Q is for Quiet!

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I ask my students, "How many different kinds of "quiet" can you think of?" "I am quiet when my baby sleeps," "when I play with my favorite toys I am quiet," and "you have to be quiet in the library"  are a few of the examples my kindergarten students immediately make with The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood. I "whisper read" and say let's find out about more types of quiet.

Every page offers us ways to think about the concept of quiet but one of my students favorites is roller coaster quiet as I have them act out riding on a roller coaster. This book is worth many reads. 

Calling all writers, artists, and poets... We need your best work!!

What: The Lion's Den is Orchard Gardens' literary and visual arts magazine that showcases some of the best writing, poetry, and art by our students and staff.

Who: All students K-8 AND staff.

How: Submit your material in the library or email Ms. M 

When: Deadline is April 24th, 2017.

Why: Get published! Be part of the legacy of Orchard Gardens. Have your work become part of the permanent collection in the library for years to come.

Material Guidelines: Stories 250 words or less, longer pieces may need to be edited. All types of poetry will be considered. Artwork must be able to be photographed.

Orchard Gardens Musical Revue!

This year the School Musical Revue, BROADWAY’S REBELS, will be during the day for students in 1st-6th grade to watch. We will begin promptly at the start times listed below. Come check out pieces from Frozen, Hamilton, Grease, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar and more!

Showtimes-

3/29 Wednesday 10:20 AM
3/30 Thursday 9:25 AM
3/31 Friday 11:15 AM

We LOVE Mercy Watson Books!

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My first graders are enjoying reading about Mercy and just finished their 3rd book, Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo. My first graders can "describe characters, settings and major events in a story using key details." By using books in a series we master these skills, make connections and build an appreciation for literature. Learn more about the incredible characters from Deckawoo Drive here.

aaa-CHOO!

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What makes you sneeze? "Dust," "cats," "when you are sick," and "the weather"  were just some of the wonderful answers my kindergarten students gave me when we read Pigs Make Me Sneeze! by Mo Willems. Poor Gerald thinks he is allergic to Piggie. His elephant sized sneezes send poor Piggie flying over the pages and my students laugh and remind each other that you have to "catch your sneeze like you catch your cough." They also love to read along as Gerald's sneezes. Learn more about the fantastic books by Mo Willems and enjoy them with your child by clicking here!

A Collection for Kate!

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In second grade we continue our unit on collections and collecting with A Collection for Kate by Barbara deRubertis. Kate signed up to give her collection report weeks ago the problem is she doesn't have a collection! She decides to wait and see what the other students present and only becomes more and more worried that she is not ready.
In addition to our read aloud that spans three classes our students are also presenting their own collections. Your child may bring in one or two items from their collection to share with the class.

Ethan from Ms. Rigueur's 2nd grade went first with his collection of wrestling action figures. He was skilled in presenting and knowledgeable about all things wrestling. Students in his class asked excellent questions. 

Elephant and Piggie, Best Friends!

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For Letter O we read Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems. As I post this update, we are preparing to get another blast of winter! Even with the pending snow storm we know that Spring is right around the corner and we will be playing outside more and more. Poor Piggie can't decide whether she loves or hates rain and in the end the two best friends work out a great solution. We discuss the difference between inside and outside, including inside and outside voices. We talk about all the different places you can be when you are outside; the park, the beach, a restaurant, your porch or patio and the playground. We also talk about the different things we do when we are outside, play games, go swimming and have a cookout! Students then practice drawing Elephant and Piggie outside. Practice drawing Elephant and Piggie with your child and make up stories for a fun family activity. Start by drawing Piggie with Mo Willems!

"N" is for Nest

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My students LOVE Baby Bird's First Nest by Frank Asch. They are immediately engaged when Baby Bird falls out of her nest and cries for her Mama. She makes friends with a little frog that lives in the pond near her tree and together they build a nest. I have a small collection of real bird nests that the children are able to touch and that adds even more excitement to the Read Aloud.