Following Sr. MAPP

2009-2010 Module 9

2010-04-29T08:26:00.001-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Spring has sprung and Senior MAPP students are blooming!!

Sr. MAPP students started out Module Nine on a field trip to Marbles Children's Museum to experience Hubble 3D at the IMAX. Students learned about the importance of the Hubble satellite, the NASA space program, and the jobs that astronauts perform in space. This trip was enjoyed by all!

At the beginning of language arts class, students worked on a mini exercise called Daily Language Review (DLR). Students were instructed to complete five items involving editing sentences, parts of speech, analogies, synonyms, antonyms, and most language concepts. Then in whole group, students checked their work and participated by sharing their answers and understanding. Students will be assessed on their progress in the next few weeks.

In language arts, students completed their literature study units for Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Egypt Game, and The Cricket in Times Square. Students met in literature groups for discussions on literary elements, vocabulary, and comprehension questions. As an extension activity, each student created a book collage using magazines and newspapers to incorporate twenty words and pictures about his or her book. What great visuals! At the end of each book unit, students were administered a final test and took AR quizzes revealing mastery and understanding of their books.

In math, students continued to work diligently on daily tasks in class and on homework assignments. They have made good progress in reaching their second semester goals according to their math pacing guides. Some Sr. MAPP students have not only met their chapter goals, but they have surpassed them and moved onto the next level book! I highly recommend that all students review and practice their math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Play games, use flashcards, and make math computation easy and put it to memory!

In our on-going geography unit using Maps, Globes, and Graphs, students studied distance and scale, route maps, and relief maps as a whole group. Students read and answered questions given a variety of maps and put their skills to the test on exercises and quizzes. Students really liked their colorful workbooks full of lessons and information!

The Inventor Project is under way! Each student researched and completed a graphic organizer for a PowerPoint presentation on a selected inventor over Spring Break. During Module Nine students worked on individual slides with the following criteria: the required information for that slide (on sheet), a minimum of one graphic, and a minimum of one sound clip. All students learned how to operate the different applications for their slides. Sr. MAPP will continue to work on their PowerPoint presentations through May.

Yes, it's test time! Students have reviewed test taking strategies and test format. Test prep has involved the students working on practice tests and discussing their answers in whole and small groups. Students also practiced tests under timed conditions. Students have demonstrated amazing effort!

I am very proud of each and every student in Sr. MAPP!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

During the last few weeks we have completed our tennis unit! Students learned how to hold the racket, what it means to follow through, basic forehand and backhand technique, scoring, and use of the tennis court. Some days we played at the tennis courts at Forest Hills Park and other days we played here at Camelot. It was a little bit more challenging hitting the tennis ball here at Camelot, but the kids did a great job regardless! I was very impressed with their focus and determination to make contact with the ball.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. MAPP spent a few weeks getting to know the basics of GarageBand, writing their very own original music and entering preassigned melodies and rhythms. They picked up on the skills quickly, and we had a lot of fun getting to know this amazing piece of software. We'll probably return to GarageBand in the coming weeks, but the last two weeks have been spent learning about Sonata form (we watched a great video of Leonard Bernstein explaining to an audience of young people exactly what a Sonata is and how it works) and now preparing for Evening of the Arts. I've selected a classic song from a musical all parents will recognize, but the students and I have reworked it to reflect their lives at Camelot. We're excited to share it with you!

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

During Module 9 the students did both clay art projects with Model Magic and classes in Dramatic Arts. 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 develops self esteem. Continuing with the theme of spring for our clay projects, the students created beautiful birds, and added real feathers. The other clay project was making a funny "creature" by covering a ball of paper with clay and molding it into any shape the students chose. What great imaginations and talent these children have!

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We have been working from an imaginary city map complete with intersecting streets and a variety of buildings and places of interest, all named in Spanish. We began by familiarizing ourselves with the names of various places which the students were able to figure out through looking on the map and following the map's key. Once the students were comfortable with this list of new vocabulary, we started to make the map and the city our own by bringing to life with color and additional places of interest based upon the students' own imaginations. We then moved into learning how to give and receive directions to guide ourselves around the map using words like "izquierda" (left) and "norte" (north).

2009-2010 Module 8

2010-04-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Sr. MAPP continued their literature units of study into Module Eight with The Egypt Game, The Cricket in Times Square, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Literature groups discussed story elements and comprehension questions which involved multiple choice and open answer formats. Daily lessons involved independent reading and small group activities. Students enjoyed making masks for Fantastic Mr. Fox, alters for The Egypt Game, and cricket cages for The Cricket in Times Square. All students are required to take an AR quiz of their literature study book as a major component of their AR semester goals. In spelling, students showed great strides in the spelling studies. Each week students conferred with the teacher and selected challenging units of study. Spelling tasks involved learning spelling patterns, word meanings, phonics, analogies, and dictionary exercises. It's been amazing to watch students progress into the next level book!

In math, students worked at a steady pace on daily math tasks and engaged in a variety of math extension activities such as flashcards practice and computers games, Geoblocks, and Battleship. Students have been studying geometry, number sense and rounding, graphs, multiplication, division, and measurement in their math chapters. Sr. MAPP students are working towards their yearly goals and are showing more confidence in their learning each and every day.

In social studies, students enhanced their geography skills using Maps, Globes, and Graphs . Students studied a variety of maps and learned how to read directions and legends, intermediate directions, and grid maps. A comprehensive test was administered at the end of the module for students to demonstrate their strong understanding.

This class loves to type! Students showed off their keyboarding skills using the Dance Mat Type program which provided visual and verbal instructions on how to use the home row keys and finger placement. Depending on their level, students were tested on fluency and accuracy. It's ideal for students to work towards typing 15 words per minute with 85% accuracy.

Parents, please send in a flash drive for your child. As we work on Power Points, a flash drive will allow students to save their work on a weekly basis. Also, please continue to view and sign your child's school planners. As we move through the rest of the school year, field trips and class projects are in the horizon!

Miss Kelly

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Sr. MAPP started and completed a tag unit these last few weeks. They played various tag games such as Color Tag, Blob Tag, Hot and Cold Tag, Shark Tag, and Freeze Tag. The tag games incorporated various skills that we have focused on throughout the year. Teamwork and game tactics were emphasized within each game. The students came up with some brilliant ideas! I was impressed with their ability to listen to others and their openness to trying out different strategies.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. MAPP finished watching our film on the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven, and now we've set off on the task of being great composers ourselves. Unlike Beethoven, however, we're using 21st century tools to write our music! After lots of hoping and speculating by the students, we finally began using the Garage Band music software program. Students learned how to enter simple notation in the C Major scale, and completed a series of assignments where they entered melodies that I came up with.

The next step was to manipulate the sound of these melodies by changing the "virtual instrument" that performs those tunes on the computer. Students instructed the program to play the melodies using instruments as wide ranging as electric guitars, drum sets, and orchestral brass! In the next few weeks, we'll continue working with Garage Band to develop original pieces, and also put together a performance for Evening of the Arts.

