Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
what's new
updates from extended day (thanks molly!):
we have been working a lot on making our class a greener place. we have started a compost bin in our class. we gathered up lots of leaves, we got worms from the greenmarket, every day we add water and food scraps. we are working on starting a window farm, which is a system of the plant life cycle made out of recycled materials. last month we visited the science barge. that's where we learned about all we're doing in the class.
we are still working on the darfur project and we came up with the idea that we would do all kinds of green activities, such as: each 4-5 grade class will have a week to make their classroom the greenest and there will be a pile of newspaper and 3 teams, each team will have a role of tape and 30 seconds to make a fashion look. and many more ideas yet to come. our green zeen is almost done...stay tuned!
we have been working a lot on making our class a greener place. we have started a compost bin in our class. we gathered up lots of leaves, we got worms from the greenmarket, every day we add water and food scraps. we are working on starting a window farm, which is a system of the plant life cycle made out of recycled materials. last month we visited the science barge. that's where we learned about all we're doing in the class.
we are still working on the darfur project and we came up with the idea that we would do all kinds of green activities, such as: each 4-5 grade class will have a week to make their classroom the greenest and there will be a pile of newspaper and 3 teams, each team will have a role of tape and 30 seconds to make a fashion look. and many more ideas yet to come. our green zeen is almost done...stay tuned!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Curriculum Update
News From Room 405...

The next couple of weeks are very busy and packed with lots of important things. Here are some to remember…
Tues. Nov. 3: Election Day, no school for students
Wed. Nov. 4: Fieldtrip to Central Park
Fri. Nov. 6: Fall Family Celebration (more info to follow soon!)
Mon. Nov. 9: Evening Family conferences
Tues. Nov. 10: Afternoon Family conferences
Wed. Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day, no school
Mon. Nov. 16 AND Tues. Nov. 17: 5th grade Social Studies Test
November 2, 2009
Dear Families,
Greetings! I hope everyone is settling into the Fall routines well. We have had a busy but incredibly fun and productive several weeks of school, and it has been lovely to reconnect with some of you and get to know so many others. This year I am thrilled to have Eileen working with our class. During the Fall semester, we have a Bank Street student teacher with us, Gretchen. Please feel free to say hello or introduce yourself! Here are some updates on some of the things we’ve been talking about and working on!
Community and Social Studies
Building community takes top priority at the beginning of the year! To that end, we have been having so many important conversations as we get to know one another and build a class together. We read the bell hooks book The Skin I’m In and talked about how we can make our classroom a safe place to be open and welcoming of different perspectives, experiences, and identities. Kids were very open about what they need from one another in order to feel safe and appreciated. All of these discussions and activities help us know each other more intimately and lay important groundwork for our future work together.
We’ve been doing important work together in Social Studies. Our visit to the New Amsterdam Village was a great way to kick off the year! We visited a greenhouse, where we learned about how the Dutch use “good” bugs instead of pesticide to protect the plants. We also got to sample some of the veggies!
We have embarked on an exciting new collaboration project with Nancy’s class, piloting a composting program at school. Our goal is to reduce the waste at lunch, starting with the upper grade lunch. Students are meeting together in 3 groups- Reuse, Recycle, and Renew. The last couple of weeks they created posters in their groups that represent the group’s name. We are trying to raise awareness of the many ways we can Reuse, Recycle, and Renew. You may have seen some of their many amazing posters hanging in the hallways. They did a beautiful job.
Together, we visited the Science Barge in Yonkers, which was a great success. The Science Barge is a floating science museum. It is completely sustainable, powered with solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels. They It is a great model for city dwellers, with a greenhouse where plants vertical grow! They are open to families on weekends. You can check out more about the Science Barge at: http://www.groundworkhv.org/programs/environmental-education/science-barge/
I will be loading pictures on our class blog, so be sure to check them out:
http://lauren-newsfromroom405.blogspot.com/
You can also get to the blog from the school website.
We have been looking at the mayoral election the past week, focusing on the candidates- Thompson and Bloomberg- and what they stand for. The students generated a list of issues they have heard in the news and debates. Last week they chose an issue and started a poster showing what the candidates thought, as well as what they thought. Please talk with your child about the election and your thoughts. If it is possible to take your child with you to the polling site it would be a great opportunity for them to see first hand how the process works.
This Wednesday we are taking a trip to the Urban Park Rangers at Central Park. This should connect well with science. We will be taking the subway with Stephanie’s class. Students should bring their own lunches and we will eat at the park. We are leaving around 11:15 and should return by dismissal.
