Reading and Rocking

We had our "I Love to Read" month's Reading and Rocking kick-off Pepfest on Friday at the end of the day.

We are waiting for the gym to fill up (we fill one entire set of bleachers with just the elementary).

Our principal, Mr. Voshell welcomes us

Our superintendent, Mr. Truebenbach shares his excitement about reading and Milaca Elementary.

Our very own "Dick Clark" (aka Mr. Meyer) does the Milaca Elementary top ten songs (the list is to the left).

The Milaca elementary band, Frost Bite performs the top three hits

Then who should show up?!! Elvis!!

We had a hooks hoop contest with staff. Mr. Lyon represented fourth grade.

Then we had a k-3 grade contest until our 4-6th contest. We were so proud of our classroom participant. She looked like she was having fun.

Mr. Meyer introduced us to our local heroes as we strive to make our Pennies for Patients goal. Information about these two heroes were sent home this week.

We learned about our local sponsors for our I Love to Read month ... Subway, Dairy Queen, Hardee's, Hobbinettis, Koch's Hardware, Unclaimed Freight, Lakeway Lanes, Milaca (High School) Activities are just a few ... (I always worry about posting a list. I'm afraid I will forget someone, and I am so thankful that we have such great support, I wouldn't want to miss anyone!)

Finally, it was time to go and read.

Elvis has left the building.

Red Fern

Today, Ms. Leom started reading Wilson Rawl's "Where the Red Fern Grows".  This was a book that one of her fifth grade teachers, Mr. White, read to her "just a few years ago". It is a treasured and vivid memory of her elementary school experience. It is a book that she has only read one other year in her 19 year teaching career (because it makes her sob and gives her that blotchy, ugly, cry look that she tries to avoid sharing outside of the comfort of her jammies, blankie, and since we are family, lots of chocolate). :)

Please check in with your student. Where does the red fern grow ... ?

Puzzles

After DAYS of semi-patiently waiting, Ms. Leom's class FINALLY had their turn for "puzzle day" as their iPads are being updated.

It is always a fun energy in the room when students are actively learning.

ALP

Our Accelerated Learners Program took a walking field trip to the Milaca High-Rise to play games with the residents. Every year, the students have the opportunity to brainstorm a community-outreach opportunity. The last two years, students traveled to the Milaca Pantry and helped to sort food.

Today's trip went well. Fourteen students had a great time playing BINGO with 8-10 residents.

The students had a mini-lesson on why Bingo numbers are called the way they are (first the whole number, then individual digits, helps to clarify what was said).

The students gave hugs to residents if they felt comfortable doing so, and the residents' faces lit up. They were so happy to have new friends to play with.


We love how our community and school are able to form connections!

iPad Update

Last week, Mr. Greninger's iPads were removed from the classroom for an update and general repair. His were returned this morning, and Ms. Leom's iPads were removed for their turn.

We are using this opportunity to return to our learning and routine from earlier in the year, when we were using our editing and proofreading marks. We reviewed the types of sentence, subjects and predicates, and more. It is always interesting to see what students remember!

Here is an image from the work we did for each class. Sometimes, the teacher reflecting on the day wonders how similar or different the learning is between two classes. I think it is more alike most days, with the opportunities to build on the the individual gifts of students in each room. I like how students in both answers could generate the answers for their learning and how they closely compare ("compare" being our new reading strategy).

Compare and Contrast

We started our new reading strategy today, Compare and Contrast. We started by looking at pictures of houses and recording a list of things that were the same and different about the houses.

Ms. Leom's Class's Discussion and Learning

Mr. Greninger's Class's Discussion and Learning

Then we worked to develop some strategies we used to compare and contrast. Tomorrow, we will be reading an article, "Mercury", and applying the skill to our reading.

This is part of the standard (written in student friendly terms), "I can read using a variety of strategies."

Best Laid Plans

I had the best lesson plans!! Students in both classes are working on Southeast state projects on the iPads. We are researching and using Keynote. Students are working with partners, based on the states they picked. We should be wrapping up next week ... 

