Following Jr. MAPP

2009-2010 Module 9

2010-04-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

This time of year we do a lot of review of previously learned material. We have spent a great deal of time reviewing and renewing our knowledge of previously learned math, reading, grammar, and phonics concepts. Math strategies we have reviewed for test prep have been making equations, drawing pictures, and looking for patterns. We have practiced reading and math questions in test-like format through worksheets and games.

In Read Aloud we have continued with our series Puppy Place. One of our favorite dog stories was about working dogs who serve the blind.

In math we have learned new information about rounding and estimation, and we have continued to practice our multiplication facts.

In science we have taken a look at body systems and learned about bones. Ms. Lori did a science activity with Jr. MAPP about the Periodic Table and we are learning about sea life.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I was a little skeptical putting a bat in the hands of these energetic, super enthusiastic students, but I'm happy to say the striking unit was a success. The students caught on rather quickly and seemed to enjoy it! We talked about batting stance, swinging that bat, follow through, bases, positions, infield, outfield, and basic catching. I had the students choose between the beach ball or a whiffle ball when batting. Most attempted using the whiffle ball first. I'm glad they were up for the challenge! Gloves were not used, but I may introduce catching with gloves in the near future.

Music with Daniel Raimi

I sadly missed two weeks with Jr. MAPP because of traveling around to look at potential graduate schools, but the few classes we've had this module have been a lot of fun. We've continued to work on learning, singing, and performing certain styles of musical composition. The two main areas of our focus have been the Waltz and the Cha-Cha-Cha. The students listen to some examples of this music, write their own versions of it using simple musical notation, and then we dance to the music! The students have really enjoyed it, and we'll be featuring some of our work soon at Evening of the Arts.

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

During Module 9 the students did both clay art projects with Model Magic and classes in Dramatic Arts as well. Storytelling was covered in one of the drama classes where the students were given prompts by me, "So tell me what happened when …." Some of the prompts were, "when you went hunting in Africa," or "when you fell into a shark-infested swimming pool." The students were to keep talking and the story would keep evolving until I said, "scene." This exercise really helps in developing creativity and the ability to speak in front of the class, and it helps develop self esteem. In another drama class the students were given animal visors to wear and were put into small groups. They were to improvise a short skit as the animals they were wearing. The skits were very creative and the students worked well together to create the story. I allowed the students to choose what they wanted to create with the Model Magic and they truly let their imaginations go wild. I was very pleased with their choices.

Art with Brittain Peck

Using oil pastels and colored construction paper for the sake of the interesting color combinations that we could create, we turned our attention to our classmates in a lesson on Cubist portraiture. We began each portrait by drawing a classmate as he or she sat facing us, but purposefully chose not to complete the drawing with this pose. Instead, we asked our classmate subjects to turn to their sides so that we could finish the drawings by including elements of a side view in the halfway-completed drawing. In doing so, we were able to experience one of the Cubist's primary concepts of representing 3D space, objects, and people in a 2D drawing. With inspiration coming from Picasso's Girl Before a Mirror, we also experimented with bright colors and geometric approximations of the world around us.

Module 9 also led us into a series of work days dedicated to learning about paper weaving. The students began by measuring and cutting their own paper to serve as the "weft" and "warp" to make woven paper mats. After the students learned to successfully weave together paper of two different colors, we pulled out the color paper strips from our weavings to be able to trade them with classmates to get more colors to diversify the colors in each student's weaving. As a follow up, we also discussed how to include recycled paper from magazines and catalogues to introduce an entirely new range of colors and shapes.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We have spent a couple of lessons using a map for an imaginary city to both expand our Spanish vocabulary of city places and buildings and to apply our imaginative insight into expanding upon the variety of points of interests, places to live, and interesting things to do in the city. Students learned such vocabulary as "biblioteca", "parque", and "avenida" and made additions to the city including barber shops and candy stores.

2009-2010 Module 8

2010-04-14T11:49:00.001-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

The students have been enjoying Read Aloud. We are doing a series of realistic fiction books called Puppy Place. We just finished reading Goldie. The students are able to make many interesting connections to the books and it has led to some creative writing responses.

In reading groups students have read a variety of texts. Our rising third graders have been focusing on comprehension and testing strategies. Many students have received individual or small group guided reading practice using books that meet their individual needs for phonics instruction and fluency.

In math we continue working on basic skills. We have studied fractions, coordinated graphs, measurement, and strategies for adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers. We have also done a great deal of review of previously learned materials. We practiced drawing pictures and making equations as a strategy for solving math word problems.

Our word activities have included reviewing antonyms, synonyms, homophones and contractions. We have studied the word patterns ick, ack, udge and made words to practice short and long vowel patterns and letter blends.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

We have had a lot of fun over these last few weeks. I decided to try something new and work on relay races with the students. I haven't done this before and didn't know how well they would adhere to it, but I was quite surprised by how much they enjoyed it. They also picked it up rather quickly. We have some fast runners in this class! My intentions with this was to see how well the students would enjoy running in an organized fashion. There are a lot of elementary schools that have running programs/clubs. They track how many laps or how many miles they run each time they come to the club. The records are kept up on a board for everyone to see the milestones each student has made. These programs not only help keep kids healthy, but they also help build self-confidence and self-esteem. This kind of program and club is something I'm considering creating in the future here at Camelot if there is enough interest. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on the matter, definitely let me know!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Jr. MAPP has had a really good few weeks. We finished watching our film on the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven, and since then have been working on writing specific kinds of dance music. Students learned about 3/4 time, sometimes called "waltz time," and each wrote short pieces in that style. I performed each one of their pieces in class, and we had some really lovely tunes. As we listened to the lovely waltzes composed by class members, I taught students how to do some basic waltz steps, and we had a fun time dancing with one another.

Our second composition project was to write versions of the popular 1950's-60's dance called the "Cha Cha Cha," which employs a specific rhythm. Students learned how to notate and count this rhythm, and then we got on with the dancing! Hopefully you heard you child come home a couple weeks ago singing "1, 2, cha-cha-cha!"

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

We started the module with the continuation of the theme of spring using Model Magic clay. The students created beautiful birds with the addition of real feathers! The next project in the series was that of a butterfly. Gems, and feathers, and pipe cleaners adorned the "masterpieces". The students were allowed to create an original sculpture for the last class of Module 8. What great creativity and imaginations!

Art with Brittain Peck

Jr. MAPP has been focused on origami during Module 8, allowing us a hands-on opportunity to follow step-by-step instructions to create 3-dimensional objects from flat sheets of paper. We began by making paper jumping frogs which we were able to decorate and even race against our friends' frogs. We then moved on to making paper shamrocks and 4-leaf clovers by making each leaf from green paper and then fixing them together. Finally we created our own paper envelopes which we folded, decorated, wrote on, and stuffed with messages, stickers, and other paper objects to mail to friends and family.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We concluded our lessons with our paper-bag puppets by gaining a greater familiarity with more complex phrases for greetings and casual conversation and finally getting the opportunity to introduce our puppets to the class puppet. The students were not only very focused and attentive in their approach to learning the new conversational phrases, but were also very excited to use these newly learned phrases to introduce their puppets to the class puppet.

2009-2010 Module 7

2010-03-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

In math we studied fractions. We used fraction manipulatives to explore halves, thirds and fourths, compare fractions, make different representations of the same fraction, and combine fractions to describe parts of a whole. We practiced using our fraction knowledge by playing games and solving word problems.

We finished our Read Aloud of The Wind in the Willows and began reading a realistic fiction series about families and animals.

In writing we studied and created personal narratives. Phonics and word work covered vowel patterns such as oi, oy, igh, etc. Activities used in our study were Making Words, Words You Know, word sorts and cloze passages. Reading groups continue to practice comprehension, decoding, sight words and fluency. All small groups are practicing taking comprehension tests that go with our A to Z Guided Reading books.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Jr. MAPP worked on throwing and catching these last few weeks. We went over the underhand throw, overhead throw with both hands, overhand throw, catching with two hands, and catching with one hand. Specific cues I had the students focus on during this unit are having their eyes on the target, holding the ball at the base of their fingers, arm extension/follow through towards the target, foot positioning, and weight transfer during the throw. Most of the students were able to communicate their understanding of how to throw with the use of these focus points. We also played various target games during these last few weeks and will continue to work on games focusing on throwing and catching through this next module.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Jr. MAPP has been focusing on what it's like to be a composer of music. First, we learned the basics of writing and understanding basic musical notation. Students used this knowledge to write short melodies that we performed on the marimba or guitar. Next, we dove deeply into the life of a famous composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven. Students watched a film called Beethoven Lives Upstairs, which tells the story of the famous composer living his noisy, angry, music-mad lifestyle on the upstairs floor of a house inhabited by a boy named Christophe in Vienna, Austria. We learned a lot about Beethoven's life, his faults, and most importantly, listened to a lot of his music. The film focuses on the 9th Symphony, but also delves into Beethoven's compositions for piano, string quartet, and other chamber groups.

