What's New in 2012

People of the Longhouses, a storyline unit weaving together learning targets from different content areas, wrapped up this past December with a dramatic ceremony. Chief Atotarho of the Onondaga nation had been fueling the fires of animosity between the different tribes for far too long. Then a man known as the Peacemaker (Mr. Mori) arrived from the north with ideas of bringing peace amongst the five tribes. After serveral informal meetings, the elders of each tribe decided to create a list of laws for a great peace-making ceremony. Each tribe also brought arrows to bury, symbolically letting go of the resentments and frustrations that kept them at war for so long. Cheif Atotarho eventually changed his ways, and the Iroquois Confederacy was formed with representatives from each of the five nations.

Currently, we are shifting gears to geography, and will be starting our winter storyline unit soon. We are creating maps of the world, and learning how to give and interpret cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) on those maps.

In math, multiplication and division will be a major focus for the month of January. An informational family letter was sent home with each child today (January 4).This should give you some specific information and vocabulary to support the learning going on at home.

In the fall, Mrs. Spidal supported the writers in the class through addressing written Conventions and Word Choice. This trimester we will turn our attention to improving our writing in the areas of Organization and Ideas/Content in our writers' workshop. If you start seeing scores on your child's writing samples, they will relate to Organization and Ideas/Content. Right now we are learning how to use the scoring guide to improve our writing in those areas (the scoring guide can be found under Templates in the right hand column). In the coming months, peer editing techniques/tools will be utilized, as well as taking a closer look at the process of revision.

Thanks for your continued support from home!