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

During Module 8 the students worked with Model Magic clay. The theme of the projects was spring. They began by creating a beautiful flower and ended with the creation of a butterfly. We will be starting the new module with making a bird, adding to it real feathers and other adornments.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We began Module 8 by continuing with our lesson on shapes by asking each student to draw a figure made up entirely of the different shapes we had previously learned. Each student then found a partner and using their drawing, described the construction of their figure by using the names of the shapes and corresponding body parts, for example "triangle head" would be "cabeza de triangulo". Their partner would then be responsible for trying to draw the figure being described to them, with a comparison being done afterwords to check to see how closely the two drawings matched each other. The pair would then switch roles and and the other student would then describe their drawing to their partner while they drew the described shapes and body parts. The following week, we added to our descriptive ability by reintroducing our knowledge of color vocabulary while adding new vocabulary to describe "right", "left", "above", and "under". Using these words, the students were able to continue their descriptions and drawings with their partners while incorporating new vocabulary to achieve more specific communication. The following week we took an imaginary trip to an imaginary city named "Ciudad de Burrito", or "City of Burrito", which is the fictitious city belonging to the imagination of the students' instructor "Burrito" (my Spanish name for the purposes of our Spanish classes). Using a city map, we began to pick apart and decipher the variety of new places and vocabulary presented to us in the new city. We learned new vocabulary for places such as "library", "pier", "bridge", "ocean", "river", and "beach". We concluded the lesson by giving the students the opportunity to make themselves more at home in the new city by coloring the map and picking out what street they would want their house, work, and school to be located on. We will continue to use the maps in upcoming lessons to learn how to give directions and an increasing variety of vocabulary.

2009-2010 Module 7

2010-03-10T18:13:00.001-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Sr. MAPP students started off Module Seven putting their writing skills to the test! They learned how to write a personal narrative and were exposed to a variety of examples. Given the writing prompt of "What is Your Favorite Place?" students followed the writing process through writing drafts, editing, and conferring with peers and the teacher to read and provide suggestions in their stories. All students successfully wrote a final well-written personal narrative and presented to the class and other audiences. What a great class of writers! All students are working towards their AR goals for the semester. Two books are required for all students to read on the Camelot AR list. One assigned book (Fantastic Mr. Fox, or The Egypt Game, or The Cricket in Times Square) will be read in class for a literature unit of study. This will be the third AR book required for the semester. Remember—these three books are the minimum…feel free to read more!

Each week in spelling students worked in small groups and discussed and selected challenging units of study. Spelling tasks involved learning spelling patterns, word meanings, phonics, analogies, and dictionary exercises. Some students completed enrichment exercises to enhance their spelling skills. As always, new spelling words are given on Mondays and spelling tests and assigned unit pages are due on Fridays.

In math, students continued to complete homework assignments and master chapter tests. Students made daily corrections and asked for assistance to clarify math skills and concepts. Each student revealed progress in working independently on class tasks. Overall, the majority of students are working at and beyond their yearly goals and are showing great math ability!

This class loves to type! Students showed off their keyboarding skills using the Dance Mat Type program which provided visual and verbal instructions on how to use the home row keys and finger placement. Depending on their levels, students were tested on fluency and accuracy. It's ideal for students to work towards typing 15 words per minute with 85% accuracy. Soon Sr. MAPP students will be applying their keyboarding skills on document assignments.

Sr. MAPP completed a fun science unit entitled "Heat-Energy on the Move" which included reading concepts from the textbook, experiments, a guest presenter, and a review then final comprehensive test. Students cut out snakes using construction paper and a paper clip to hang it. Each student hung his or her snake above a 60 watt bulb to observe heat energy and movement. In another experiment, students designed a solar energy project with poster board, foil, some tape, and a thermometer. In addition, each student found a location to conduct his or her experiment. Students recorded temperatures and plotted their results, then shared their conclusions with the class. One of Sr.MAPP's parents, Brian Lord, presented a thrilling talk on heat energy with good humor and a vast amount of information. Students enjoyed our parent guest and were very excited about science!

I would like to welcome all parents to come and visit our class! Please contact Miss Kelly if you are interested. I'm looking for some parent volunteers for the next few months for field trips as well. More to come!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Capture the Flag is a very popular game here at Camelot, and therefore I knew it was going to be a good unit for Sr. MAPP. The game relies heavily on teamwork and endurance. The students did a great job working together as well as listening and executing various teammates' ideas. I am very proud of them!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. 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. In the coming few weeks, Sr. MAPP will be writing more music and returning to performing some of that music on the marimbas that we have in class.

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

During the beginning of Module 7 the students were given a monologue to read over and then perform. Some of the monologues were comedic and some dramatic. The students handled the lessons very well and were able to take direction in how to better deliver the material. We will revisit the monolugues during Module 8 as we are doing one week of drama, one of clay.

We completed a clay project during this module with the use of Model Magic Clay. The students were given a metal miniature car and clay to cover all but the wheels and to create a very "special" car using their wildest imaginations. They did not disappoint! I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did and as much as the students did creating them. We will be making beautiful clay flowers during this coming module.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We have had a great time continuing with our exploration of the Spanish language through participation in various games and activities. We began Module 7 by learning Spanish action and sports verbs by playing the game "Pictionary". We continued to learn the Spanish names for shapes and forms, such as circle (circulo) and star (estrella), by playing a game of secret codes in which a code, consisting of shapes and forms, was dictated to the students in Spanish for the them to decipher and draw on their papers.

2009-2010 Module 6

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

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Sr. MAPP had a great Module Six to start off the year!

In social studies, Sr. MAPP students studied a unit on "Many People of a Community" which included the history and culture of different countries, reading population maps, comparing information on tables, and understanding historical events and people. Students celebrated the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through activities. Each student designed an "I have a dream" mobile and wrote their individual responses to their "dreams" for community, country, and the world. All mobiles were beautifully displayed in the classroom giving a cloud effect for all to see. Later, Sr. MAPP students were given vocabulary flashcards, a study guide, and participated in a Jeopardy review game to prepare for a comprehensive unit test.

Over the winter break Sr. MAPP students were assigned the Birthstone Project in which they researched their birthstone and made an informational display. All students presented their posters and information and confidently answered questions from the class. It was evident that many students went above and beyond in their birthstone research with additional information. Some students even volunteered to present their Birthstone Project during Morning Meeting (to the whole school!). I applaud all members of Sr.MAPP for their hard work, creativity, and public speaking skills!

Sr. MAPP students worked diligently on math tasks and made steady progress towards individual goals. Some students have shown improved attention to their tasks and have increased their pace throughout each chapter. I applaud all students' hard work and positive attitudes in their math growth.

In language arts, students completed daily readings and responded to a variety of items including: comprehension questions, vocabulary, sequencing, and dictionary skills. Students were encouraged to utilize resources such as dictionaries and thesauruses and were instructed on reading strategies. Students continued to work in small groups in Grammar Workshop focusing on sentence structure, nouns, verbs, simple subjects and predicates. Quizzes were administered after each lesson. Tests will be given at the end of each unit.