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

The class worked with Model Magic during this module. One project that the students were given was to create figures of themselves. It truly was interesting to see how they saw themselves. Pipe cleaners, feathers, "google eyes", and beads were made available to the students to use at their discretion. Another project that each student was expected to do was to create a beautiful flower out of clay. They were given all different colors of clay and tongue depressors to put the flowers on so that they could be placed in vases, or on plants as decoration. Pipe cleaners, beads, crystals, and feathers were available to use in their masterpieces if they so chose. The results were fantastic!

Art with Brittain Peck

We continued our lesson in printmaking by carving Styrofoam plates which we envisioned as designs for Olympic gold medals. We not only discussed the various Olympic events, but in writing the names of the events in medals, learned to use mirror writing to prepare the text in such a way as to have the text print in the correct orientation. After we had printed from the Styrofoam plates with gold ink, we allowed the prints and plates to dry with the gold ink. We concluded this exercise by folding ribbons to hang the medals around the students' necks in our own Jr. MAPP medal ceremony.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We have continued our use of puppets in Spanish class by welcoming the students to create their own puppets from paper bags. The students have worked to color and decorate their puppets, and in doing so, have reinforced their understanding of color and body part vocabulary. The students concluded their puppet making by naming their puppets and preparing to introduce them to our classroom puppet in our next Spanish class.

2009-2010 Module 6

2010-02-24T18:01:00.001-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

In Module Six we sure did enjoy our snow days! We also enjoyed learning about geometry. The students had fun learning about the properties of shapes and spatial relationships. The class made quilt squares with triangles using flips, turns and slides. We continue to practice basic math skills such as counting on, subtraction, odd and even numbers, comparing and word problems. Soon we will start fractions.

In reading we continue to work on basic sight words, spelling and word families, decoding, and comprehension skills. Students have worked on specific reading skills depending on their reading level. We have studied and practiced our understanding of author's purpose, main idea, recalling facts, making connections between texts, and interpreting information from diagrams, charts and maps. Students have made wonderful progress in their understanding and appreciation of literature.

In Read Aloud we have read a variety of chapter books that covered realistic fiction, fantasy fiction and historical fiction. Currently we are reading The Wind in the Willows.

As a class, we continue to practice D'Nealian handwriting, letter writing, story writing, and journal writing. Our focus now is writing personal narratives.

Please continue to share the joy of reading each day with your child. Thank you for entrusting your child's education to me. I consider it a privilege and an honor to work with each and every one of my students.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

During this module, we finished up our unit on jumping rope. We moved from stationary jumping to jumping rope while moving at a relatively fast pace. They also had a chance to come up with and perform a routine in front of the class. All of the students did a fantastic job!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Jr. MAPP missed a number of classes over this past module because of snow, holidays, and various schedule changes. I'm looking forward to getting back on a more regular schedule so we can move forward with music class. One of the tasks we took up this module was the act of writing traditional music notation. We worked our way through a whole octave above "middle C," and used rhythms ranging from whole notes to eighth notes. Students wrote short pieces, and Mr. Dan performed them in class on guitar. We had some lovely short melodies, and will continue drawing out the composers hiding inside each of the Jr. MAPP students!

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

I introduced Model Magic Clay to the children by having them create anything that they chose as their first projects. They were given different colors to use in their designs. Feathers and pipe cleaners of different colors were offered to them along with "google eyes" to use as embellishments. After the snow storm, the children were given an old compact disk and were asked to create a snow scene on top of it. The results were wonderful and very creative in content. I will continue with clay projects during Module 7.

Art with Brittain Peck

In Module 6 we have begun a large new lesson focusing on relief printmaking. We began by preparing printing blocks, for which we are using styrofoam plates. The students then scratched into the plates with pencils to make images in negative relief. The printing surfaces and images prepared, we began to print. Along with our work in relief printing, we simultaneously undertook a lesson in drawing. Our lesson presented a specific drawing technique in which we learned to begin by using pencil to draw the basic shapes of the objects in our drawing. We then used a marker to trace over those pencil lines most necessary for our drawing, erasing those that were not needed. With the remaining bold marker outlines, we added color to the drawing.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We began Module 6 by receiving new Spanish names to be used in Spanish class. In acquiring our new names, we also learned basic Spanish conversation to meet, greet, and introduce ourselves to our classmates. We continued to expand our vocabulary by learning names of the parts of our body. To do so, we put our bodies to good use in a moving and jumping game of "Simón Dice", or "Simon Says". Along with learning our new Spanish names and the names of the parts of our body, we also welcomed our new classmate, a green Spanish-speaking puppet named "Geovanis" who needed the students' help to identify the colors of his body. We concluded Module 6 by learning the names of various articles of clothing and using these names in a game of "Yo Veo", or "I Spy" to identify and guess the the name and color of our classmates' clothes.

2009-2010 Module 5

2010-01-21T03:45:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

This was a quick module. In Read Aloud we have focused on reading chapter books. We have discussed plot, story sequence, story themes and finding word meaning in context. We have also discussed how good readers ask themselves questions, make predictions, and draw conclusions about the story as they read. The books we have read cover historical fiction, fantasy fiction, and realistic fiction.

We have added many new titles to our class library. Camelot earned a large number of credits through the Scholastic book fair, and these were used to purchase five hundred dollars' worth of new books. Books were chosen for guided reading, pair-share reading, the library, and special holidays we study.

In math we have worked hard to read, write, and make numbers through thousands. We have studied a variety of strategies for advanced addition and subtraction. We continue to practice core skills and strategies in word problems and through games.

Writing has been a lot of fun. We have written books, and practiced nouns, verbs and adjectives. The students have done a variety of journal entries, free writes, paired writing, letter writing, and listing.

Reading daily will improve reading ability, word knowledge, and fluency—so please help your child read every day.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Jr. MAPP continued to work on soccer during this last module. I had them play a few games during class, and it went well. Generally, everyone was able to come in contact with the soccer ball. It was nice to see them implement a lot of the skills we were working on in previous classes!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Jr. MAPP has pushed forward in music, and we've recently begun a fun new activity: listening to music which has a corresponding video presentation up on YouTube. There's a great animated version of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, a classic children's piece performed by orchestra. The animated short was actually nominated for an Oscar in 2006 and uses clay-mation to create a pretty fantastic world.

Drama with Roni Peterson

During Module 5 we continued with doing improvisation exercises. These exercises help the children with creativity, spontaneity, and working well with each other. It is important that they learn to work together to create a short scene. Usually they are given a word or phrase prompt to help them to create a short improvised scene. I continue to emphasize the 5 "W's", Who,What,Where, When,Why. They are also instructed to have the scene contain a beginning, a middle, and then to come to an end. The exercise should not be more than a few minutes long, and each student should be involved equally. We will continue with a few more classes during the next module and then begin with Clay Art instruction using Model Magic.

Art with Brittain Peck

Module 5 began with a conclusion to our experimentation with leaf forms that we began earlier by collecting and observing leaves and creating rubbings and paper replicas based on what we found. In our conclusion of this investigation, we made paper collages of our leaf replicas. We gave special attention to the negative space that was created between the leaves as we placed them next to each other on the blank white paper by cutting colored paper pieces to fill these white spaces. Our next art lesson involved a combination of our Spanish studies as we created family portraits and labeled our family members with the corresponding Spanish vocabulary for words like "father" (padre) and "grandmother" (abuelo). In our final art lesson before the holiday break we created white felt candle ornaments as a symbol of the hope of the new year and memories of the past.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We began Module 5 with a singing, marching, call-and-response variation on the Spanish alphabet. In addition to learning a list of Spanish vocabulary related to our families, Jr. MAPP also began working on an activity book with a lesson based on the basic phrase "me llamo ___", or "my name is ___", enabling the students to introduce themselves to their classmates.

2009-2010 Module 4

2009-12-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

Wow, did we have fun studying The History of Thanksgiving! The books we used were Scholastic's If You Lived series, the Dear America series and several Internet sources. I am very proud of how hard the class worked to make the projects and learn the information we used for the Academic Fair.

Jr MAPP students have also been working hard to learn and use D'Nealian handwriting. I have seen a wonderful improvement in neatness and letter formation.

In math we have continued to work on addition and subtraction strategies. We did a unit on graphing that began with a glyph activity. We have practiced data collection, tally charts and making and reading graphs. In addition, we have done mini lessons and activities with estimation. During Module 5 we will be practicing probability, estimation and rounding. Blue Group math will begin making trades with 2, 3 and 4 digit numbers for both addition and subtraction (trades is another word for carrying and borrowing). We will be using manipulatives, number lines and other CGI techniques to learn and understand the concept of trades.

Thanks to everyone for working so hard with your students. Keep reading, writing and practicing math facts daily.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

It has been a good couple of weeks in Jr. MAPP class. We have started a soccer unit and have worked on dribbling, kicking, and trapping. For the most part, students stay on task and work well together. However, because of their energy and enthusiasm for leadership roles, sometimes it takes a while for them to get on the same page. Communication and learning to take turns are a few of the affective objectives we will be focusing on within this unit.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Jr.MAPP focused for the last couple of weeks on learning our Academic Fair song, "You Better Wash Your Hands." Students enjoyed singing this song very much, and I'm sure parents heard it plenty of times coming and going to school. Jr. MAPP has also been learning a series of songs to help with syllabic development ("There was a cat named rat-a-tat"), and we'll continue to learn a number of those songs from the great book borrowed from Ms. Liz. Students have also enjoyed drawing to music, an activity that I'd encourage parents to do at home over the holidays, as well as to sing some of our favorite songs.

