Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - April 14th

This week in social studies, 6th-grade students explored how a Buddhist mediator and a Confucian mediator might consider a similar moral question. The students considered what questions each might ask and how each might frame the consequences of stealing or lying.

Preschool students are immersed in spring topics from baby chicks, to April showers, to eggs as symbols of new life and renewal, to explorations of buds on trees. Their growing independence and self-confidence are on display each day. For instance, they take pride in their playground and their ability to put their toys away each day.

K students Kindergarten continues to memorize Nursery Rhymes. This week they jumped over the candlestick just like Jack in the poem. Then they listened to Jack Prelutsky’s poem “The Dragons are Singing” and heard the dragons' “thunderous cacophony”. First grade’s classroom is evolving into a rainforest as they continue their look at these complex ecosystems from the top of the canopy to the bottom of the forest floor. Together, Kindergarten and First-Grade are working to bring their play 'Once Upon a Lily Pad to Life'. Ask your First-Grade student if they know why the speaker in Seamus Heaney’s poem “Death of A Naturalist” decides to stop collecting frogs eggs to raise.

Second Grade students had a surprise guest speaker; an alum shared with them a presentation about the penguins they saw on their trip to the Galapagos. Like this year's class, our alum first learned about penguins with Mrs. Yearly. Fourth Grade students are beginning their research into their famous New Jerseyans; we anticipate presentations on Alice Paul, Queen Latifa, Jon Bon Jovi, Martha Stewart to name just a few. I hope our Alice Paul will recreate her chaining herself to the White House fence and talk about how her parade for women’s votes upstaged Woodrow Wilson’s inaugural parade!

For their part in the Poetry Slam, Seventh Grade Students will recite original work. Most recently they wrote a poem in the style of Naomi Shihab Nye. Third-grade students continue to prepare for the Poetry Slam as well. They squeezed in a trip to Cinnaminson Library today to return books and find new poets to read and perhaps present to us next week.

tree in lot We will end the week with a flurry of egg hunts, the variety show, and popsicles for students who successfully recited a poem.

Happy Easter, chag Pesach sameach, Ramadan Mubarak

In the Light,

Margaret

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What I am reading

Stuntboy in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds and Raul the Third

Song for a Whale by Lynn Kelly