In computers, students showed off their keyboarding skills using the Dance Mat Typing online program. Sr. MAPP students were super eager to work through each level in typing. Students will continue to improve typing accuracy and rate in which they are given a certificate at that level. In cursive, students are excited about their ongoing progress and some students are eager to write cursive in their daily tasks.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Sr. MAPP finished up this module with their jumping rope routine. The groups were very creative and did a great job of incorporating a variety of jumping rope skills into their routine. We also started our next unit, Capture the Flag, and will be continuing with this unit for the next few weeks!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. MAPP focused mostly on reading and writing traditional musical notation. Students worked on writing notes ranging from "middle C" to an octave above that same note. We wrote quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes, coming up with some really creative melodies. Those melodies were then performed, either by Mr. Dan on guitar, or by the students themselves on a marimba we had in class. Several of the short pieces were quite challenging, and we had excellent performances by a number of students. We'll continue to work on reading and writing musical notation in the coming weeks and months.

Drama and Clay with Roni Peterson

We began the module with improvisation exercises that the students really enjoy. A script writing exercise was done by giving a Peanuts comic strip to the students in groups of two or three depending on how many characters were in the strip. They were then given time to get together and to write a script using the comic strip as a prompt. They then acted out their original script for the class.

We began using Model Magic Clay with a Valentine project. The students were given red clay, and then a heart was created with a cookie cutter. They were given different colors of clay to use in their designs. Feathers, and pipe cleaners of different colors were offered to them as well as "google eyes" for embellishments. I will continue with clay projects during Module 7.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We began Module 6 by learning to ask and discuss our ages and hometowns with our classmates. We continued to learn the game "Simon Says" in Spanish under the translated name "Simón Dice". The students really enjoyed the opportunity to get out of their seats to jump, dance, raise their arms, and touch their heads, but only when Simon said. In a second game, we learned more and more complex commands while also re-enforcing our knowledge and use of the names of the parts of the body. We continued to expand our vocabulary by playing "Hangman", which provided the students a great opportunity to review their understanding of the Spanish alphabet. We ended Module 6 by learning the names of articles of clothing by combining them with our previously established mastery of the Spanish colors to play "I Spy", or "Yo Veo".

2009-2010 Module 5

2010-01-21T03:47:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Senior MAPP students continued to work hard in all subjects for Module Five. As we ended the semester, students read and mastered four AR book quizzes—and for some, more! What a wonderful group of readers!

In language arts, writing instruction covered paragraph formation. This was an integral component of each student's literature study for either Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner or Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. Given required chapters and comprehension questions to read and complete, students then illustrated a scene from the reading and composed a paragraph describing the scene. Students were taught to write a minimum of five sentences with a topic sentence followed by supporting sentences. The more students developed paragraphs in the context of their reading, the more they used proper names, descriptive words, transition words, and correct sentence structure. Students learned to refer to their literature book and find correct spellings and accurate story elements independently and during small group discussions.

In math, students continued to work diligently and independently on daily math tasks as they were eager to reach math goals. All students turned in math homework assignments in a timely manner. During class students asked for clarification on everything from written directions to how to work through a new problem. This class is exceptional for its patience and positive response to getting teacher help. Students took advantage of supplementary manipulatives such as math facts flashcards, file folder games, the Judy Clock, and a collapsible time line for telling time and showing elapsed time. Each student had a pacing guide to track his or her progress for each module. An updated math pacing guide with grades will go home with students. I strongly suggest flash cards for students to practice and master all math facts (+, -, x, ÷) by the end of the school year.

In science, Sr. MAPP students studied a unit on rocks and minerals which involved hands-on activities and video presentations on minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle. Given mineral and rock samples, students learned how to observe and record mineral and rock properties (texture, streak, and color) through investigations. Students also learned about the use of the Moh hardness scale and other properties for mineral and rock identification. A comprehensive test was administered at the end of this unit.

Over the winter break students were given homework assignments including a birthstone project as an culminating science activity. Students researched their birthstone and created amazing displays.

Here's to 2010! I am so proud of this enthusiastic group of students, and I look forward to enhancing our technology program in Sr. MAPP during second semester. I am eager to provide more computer opportunities for all students. More to come!

Your child's super proud teacher,

Miss Kelly

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Sr. MAPP has continued to come to class energized and ready to go. Before break we had a badminton unit and completed some fitness testing. Students learned a number of ways they can hit the birdie. We worked on serving, overhead, and underhand shots as well as the forehand and backhand grips.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. MAPP has been a lot of fun through the winter months. We've been focusing recently on writing some original songs. Shortly before winter break, we wrote and performed a fairly long song based on the ideas, feelings, and weather patterns of the winter and holiday seasons. We spent two weeks writing this original song, and students developed and finished both the original melody and original lyrics for the song. Ask your child to share the song with you—it has some really imaginative lyrics and a lovely, quick-moving melody.

Drama with Roni Peterson

The students continued during this module doing many different types of improvisation exercises. I continue working with them on the five "W's" of acting—who, what, where, why, and when. The 5 "W's" are the basis for all acting exercises. They have been given a phrase, or a situation and then two students work together on the improvisation. One of the exercises that the students really enjoy is called "Freeze Tag." Two students are given a prompt, a word or situation, and they start a scene. I then say "freeze" and the two "actors" must freeze in position. I choose a student to take the place of one of the two, and then when I say "action" a new scene is started by the new "actor." It must be a completely new storyline created by the positions of the actors when they were frozen. I continue to emphasize the importance of each improvisation to have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

We began Module 5 by reviewing the days of the week and learning a new song to help us remember the days. Following our brief review and song, we began to learn expressions to help us talk about the order of the days; "Mañana es ___." (Tomorrow is ___.) and "Ayer fue ___." (Yesterday was ___.). In the following week, we began to work on an activity book that involves a mixture of vocabulary exercises and coloring activities. In particular, we started the book with the "Me llamo ___" (My name is ___) section, which also provided the students with the opportunity to introduce themselves to their classmates. Module 5 concluded with a lesson on Christmas and Holiday vocabulary to get the students ready to go on break!

2009-2010 Module 4

2009-12-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Senior MAPP students had a wonderful Module Four!

In a study of literary elements, Sr. MAPP students examined physical and personality character traits through lessons, a read aloud and a whole group activity. In addition, students were shown the steps in the writing process which include pre-write, draft, revise, edit, and publish. Given a graphic organizer and guided instruction, each student chose a character from the previously read book Chocolate Fever or The Tale of Despereaux and composed a paragraph describing three character traits. Sr. MAPP students then beautifully illustrated their characters to go with their writing. All papers and drawings were displayed in the Big Hall. What a great group of writers and artists!

In spelling, Sr. MAPP students continued to study new spelling words each week and revealed progress on spelling assignments and tests. Spelling tasks are assigned as homework throughout the week, and Sr. MAPP students are learning to pace their spelling work which is due on Fridays. Each Monday students conference with Miss Kelly to select their new spelling unit. This amazing group of students loves to be challenged, and they work hard to meet their spelling goals! Due to preparation for Academic Fair, the Sr. MAPP class did not have spelling for two weeks. Since Fall Break, students have resumed weekly units of spelling.

In small groups and one-on-one instruction, students gained knowledge in grammar studies and were administered a quiz. The Grammar Workshop lessons are utilized in guided practice and students check their work in small groups which are not graded.

In math, students continued to work diligently on daily math tasks and homework assignments. Each student is working towards hisor her First Semester math goals. Sr. MAPP students took advantage of supplementary activities in the classroom as a means to enhance their mathematical knowledge.