Drama with Roni Peterson

Module 4 began with doing improvisations using word and sentence prompts. Two or more students are given a word or sentence and they then must use the word or sentence in an improvised short scene. This exercise helps them to work together. I am working with them on the five "W's" of acting—who, what, where,when, and why. The 5 "W's", are the basis for all acting exercises.

I read the students a book called The Rotten Rose, a story about pirates. We then acted out the story. The students enjoyed the story and we spent some time discussing it as well.

During Module 5, we will continue doing exercises that deal with developing improvisations that have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Art with Brittain Peck

We began Module 4 in a new direction with a lesson called "Pass the Drawing". Each student began a drawing on a large sheet of paper, but was only able to work on the drawing for approximately 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, each student passed their drawing to the student to their left, and began drawing on the new drawing. The large paper provided plenty of room for each student to add to the drawing. After 3 minutes, each student would again stop drawing, and pass the drawings to their left, with each student receiving a new drawing to work on and add to. The students were strongly encouraged to find ways to contribute to each drawing without scribbling over what was added to the drawing by previous students. While each of the final drawings was visually interesting, the greater value of the experience was the opportunity to make individual contributions to collective whole.

We concluded Module 4 by again working with a subject that the students are both very interested in and knowledgeable about—leaves. Rather than making rubbings of leaves collected from outside, the students worked to create their own leaves from paper using the principle of reflective symmetry. I was greatly impressed with the students' ability to name the different classifications of a large diversity of leaves. The students then recorded their "thanks-givings" onto these leaves by writing, drawing, coloring, and decorating the leaves with what the reasons each of us could find to give thanks.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

Jr. MAPP Spanish learned a new way to play a familiar game in Module 4: "¡Pesca!" or "Go Fish!". The game served a great opportunity for the students to review their knowledge of the Spanish numbers, but also provided the students an opportunity to begin to speak with each other in Spanish as they ask for cards of specific numbers from their classmates. I was greatly impressed with the students' ability to carry out the game using only Spanish questions and responses, including one that became a favorite when the students were able to tell their classmates to "Go Fish", or in Spanish "¡Pesca!"

2009-2010 Module 3

2009-11-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

Jr. MAPP has certainly been a busy place!

In math we have studied place value, basic skills for addition and subtraction and pattern. We apply our math skills and strategies in CGI using word problems and math manipulatives. We continue to practice odd and even numbers, doubles, partners for ten and counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Math vocabulary is also an important part of our daily math skills practice.

In writing we continue to practice understanding and using basic sentence structure, subject and predicate, capitals and end punctuation, topic sentences, writing with details, journal entries, using resources, and editing with help. We have studied nouns, plurals, possessives, proper and common nouns, and verbs.

Phonics work includes making words, using words you know to spell words you may not know, sorting words, and using and understanding word families. We have studied short vowels (cvc pattern), and long vowel patterns for i and e (cvce, cvvc patterns).

The students were very excited about studying plants and leaves in science. Ms. Lori from the Upper School helped us with our study and we were thrilled to have her share her knowledge. Jr. MAPP students loved going on a nature walk and discovering the types of trees that live on the Camelot property. They enjoyed collecting leaves and using their observation skills to learn about and compare leaves from different trees.

Please continue to practice basic math facts with your child.

Thank you for reading every day with your child—it is critical to school success.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Jr. MAPP has definitely been coming together these last few weeks. This module we have moved onto a Frisbee unit, working on throwing and catching. They are learning the basic mechanics of a backhand throw and an alligator/pancake catch. One of the points I've been stressing to the students when throwing a Frisbee is the point of release. Most of them are now realizing the Frisbee tends to go in the direction they let go of it.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Jr. MAPP has spent a good amount of time in the past few weeks singing basic songs and performing music on the marimba. Working in pairs, students have played basic musical notation on the marimba, and have been challenged to perform certain melodies and short pieces in tandem with their partner. While playing a basic melody can be fairly straightforward, performing accurately with a partner can be an entirely different ballgame. Along with performing on the marimba, students have performed a number of fun songs, including "This Land is Your Land," "If I Had a Hammer," and "Yellow Submarine." Going forward, we're going to be using a great set of learning songs passed along by Miss Liz. These songs are set to familiar melodies ("She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain," "Twinkle, Twinkle," etc.), and emphasize learning different syllabic constructions. We have a song about a Cat named Rat-a-Tat, as well as a song about Grace and Billy, who had a race to space.

Drama with Roni Peterson

The students have been working with prompt lines and words to use in improvisation exercises. They have been working in pairs where one starts with the line given by me, and says it to their partner. The scene takes off from there. This exercise helps to lead the students into a specific situation that they in turn must continue and elaborate. It has been quite wonderful watching where their imaginations take them. We have started doing acting warm-ups that all actors of all ages do to perfect their craft. These exercises are for voice and improving diction and pronunciation of words. Tongue twisters were introduced and we will continue to do more of those as they are helpful in training the child to think the word before speaking the word. Try saying "selfish shellfish", or "unique New York", 5 times fast! Not so easy is it? These exercises are not only beneficial but fun to do.

Art with Brittain Peck

We began by getting to better know each other by re-examining the shapes of the letters in our own name, and seeing what more we could do with these shapes beyond only using them as letters. Students developed a variety of approaches, including making each letter into an object or character and also mixing the letters together to have them interact with one another in a larger setting. We also looked at the use of shapes in making paper origami pets. Because of my involvement with the students as their Spanish teacher, we also began to incorporate our Spanish vocabulary into our art lessons, primarily in the names of the colors, which we used in the design of baseball (béisbol) uniforms. We then turned our attention outside to see the colors of the leaves changing around us. The students made rubbings of collected leaves while choosing to reiterate or alter the color of the original leaves in the ones that the created in their rubbings.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We began Module 3 by better getting to know one another through the greeting "¿Como te llamas?". The students took a special interest in the opportunity to make upside-down question marks (¿) in Spanish. After we learned to ask each others' names we wrote to our classmates as pen pals, reinforcing the spoken phrases in writing. As I am also the students' art teacher, we then moved on to colors, which we used in the design of our own baseball uniforms. The students especially enjoyed choosing their teams' mascots and nicknames. Can you imagine the Watermelons playing against the Volcanoes, or the Blue Babies versus the T-Rex's? We also began to learn the numbers, counting from 0 to 10. This gave the students the chance to share and spend real money with their classmates.

2009-2010 Module 2

2009-10-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

This module has gone by quickly. We have settled into our daily routine and the kids are comfortable with their weekly jobs and the class routine. New and exciting in our class was receiving our math and spelling books.

In reading we have been working on decoding, setting, characters and plot. In Read Aloud we have been focusing on popular children's authors, features in print, the need for rereading, finding information in a story, and story features like "setting."

In Math we have reviewed strategies for adding and subtracting, partners for 10, odd and even, and place value. We started using our math kits to practice word problems and practice adding and subtracting using the information in word problems.

In writing we have practiced sentence structure, using capitalization and end punctuation, and using resources for spelling and writing ideas. Students have practiced letter writing, journal writing, and book report writing. We have also been practicing penmanship using one-stroke writing.

Students have been practicing phonics skills through making words, using patterns to write unknown words, and matching activities.

Spelling homework started October 12th. Students will bring home a sheet from their spelling books for practice throughout the week. The spelling test will be given on Fridays.

Thanks for all you do.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

In P.E. class we continued to work on personal space, locomotor/non-locomotor skills, change of direction, tempo, and pathways through various tag games. I added some obstacles in the games to focus on those skills. One game in particular we played a lot is called Color Tag. They did a very good job and had a great time!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Module 2 has seen Jr. MAPP explore two main areas of music. First, we've been performing on the marimba, playing notes C through A with two different approaches. In one approach, students are asked to perform melodies played by Mr. Dan in "call-and-response" exercises. In a second approach, students are given simple musical notation on the board, and they're asked to perform the music written in front of them. For the most part, this has been quite successful, and we'll soon be introducing different rhythms (such as eighth notes and half notes, as well as rests) into our notational scheme.

The Jr. MAPP class has also been doing a lot of singing and learning new songs. We learned the songs "If I Had a Hammer," "This Land is Your Land," and will be adding plenty more in the coming weeks. We'll also be diving into drawing and interpreting music through art. We're going to listen to jazz, African music, classical, and calypso!

Drama with Roni Peterson

During Module 2, I introduced the use of props in improvisation exercises. A telephone prop was used to have the children make calls to an imaginary person on the other end. In this exercise, not only does the actor have to create who they are pretending to speak to, but they must also make up an entire conversation using only their end of the dialogue to help the other children in the "audience" guess the correct identity of the imaginary person. We then discuss how to make the conversation more believable. This is an advanced exercise and the class did a great job. I will be continuing to use props to stimulate imaginations and creativity in short improvisations as well as in prompted scenes.

