders with 1st graders, 4th graders with 2nd graders and 3rd graders team with other 3rd graders (we're looking for kindergarteners!). This program is a great chance to build community outside each classroom community and for older students to take on leadership responsibilities. They can be great writing mentors, help with math problems or simply take the lead on collaborative projects! Plus, it's fun and super cute! 2V met with 5G to get to know each other.
Chorus started this week! Mr. Geyer always gets the most out of our students! Chorus starts in 5th grade and is a required part of the curriculum for all students.
How do we teach students to read? Well... we don't have enough space here to explain ALL of what we do but here is one small, important thing we do when working with our youngest students. We start by teaching students the sounds that letters make. This can help them more easily decode (sound out) words like cat and hat. But, what about words that are not spelled like they sound? These are trickier, hence their name "trick words". Trick words like "of" "the" and "was" don't follow the rules for sounding out. Plus, they are high frequency words so students will encounter them constantly which is likely to frustrate them (or they might just skip them all together). Not knowing these words can quickly get in the way of reading, understanding (and enjoying) their books. These two students were working hard in a small group with their teacher practicing reading and writing some common trick words. Keep up the great work boys!
Teachers are life long learners! Here are some teachers participating in a Lunch and Learn about Canva. Canva is a great resource for teachers. It has many materials that can be added to Google Classroom and is a great way to create more engaging instructional materials. This session as run by our Instructional Technology experts Mrs. Rygiel and Ms. Gottko.
Mash Up: Be The "I" in Kind meets Dot Day! Dot day is for being creative and being yourself. Our school theme this year is Kindness Starts With Me which goes with Be the "I" in Kind!
Bulletin Boards!
September Wrap up: Music lessons are up and running. Mrs. Naylor is welcoming her students after the summer break! Lessons start in 4th grade and we have winter and spring concerts!
Reminder for parents/guardians of students in PreK to 12th Grade: Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the district's HIB process from members of our counseling team. Tuesday, October 8, beginning at 6:30p at Wilson.
We are excited to introduce an important resource for our community - our Facilities Bond Referendum Information Portal. The portal will be updated frequently with lots of important details, as we move closer to finalizing the referendum in February 2025. You'll find an easy-access button on the district and school websites.
https://sites.google.com/westfieldnjk12.org/wps-bond-referendum/home
From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate the rich cultural heritage, diverse traditions, and invaluable contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to our nation. We honor the resilience, creativity, and vibrant spirit of Hispanic communities that have shaped and continue to enrich our society in countless ways. #WPSCelebratesDiversity
Outdoor Movie Night at Franklin means school is back in session! What a great event our PTO put together for our Franklin families!
Mrs. Davenport, our Art teacher, is combining our theme, "Kindness Starts With Me" with International Dot Day which is a celebration of art and creativity. More pictures to come!
More recess! Friends, siblings, 4-square, soccer, playground and more!
We've had an amazing first full week!
One big change this year is our lunch and recess schedule. We've provided students with more time to play or just enjoy some fresh air with their classmates. Here are some pictures of students enjoying this beautiful fall weather!