The topic for Sr. MAPP Academic Fair was rivers of the world. Each Sr. MAPP student was given a major river in the world and a folder with river fact sheets, maps, flags, and graphic organizers for a report and script. Students read a lot and showed a lot of enthusiasm for their rivers. Each student composed multiple paragraphs in an informational paper about his or her river. In addition, students typed their titles for their display board and colored maps and flags. On a three panel board, students designed their displays strategically and placed labels, writings, pictures, maps, and drawings on their boards. Finally, students wrote, practiced, and gave an oral presentations with their displays to a variety of audiences. Bravo!! Senior MAPP student Academic Fair displays went beyond expectations!

Lights! Camera! Action! Sr.MAPP enjoyed a fieldtrip to Raleigh Little Theatre to watch "Snoopy!!! The Musical" along with Dan Raimi, our music teacher. This was a big hit for all students. Our Camelot ambassadors were a perfect audience and dressed and conducted themselves appropriately for the occasion.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

We finished off our handball unit strongly and will be moving onto a badminton unit. Since they did such a good job with handball, I gave them one class of "free play". As long as they were being active and getting their heart rates up, I told them they could choose whichever activity they wanted to participate in. We also had a jogging and conditioning class before Thanksgiving break. We talked about their stride and breathing.

Music with Daniel Raimi

I had a blast with Sr. MAPP during this module. We took a trip to see "Snoopy!!! the Musical" together, and I was thrilled to see how much the students enjoyed the performance. As parents know, we took the musical introduction, "The World According to Snoopy," and performed it for Academic Fair. It's not an easy song to sing, and I divided up the class by boys and girls to sing certain parts of the song. I was very pleased with their performance, and was pleased to see the looks on their faces during and after the performance. It's an empowering thing to get up in front of a group of people and sing a song, and I think they handled themselves very well.

Drama with Roni Peterson

The students have been doing many different types of improvisation exercises. I am working with them on the five "W's" of acting—who, what, where, when, and why. The five"W's" are the basis for all acting exercises. They are learning how to think of a "given circumstance" as well when doing their improvisations. They have been given a phrase, or a situation and then two students work together on the improvisation.

We have started an exercise that teaches how to have a beginning, a middle and an end when doing an improvisation. One student starts by making a statement like, "It's a lovely day." The next student will then say "What you are saying is that it's a lovely day, so I will..." and then they add something that would logically come next like, "... so I will, go for a walk." The next student will then say, "What you are saying is that you will take a walk, so I will..." and so forth. Each statement must move the story along logically and come to an end. We will continue using this exercise during Module 5.

I plan to begin giving short monologues to the students. They will also be given a Peanuts comic strip to act out. We discussed their theater experience and they were excited about choosing their favorite character to portray in a scene inspired by the comic strip.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

Sr. MAPP had a busy and learning-filled Module 4. We began by reviewing our previous lesson of the Spanish vowels, and then continued on to learning the entire Spanish alphabet by way of a call-and-response marching chant. We also picked back up with where we left off with a previous lesson on numbers and continued to learn the numbers up to 100. With the newly acquired knowledge of the numbers to 100, we were able to play A-E-I-O-U Bingo to gain greater facility with hearing and recognizing Spanish numbers and vowels. We ended Module 4 by learning the days of the Spanish week, and it is here that we will pick up when we resume with Module 5, as we continue to gain a greater understanding of dates, time, and the calendar in Spanish.

2009-2010 Module 3

2009-11-02T12:06:00.001-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Senior MAPP students have continued to thrive in Module Three. I'd like to welcome our newest student, John Henry Baker and his family, to our class and to Camelot. We are now an official baker's dozen.

In language arts students learned about types of sentences, subject and predicates, and end punctuation through exercises in Grammar Workshop. Students applied their learning in journal writing and other written tasks. In reading, students read Chocolate Fever and The Tale of Despereaux and completed literature packets which consisted of comprehension questions, extension activities, and vocabulary. Students read and discussed literary elements in small group and worked individually on open-ended story questions. Students were administered a final test and took an AR quiz on the book. On Mondays students were given new weekly spelling words and workbook pages and were administered a spelling test on Fridays. Students made good progress in completing and handing in spelling workbooks on time. Students have also revealed improved spelling in journals and in tasks requiring writing.

In math, students handed in daily homework assignments emphasizing math skills and concepts. They engaged in activities for calculation tasks (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts [0—12]), Roman numerals, online games, and fractions.

Students honed their cursive skills through daily exercises and applied their handwriting skills on daily written tasks. At this time, many students can write their names beautifully in cursive. Many students give themselves extra cursive practice and are making amazing progress.

In social studies, Sr. MAPP students studied a unit entitled "Living in a Community, Country, and Nation." Students learned through readings and discussions about how communities solve problems and resolve conflicts. Then students put their map skills to the test. They reviewed directions, map keys (legends), and symbols which led up to how to measure distances using a map scale. Given a state and U.S. map, students practiced how to determine miles and kilometers between cities. What great effort was noted! Students also took notes on North Carolina facts and listened to identify patriotic songs.

Module Three ended on a Fall Festival note!

By midday on this Friday, students were dressed in a variety of costumes and participated in games, decorated cookies and pumpkins, and enjoyed a Charlie Brown holiday movie.

I am extremely proud of this amazing group of students! Look for mid-semester reports which will include grades, AR updates, and math progress.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

We have had a very successful few weeks in Sr. MAPP class. We ended our dodging unit with a few games of Jailbreak and have started a new unit in Handball. Teamwork has been a major part of this unit. Before we start each game, teams are to collaborate on positions and strategies. So far, they have been doing a great job!

Music with Daniel Raimi

Over the past few weeks, Sr. MAPP has worked on several aspects of music. First, we've regularly played our marimbas, learning how to read basic notation and perform rhythms of quarter-notes. I challenged the class to play through a set of short pieces with their partners, and whoever could get through a certain amount of music in class earned a cookie. I'm happy to say that pretty much the whole class completed the assignment, and were lucky enough to have a Newman-O last week! Alongside learning basic notation, Sr. MAPP has also been learning and singing some great songs like "If I Had a Hammer" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go," by the Clash. Most recently in class, we learned how to break down a song into it's syllables and rhyme scheme, then write our own verse to the song. We did this for "Should I Stay or Should I Go," and had a lot of fun with it. In the coming weeks, we'll do more songwriting, learn more pieces of music, and have lots of fun along the way.

Drama with Roni Peterson

We have continued with the phone conversations from Module 2.

Props were used in individual improvisations, as well as by student pairs using one prop to work together on a short improv scene.

Prompt words and lines were introduced to lead the students in creating improvisations in which they had to use the exact line, or prompt, in the improv. 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", five times fast! Not so easy is it? These exercises are not only beneficial, but also fun to do. Other warm-up exercises will be introduced during Module 4, as well as short monologues.

Art with Brittain Peck

We began by introducing ourselves, both students and new teacher, by re-examining the shapes that make up our own names. Students developed a wide variety of approaching this challenge, as some created a grouping of different objects while others joined the different letters into a greater scene or interacting composition. We continued to focus on shape and design in an exploration of the concept of rotational symmetry. The students were challenged to represent themselves in the manner of their choosing in a single image, which we then rotated around a fixed point to join it to itself in a rotationally symmetrical composition. Again, the students displayed a great diversity in their approach to this challenge as some pictured themselves as a human figure while others used geometric or metaphoric representations.

