School Year 2010-2011...Be sure to scroll down past the post for lots of pics!

Morning Meeting! The kids are doing a great job leading!
They are responsible for a proper greeting, sharing/reading, activity, and announcements. This routine and ritual they are all familiar. We meet daily 8:30-9:10. The importance of these gatherings is evident in the ways the kids treat each other and the content we study. Last year each led a Morning Meeting, yet this year, the expectations are much higher as they know completely the process and why it is important. They have been given a schedule so they can be prepared and successful for this leadership endeavor.

The kids are using the 10 Design Principles very well and continuing their good CREW behavior to our school which is courage, responsibility, empathy, and welcoming.
Each designed a t-shirt that gives an example of each trait and these lamenated shirts reside on the lockers to remind them each day of what they all can do.
We added a cartoon quail to the lockers after each filled it out with comments that they like, know, and learn from each other. These will be keepsakes for years to come as they look back and realize how much character already shows and hopefully remind them of their strengths. Each crew wrote sincerely to the others.

Newest Chant for Closing Crew: Kowabunga, I love being among ya, We soar all the more because we're one score!!


Make sure to have your child read 40 minutes per night. That is homework. On Feb. 7, we spend time talking about when the kids read and most read right after school, on the bus and before bed. Good they are all finding a particular time and making the reading happen!

Practice multiplication and division, 1-12 times table. Make sure that your kid knows the United States too!! They have a map... Memorization is our tool for bigger problem solving.


Educational Goals were created and each child has them now in their Student Led Conference binder. These goals are things that the kids think about being when they grow up. Remember when you were almost 11...?






Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The day that should have been a snow day!!

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March 1, 2011



After a democratic vote in Morning Meeting allowed by the Teacher/ Dictator ;), these five came outside for recess to play in the snow. In about 10 minutes they rolled these huge snowballs because the snow was perfect for making a 5/6 fort!












We were in Literature Circles in the afternoon for the first time this year with the Newbery Winner books that the kids picked up at the University of Idaho College of Education library during the Raucous Readers Round Up two weeks ago. They've had reading time in class and  are all searching for the theme in their novel which is one of the criteria used by the American Library Association Committee to pick the winner. Some of selections are old books, like Smoky the Cow Horse, others new as in Criss Cross, and some are well known titles like The Westing Game, Holes, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Slave Dancer, and Sounder.   The groups practice the proctocol of having one member present certain information and then each can ask one question. Listening and analyzing each others information is very much a part of this work. The will continue to read and meet again. We'll be done with these book selections by Spring Break in one week. 
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