Reading and Writing
We have plunged right into our work around literacy this year! In reading, we started the year by making sure everyone has good habits for independent reading. The kids are expected to read at home for at least 30 minutes each night, and they spend at least 30 minutes reading in school as well. Every time they read, they should log their reading on their reading log (inside their reading folder) and jot down two or three thoughts in their reading notebook. We have been talking about what kind of thinking they can record- anything from questions to theories about characters, from predictions to strong reactions. One goal is to start moving beyond summaries to more inferential and original thinking about books, and we are working on different strategies to prompt this sort of thinking. We have started working on ways to respond more extensively to reading in writing. Currently, the kids are working in partnerships, which I will write more about next time. We are also finishing our first chapter book read-aloud of the year, Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key. It is a great first read-aloud with a wonderful balance of humor and seriousness. Everyone seems to really enjoy it! Read-aloud serves so many purposes: first and foremost, it gives us a common literary experience to draw on, and there is something so beautiful in enjoying a story together as a community. Read-aloud also provides an opportunity to practice the comprehension strategies we work on in reading. Different children respond to the same story in very different ways, so they are able to challenge and open each other’s thinking as we discuss the book.
In writing, we have spent a while talking about how to live the life of a writer. Each child has decorated his own writer’s notebook with pictures they feel will inspire good writing, and are spending a lot of time collecting notebook entries and working on stamina. We have talked about where writers get their ideas- from observing the world around us to list-making, from describing our utopias to reacting to things that matter to us. To help us, we have read many picture books by different authors, as well as excerpts from writers talking about writing, and looking at author’s quotes that we identify with. The kids are doing a lot of sharing of their own writing, as well as a great deal of reflection on what kinds of writers they are. “I am the kind of writer who loves to tell stories about my family,” one child said, “So if I’m stuck for ideas I just think about the fun times we’ve had together.” Another child explained, “I am the kind of writer who likes to watch animals, how they behave and react. I think about animals’ personalities and then I turn them into characters for fiction stories.” Last week, we settled on a piece to nurture and publish before moving into our first structured genre study of the year, Memoir. You will be able to see our publishing during the Fall Family Celebration, this coming Friday morning.
Math
This year math looks a little different from last year. We are trying out “streaming.” Rachael will be teaching the 5th graders and I will be teaching the 4th graders from our classes. Children work in small groups, partnerships, and also as a whole class. They are encouraged to show and explain their strategies for solving problems, as they construct their own mathematical understandings. Working together and building community will be at the fore of our work for the next few months. Kids receive homework on a daily basis. They also have some homework on the weekends. Each night, children should spend approximately 30 minutes on their math work. Reviewing multiplication and division facts is always something great to support your child’s development and confidence. Our first math unit of the year is a study of multiplication and division. We have been working on different strategies of multiplication and division, such as the array strategy. We have had discussions about arrays, multiples and factors, prime and square numbers. I will write about math in more detail in my next letter.
Project Time Wish List
So many of you have been so generous with supplies that I hate to ask for anything else! However, if you are inclined to donate anything to our project time arsenal, here are some things that we can always use:
**-non-drying CLAY! (we are in need of all colors)
-HOT GLUE STICKS!! (These are a hot commodity, and we never seem to have enough.)
-cardstock, unusual paper
-fabric, yarn, thread, needles, lace, buttons or other sewing-related odds and ends
-foam core or styrofoam from packaging of any sort, empty egg containers
-pipe cleaners
Thanks so much, and please be in touch with any questions or comments!
Yours,
Lauren

The next couple of weeks are very busy and packed with lots of important things. Here are some to remember…
Tues. Nov. 3: Election Day, no school for students
Wed. Nov. 4: Fieldtrip to Central Park
Fri. Nov. 6: Fall Family Celebration (more info to follow soon!)
Mon. Nov. 9: Evening Family conferences
Tues. Nov. 10: Afternoon Family conferences
Wed. Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day, no school
Mon. Nov. 16 AND Tues. Nov. 17: 5th grade Social Studies Test
November 2, 2009
Dear Families,
Greetings! I hope everyone is settling into the Fall routines well. We have had a busy but incredibly fun and productive several weeks of school, and it has been lovely to reconnect with some of you and get to know so many others. This year I am thrilled to have Eileen working with our class. During the Fall semester, we have a Bank Street student teacher with us, Gretchen. Please feel free to say hello or introduce yourself! Here are some updates on some of the things we’ve been talking about and working on!
Community and Social Studies
Building community takes top priority at the beginning of the year! To that end, we have been having so many important conversations as we get to know one another and build a class together. We read the bell hooks book The Skin I’m In and talked about how we can make our classroom a safe place to be open and welcoming of different perspectives, experiences, and identities. Kids were very open about what they need from one another in order to feel safe and appreciated. All of these discussions and activities help us know each other more intimately and lay important groundwork for our future work together.
We’ve been doing important work together in Social Studies. Our visit to the New Amsterdam Village was a great way to kick off the year! We visited a greenhouse, where we learned about how the Dutch use “good” bugs instead of pesticide to protect the plants. We also got to sample some of the veggies!