Spanish with Brittain Peck

Module 3 began as we reviewed basic vocabulary through a popular Cuban song, "Barquito de Papel", or "Little Paper Boat". We also reviewed the numbers 1 through 10 and continued to study the numbers up to 20. With these numbers fresh in our minds, we put them to use in the card game "Pesca!", or "Go Fish". We also focused on the Spanish vowels, or "vocales", which serve as the building blocks upon which Spanish pronunciation is built. The students displayed a strong ability to grasp new aspects of the language. While many students are developing upon a foundation of previous Spanish instruction, all of the students proved themselves capable of keeping up with the instruction and also assisting each other in learning together through games and group work.

2009-2010 Module 2

2009-10-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Sr. MAPP students completed Module Two with remarkable effort both in academics and in taking personal responsibility to be prepared for school. This amazing class of twelve plunged into literature, math units, quizzes, tests, and homework. And, yes, we went on our first field trip!

Senior MAPP students were hard at work reading and enjoying Chocolate Fever and The Tale of Despereaux in our literature units of study. It's been exciting to see students enthusiastic about the topics of chocolate and a little mouse. Students defined vocabulary words, participated in small groups, and engaged in activities to enhance their understanding of the story. As a fun tie to the literature, students were given a needle, thread, and fabric. They then learned how to sew a border to fashion a handkerchief. Some students created and sewed their own design in the middle. What fine motor skills and creativity! Comprehension questions were graded on a weekly basis. Our literature units of study will continue through next module, ending with a comprehensive final test. In grammar studies, students received small group instruction in learning the different types of sentences, subjects and predicates, and how to edit sentences and paragraphs using proofreading marks. The goal of the Grammar Workshop is to teach good sentence structure and to learn the parts of speech to enhance student writing, reading, and speaking on a daily basis.

Students were introduced to new spelling words and assigned pages in the Spelling Connections workbook for spelling, reading, and writing exercises. All students mastered their first spelling test. The goal is to improve spelling in daily writing through learning spelling patterns and rules and through using strategies to sound words out.

In math, students continued to work diligently on daily math tasks and homework assignments. Individual math pacing guides were shared with students as chapter tests were scored and mastered! In a whole group lesson, students learned how to read and write Roman numerals. Students were read Fun With Roman Numerals by David A. Adler and discovered that Roman numerals were in books, watches, clocks, the Super Bowl, and many other parts of everyday life. Later students matched numbers and Roman numerals in a variety of matching card games available to play throughout the year. This lesson was fun for all!

In our first science unit, Plant Growth and Adaptations, students learned about the basic needs of plants, the parts of a plant, and how plants reproduce. Given a real flower, students created a diagram and labeled its parts which evolved into a work of art. Through class lessons, discussion, videos, and plants specimens from Miss Kelly's garden and house, students enhanced their understanding of unit terms and concepts. A study guide with vocabulary flashcards went home and a week later a unit test was administered. Well Done!

Sr. MAPP's first field trip was to Duke Homestead Historic Site in Durham. Students participated in a guided tour of historic buildings and learned about the life of Washington Duke who pioneered tobacco growing in the area. In addition, students dug up artifacts in an archaeological activity, viewed a movie about living on a farm in the 1850's, and topped it all with a fashion show.

It has been a delight to start to get to know and work with this class!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

We have been playing one of my favorite games these last few weeks in Physical Education class. The game is called Spiderball. It is a modified version of dodgeball, but it does not contain the negative aspects of a regular dodgeball game. For example, instead of getting hit and sitting out the rest of the game, in Spiderball, when you get hit, you are only temporarily "out" and can get back in the game within seconds. This means that students are running around and being active throughout the whole class, not just in segments. Also, Spiderball is every person for themselves. This makes it harder for them because they have to constantly be on their feet. We will play many different variations of the game and work on dodging, throwing, and catching throughout some of the upcoming class periods as well.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. MAPP had a lot of fun the past few weeks. First, we went deeper into our understanding of the marimba and other percussion instruments. On the marimba, students performed notation involving the notes C through A, and read music from the board and from handouts distributed in class. In general, I was quite impressed by the level of maturity and focus the class displayed--they were able to follow instructions very well, and sounded good on their marimbas!

We also did a good amount of singing, going through songs such as "If I Had a Hammer," "This Land is Your Land," and "Yellow Submarine." Along with the singing, students were asked to draw their interpretations of Miles Davis' wonderful recording of "Bye Bye Blackbird." We saw a number of creative responses to the title, largely involving tragic outcomes for a variety of blackbirds...Next time, we'll probably stay away from too many animal themes! In coming weeks, we'll go deeper into the marimba, learn new songs, and do more drawing to pieces from the worlds of jazz, classical, African, and Caribbean music.

Drama with Roni Peterson

During Module 2 I introduced props. A telephone prop was used in an improvisation exercise using a prompt line such as "I'm sorry," or " Let's not fight anymore," etc. Students could either make or receive the phone call but they had to use the prompt line at some time during the improvised conversation. This is an advanced exercise and the class did extremely well. I also gave them scripted one-sided conversations and based on the written words, they had to create the tone. Giving different children the same script, I asked that they change the tone so that they could learn that the interpretation of the words is the actor's choice. I also asked that they try to write their own phone scripts that we will act out. We will continue with this exercise in Module 3, as well as we'll be using other props in scripts that we will write as a class, and then perform.

2009-2010 Module 1

2009-09-29T10:57:00.001-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Welcome to a new school year in Sr. MAPP! Students have already started off the 2009-2010 school year with flying colors! I'm looking forward to working and learning with each and every student. This is the year that students will demonstrate independence and responsibility as learners.

In Module One Sr. MAPP students learned about classroom procedures and expectations which are reinforced on a daily basis. All students mastered the rules test on the first try! Students then reviewed academic skills and concepts through activities, games, discussions, and mini-lessons. Later, students took pretests in language arts, math and geography. These formal and informal assessments provide the teacher with valuable information on individual student learning and abilities. I've observed that this class loves to read, share their writing, and draw.

Students participated in teamwork activities. They designed a job manual for class jobs and established rules for gaining couch privileges. With practice and positive reinforcement, students arrived with homework folders, planners, and materials every morning. Students learned how to use the school planner and write in homework assignments, due dates, and school events.

Some Sr. MAPP students began writing in cursive for the first time, while others practiced the skills they learned last year. This group has shown good penmanship and effort in such a short time!

We're off to new year of learning and growing in Sr. MAPP!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I've been very pleased with the amount of energy and motivation the students bring to each class. In Module One, all classes did fitness testing. 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. If you would like to learn more about the President's Challenge, you can go to www.presidentschallenge.org.

Music with Daniel Raimi

Sr. MAPP has been jumping into two different areas of music in our first few weeks. The first topic we're looking at is the world of singing and songwriting. The group learned and sang the song "Stand by Me," by Ben E. King. After reading through the lyrics and singing the song, we took a close look at the themes and metaphors used in the song. We tried to understand what the phrase "stand by me" meant in the context of the song, and then we tried to find different aspects of the lyrics that supported that main theme. Each verse specifies different ways for someone to "stand by" a friend, and we discussed the meaning of each of those images and metaphors.

