by newschoolsyr | Apr 12, 2015 | 2014-2015, Grades 3 - 5, language arts
A small group of fourth and fifth graders decided, after reading four short novels by Mildred Taylor that they wanted to continue with the book club and read another book together. They all voted to read the book at home. And so I selected a favorite book, War Horse...
by newschoolsyr | Apr 9, 2015 | 2014-2015, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, language arts, language arts phonemic awareness
Students in dictation class have been focusing on reading and spelling words that follow the vowel-consonant-e pattern and comparing them with words that follow the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern. Students sort, compare, read, and write words and...
by newschoolsyr | Apr 9, 2015 | 2014-2015, grade 1, grade 2, language arts
Some of our younger students have been participating in their first book club. We have been reading several of the Fox books by Edward Marshall, including Fox On Wheels, Fox and His Friends, Fox On the Job, Fox Be Nimble, Fox On Stage,...
by newschoolsyr | Dec 8, 2014 | Community events, language arts, whole school
Phil Brill, Valor’s Grandpa and author of a children’s book, The Red Bottle, was in town visiting his family. He offered to come to school and share his real life story that inspired him to write The Red Bottle. He shared the lovely story of his...
by newschoolsyr | Nov 28, 2014 | 2014-2015, language arts, language arts grades 4 - 8, writing workshop
A small group of older students have been discussing the important elements of a great story. First we considered setting and the children created a drawing or map of a place or setting that intrigued them. The following week we discussed character and the importance...
by newschoolsyr | Nov 18, 2014 | 2014-2015, grades 4 - 8, language arts, Social Studies
The oldest students have all read Two Tickets to Freedom: The True Story of Ellen and William Craft, Fugitive Slaves by Florence B. Freedman. This has been part of their social studies unit on the Civil War. After completing the assigned reading, they met in...
