We Are Thankful For

Click here to read our "We Are Thankful For" book 

Our Week in Review - Video

Fixing the Philippines

Comprehension - Summarizing

This week in reading workshop we have been practicing retelling a story or article that we have read.  As a class, we talked about how our summary should include the most important parts (not the very small details).  As readers it is so important to summarize what we are reading to make sure we understand what we are reading. Summarizing means pulling out only the essential elements of a passage, just the main ideas and supporting details (not every small detail) and then we put that information into our own words.

One tool that we can use to help us summarize is:  Who? What? Where? How?  Why?

Who?  Who is the article/book about (people or animals)

What?  What did they do? (What did people or animals do)

Where? Location (specific or general)

How? What was done (by people or animals)

Why?  What is the point or purpose of what was done?  (BIG IDEA)

Yesterday we read the article A Sweet Science.  We began by looking for WHO the article was about (Donna Zeller) then we underlined the information in the text.  We went on to find the WHAT, WHERE, HOW and WHY.  (You can see from the picture below.)

Today in Reading Workshop we used the information that we found during yesterday’s mini-lesson to help us orally summarize the article.  We will continue to practice the skill of summarizing this week!

 

Comprehension

This week we learned various comprehension strategies. One strategy that we learned about earlier this week is “Make and Adjust Predictions: Use Text to Confirm”. Students learned that it is important as a reader to stop and think about what they are reading. When readers stop and think about what they have read they can also think about what they believe is going to happen next in the book.

Readers make predictions while they are reading based on their knowledge of how the book might go. We also make predictions based on what makes sense in the book and if something is possible or not possible. Good readers make predictions based on the clues in the text. When we read and we predict things that will happen our minds are really tuned into the story. We can’t make a prediction if we are not thinking about what is going on in the book.

As a class we read the book Two Bad Ants. After every page or two students would turn and talk to their partner and make a prediction.  Predictions were then shared with the class. Some of our predictions were: “I think the ants might have fallen into a cup of coffee because my dad puts sugar in his coffee and we know the crystals are sugar” and “I think the shovel is a spoon because spoons are silver and long”.

During Reading Workshop students were encouraged to stop and write post-it notes about their predictions. We have a new bulletin board in our classroom (pictures to come) where on Monday students began placing their post-it notes containing their thinking.  

Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

The history of the Thanksgiving turkey is a bit of a mystery. Nobody knows exactly how this particular bird earned a place of honor at the table each November, but historians have a few different theories. Thanks to letters and records kept by early American settlers, we know that when the colonists sat down to dine with the Wampanoag Indians, beef and fowl were on the menu. This historical meal would later become known as the first Thanksgiving.

I think we eat turkey on Thanksgiving because that's the time of year turkeys are out. (Spencer)

I think we eat turkey on Thanksgiving because it's a special kind of meat that people ate over the years. (Madison) 

I think we eat turkey on Thanksgiving because it's a holiday. (Hunter) 

I think we eat turkey on Thanksgiving because it's a tradition. (Ilona)

On Thanksgiving I go to my grandpa's in Boston. (Meili)

On Thanksgiving I decorate the chistmas tree with my cousins. (Gavin)

On Thanksgiving I have turkey and cranberry sauce.  My favorite thing to eat in Thanksgiving is cranberry sauce. (Nathan) 

On Thanksgiving I go to my friends house. (Xander) 

Now I know 

Now I know that no one really knows the history of why we eat turkey on Thanksgiving. (Ms.LaRose)

I learned that sometimes turkey's can just drop dead of a heart attack because of the loud noise from a jet. (Nadja) 

I learned that ple keep turkey's in a farm to keep them safe from diseases. (Iris)

I learned that their is no real answer but the theory is that Queen Elizabeth was so excited that the Spanish ship sunk on its way to attack England that Queen Elizabeth ordered another goose.  (Spencer) 

I learned that they keep turkey in the farm for 21 weeks.  (Madison) 

I learned that turkey's can run 20 miles per hour. (Peyton) 

One thing I learned is the loose skin that hangs downs on a a turkeys neck is the wattle. (Luke) 

I learned the Bald Eagle may be Americas bird 364 days a year, but turkey's have one day to themselves - - Thanksgiving! 