Our new area of exploration is understanding how to read and perform musical notation on the marimbas. The class learned the notes C through G on the instrument, and performed several permutations of simple melodies that Mr. Dan placed on the board. Some of the melodies were fairly simple, but we also added more complex variations. Working in pairs, each student performed the given notation, and then passed off the mallet to partners who tried to do the same.

In the next few weeks, we'll continue to learn and discuss songs, and dive into more details with the reading of notation and performing on marimba. We'll soon get into performance on the keyboard, so if any students have a piano or keyboard at home, any chance to practice, or just mess around on the instrument, will be a benefit to the students.

Drama with Roni Peterson

During the first week of class, we reviewed exercises from last year - mostly games that involved memory and imagination. The children were introduced to the basic qualities of the art of pantomime. Acting without words was met with great enthusiasm. It was a joy to watch how the children acted out simple situations using pantomime. Improvisational work was also introduced and will continue during the second module. The use of props will be introduced as well. This class is very talented and eager to perform. I am thrilled to teach such a great group of children.

2008-09 Module 7

2009-03-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Sr. MAPP students started off Module 7 with a unit on chocolate in literature. As an introductory activity, each student created a new candy bar with its own special ingredients. Then we dipped into the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This unit introduced new vocabulary words and lively discussions about story elements. Daily lessons involved reading in small groups as well as independent reading followed by comprehension questions. In addition, students began a study of grammar with nouns. Students made great strides in their spelling studies. Each week students met with me and selected challenging units of study. Spelling tasks involved learning spelling patterns, word meanings, phonics, analogies, and dictionary exercises.

In math, students diligently worked on daily math tasks and engaged in a variety of math extension activities such as flashcards and computer games, Math Whiz, Up to a 100 and Battleship. Each student demonstrated steady progress in working toward their individual math goals. Math pacing guides for each student were sent home for parents to view. In a group lesson, students enjoyed learning about how to read and write Roman Numerals up into the hundreds. They applied their newly acquired skills in a matching game with others. More specifically, students have been studying geometry, data collection, graphs, and measurement in their math chapters. Weekly quizzes on multiplication and division facts were given to assess fluency in math.

In social studies, students learned about "How Communities Grow and Change" through textbook reading, discussions, Power Point presentations, and history books. Highlights included early American history and the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Sr. MAPP created and wrote an acrostic poem in cursive about the life of Abraham Lincoln. Then students composed and typed an acrostic poem about themselves using a variety of fonts and sizes. The poems were displayed on each student's silhouette along with a photograph of them.

This class loves to type! Students showed off their keyboarding skills using the Dance Mat Type program which provided visual and verbal instructions on how to use the home row keys and finger placement. Depending on their level, students were tested on fluency and accuracy. Our initial goal is to type 15 words per minute with 85% accuracy.

Most recently, Sr. MAPP started a new science unit on Animal Adaptations. Students selected an animal and will write an animal report given graphic organizers and checklists. This five paragraph report will involve the writing process and typing. After students complete a prewriting list of facts, they will type their first draft. Building on this first draft, students will revise, edit, and publish their report. More to come!

Parents, please send in a flash drive for your child. As we type the animal reports, a flash drive will allow him/her to save their work on lap tops at school and at home. Please continue to view and sign your child's school planner. Thank you for all that you do!

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 made a picture for our books featuring a Chinese boat ("junk") that moves across cut paper waters—and delivers our beans to those in need.

Clay Arts with Roni Peterson

The class has made progress with the fundamentals of hand-building. Some of the projects have yet to be returned to the students due to the fact that a full kiln is required to have a kiln firing. All pieces that are created will be returned to the students. We will continue to work with hand-building and glazing during this module.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

Sr. MAPP has done a phenomenal job so far in the basketball unit. Most of the students have played basketball at one point or another, so they have been catching on quickly. I am very proud of them. I try to keep the focus on fun activities involving skill development instead of playing a game. We will get to that in the next week or two, but for now, these activities are engaging and geared towards improvement.

2008-09 Module 6

2009-02-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

In Module Six, students studied a unit on earthquakes and volcanoes which included class discussions, videos, reading from the text and informational books. Students enjoyed experiments using sticky notes and Jell-O to demonstrate earthquake and volcano concepts. While learning about the Earth's plates, students illustrated and used arm movements to show the different ways they move. The highlights of this science unit were creating an earthquake and volcanic eruption. Given a picture of a town, students created an earthquake scene and then determined its impact using the Mercalli and Richter scales. Later on, each student designed and built a volcano using Play-dough and watched it erupt multiple times. Students learned that baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid and combined with red food coloring, this mixture created an eruption in the form of a lava flow. It was interesting to talk about historical disasters such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. Throughout the unit, students were informed that natural disasters may be interesting to learn about, but that they bring loss of life and damage to communities. Sr. MAPP students were given vocabulary flashcards, a study guide, and participated in a Jeopardy review game to prepare for the unit test. Sr. MAPP students worked diligently on math tasks and made steady progress towards individual goals. Students enhanced their math facts with multiplication and division war, online math practice, the up to a 100 card game, Math Whiz, and file folder games. Each student completed math homework assignments throughout the week and on weekends. Students showed off their math fact skills on weekly math quizzes. I applaud every student's hard work and positive attitude in their math growth.

In language arts, students worked on writing mechanics during Daily Language Review exercises and composed a variety of journal responses given prompts. Each week students were assigned new spelling words with language activities and given a final spelling test. In literature study, students learned about genre and organized the entire class library into fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories. Over the course of a week, this hands-on, collaborative activity provided students with an increased understanding of these classifications. Students were recently given a Reader's Notebook in which they record their reading lists. The Reader's Notebook has many uses and will help each student connect to literature. More to come!

In computers, students worked diligently on keyboarding skills using the Dance Mat Typing online program. Sr. MAPP students were super eager to work through each level in typing. Students will continue to improve their typing accuracy and rate and apply their typing skills in a future project! In cursive, students are excited about their ongoing progress and eager to write cursive in their daily written tasks.

Sr. MAPP enjoyed a field-trip to the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. What a fun and educational time for all! Students did a scavenger hunt during the visit and were successful in their exploration! This holiday-filled month involved discussions on President Obama's inauguration and Chinese New Year. All Lower School students enjoyed a Chinese luncheon complete with egg rolls, fortune cookies, and an assortment of Chinese cuisine. Making lanterns, using chopsticks, and learning about the Chinese zodiac were big hits for the students in this year of the ox! Miss Kelly is very proud of each and every student in Sr. MAPP. All students made great progress in writing daily homework assignments in planners and being prepared for class! Keep up the good work! Parents, thank you for all that you do.

Art with Heather Cramer

We have 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 as well as gifts of character. We made a fire together for 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 had their photo taken with their bowl and necklace to go in their "suitcase" books.