2009-2010 Module 1

2009-09-29T10:53:00.001-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

Module 1 has been busy for Jr. MAPP students. Those new to our class have been learning our routines and reviewing school rules and class expectations. Returning students have been adjusting to the new school year and helping classmates transition from kindergarten to Jr. MAPP. All students in Jr. MAPP have been reviewing important skills. Students are:

Finding and using classroom resources
Using and organizing math materials
Reviewing phonics and spelling through word building activities
Completing skill sheets and other assessments that require them to work independently
Reviewing all aspects of writing simple sentences and journaling
Participating in formal assessments that cover reading, spelling, phonics and math

They are doing a great job and I'm proud of how hard they are working.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I feel like we've had a great start to the beginning of the year! In this module, all classes did fitness testing. I evaluate the students' physical fitness by looking at their endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, agility, and other fitness components. I have also been working with Jr. MAPP to establish PE expectations and routines.

Music with Daniel Raimi

The Jr. MAPP class has done a lot of exploring in our first couple of weeks. We've learned the song and dance "Che, Che, Kule," a traditional Ghanaian children's dance song, and the students have quickly become "Che, Che, Kule" experts. We've learned a few other songs, including "This Land is Your Land," "Yellow Submarine," and recently began exploring the marimba. Students worked in pairs to perform specific melodies specified by Mr. Dan, and they did an excellent job.

The main focus with all of this work is to establish a strong sense of beat in each student. Some students already have a strong sense, but others need some more development and focus on the concept of "beat." We've recently started focusing on performing on a simple instrument: the marimba. Once we've gained a working understanding of the instrument, we're going to get into reading traditional notation. As we progress, some students will be given the chance to perform on more complex instruments like keyboards and glockenspiel, adding a more challenging layer to their foundation.

It's been a whirlwind first couple of weeks, but the students are enjoying themselves, and have begun settling in happily in music class. At home, please get your student singing, clapping, dancing, and listening as much as possible!

Drama with Roni Peterson

In the first week we reviewed techniques learned last year. The students did exercises and games that concentrated on memory, and imagination. The art of pantomime was introduced and the students were given situations to act out without words. In the next several weeks we will continue to work with pantomime as well as improvisation. The introduction of props will take us into the next module.

2008-09 Module 7

2009-03-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

February was a busy month with many wonderful events to celebrate. February's themes were reflected in our science and social studies lessons. One of the students' favorite themes was dental health. We learned about proper dental hygiene, the importance of eating healthy foods, and how to floss our teeth. We also made toothpaste!

Our primary focus in Read Aloud was biographies. Biographies are an important tool for helping students learn about important people, places, time periods and historical events. It is also a wonderful way to incorporate mapping skills into our curriculum. They have learned about slavery, segregation, the struggle for human rights and how the lives of ordinary people were affected by these things.

In writing we learned about the parts of a sentence and the difference between sentences and phrases. We used our knowledge of story structure to produce many types of self-selected writing. Students wrote stories about pictures from magazines. They also wrote journal entries, short books and letters.

In reading groups, students have read historical fiction, fantasy fiction, realistic fiction and poetry. Poetry is always a favorite because of the rhyming and fun themes.

In math we continue working on basic skills such as counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, odd and even numbers, as well as less than and greater than. We also did a unit on graphing which students enjoyed. We collected data, charted it and made Venn diagrams and bar graphs using the data we collected. Students also used graphs to answered a variety of questions about the data.

Our word study activities have included building word knowledge through rhyme and alliteration, and understanding and using word families such as ake, ail, ed, ead and contractions.

Art with Heather Cramer

We colored our tickets and stamped our passports so we could continue our "Ripples of Peace" journey in Asia, where art speaks to matters of "peace, gentleness, and compassion." We made beautiful hoop peace kites after studying Japanese art done in the round. They illustrate images of nature that provoke a sense of peace. We hung these outside so the wind could carry peace to our Camelot friends and the world. Next we made bean bags to consider "compassion" and sharing what we have with others. We cut out and ironed on fabric designs before we filled them with beans. We'll be making a picture for our books featuring a Chinese boat ("junk") that will move across our cut paper waters - and deliver our beans to those in need.

Clay Art with Roni Peterson

During this module we have worked with the Model Magic Clay and have completed two hand puppets and a fantastic car! We will be using those creations in an upcoming puppet show. I have many other clay projects that we will be working on this module.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

We are working on our basketball skills with a special emphasis on dribbling. Skill progressions have gone from stationary dribbling (two hands, dominant hand, non-dominant hand) to dribbling in movement. The value of keeping your head up while dribbling has been noted, as well as the ball control you can achieve if you dribble with the pads of your fingers (as opposed to the palm of your hand). Many students are doing well with this, but practice makes perfect, and I intend to introduce more games to work these skills.

Spanish with Rita Glynn and Molly Williams

Hi from Rita (Grade 12) and Molly (Grade 11). We have enjoyed working with your children on elementary Spanish lessons. Last semester we focused on basic Spanish vocabulary such as: colors, animals, action verbs, the alphabet, and clothing. This semester we will focus on Spanish culture in the Spanish speaking countries of Mexico, Cuba, and Spain. For each country we will introduce different phrases, dances, food and holidays that they might need to know about if they were to travel to that country. We will incorporate music, food, videos, and books to help make the lessons more stimulating. We are working very closely with both Denise and Liz to make our lessons successful. In the past few weeks we have made maracas to play, quesadillas to eat and necklaces to wear at Immersion Day.

2008-09 Module 6

2009-02-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

In Module Six we sure did enjoy our snow days! We also enjoyed learning about fractions. The students learned basic fraction facts, made fractions, compared fractions and learned how to make fractions of sets. We incorporated fractions into our CGI math practice and the students were very enthusiastic when participating because of the many related skills they had already learned. In small, extended math group, students learned how to add fractions with like denominators, combined fractions to describe parts of a whole and compared like fractions.

In reading we continue to work on basic sight words, spelling and phonemic patterns, decoding and comprehension skills. Students have worked on specific reading skills depending on their reading level. We have studied and practiced our understanding of author's purpose, main idea, recalling facts, making connections between texts and interpreting information from diagrams, charts and maps. Students have made wonderful progress in their understanding and appreciation of literature.

In Read Aloud we have read a variety of emotive stories that span time and human experience. The literature we have read has taken us from the post depression era to the present. Through these stories, students have learned about the value of family relationships, struggle, mistakes and perseverance. Theme is an important component of literature and one author we studied was Mem Fox. We also enjoyed learning about Martin Luther King and his strong commitment to equal rights. It was a great lead into Black History Month and our study of events and people who shaped and changed our nation. On a personal note, Harriet Tubman once lived, and is buried in my hometown. I have visited her homestead and her grave. I personally enjoy teaching about her amazing life and courage.

In social studies we studied and celebrated Chinese New Year. The activities and food were enjoyed by all. Some of the students were surprised to learn how tasty Chinese food is and what the symbols associated with this holiday mean.

As a class, we continue to practice letter writing, story writing and journal writing. Our focus has been on creativity and details while still using and improving our grammar skills. When I discuss a student's paper, I first look at the content of their writing and what it is they are trying to share. We then discuss the mechanics of their paper and make needed changes. Some pieces are 'published' while others are kept in their writing journals to be shared and remembered. Writing journals are a wonderful way for students to see and appreciate their own progress as writers. I enjoy reading their work and learn much about them as people.

Art with Heather Cramer

We completed our visit to Africa in our "Ripples of Peace" journey. The students truly grasped the concept of letting go of "self" and focusing instead on group needs. We finished our pieces of the group mural and joined the pie shapes together to create our circle village. We made little huts from sandpaper, wood filler paste and straw for the roof, and placed these on each section at the outer ring. As we gathered this village together, we each spoke of what we contribute to the community ... tangible needs for living and also gifts of character. We placed a paper fire in the center ... the heart of our village.

We made paper mache "generosity bowls" which we painted inside with lovely shiny paint, and outside with African patterns. We talked about what it means to receive and give, remaining open as our bowls do. Then we made beautiful beads from sculpt clay, knowing that we would be giving them away. After they were baked, we held a ceremony using our bowls ... leaving one large bead to represent ourselves in our bowl, but then moving around the circle and giving one bead to each member of our "village." We returned to our bowl to find our gifts and strung these into a necklace ... learning about "gratitude." Each student had their photo taken with their bowl and necklace to go in their "suitcase" books.

With the "specials" afternoon before conferences, we had an extra day to go on safari and explore African animals. We looked at photos and a jungle mural - and I showed them how to draw several of the animals. After some practice sketching, they did a final African safari scene with pencil, crayon, and watercolors for their books. Delightful images!

We had a wonderful time in Africa, and will be traveling to Asia next where we'll learn about "peace, gentleness, and compassion."