We have embarked on an exciting new collaboration project with Nancy’s class, piloting a composting program at school. Our goal is to reduce the waste at lunch, starting with the upper grade lunch. Students are meeting together in 3 groups- Reuse, Recycle, and Renew. The last couple of weeks they created posters in their groups that represent the group’s name. We are trying to raise awareness of the many ways we can Reuse, Recycle, and Renew. You may have seen some of their many amazing posters hanging in the hallways. They did a beautiful job.
Together, we visited the Science Barge in Yonkers, which was a great success. The Science Barge is a floating science museum. It is completely sustainable, powered with solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels. They It is a great model for city dwellers, with a greenhouse where plants vertical grow! They are open to families on weekends. You can check out more about the Science Barge at: http://www.groundworkhv.org/programs/environmental-education/science-barge/
I will be loading pictures on our class blog, so be sure to check them out:
http://lauren-newsfromroom405.blogspot.com/
You can also get to the blog from the school website.
We have been looking at the mayoral election the past week, focusing on the candidates- Thompson and Bloomberg- and what they stand for. The students generated a list of issues they have heard in the news and debates. Last week they chose an issue and started a poster showing what the candidates thought, as well as what they thought. Please talk with your child about the election and your thoughts. If it is possible to take your child with you to the polling site it would be a great opportunity for them to see first hand how the process works.
This Wednesday we are taking a trip to the Urban Park Rangers at Central Park. This should connect well with science. We will be taking the subway with Stephanie’s class. Students should bring their own lunches and we will eat at the park. We are leaving around 11:15 and should return by dismissal.
Reading and Writing
We have plunged right into our work around literacy this year! In reading, we started the year by making sure everyone has good habits for independent reading. The kids are expected to read at home for at least 30 minutes each night, and they spend at least 30 minutes reading in school as well. Every time they read, they should log their reading on their reading log (inside their reading folder) and jot down two or three thoughts in their reading notebook. We have been talking about what kind of thinking they can record- anything from questions to theories about characters, from predictions to strong reactions. One goal is to start moving beyond summaries to more inferential and original thinking about books, and we are working on different strategies to prompt this sort of thinking. We have started working on ways to respond more extensively to reading in writing. Currently, the kids are working in partnerships, which I will write more about next time. We are also finishing our first chapter book read-aloud of the year, Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key. It is a great first read-aloud with a wonderful balance of humor and seriousness. Everyone seems to really enjoy it! Read-aloud serves so many purposes: first and foremost, it gives us a common literary experience to draw on, and there is something so beautiful in enjoying a story together as a community. Read-aloud also provides an opportunity to practice the comprehension strategies we work on in reading. Different children respond to the same story in very different ways, so they are able to challenge and open each other’s thinking as we discuss the book.
In writing, we have spent a while talking about how to live the life of a writer. Each child has decorated his own writer’s notebook with pictures they feel will inspire good writing, and are spending a lot of time collecting notebook entries and working on stamina. We have talked about where writers get their ideas- from observing the world around us to list-making, from describing our utopias to reacting to things that matter to us. To help us, we have read many picture books by different authors, as well as excerpts from writers talking about writing, and looking at author’s quotes that we identify with. The kids are doing a lot of sharing of their own writing, as well as a great deal of reflection on what kinds of writers they are. “I am the kind of writer who loves to tell stories about my family,” one child said, “So if I’m stuck for ideas I just think about the fun times we’ve had together.” Another child explained, “I am the kind of writer who likes to watch animals, how they behave and react. I think about animals’ personalities and then I turn them into characters for fiction stories.” Last week, we settled on a piece to nurture and publish before moving into our first structured genre study of the year, Memoir. You will be able to see our publishing during the Fall Family Celebration, this coming Friday morning.
Math
This year math looks a little different from last year. We are trying out “streaming.” Rachael will be teaching the 5th graders and I will be teaching the 4th graders from our classes. Children work in small groups, partnerships, and also as a whole class. They are encouraged to show and explain their strategies for solving problems, as they construct their own mathematical understandings. Working together and building community will be at the fore of our work for the next few months. Kids receive homework on a daily basis. They also have some homework on the weekends. Each night, children should spend approximately 30 minutes on their math work. Reviewing multiplication and division facts is always something great to support your child’s development and confidence. Our first math unit of the year is a study of multiplication and division. We have been working on different strategies of multiplication and division, such as the array strategy. We have had discussions about arrays, multiples and factors, prime and square numbers. I will write about math in more detail in my next letter.
Project Time Wish List
So many of you have been so generous with supplies that I hate to ask for anything else! However, if you are inclined to donate anything to our project time arsenal, here are some things that we can always use:
**-non-drying CLAY! (we are in need of all colors)
-HOT GLUE STICKS!! (These are a hot commodity, and we never seem to have enough.)
-cardstock, unusual paper
-fabric, yarn, thread, needles, lace, buttons or other sewing-related odds and ends
-foam core or styrofoam from packaging of any sort, empty egg containers
-pipe cleaners
Thanks so much, and please be in touch with any questions or comments!
Yours,
Lauren
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