Using Our Schema

Today in Reading Workshop we began the C section of our CAFÉ board.  The C stands for Comprehension.  Today’s mini-lesson focused on using our schema (prior knowledge) to help us better understand texts we read.  Before reading the story Stellaluna students used their schema to complete a Venn Diagram on bats and birds.  A blue dash precedes our schema (what we already knew about bird and bats).  As we read through Stellaluna we added to the Venn Diagram.  Our new learning has a pink dash before it.  As a class we agreed that when you take time and use your schema it really helps you to understand (comprehend) the text you are reading.

 

A Note From Miss Maddie

Dear PPS Parents, Guardians, and Caretakers,

The holidays and winter months are approaching, which means increased stress for families who are struggling to make ends meet. It is extremely helpful for us at school to have gift cards to grocery stores, gas stations, and perhaps toy stores around the holidays, to give to families in need. This can make a world of difference to families when money begins to run low at the end of the month, especially during the long winter months. I am also always looking for warm clothing to have on hand for kids, and am happy to take those outgrown clothes off your hands!

Again, this can mean the world to families, and is so much appreciated. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Maddie Sivo (Grandgeorge), MSW

School Services Clinician

Porters Point School

(802) 264-5918

grandgeorgem@csdvt.org

madelineg@howardcenter.org

Our Week in Review 11.4 - 11.7

Number Mystery Skype

Number Mystery Skype Post

On Wednesday, we had our first Number Mystery Skype post! We Skyped with Mrs. King’s 2nd grade class in Indiana. Instead of trying to figure out what state Mrs. King’s class was in, we were trying to figure out their Mystery Number! In addition, Mrs. King’s class was trying to figure out our Mystery number. Our mystery number was 39 (the total amount of students in Ms. LaRose’s and Ms. Warren’s class). To figure out Mrs. King’s classe’s mystery number we asked a variety of yes/no questions. Some of the questions we asked were:

Is your number odd?

Is your number greater than 50?

Is your number a multiple of 5?

Does your number have a 9 in the ones place value?

Does your number have a 3 in the tens place value?

Every student had a 100s chart and marked off numbers on their hundreds chart when Mrs. King’s class answered one of our questions. After a lot of hard work and collaboration we figured out Mrs.King’s class mystery number was 28! We have scheduled another number mystery with Mrs. King’s class after our November break. We are thinking of having our mystery number be between 0 and 1,000!

Nutrition with Ms. LaRose Thursday and Friday

On Thursday and Friday, students in Ms. LaRose’s nutrition lessons learned how boats, cars, trains, etc. all need fuel to keep them moving. As a class we discussed how people need food to keep them moving, food is our fuel. We also discussed how we need the right amount of fuel to give us the energy we need to make it through the day. Lastly, we discussed that when we have the “good” kind of fuel which gives us energy we want to participate in physical activities. Students then went out an illustrated their favorite physical activity. Students illustrations will be hung in the back of the classroom on the nutrition bulletin board!

Allison's Bottle Drive!

Bottle Drive

 

Please help support

Allison Winslow's 2^nd  Bottle and Can Drive

 

PLEASE DROP OFF YOUR RETURNABLE

BOTTLES AND CANS

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH

10 to 12PM AT THE 

PORTERS POINT SCHOOL

PARKING LOT

 

ALL RETURNABLE BOTTLES AND CANS

WILL HELP SUPPORT

 

Northern Greyhound Adoptions

and

BEVS

(Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists)

 

If you don't have any bottles or cans please consider donating

clean blankets, towels, and comforters.

Please share this with your friends, family, and neighbors

so they can drop off donations too!

 

Any questions please call Kenna (Allison's mom) 238-5655

 

Wonder of the Week: Do You Eat Enough Vitamins

 Do You Eat Enough Viatmins? 

Are you a healthy eater? Your body is like a car. The fuel it runs on is the food you eat. If you eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods or not enough of the right kinds of foods, your body can break down.

Do you get enought vitamins? 