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

Clay Arts with Roni Peterson

Sr. MAPP has been working with low fire earthenware clay for this module. They have learned different techniques of hand-building. They have done the pinch method, as well as slab, and coil work. They also are learning about glazing as a way to finish their pieces with color and design. I will continue to work with this group of talented children during Module 7. At present, they have three projects that they now will be decorating with colored food safe glazes, they will then be re-fired in my kiln and returned to the students to bring home.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I attempted a badminton unit with Sr. MAPP, but because of the weather, it was extremely difficult at times to keep the birdie/shuttle in the air. I was still able to teach them some basic skills like serving, the overhead clear shot, and the smash shot. They seemed to really enjoy the unit. We also had a chance to walk to Forest Hills Park to play badminton there!

2008-09 Module 5

2009-01-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Happy New Year 2009 to Sr. MAPP!

Sr. MAPP students began Module Five with a social studies unit about "Where People Start Communities." Students enjoyed reading about past civilizations and created their own pioneer town complete with landforms. In addition, students practiced how to read landform maps, product maps, and how to read a table. Students prepared for a final unit test using flashcards, the textbook, and a study guide to take home one week before the test. I am very proud of each and every student and their growth!

Dog sledding and Wyoming were important topics of study with the reading of Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Students were engaged with a variety of activities throughout this literature unit of study. Daily exercises involved vocabulary study, reading the book aloud, group discussion using literary elements, prediction and inference skills. Each student completed comprehension questions for each chapter in multiple choice formats. Graded chapter questions were reviewed as students made changes to their answers and engaged in discussions. For an art project, students enjoyed making a dogsled with a musher out of a gingerbread Peep, candy canes, icing, and graham crackers. Placed on a piece of batting, these mushers looked yummy and ready to race! As Stone Fox was read, students expanded their learning about Balto, a famous lead dog, and the famous dogsled race, the Iditarod. Before going on winter break, students watched the movie "Snow Dogs" to observe a dog sledding race.

After break, students viewed the movie "Stone Fox" and took notes to compare the book with the movie. Students wrote down likes and differences as they made comparisons. Afterwards, students presented their papers. What an enjoyable unit for all! This is one great group of movie and book critics!

In math, students enhanced their learning about money, time, and multiplication facts during Module Five. Each student worked towards their individual math goals. I will be sending home math pacing guides for your viewing. Based on each student's progress, math schedules have been revised to ensure student success for the remainder of the school year. In class, some students practiced their times table facts in a booklet using a hundreds chart, writing equations (0-12) for each fact, and skip counting. Math bees and paper and pencil drills were given throughout the module to improve math facts fluency with multiplication. I request that students practice multiplication and division facts (0-12) using flashcards and games at home every night.

In addition, students have received new AR lists for the spring semester and are off to a great reading start! For this semester, Sr. MAPP students are required to read four AR books which include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl which we will read in class as part of our chocolate unit of study. A passing grade of 80% or higher is essential for student mastery for each AR quiz. In the next few weeks, each student will make book selections to complete their AR list for the spring semester. I recommend that students choose a variety of books to expand their reading experiences and exposure to other genres. I have generated a list of books for students to view.

I am very proud of Sr. MAPP students and their ongoing progress and enthusiasm for learning. Here's to a new semester!

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

During Module 5 I introduced Clay Art. The students worked on ornaments and other original pieces which were handbuilt and then fired in a kiln. Once fired, they were given a choice of colored food-safe glazes to decorate their pieces. We will continue in Module 6 with clay projects.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

As small a group as they are, Sr. MAPP enjoys team sports. We began the module with a handball unit, covering the basics. They learned about using a pivot foot, playing defense one arm's length away, how many steps they could take the with the handball, rules of the game, and most importantly, teamwork. I emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and teamwork by having team meetings before, midway through, and after the game. They established what positions they wanted to play, a team name, plays, how to give positive feedback, and so forth. They did a fantastic job with this!

We finished the module with fitness testing. I'm very happy to say everyone appears to be progressing at a good rate!

2008-09 Module 4

2008-11-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

In Module Four, Sr. MAPP students were hard at work and play with math, science, writing, Academic Fair, and language arts. This inquisitive group of learners enjoyed a visit to the Museum of Life and Science. What a great field trip for all!

In math, students worked diligently on assigned math pages and chapter tests working towards their individual math goals. Daily math bees enhanced student math facts in addition and subtraction. Students played board games, online computer games, and card games to improve their math concepts and skills including multiplication and division.

In the unit study of human body systems, Sr. MAPP students learned about the respiratory, circulatory, muscular, skeletal, digestive, and nervous systems. Students read a lot about body functions and were engaged in a variety of discussions. Science lessons involved art activities to better demonstrate how the body works. Students loved these fun projects! For Academic Fair, students created a tri -fold display with written components, a diagram with labels, and an oral presentation given an assigned body system. Students became experts on a body system and revealed a great amount of creativity on their individual displays.

Language Arts included an introduction to Daily Language Review exercises where students work on writing mechanics, editing sentences, naming synonyms and antonyms, figurative speech, and vocabulary. Students have shown great growth in their daily journal writing. Students are "free" writing about many topics in paragraph form, count their words and sentences, and read aloud their entries to the class. It's been exciting to see students write more fluently and use the dictionary more to spell unfamiliar words. For Academic Fair students developed descriptive paragraphs and read fact sheets to discover interesting facts about their body systems.

I am very proud of the hard work, effort and creativity each student put into their Academic Fair project. This was a great interdisciplinary exercise for Sr.MAPP students!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Over the break, I have assigned math and reading homework for Sr. MAPP students. Please see your child's planner for those specific tasks.

Parents, thank you for your ongoing support this school year!

Art with Heather Cramer

"Ripples of Peace" We continued our time in Europe by gathering as a family for tea time and practiced our good manners with British accents and learned some of the words that are different from ours (cookies are "biscuits"). Then we did a watercolor painting of the still life of teapot and biscuits.

Next we talked about gathering in community... how do we do that here in Durham, and how do people in Europe gather? We looked at old pub and inn signs, and paintings of people in parks and cafés. We colored a picture of a pub sign while we thought about how we would design our own. Our signs were quite creative and you saw two samples at Academic Fair. We looked again at VanGogh's night café painting, and did a drawing of how we might gather in community, using oil crayons for multicolored strong strokes like Van Gogh.

We took some time to go back through our "suitcases" to see what might need finishing touches before we move on to Africa after the fall break.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

The students were given specific monologues and performed them in class. The game of Charades was played using cards that had specific themes that the children acted out and the rest of the class had to guess the action. A Reader's Theater play, performed at the Academic Fair, was introduced in Drama class and the children did a great first read. They continued to practice the play with Miss Kelly for the rest of the week, prior to the Fair.

Clay Art will be introduced in Module 5.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

The students just finished a tennis unit. We were only able to get the kids out to the tennis courts a few times over the last few weeks, but when we went, they had a blast. We mainly focused on the forehand hit. I would feed the students tennis balls from one side of the net, while they tried to hit it over. At the very end of the unit, they were able to partner up and try to rally the tennis ball back and forth. I feel like with the short time given within the unit, they did a really good job staying on task and working hard. The days we were not at the tennis courts, we played games they had created and typed up.

2008-09 Module 3

2008-11-12T05:01:00.001-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

In Module Three, Sr. MAPP students were "falling" into step with their study of descriptive writing, animal classification, and math facts fluency.