Clay Art with Roni Peterson

During Module 6, I have introduced a new kind of air dry clay called Model Magic by Crayola. It comes in many wonderful colors and is very easy to work with. The children love the different projects that we have made including a bowl, a vase, and puppets using tongue depressors and pipe cleaners. I have not given the students the puppets as we will be using them for puppet shows in which each child will have an opportunity to perform. I will be alternating drama with clay during Module 7, as the puppet shows will be utilizing each student's improvisational skills. The next clay project will be making a bird using real feathers that will be added to the clay sculptures. I am continually amazed at the talents of these children!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I have been very pleased with how well the students have been moving from one unit to another. Throughout the year we have covered personal space concepts, locomotor/non-locomotor skills, tempo, throwing & catching, and kicking skills. The last few weeks we have reviewed a lot of these skills, but I have also begun to teach them ball skills such as rolling, bouncing, and dribbling.

2008-09 Module 5

2009-01-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

This was a fun module. In reading, we worked on finding the main idea and supporting details in nonfiction. We also looked at a variety of genres and tried to understand the author's purpose.

In math we studied geometry. We learned about the many characteristics and attributes of shapes. We learned what symmetry and congruence are, and used Venn diagrams to classify shapes. We also learned the difference between solid and plane shapes. Additionally, we did many hands-on activities to learn the names of shapes and find the perimeter and area of plane shapes.

In small, extended groups we practiced recognizing different types of angles and how to find the area of irregular shapes.

In writing we studied the six traits of writing and wrote pieces that demonstrated: content, word choice, voice, sentence structure and fluency.

In social studies we focused on how people in other countries celebrate special holidays and how these traditions have influenced our traditions. We had a wonderful time reading holiday stories, making crafts and having parents visit our classroom to share their traditions with us.

Many of the books we read in Read Aloud helped us understand the concepts we studied in reading and writing. Good authors are great mentors. Good authors to look for in the library are: Jan Brett, Eve Bunting, Eric Carle and Cynthia Rylant.

Reading daily will improve reading ability, word knowledge and fluency - so read every day.

Happy Reading!

Art with Heather Cramer

In our "Ripples of Peace" journey we completed our time in Europe and "packed our suitcases" with the art and experiences we shared of "History, Family, and Homes." Then we traveled to Africa, stamping our passports and coloring our "tickets." Our lessons from this trip will be "Group Ego, Creativity, and Communication." There will be a focus on cooperation and bringing the best of ourselves to our "village." We created masks to celebrate our individuality, then learned about "adinkra" cloths which allow us to bring our individual gifts together to create a whole. We looked at symbols from African adinkra cloths and each created a canvas square using these and some of our own. We have begun a group mural of an African village after hearing a story of village cooperation. Each student is painting a pie shape and these will come back together to create the circle village. We are also learning Swahili words!

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

Module 5 was a combination of Dramatic Arts study and Clay Art. We experimented with an air-dry clay, but unfortunately it was very difficult to work with and after drying, it crumbled and most of the pieces fell apart. Although the pieces did not last, the exercise in creativity was a success. During Module 6, we will be using real food-safe glazes and decorate a ceramic tile. We will also be trying a new kind of air dry clay which is easier to work with, and I feel the students will enjoy the projects that I have planned for them to make.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Jr.MAPP started out the module in a soccer unit. I was very pleased with the enthusiasm they brought to class. I covered how to trap a soccer ball, where to kick it with the foot to get the soccer ball to go in a specific direction, defense, and basic game play. I did attempt to play a modified game of soccer with the students, but it may have been a little too early of an attempt. It was quite funny actually, but at least they were all moving! We have yet to finish the soccer unit, but we will surely do so soon.

2008-09 Module 4

2008-11-30T19:11:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

Greetings from Jr. MAPP!

Math: We have finished our unit on place value. Students practiced ones, tens and hundreds, using expanded standard and picture form for numbers. We have continued to practice odd and even numbers using the hundreds board and a game called Odd and Even Bingo. We also reviewed a variety of math skills using Sparkle, a fun game for all! Sparkle is good because research shows that students need to practice something at least 3 times a month to internalize the material, and this game enhances mental math fluency. We have practiced addition math facts for doubles, partners for ten and some more.

Reading: In small group reading we have enjoyed a variety of books. We focused on comprehension, story elements and main idea. Our small group reading was the catalyst for many of the student-produced Academic Fair topics related to habitats of the world. The students have thoroughly enjoyed their exploration of the world's biomes. This included the study of plants and animals. Each student had a direct hand in choosing, producing and creating a display for Academic Fair. Student engagement was phenomenal!

Read-alouds focused on setting, characters and other story elements. We read many Helen Ketteman books which are a fiction genre called "fractured fairy tales.' These books are written using a literary element called dialectic. This was a favorite for many.

Writing: We used picture prompts and focused on creating stories with characters, setting and an interesting plot. In the process we used a technique called 'authors as mentors' and graphic organizers.

Parents, please continue to read with your child daily and practice spelling words.

Thanks for all of your support and Happy Holiday!

Art with Heather Cramer

"Ripples of Peace" We continued our visit in Europe and looked at pictures of row and thatched houses in England. We each made our own house out of a folder with windows and doors that open to reveal a little picture behind... then opening the front cover to see the story of our family inside. We also painted two large murals of countryside to place these in front of.

We took a break from our travels to make pine cone turkey decorations for the Academic Fair Feast, but returned to finish our houses. We had an English tea party and talked about gathering as a family with stories to tell. Then we drew beautiful teapots.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

During Module 4, the students were given many Reader's Theater pieces with the theme for Autumn. I was very impressed with the fact that after going over the pieces only a few times, most of the students were able to memorize each piece. The children were taught actions to go with the words and performed wonderfully. A special piece was learned for the Academic Fair which was chosen to go along with the class theme, animals and their habitats.

I am going to be introducing Clay Art in Module 5.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

We did a little of everything the last few weeks. We continued to play some Frisbee in addition to playing lots of various games (some of which the kids knew from last year and some of which they learned this year). One of the main activities they enjoyed the most was, of course, working with the parachute. We will definitely be playing with the small and large parachutes more this year!

2008-09 Module 3

2008-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

In math, we have practiced the commutative property of addition, including the use of an unknown variable. We have started looking at place value concepts, such as the base-ten number system for ones, tens and hundreds. We continue to practice counting by 2s, 10s, and odd and even numbers. We are also gaining fluency with greater than/less than, math vocab, doubles and math problem-solving strategies.

In writing, we continue to practice basic sentence structure: subject and predicate, capitals, end punctuation, and the use of adjectives. We do this through journal entries and basic story writing. The children are encouraged to use details and ask for help with editing.

Phonics work includes: making words, using words you know how to spell, as well as using and understanding word families.

Studying communities and citizenship has been fun. We will soon begin our study of animal habitats which will be our focus for Academic Fair

Please continue to practice basic math facts and reading with your child. This reinforces what they learn at school and is critical to their success.

Also, please make sure you check and initial the planner each day.

Art with Heather Cramer

We completed our passports (part of the "Ripples of Peace" project) and made our first hot air balloon trip to Europe. We are learning about history, family, and homes. We made our own history books, wrapping card stock with wallpaper and creating an "illuminated" first letter of our name for the cover. We looked at samples of VERY fancy letters, and talked about the patient, beautiful work of hand made books. The children made amazing glittering letters with gel pens.

Next we learned how stained glass windows told stories for people who couldn't read books, and we made our own paper "window" with crayons on heat trays. The crayon becomes transparent.

Our last class was an open studio where the children chose to work on stained glass drawings or their books or to record stories with words and pictures.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

We worked on Reader's Theater using scripts about leaves for the fall season. The children had fun acting out the parts and did very well memorizing the scripts. I video taped their performance and they watched themselves on the large television.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Jr. MAPP always comes to class with a great deal of energy! We have continued to work with movement concepts and how to throw a Frisbee. We used the small, flimsy Frisbees to work on throwing and catching. A lot of kids are familiar with the side arm toss or overhand throw, and for them it was difficult to throw from one side of their body to the other. Everyone made progress, however, and learned the importance of timing to their release.

The Fit for Life program has been going well. If you have time, be sure to check out the rising thermometer! I'm so proud of all of the students and their enthusiasm for being active. I've heard students talk about their parents working out with them and getting sore as well. Excellent!

Reminder: please make sure your logs have the total amount of physical activity calculated in minutes at the bottom of the sheet where it says "total." If I have to do the totaling for everybody it becomes very time consuming. Thanks!

Also, thank you for those who have made equipment donations! It's a big help!

2008-09 Module 2

2008-10-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

In Module 2 Jr MAPP finished our study of weather and prepared to begin a unit on communities and citizenship next.

In math, we are beginning our paper and pencil word-problem solving. We will continue to focus on problem-solving strategies, learning math vocabulary and addition strategies. We have covered the concepts of odd and even, comparing and ordering numbers as well as counting by twos. Please continue to practice basic math facts at home with your children.

In read aloud, we have been covering story sequence, and will soon begin discussing story elements. In small group reading, we have been reading fiction and non-fiction materials with a focus on folk tales. We continue to practice reading, decoding and comprehension skills.