I think I get enough vitamins because me and my sister always have our vitamins every morning. (Gavin)

I think I get enough vitamins because I eat healthy food like food items from all five food groups. (Madison)

I think I get enough vitamins because at dinner my mom always make the five food groups.  (Spencer)

What are vitamins? 

I think vitamins are things that help you stay healthy. (Dana)

I think vitamins are one of the five food groups. (Hunter)

I think vitamins are things that fight off germs. (Ilona)

Why are vitamins important? 

I think vitamins are important because they help us stay healthy and give us lots of energy. (Connor)

I think vitamins are important because it jells us stay alive. (Talan)

I think vitamins are important because they give you energy. (Caitlin)

I learned...

I learned that in South African people put older in their food.  The powder is packed with vitamins which people need to stay healthy especially in the winter.  (Iris)

I learned there is a vitamin called vitamin K.  Vitamin K is in green vegetables and dairy products.  (Nathan)

I learned that some people in the world don't have enough vitamins and nutrients to stay alive.  (Caitlin)

I learned that some people are getting sick in South Africa and some people are shipping special powder with nutrients and vitamins to help them.  (Connor)

I learned that there is a vitamin called vitamin D.  Vitamin Helps your teeth stay strong. (Peyton)

I learned that there is a vitamin called vitamin B.  Vitamin B gives you energy! (Hunter)

I learned that there are all different kinds of vitamins and they help your body in different ways. (Spencer) 

I learned that vitamins can help you in a lot of different ways! Vitamins can help you stay healthy and not get sick.

Green Thoughts and Yellow Thoughts in Guidance

In guidance Mr.K is talking with our class about green and yellow thoughts. A green thought is a good thought you have about someone. A yellow thought is a thought you have when someone is doing something that in unexpected. When someone gives us a green thought that leaves a lasting impression.  If people continually give you green thoughts you are going to come to expect green thoughts from that person and want to be friends with that person.  When people give us yellow thoughts we are going to need a few days of green thoughts before we can forget about the yellow thought.  Mr. K also explained that when a person gives you a lot of yellow thoughts you are going to come to expect yellow thoughts from that friend, and we think hard before we want to be around that person. The videos below are examples of green and yellow thoughts we have had over the past week.

Thoughts 2 from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.
Thoughts 3 from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.
Thoughts from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.

"Work with Teacher" Goals

Each day during reading workshop students work through various rotations. One of the rotations is “work with teacher”. During “work with the teacher” students and their group members work with Ms. LaRose. This week each group began setting goals. Below are the goals each group is working towards.

Blue Group – The blue group is working on using evidence from the text to answer questions. Students have been highlighting the question and then using the same colored highlighter to highlight the answer in text. Once the answer is highlighted students are taking information from the text to answer the question in a complete sentence.

Pink Group – The pink group is working on “getting a little conversation going”. When a student has a Post-it note to share out they are the leader. The leader’s responsibility is to make sure they have the audiences (their classmates) attention. In addition, the student leading the conversation (sharing their Post-it note) calls on students who would like to add onto the leader’s discussion topic. Below is a short video of one student sharing out. Because students’ names are used you will need the password, if you do not have the password and would like it please contact (larosen@csdvt.org)

Green and Yellow Group – Both groups are working hard on writing Response to Texts. To help formulate a Response to Text students are using the five finger paragraph outline (photograph below). To complete a Response to Text students are using evidence from the text to write a paragraph. Students are working hard on learning the six components of a five finger paragraph and how to use evidence from the text to back-up the focus on their writing pieces. Below are a few examples of students’ responses.

 

Mq from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.

Cm from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.

PC from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.

When Is Sugar Too Much of a Good Thing?

Wonder 388

Do you like sugar? Or is that just a silly question? Few, if any, people will say that they don’t like sugar. Maybe the better question would be: How much do you like sugar?


When is Sugar Too Much of a Good Thing?

Sugar is too much of a good thing when you get sick! (Hunter)

Sugar is too much of a good thing when you can't stop eating it. (Peyton)

Sugar is too much of a good thing when you eat too much of it and you don't have a lot of energy. (Spencer)

What Foods Have a lot of Sugar?

