Happy Summer Vacation!

Well, it's that time of year again - time for summer vacation!  I have enjoyed working with all of you this year.  You have worked very hard, and I am very proud of the progress you have made.

Look how big Sheldon got!!

I hope you have a wonderful summer, and don't forget to 

read! 

READ!

READ!

Poem of the Week ~ A Time to Remember

A Time to Remember

Author Unknown

Memorial Day is a time to remember,

To honor and show our respect

For all the men and women who gave up their lives

For the country they fought to protect.

Although we cannot picture all of their faces,

Nor recognize each person's name,

We give thanks today for those brave U.S. soldiers,

When called by our country, they came.

Poem of the Week ~ Grade 4

On My Nature Hike

by Neal Levin

Lizard skitters on a path,

Muskrat takes a rustic bath,

Beaver weaves a home of sticks,

Dragonfly does fancy tricks,

Mallard glides among the reeds,

Chipmunk rustles in the weeds, 

Turtle moseys through the mud,

Whitetail nibbles on a bud,

Eagle soars across the sky,

Warbler sings a lullaby...

I'm as quiet as can be,

Only watching peacefully.

Boy, oh boy!  This poem introduced us to a lot of new words!  Do you know what a warbler is?  We used context clues to guess, and some of us were right!  A warbler is a bird.  

We also noticed that this poem has an AA, BB, CC pattern and that every line has 7 syllables.  

Poem of the Week ~ Grade 3

All Things Live Together

by Lill Pluta

Rivers fill with raindrops.

Grassy meadows bloom.

Up above the mountaintops,

hawks and eagles zoom.

Porcupines, opossums,

skunks, raccoons, and bears,

foxes, beavers, owls, and elk,

badgers, snakes, and hares.

Creatures in the woodlands,

creatures in the sky,

creatures in the streams and fields,

creep and swim and fly.

    

First we looked up pictures of animals that we weren't familiar with.  Do you know that an elk looks like a reindeer?  Or that a badger looks like a cross between a skunk and a raccoon?  We think that a hare looks like a bunny with a little kangaroo mixed in?

Then we counted the syllables in each line.  We noticed a pattern. In every stanza, the first line has 6 syllables, the second line has 5 syllables, the third line has 7 syllables, and the last line has 5 syllables.  Do you think the poet did this on purpose?  We do.

Who's Reading What?

These are some of our favorite books.  

Can you guess who's reading what?

Poem of the Week ~ It Must Be Spring

Poem of the Week ~ Your Best

This week students are starting the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Be sure to get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and always TRY YOUR BEST!  You will do GREAT!!

Your Best

by Barbara Vance

If you always try your best

Then you'll never have to wonder

About what you could have done

If you'd summoned all your thunder.

And if your best

Was not as good

As you hoped it would be,

You still could say,

"I gave today

All that I had in me."

Poem of the Week ~ Leprechaun Language

For St. Patrick's Day, we read a poem about a friendly leprechaun.  He taught us what "Erin Go Bragh" means.  Do you know?

Leprechaun Language

by Alice Knisley Matthias

I couldn't believe what I stumbled upon, 

There he was before me - a real leprechaun.

He said, "I just woke from my long morning nap."

Stretching his arms, he fixed his giant black cap.

"I didn't see you there when I first woke up,

I'm making some tea now, would you like a cup?"

He had bright blue eyes and a rather long nose

With emerald green shoes that turned up at the toes.

We chatted together while drinking our tea,

Just the two of us - the leprechaun and me.

He said, "Do you know that soon it will be St. Patrick's Day?

I'll share with you friend, something the Irish say.

They have a saying that is oh, so clever,

Erin Go Bragh means Ireland forever!"

Poem of the Week - Reader's Oath

In honor of Dr, Seuss's birthday, we read a Seuss-like poem that was written by Debra Angstead.

Reader's Oath

I promise to read each day and each night.

I know it's the key to growing up right.

I'll read to myself.

I'll read to a crowd.

It makes no difference if silent or loud.

I'll read at my desk, at home, and at school,

on my bean bag, or bed, by the fire or pool.

Each book that I read puts smarts in my head

'cause brains grow more thoughts the more they are fed.

Come rain or come shine, snow, wind, or sleet,

each day of the week, reading's a treat.

So I take this oath to make reading my way

of feeding my brain what it needs every day.

Fluency! Fluency! Fluency!

What is Fluency?

• Fluency is the effortless reading of words.  Fluent readers group words into meaningful phrases and use expression appropriately.

• Fluency involves both reading speed and accuracy of word identification.

• Fluency is critical for but not sufficient for comprehension.

Why is Fluency Critical?

• Fluent readers are able to focus their attention on understanding the text.  Fluency frees the reader's attention so the reader is better able to focus on constructing meaning and interpreting the text.

• Nonfluent readers focus their cognitive energies on decoding and accessing individual words.  There is little attention available for comprehension.

                                                                ~ Imagine It!


One way to practice fluency is to reread a short passage.  Each week I will pick out a passage or poem for the students to quickly read each day at the beginning of reading group.  On Fridays the students have the option of recording themselves reading the poem on Photo Booth using a fun effect. 

I Am So Proud of You!!

FANTASTIC! 

UNBELIEVABLE!

AMAZING!

CONGRATULATIONS to ALL of you for reaching your goal on the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) test!  You have worked hard, and I am so very proud of you!

Look at Sheldon Now!

Look how much Sheldon has grown!!

The students have been hard at work reading many of 

Mrs. Minervini's books!

Great Job, Kids!