Art with Heather Cramer

Jr. MAPP finished their passports, suitcase portfolios, hot air balloon, and little clothespin people in preparation for our "Ripples of Peace" journey to create art from cultures around the world - and to gather lessons on creating a better world. We are ready now to take off in our hot air balloon for Europe (History/Homes/Community). We will begin by making a history book and decorate the cover with an illuminated initial after learning about the work done in monasteries to hand letter books. More art adventures to come as we spend time in Europe over the next few weeks!

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

The students continued to work on their memory skills using improvisational exercises. Props were used to help students create short scenes either alone or with other students. I video taped a session to use as a baseline. Future video taped sessions will be used to show progress in the students' acting skills.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

In P.E. class we continued to work on personal space and change of direction through various tag games and a modified version of kickball. They mastered the game skills and had a good time.

As most of you are aware, our Fit for Life program started September 29th and has been going well. Every Monday students should be bringing back a signed activity log of the previous week. Meanwhile, Liz will distribute new activity logs for the coming week. Anyone who has not handed in their 9/29 to 10/05 activity logs can do so any Monday. The Fit for Life thermometer is now hanging in the Big Hall and will be updated every week or so. Thank you all for helping make this program work.

2008-09 Module 1

2008-09-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Liz Benda

We have been practicing basic math concepts as suggested in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCS) Week by Week Essentials which covers important math concepts like even and odd, basic addition, ordering numbers, making equations and math vocabulary. We have begun our math investigations using Cognitively Guided Instruction and learned how to use math manipulatives in a meaningful way. Students were assessed for reading and placed in Guided Reading groups. We have practiced long and short vowels using songs, word sorts, word families and making word activities. Writing has been focused on the basics with some modeled and shared writing and some independent writing. In science, our class has been reading aloud to learn important concepts and vocabulary associated with weather. We studied clouds in particular which included observation and the creation of a cloud mini book as an end product. Read alouds are also used to teach important reading skills so all students will know what it is that good readers do (ie. use punctuation to help with fluency and expression, ask questions as you read, notice what the author does that makes a book interesting).

Art with Heather Cramer

We began the year by reenergizing our creativity with hand mandalas. Following that, I introduced them to our "Ripples of Peace" series - art projects which will take us on a "journey" around the world to visit many different countries. We will create art from these cultures, and learn from each their ways to foster global harmony and peace. We have made a class hot air balloon and little people to travel in the basket below. Our portfolio/suitcases are ready to be filled and passports are being made. We will embark on our first journey to Europe soon! Please talk with your child about his/her ancestry and treasures to be found in that particular culture.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

The students have been enjoying theater games and exercises, especially those designed to improve their memories. This will continue, as dialogue needs to be memorized for future lessons.

Props were introduced to aid in improvisational exercises and short scenes and the children did very well with them.

I will be videotaping students in the Second Module so they can see themselves as others see them. So far, our work has included:

Getting to know each other through improvisational games and exercises
Specific exercises to improve memory
Specific exercises used to explore emotions
Specific exercises to challenge creativity and imagination

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I've been very pleased with the amount of energy and motivation the students bring to each class. It makes working them hard easy to do! In Module One, all classes did fitness testing. Collectively, I evaluate the students' physical fitness by looking at their endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, agility, and other fitness components. More specifically, they have completed the President's Challenge involving v-sit reach, shuttle run, 1 mile run, curl-ups, and push-ups. Next week, they should be bringing home their physical fitness file with that information in addition to their height, weight, and BMI (body mass index). If you would like to learn more about the President's Challenge, you can go to www.presidentschallenge.org.

Module 10

2008-05-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Melissa Stewart

We had a wonderful module. The children were eager to work after a relaxing Spring Break. We did a lot of individual work this module as I introduced new material that I thought each child was ready for. In math I worked with the students on addition and subtraction of two digit numbers, regrouping with addition and subtraction, multiplication, and measurement. We also reviewed some of this year's concepts and challenged ourselves with shorter speed drills.

Each child is now reading from a different book and working through various book reports. We are also working through comprehension activities and main idea.The children have been reading to the Kindergarten class on Fridays and I am very proud of the way they use interesting voices. The Kindergarten has been thrilled to listen! We had fun using synonyms and antonyms and tried to write sentences with new and interesting words. Our journaling for the past few weeks has been to follow directions and sketch different pictures. I was very impressed with the sketches that the class produced! We also worked through adding ed and ing to words. The entire class has been reviewing and solidifying spelling rules learned this year.

In Science we talked about weather and identified different types of clouds. We measured rain, charted sunny days and talked about wind. Our favorite day was going to the park with our bag kites and finding the direction of the wind! We charted which gusts blew strongest and how high our bags went. The class loved it!

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The classes are finishing the Student-Led unit. I have been most impressed with this class and their dedication in taking their "teaching" to a new level. I'm extremely proud of their efforts.

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

We are continuing our unit in PowerPoint. Now that we have covered the basics it is time to create a slide project. The students are looking forward to working on a cooperative project that will encompass each student's favorite things.

Art with Heather Cramer

Our Earth Circle is complete! Our books are bursting with all of the wonderful projects we have created to honor the earth and all beings. A few were on display at "Evening of the Arts." Ask them to tell you about each page and how the projects were done - and to sing the songs for you!

Drama with Susie Kless

Your children are amazing. I hope you enjoyed their performance at Evening of the Arts.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Jr MAPP students are very attentive in Spanish class and excited to learn new vocabulary. They continue to increase their auditory comprehension as we play games emphasizing the use of numbers, colors and simple descriptions.

Module 9

2008-04-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Melissa Stewart

Module 9 went by very fast! Second year students were busy preparing for testing. We reviewed our test taking skills and practiced daily comprehension, language, and math. The first year students enjoyed participating in some of the prep work. Our week of testing was stress free and the students did a fantastic job! A big thank you to Miss Beth who ventured out with her class and the first year MAPP students on three exciting field trips!

I am very proud of the entire class and can see the growth they have made throughout the year. This module I saw second year students make great strides with writing. They are writing paragraphs with ease and like to help the first year students edit papers. Many of the first year students took off with reading and are excited to read to me each day. As always, I am impressed with every one's math skills! As we reviewed for tests I was able to see just how much everyone has learned.

The highlight of our module was Immersion Day! The children were very excited and had a wonderful time. They all participated in transforming the hall into a castle. Miss Lori had all kinds of wonderful hidden treasures! As we laid the "stone floor" the children became more and more excited. They eagerly painted stained glass windows and created a tapestry for the front of the room. It was great to see the children all dressed up and it provided some fantastic pictures! Some of my favorites were taken in front of the castle. The knights all gathered for one picture and shouted, "For Camelot!" We heard lots of great information from our guest speakers. Zachary was dressed as a lord. The class also enjoyed dancing to music. Every one's favorite was the feast that took place in our castle. We were served chicken legs, cheese, and apples on pita bread plates. Thank you to all the parents who came to help! An extra big thank you to Elizabeth Lord who dressed the part and helped out all day! She made a wonderful bread for us and even brought in some of her own treasures to help decorate. It was truly a wonderful day! Check out the web site and see some of the pictures that were taken.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The Kindergarten and Jr. MAPP class have been enjoying our unit "Student-Led Teaching". This unit puts your child in the role of teacher, equipment manager and referee. When it is their "turn" they plan their lesson, gather and set up the equipment, organize teams and explain rules, handle classroom behavior and fairly referee games. The process aids me in their final evaluation of skills/techniques learned throughout the school year. It is amazing to watch the seriousness with which they take their teaching responsibilities. We will continue this unit next module then conclude our year with post-testing. This is my favorite unit as each student "shines" in his or her own way. To witness this yourself, have your child "teach" a game to you and your family...

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

We continue our journey in discovering the PowerPoint program. With our knowledge of the Word program, the students have transitioned into slide creations. Our main focus this past module was organizing (finding/saving/inserting) their graphics. The students final project will be a cooperative presentation regarding a classroom topic.

Art with Heather Cramer

"Earth Circle" continues with our books growing bigger as we add new art with each lesson. We have offered "greetings and thanks" to fish, beans and berries, herbs and bees, animals, and trees. We are enjoying a great variety of art techniques and materials as we honor the Earth, and the children are extremely enthusiastic!

Drama with Susie Kless

Everyone is hard at work learning their lines for our Evening of the Arts performance. Please continue to help your child at home.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Students continue to practice greetings and familiar school vocabulary. They are enjoying learning the body song and playing word identification games.

Module 8

2008-03-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Melissa Stewart

This module went by very quickly! March is here and the class is excited for spring! We have been charting the weather since Groundhog Day and it seems like he might have been wrong. We have seen more sunny, warm days than cold. Good news as opening up the windows and letting some fresh air in was much welcomed and help to fight off the germs!

This module the children explored money and were excited to use their fake money. Thank you for sending it in as it really helped them with this hands-on concept. Lining up decimal points when adding money was our challenge activity. We had fun playing store and the children liked buying items from our classroom. Enrico's artwork sold for 99 dollars and 88 cents. What a bargain as we all agreed that in the future Enrico will be selling it for much more! We also learned several songs about money that I hope are sung at home. Second year MAPP as well as some first year students are working with multiplication.