Cookies have a lot of sugar in them. (Dana) 

Candy has a lot of sugar in it. (Nathan)

Cupcakes have a lot of sugar in them. (Roma)

Cake has a lot of sugar in it. (Luke) 

Donuts have a lot of sugar in them? (Caitlin)

How Much Do You Like Sugar?  Why do You Like Sugar? 

I like sugar because it is tasty. (Hunter) 

I  don't like sugar at all because it isn't healthy for you and if you eat too much you could get sick. (Connor M.)

I don't like sugar because it is bad for your teeth.  (Mari)

I learned...

I learned that fruits and milk have natural sugar. (Hunter) 

I learned that eating too much sugar can become a health problem. I learned that men should eat 9 teaspoons of sugar a day, or 150 calories.  (Dana)

I learned that milk has sugar in it. (Gavin)

I learned that women should have 6 teaspoons of sugar a day or 100 calories.  Researchers have found that the average American eats 355 calories of sugar a day! (Connor) 

I learned that bread has natural sugar it.(Luke)

I learned that if you eat too much sugar there is a risk of getting sick. (Spencer) 

I learned that sugar isn't always a bad thing. (Caitlin)

I learned that sometimes food items can have sugar in it naturally. (Iris)

I learned that if you eat sugar you could get a sweet tooth! (Peyton) 

I learned that it's not good to avoid all sugar. (Talan) 

Mystery Skype 11.5

This morning we had a wonderful Mystery Skype!  We asked Ms. Hines’ class Yes and No questions to find their location.  Mrs. Mitchell (the school librarian) came in to help us formulate questions throughout the Mystery Skype.  Students are become very skilled at listening to the other classes response, crossing off states on their maps (based on the classes answer) and then formulating a question that will help them “zoom in” on the Mystery Skype classroom’s location.  Watch the video below to find out where our Mystery Skype classroom was located.  

Mystery Skype from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.

Sorting Food Items

Today student's in Ms. LaRose's nutrition class today identified various food items and discussed what food group the item belonged in.  Some food items were easier to sort than others.  Students had to put on their “thinking caps” when sorting the following food items: tacos, mac ‘n cheese, pizza and lollipops.  What food group(s) do you think these food items go in?  Below is a video of our thinking.

Food groups from NatalieLaRose on Vimeo.

Reading Around the Wheel

Today in reading workshop we discussed how good readers read LOTS of different types of books.  We all have our favorite types of book to read, and sometimes we get stuck reading just one type of book over and over, like comics, and stories, or informational texts.  Reading widely makes us stronger readers.   Reading different types of books helps us learn more about ourselves and the world.  Good readers have a variety of reading in their reading diet; they read poetry, biography, nonfiction, mysteries, comics, etc.

 As a class we talked about some of the different types of books we have read this year.  We used the genre wheel to keep track of our reading.  After we discussed our reading diet as a class each student completed a reading wheel based on the books they have read during "read to self" this school year.  We noticed many students have read a lot of fiction books, and many of us need to read more informational text books, poetry, sports, and fantasy books.  We are going to continue to use the wheel to keep track of our reading and see what genre of books we read a lot of and what types of books we might want to try more of. 

Nutrition Week of 10.28

This week in nutrition Ms. LaRose taught about how various food items can be part of one, two, three, four or all five food groups.  We discussed how an apple is only part of the fruit food group, however, other foods like mac and cheese and pizza are part of one or more food groups.  Students couldn't believe that pizza can be part of all five food groups.

Ms. Warren taught students about food items that can be found in each of the five food groups. Students are working hard on learning all five food groups and Ms. Warren played an awesome (catchy) song about the five food groups to help students remember them!

On Friday, we had another delicious healthy plate.  Food items that could be found on our Healthy Plate on Friday were: carrots, celery & cream cheese, hummus, pita chips, cantaloupe, grapes, apple cider and french vanilla Greek yogurt.  Thank you to all parents who have signed up to bring in a food item for our next Healthy Plate.  You can click here to be directed to the Sign-Up.