Pumpkin Palooza & Plenty of Pictures!!
Pumpkin Palooza & plenty of pictures....how's that for alliteration?! Last week was full of everything pumpkins! It was so much fun!
Before we dive into that, please allow me to take a moment to THANK everyone that attended conferences. The student led conferences were well received and I was very impressed with the way students took ownership of their learning, behavior, and friendship skills at school. They shared openly and honestly, and were very reflective in their thinking. I truly believe this will help them grow as students and good citizens. Please know that we do recognize that student led conferences, especially with little ones, take longer for your child to say what they want to say - especially if they are acting shy or nervous, but that the benefits of this format are too good to pass up! This was a first time for everyone, and we will all get better. As adults, we can remember to slow down and listen to our children and really hear their triumphs and struggles from their perspective, and the students will get better at speaking and articulating their thoughts! From my perspective I LOVED LOVED LOVED watching parents connect and make eye contact with their children, and vice versa. The smiles from both parents and students when sharing successes melted my heart. It was so great to see moms/dads/students bursting with pride. It was also really great to hear parents tell their children that they would be willing to help them work on skills that the child wanted to improve upon. Our students have an amazing support system at home and school! THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I really appreciate the families that filled out the short survey about conferences. I read all the comments and use the information for future uses. There are some things I would tweak a little for next time, and I also want you to know that I am available ANY TIME you have questions, comments, or would like an update on your child's progress. Fifteen minutes can seem tight for the child to share, the teacher to update, and the parents to share concerns. Feel free to give me a heads up at conferences if you would like to speak with me without your child present for part of the conference, or if you would like to schedule a separate conference for concerns. That way, I can plan and adjust as needed. I am more than happy to accommodate the needs of each family!
We read the story From Seed to Pumpkin, and learned some great vocabulary words, such as: vine, sprawled, soil, ribs, blossom, pulp, ripe, and more! Click the image below to watch and listen to the story!
We also learned to sequence the pumpkin life cycle, and had an afternoon of pumpkin investigations! It was so much fun to integrate math, science, reading, writing, and art! Our investigators weighed, measured in non-standard units, made predictions, tested predictions, counted seeds by tens----all through COOPERATIVE group work! Students learned to work in small groups together on the same task at hand. Groups chose leaders, problem solved, had discussions, made plans, carried out the plan, and learned to be flexible when working with others. There are few jobs today where employees do not have to brainstorm and work with others. Cooperative learning projects are so beneficial to students at an early age!
Also, the pumpkin book reports were a HUGE hit!!! They look awesome! Thank you to everyone for your hard work and commitment to helping your child complete this project! More literacy and art integration with this project-----I just love when all subjects just feed off of each other! They are still on display and seem to be quickly deteriorating. We will enjoy them as long as we can! Below are a TON of great photos......too many great ones not to share. Enjoy!!!!