We had fun learning about contractions and quotation marks. I incorporated many games to help reinforce these concepts. The children wrote conversations between themselves and other students using quotation marks. They were great! Second year MAPP students began using a third grade spelling book. They are excited about this new endeavor! Reading continues to amaze me as the children enjoy completing reading contracts. The contracts have encouraged work with syllables, adjectives, and distinguishing letter sounds. They also encourage the children to creatively express a story.

We have had great fun learning about Medieval times. The children each created a coat of arms and we learned about castles. In groups the children created castles which are amazing! Take some time to stop by and see our work. We also pretended to be royalty and peasants. The class decided they liked being royalty better. We will continue with this theme into the next module, when we plan to have a festival. More to come on this.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

During Module 8 students in PE enjoyed learning about rhythm and dance. As part of a dance project originating in the Upper School dance class, students in the Lower School have had (and will continue to have) the opportunity to create a cooperative dance montage for presentation at "Evening of the Arts". We are trying to be "hush-hush" about what we are doing as we want our presentation to be a loving (surprise) gift to the parents and other students.

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

Students have been busy creating graphics for their ensuing PowerPoint presentations. They have been quite creative in design and impressed me with their enthusiasm.

Art with Heather Cramer

Our first class was drawing and painting abstract faces. We looked at images of faces done by master painters from the Mona Lisa to the very abstract work of Paul Klee. After placing the basic features proportionately on a face, students were invited to add creative shapes using oil crayons. Then we filled in the various spaces created with watercolors. A beautiful gallery of work was the result!

Next class we created a color wheel - mixing secondary colors from primary colors. We then used colored paper on black paper to make a mosaic color wheel fish... a rainbow trout! We also created designs and pictures by gluing colored shapes of matte board on a page. We placed another paper over that and did crayon rubbing prints.

During our next session we began our "Earth Circle" series. We will be working from a poem on a poster that offers greetings and thanks to the earth and all of her elements and inhabitants. We are creating art work for each part of the poem, and adding those to a big book which will be taken home at the end of the series. We are learning songs and sitting in circle around an earth globe with a candle... taking time to share our wishes and love for the earth. The children are responding wonderfully to this experience!

Drama with Susie Kless

The class has decided to do an original scene from "Winnie the Pooh". They also decided to write it themselves. I can't wait to see the final script!

Spanish with Celia Battle

We have started Spanish class on Wednesday afternoons. My primary focus has been to get to know the students and to have them enjoy learning Spanish in a comfortable and relaxed setting. They love to come to the Spanish classroom and sit in grown-up desks. Our class emphasizes careful listening and repeating as well as learning correct pronunciation in Spanish. We have been learning numbers, colors, descriptions and have played games related to these in Spanish. The students are very attentive and motivated to learn more!

Module 7

2008-02-27T05:12:00.001-08:00

Classroom Report with Melissa Stewart

This module has gone by very fast! The class continues to work hard and to accomplish much. We finished our unit on geometry and the class loved it! Many of the children worked from a third year book and had fun learning about lines, rays, and line segments. We started time this module and the whole class seems to enjoy it.

I am very proud of everyone's reading! The reading contracts are generating excitement; students are eager to complete them when they finish their work. The contracts are extra enrichment that focus on the story read during the week. They are prompting some very creative work. Our favorite new learning experience has been the introduction of cursive. Junior MAPP loves writing this way and I am sure many of the children will be able to write sentences by the end of the year. Cursive packets will be coming home soon. Prepare to be impressed!

The class enjoyed learning about heroes this module. We read several biographies. We learned about Louis Braille and the class enjoyed writing their names in Braille. Many of them had never considered how a blind person might read. The experience was fascinating for the children. We also read the biography of Rosa Parks, whose birthday was February 4th. When the class returned from recess that day I asked the boys to sit and put their heads on the desk. I then allowed the girls to come and sit with me and gave them juice boxes and cookies. After 30 seconds the boys asked why they had to sit with their heads down. I told them it was because "they were boys." They very quickly said, "That is not fair!" After a few minutes (which I am sure seemed like hours) I called them over and gave them juice and cookies and we talked about segregation. This activity gave them great understanding of the concept. The class wrote group reports on Rosa Parks.

We are very excited about the start of Art and Drama this module! Our new teachers are fantastic and the children seem excited about what they are learning. I experience the excitement when returning to class as each child tells me what they did. I am eager to see what the class produces in each of these special new activities!

Thank you to all the parents for great conferences! I enjoyed meeting with you and sharing all that your child has accomplished! This class is very special to me and I hope that was conveyed to you in conference.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

We spent Module 7 finishing our unit in Gymnastics. After taping our routines, the students watched and evaluated their performances. This process enables the students to see what they did/didn't do and how they will modify their performance next time.

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

We began our journey in the Powerpoint program. Students learned how their knowledge of Word will help with slide show creation.

Art with Heather Cramer

My first two weeks at Camelot as the new art teacher were delightful. We are spending these first weeks getting to know each other with several projects. Our first was "Freeing Our Creative Spirit." We talked about all of the different ways we absorb our life experiences - eyes, ears, touch - and then to our hearts. In our hearts, we create our own response - and this "flows" out our arms to our hands which become our tools to create an image expressing this experience. We drew around our hands to make an image on paper, then tissue collaged them for a burst of color, and the following week painted black around the background to make the colors pop! These are on display with the other grades.

Our next project was called "What's In a Name?" This was a simple "graffiti name." We practiced doing the big overlapping letters first, then did it again on our final paper. We drew patterns inside and then added colors. This helped me learn their names as well as honoring their individuality.

We began the third project called "Let's Face It!" I showed them many prints of paintings of faces - from the Mona Lisa to the highly abstracted Paul Klee. We noticed how the painters' styles changed and became looser and freer. We did a drawing of a face as I showed them the simple placement of features and we will be completing those this week using oil crayons and watercolors.

Drama with Susie Kless

This class has very specific ideas about what drama is and what they want to do. I have found them to be open and willing to try anything. We are working on diction and projection. We will be doing a short skit with lots of animal characters.

Module 6

2008-02-06T08:39:00.001-08:00

Classroom Report with Melissa Stewart Module Six went by quickly as the children returned from vacation and got back into school routines. We started the module with Special Session. The Lower School classes each had a play to develop over the week and loved performing in front of our large parent audience! It was wonderful to see the children work together and express their dramatic side! Junior MAPP especially liked creating costumes for the play. They were given materials and worked in groups to create hats to be worn in the play. I was amazed by their creativity. This module, geometry was our math theme. Second year students are working in a second/third grade book. The first year MAPP students have also worked through some third grade work. They have exceeded expectations and are eagerly counting the faces, vertexes, and edges of solid shapes. We will continue our study of geometry into Module 7. Second year MAPP students are encouraged to practice multiplication facts at home since they will be working through their facts. Reading took on a new form this module as the children now have reading contracts to complete in their free time. Reading contracts consist of reading a story and then completing several activities based on the story. The class loves this! You will see many book reports and worksheets coming home from the contract work. This is an excellent way to build reading and writing skills. Junior MAPP started writing in cursive this module. They are very excited and are doing a fantastic job. I often find that young children do very well with cursive because they are excited about writing in a new way. It was great to watch their faces as they wrote the word 'like' for the first time. They could not believe they had written a word in cursive! In science we learned about different types of germs and their effects on our bodies. We grew mold, learned about yeast, and drew cartoons about white blood cells. It was a very interesting topic and the children learned a lot. Physical Education with Paige Passavant This module our students practiced their gymnastic skills as we delved into our Educational Gymnastics unit. This year we have incorporated (the Camelot version of) the balance beam. This new addition will add some flair to their routines. Taping of their routines will start within the next week. Computer Technology with Paige Passavant Over the last few classes, students have been reviewing key Microsoft Word basics as they apply to PowerPoint. We will begin our unit in PowerPoint over the next week. This unit allows students to create a unique method of displaying information. We will continue this unit over the next few modules culminating in a PowerPoint presentation for the parents. Specials with....??? Module 6 was spent selecting our "Specials" teachers for the Second Semester. We look forward to welcoming Miss Susie Kless for drama instruction, Miss Celia for Spanish instruction and Miss Heather Cramer for art instruction in addition to the continuation of art instruction with Tricia Kartcheske.

Module 5

2007-12-19T05:25:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report from Melissa Stewart

Junior MAPP had a wonderful module! I am amazed at how much the children are growing both physically and mentally! I am excited that all the children have reached or exceeded the bench marks expected at this point in the year.

All MAPP students continued working with graphs this module. We are now the official graph makers of Camelot as we graphed cards given, cans collected, cookies eaten and fingerprint types. First year MAPP students worked through counting on by tens and place value. They also reviewed addition and subtraction and continue to show memorization of facts with speed drills. Second year MAPP students looked at place value into the thousands. They also started multiplication and reviewed addition and subtraction with regrouping. All of the Second Year MAPP students have started to work out of various third grade math curriculum! They are very excited about this and are showing me they are ready to proceed with the new concepts.