As it happens with all good plans and true intentions, outside events add to the learning journey. Our iPads are overdue for an update. Mr. Greninger's iPads were sent in on Thursday. Ms. Leom's iPads are scheduled for next Monday. In my mind, I wasn't worried. Mr. Greninger's class would just use Ms. Leom's iPads, and the learning would continue ... Until I realized that the work was stored on THE iPad students were using. New plan necessary and five minutes to make it happen smoothly. 

This is why I like to be prepared!! Our next region of study will be the Midwedt. The copies arrived. I didn't want to start the learning, because some fourth graders are working on their organization and keeping track of their materials. I like when my students are best prepared for success! 

So Mr. Greninger's homeroom and I introduced the Midwest states and capitals. It was fun to see how prepared several students were. No grades or documentation were collected. Our first lesson is to give students the opportunity to see what they know and need to know with a pretest. After going through the answers and sharing some memory conversations ("Why does Kansas have Topeka for a capital when it is one of the latest states and a "PEAK", now pronounced TO-PEAK-a, indicates a high area?)

Then we pulled out puzzles. (I love Target's dollar section!! I also love how Mr. Leom is an educator too, and we rarely question our personal investments in our students' learning and classrooms!!) what better way to learn that physically hold up the shape of each state and place it with purpose?! 

Next week, when Ms. Leom's class will have their iPads in for the update, they will also have an opportunity to learn using the puzzles. That is the new plan!

A Kiss

Ms. Leom gave her homeroom students a Kiss today.

She was SO PROUD of their hard work and efforts this week on their MAP Reading and Math tests! She said it was to "kiss your brain" (but didn't think parents would appreciate an actual kiss on the top of each student's head).

Keep participating, working hard, and doing your best work! It matters!

Dr. King

Mr. Greg Anderson is a retired teacher who is substituting for one of the sixth grade teachers this week. He brought his treasured tradition, "A Bus Ride", a play he put on for years.

He had room for one fourth grade class to attend. Mrs. Arens was the first to volunteer. She won ... until her son got sick and she was called home unexpectantly ... There were several changes to her plan for the day, so she needed another class to go!

Yeah us!! Mr. Greninger's students were in my room for that hour, so we went to the play! It was great!! Mr. Anderson introduced us to important new vocabulary and gave us some historical background.

The "famed" bus riders ...

Then there was a choral reading of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech with individual speakers ...

We are so thankful we could attend. Ms. Leom only wishes both her classes could participate!

Give a Hand

I taught a lesson at After-School tutoring, and it made me go ... "Hmmm ... ALL of my students could benefit from this!" So give "a hand" to a new tool to help students be successful.

We traced and cut out our hands. Then we labeled each figure to represent a part of a summary. On the back, we wrote the frame for a second strategy of a summary.

Students are expected to write two SUMMARY sentences every day on their Weekly Reading Logs. Now students have a hand in the back of their planners when they feel stuck.

B-I-N-G-O!

We had the fourth grade BINGO Reward today. Students who were caught up with their Second Quarter learning were invited to play Bingo in the Elementary Small Gym.

Listening to the details

Coupons for rewards

Getting started

Listening carefully

Sitting with friends

So hopeful

What was that one?

Mr. Lyon and Mr. Greg Anderson (substitute) call out the game

Our first winner!

students could change cards between games

 A fun way to spend a winter afternoon!

Students who did not make the reward worked in Mr. Greninger's classroom. He was available to help students with their missing work and provided a quiet, supportive place to complete missing learning before the end of the quarter. We are limited in the additional work time we can provide students. Mr. Greninger offers Homework Club on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before school. We are available several days during Recess; although, Mr. Greninger and Ms. Leom try to limit it to the first half of Recess, because we know the value of students needing time to run, play, and be kids. Reward days are one way we can be accessible and support students who need the help and aren't able to complete work at home, attend Homework Club, or make use of other opportunities in the school day. We want all of our students to be successful!