In Language Arts I am proud to say that everyone is reading with great excitement and interest. Children who started the year as non-readers are now off and running with their reading! They love showing me their new skills and have read without hesitation each day. Children who came to Junior MAPP reading are completing comprehension activities and writing about what they read. I continue to focus on using an interesting voice and reading aloud slowly and clearly. Second year MAPP students are working on answering questions from their reading. They are challenged as they try to do this using part of the question in their answer. This module we continued reading non-fiction and each day I was happy to hear the hundreds of facts learned from our books. Many of the children wrote their first report based on a non-fiction topic. We worked with ideas and details with my goal being that all the children begin staying on topic while writing a simple report. The class worked together on finding proper nouns in sentences. Second year MAPP students helped the first year students create sentences with proper nouns in them. They also got to be the teachers as they corrected my proper noun mistakes.

Second year MAPP students are working on writing on notebook paper. They seem to have made the transition nicely and will begin working on cursive when we return from break.

One of our favorite activities this module was the creation of our own detective agency. The "JMDA" or Junior MAPP Detective Agency studied hand prints and learned the three types of fingerprints. We also learned how to use our five senses to solve crimes. We identified cars in the parking lot that were involved in crimes and looked at different types of fibers. We also solved a cookie crime case. It was a lot of fun!

Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington

The Jr. MAPP class did very well at Academic Fair - I was impressed! We were lucky enough to be able to watch a parent video of our performance, which enthralled the students - watching themselves on stage in front of the whole school. This was a great way for the students to feel some positive reinforcement. They were able to evaluate their performance and discuss the experience with each other. The class then worked on a new song called Ki Ki Kiri Kiri Ki (nonsense words) which involved singing, playing the xylophones, and movement. The movement was challenging, using sticks in pairs to create a repeated pattern. The students were able to perform this together successfully, as long as they didn't have to sing at the same time!

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The students in Jr. MAPP spent this module learning different aspects of wellness. We explored "what it means to be me", the five senses, the doctors in our lives and the food pyramid. Students are excited about next module and the start of our Gymnastics unit.

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

Jr. MAPP students are impressing me with their knowledge. Their eagerness to learn new "Word" tricks motivates them and they have created some amazing graphics. Have them sit with you at the computer and watch their imaginations fly as they create.

Module 4

2007-11-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report from Melissa Stewart Module 4 has been exciting! The class worked on creating great dinosaur Academic Fair projects! Each student had his or her own dinosaur to report on. Some very generous Upper School students volunteered their time and sat with each student to help them read their dinosaur fact book. After reading they helped them choose interesting facts about their dinosaur. It was fantastic to watch the students work together! It was truly Camelot at its best! We began graphing in math and have made all sorts of graphs. The children enjoy answering questions based on the graphs we make. They were especially interested in bar graphs. We made bar graphs about everything we could think of, then wrote a poem called "No More Bar Graphs!" It was very funny! We also looked at place value and how ones, tens and hundreds make up numbers. We played the Switch Game and Around the World (ask what they are) for speed drill. The children are adding and subtracting with ease and I am proud of how excited they are at math time! This module the class moved into reading non-fiction. We pretend to be fact hunters and our mission is to find as many facts as we can about new and interesting topics. Some of the students are reading non-fiction books that interest them. All of the students are learning to write paragraphs about the facts they read. I am proud to say that I am beginning to see more and more correct spelling in everyday writing. I see the children spelling words correctly using rules that they have learned . Children who are reading from phonics readers are moving along steadily. In grammar, the class is beginning to learn the parts of speech. Second year students have more advanced work in this area as they remember much from last year. We continue to write complete sentences and edit mistakes we find in our writing. In Spanish, the class is working on colors, greetings, and simple phrases. We are still very excited about art and have made a number of wonderful projects with Tricia Kartcheske! Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington The Jr. MAPP class has being practicing hard this module for Academic Fair. For our performance, the students have helped to craft an original piece about dinosaurs. Combining their singing, glockenspiel playing, and hand percussion with Sr. MAPP and the Kindergarten class, has been an exciting challenge. Physical Education with Paige Passavant This short module allowed the students to continue with our Target Games unit. We practiced throwing to a specific area and we examined what it entails to do this successfully. Computer Technology with Paige Passavant Students continued working on the Word Program this module. They were shown how to format documents. These skills were utilized in editing our Academic Fair brochures.

Module 3

2007-11-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report from Melissa Stewart Module 3 has been a time of intellectual growth for Jr. MAPP! All of the children are succeeding in their own ways and I can't believe how much they have already learned! Non-readers have become readers, children are writing up a storm, correct spelling is turning up in free writing, and math is one of our favorite times of the day! You have much to be proud of and should let your child know that he or she is doing a great job! Make sure you read through your child's October Journal. Each day they wrote a sequencing story and I am very proud of what was accomplished. Each child picked a story to edit and publish and the results were impressive! Language Arts focused on sequencing as well. Students worked on sequencing comprehension and we looked for sequence in the stories we read. We also finished our unit on fiction and read many fall stories. In grammar the class learned more about punctuation marks and complete sentences. Second year MAPP students are eagerly placing their punctuation marks into a variety of sentences. We continue to edit sentences and find spelling mistakes in our every day writing. In math, the class focused on subtraction. This is often a hard transition from addition but everyone seemed to make the change nicely. You will notice that your child counts up for subtraction. This "math secret trick" makes subtraction easier and lets children use their fingers if they need to. Instead of counting backwards, your child starts with the lowest number and counts to the highest. We also played lots of subtraction games, used number lines, and challenged ourselves with word problems. Dinosaurs have stomped into our classroom and will continue as our topic for Academic Fair. We will be creating our projects in class and are excited to present them at the fair. A big thank you to Tricia Kartcheske for leading art class. Tricia stepped in and is doing a great job! The children love the art projects that she is doing with them. Our Fall Festival was a success and I want to thank all of the parents! All the pumpkins and treats helped to make our day great! Thanks to all of the parents who volunteered their time! I could never do it without you! Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington We began Module 3 with a fun song from the book Rhinoceros Tap called "Oh, Lonely Peas." The children took turns acting the words and they quickly mastered the wandering melody. We followed up with another song from the same book, which aligned with our theme for Academic Fair: "Dinosaur Round." This song had some unusual notes and rhythms that kept us busy as we sang and played percussion instruments. This was a warm-up for our main performance for Academic Fair, which we just had time to begin. Again, we shall be singing and playing a dinosaur-themed piece and the children are already excited about performing for their parents. I hope to see you there! Physical Education with Paige Passavant Students in Jr. MAPP have enjoyed our unit "Target Games and Skills." This unit involves practice in directional throwing (aiming). This unit falls during the State Fair time frame as a lot of the "games" at the fair involve aiming at a specific target. Computer Technology with Paige Passavant This module was a continuation of our Microsoft Word unit. The students are learning/practicing basic Word functions. Jr. MAPP students will be creating a brochure for their Academic Fair projects.

Module 2

2007-10-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report from Melissa Stewart We had a wonderful module! The children have jumped right into learning and are eager to do their work well. I am very impressed with the quality of work produced each day! We have been busy in math learning various types of addition. All the MAPP students worked on breaking apart and finding ways to make numbers. We used every manipulative in the classroom as we did this. What fun! We practiced counting on and had speed drills each day. Our focus was on the 2 and 3 family. I am especially proud of the second year students who are really beginning to memorize their facts. We also worked through counting by 2's and learned how to solve an addition word problem. In language arts the children have been reading up a storm! They enjoy completing book reports and are eager to read to me each day. All the children are learning spelling rules and have had fun giving each other spelling tests. The class has been discussing their reading and we just started comprehension type activities. Sentence structure has been our focus in grammar. All the children are starting to use their "checking finger" to make sure a capital and period is part of their sentence. We also learned that a sentence has two parts that are called the naming and telling parts. Second year MAPP students are labeling the parts and first year students are well on their way! Our class has studied everything there is to know about maps. We made a classroom map, a compass, a map key, and even a treasure map for the kindergarten. Our study of maps will continue throughout the year as this proves to be of great interest. In Spanish Pedro came out and reviewed the alphabet and greetings. His little brother Paco has been going home with the students and has been on many adventures! Conferences went well and I want to thank you for being so kind! Your children have been wonderful and I am excited for the year ahead! Look for notes in your child's binder about ways you can help out in the classroom this year. Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington Music pretesting lasted a little longer than expected, so much of this module was spent finishing up these assessments in time for conferences. We did get on to the xylophones, however, and practiced singing and playing to the song There Once Was A Frog. The students learned a sequential bass line as an accompaniment, then they took turns echoing each other using the same range of notes. The results were impressive and the children listened well to each other. Physical Education with Paige Passavant Students in Jr MAPP worked on developing skills related to invasion games. During our unit, Invasion Games and Skills, we practiced offensive and defensive techniques that were disguised as fun games. Computer Technology with Paige Passavant Jr. MAPP students are beginning their journey through the Microsoft Word program. They have practiced basic formatting and computer opening/closing protocols.