In language arts, students have read stories that focused on character and setting. These were paired with questions concerning comprehension and vocabulary. All students are working towards their AR goals and proving to be strong readers. Students enjoyed the read aloud, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as an introduction to descriptive writing.

Given a graphic organizer, students developed topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences as part of their prewriting activity. Later, stickers helped them to organize and write complete sentences for their first draft paragraph. This was a fun experience for all! When students were given their drafts back, we discussed sensory words and adjectives that would improve their writing. Throughout the writing process, students revised and edited their paragraphs in light of peer and teacher feedback. I am so proud of these growing writers! Students in third grade are learning to write lower case letters in cursive, while fourth graders are writing cursive letters and words for continued practice and improvement. Students continue to journal and share their daily entries with the class.

What an exciting science unit on animal classification! Students learned about the kingdoms of living things, invertebrate and vertebrate animals, as well as vascular and nonvascular plants. Hands-on activities included a shoe sort to simulate how scientists classify living things and observing how colored water travels through celery stalks to enhance the concept of “tubes." Students learned about backbones and made their own delicious model using a pipe cleaner, marshmallows, and jelly rings! Finally, students were given a study guide, vocabulary flash-cards , and played Science Jeopardy to prepare for the unit test.

In math, students have worked diligently on daily tasks and shown skill in rounding, addition, subtraction, and comparing numbers. Each student is working towards his/her individual goals and making progress. Daily math bees in addition and subtraction have motivated students to learn their facts and enhance their math fluency. I am very impressed with the consistency of each student's math homework. Please continue to use flash-cards to practice math facts with your child every night.

Module Three ended with a Fall Festival for Lower School. This was a fun and festive time for all! Students participated in a parade, decorated cookies, danced, painted pumpkins, played games, and more!

I have just sent home AR and math progress sheets. What a great class! It's a delight for me to know and work with your child!

Art with Heather Cramer

We have continued our visit to Europe (as part of the "Ripples in Peace" project), where we are learning about history, family, and homes. We learned how stained glass windows told stories for people who couldn't read books and looked at several examples. Each student created a story picture, adding the lines that give it the appearance of a stained glass window. Then we colored these with crayons over a heating tray. The crayon becomes transparent as it melts. Ms. Kelly put these up in the windows where they take your breath away when the sun shines through them! They will go back in our portfolios later.

Next, we talked about homes, and looked at pictures of row houses and thatched cottages from England. Each student made a house using a folder, cutting windows and doors out of the front piece to reveal the story of the family inside... quite inventive and unique! We painted a mural to put these on, and this will be on display next week. The houses will also go into their portfolio (suitcases) later.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

In Module Three we introduced some new improvisational work using two telephones. I allowed the students to talk to each other without prompts to see where their imaginations would take them. Monologues were introduced and each student was given an individual script to take home to memorize. We spent time in the classroom reading them and acting them out. I video taped their performance and then played it back for them to see. I am preparing for them to shift over to Clay Art in the next week or so.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I've been very pleased to see how engaged the students are during our ultimate Frisbee unit these past few weeks. We were able to play at Forest Hills Park and the kids loved it. Ultimate is such an easy sport to pick up! We went over the basic backhand throw and various ways of catching the Frisbee. Despite having only six students in the class, we were able to play a few three on three games. The games went pretty well for the most part. A lot of the kids are competitive, which always makes it interesting! They did a good job of making minor adjustments to get more accurate throws.

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 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 all the totaling, it becomes very time consuming. Thanks!

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

2008-09 Module 2

2008-10-17T11:42:00.001-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

In Module Two, Sr. MAPP students welcomed a new student to the class—Flat Stanley! He is a fictitious character from the story Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown who is flattened by a bulletin board. Throughout the story students answered comprehension questions, created their own Flat Stanleys, and took him home and wrote about their adventures with him. The Flat Stanley Project engages students in letter writing and sending Flat Stanley to people all over the world (geography skills) throughout the year. Students learned the parts of a friendly letter and wrote their own letters to friends and family. We are looking forward to receiving Flat Stanley letters from other parts of the country and learning about his various adventures.

By the end of Module Two, students learned how to write assignments and due dates in their student planners. They have completed homework in spelling, reading, and math. These amazing students are on their way to becoming super organized and responsible! Sr. MAPP students learn new spelling words and complete language activities every week. In addition, it is required that students read a minimum of two Accelerated Reader books during the fall semester.

Students are working independently in math and progressing toward individual goals. They also engage in computer games and activities which enhance specific skills and concepts. Math Whiz, an electronic game, is a big hit with students! At home and in school they are working on addition and subtraction facts using flashcards and drills. Students have shown good ability in comparing numbers, place value, and addition and subtraction concepts.

The children completed a unit on Communities in social studies which involved reading, class discussions, map activities, preparing for a test, and then taking it. All students were successful in this unit of study! We will continue our study of Communities throughout the year.

I am so proud of my students! Look for news about Spanish, Handwriting, Literature and Science in our next module letter.

Art with Heather Cramer

Sr. MAPP is moving along well with our "Ripples of Peace" journey to create art from cultures around the world—and to gather lessons on creating a better world. We finished our passports, suitcase portfolios, and our little clothespin people took off in their hot air balloon for Europe (History/Homes/Community). We each made a history book. We decorated the cover with an illuminated initial after learning about the work done in monasteries to hand letter books. We then wrote a story about ourselves with an illuminated initial cap. Next we studied stained glass windows and learned how they told stories through imagery for the masses who could not read. We are making a stained glass window using a melted crayon technique for transparency.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

We have continued to work on the play introduced during Module One. We watched the movie on which the play is based.

Physical Education with Krista Moll

In P.E. class we started with a volleyball unit. We covered the rules of the game, how to play, and fundamental techniques (like bumping and setting). I've been very impressed with the improvement I've seen so far. The goal of these units is not to turn out performance "stars," but to help students become familiar with the basics of each game so that they can comfortably participate in such sports outside of school.

As most of you are aware, our Fit for Life program began on September 29th. Every Monday, students should bring back a signed activity log from the previous week. Meanwhile, Kelly will distribute new activity logs (for you and your child) for the coming week. Anyone who has not handed in 9/29 to 10/05 activity logs can do so on any Monday. The Fit for Life thermometer is now hanging up 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

2008-09-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Welcome to Sr. MAPP!

Sr. MAPP students are off to an amazing start this school year! Not only do they play well together, but they work well together. This wonderful class of six is eager to learn and hit the books!

In Module One, students have been getting acclimated to our class procedures, class rules, and school policies. All students mastered the rules test administered during the first week. Bravo! Sr. MAPP students participated in a variety of games, pencil and paper tasks, and one-on-one conferences with Miss Kelly. Students engaged in pretesting activities both formal and informal in all subjects. They showed off their writing skills in journals, writing prompt tasks, and spelling. Sr. MAPP students worked diligently on math assignments and also revealed their math abilities in activities involving M&Ms, file folder games, and card games. Students read aloud with Miss Kelly and during class lessons demonstrating their reading skills.

I have enjoyed my time with each student and have gained a much better understanding of each student’s skills and abilities. I am very proud of each and every student for putting forth good effort on all tasks!

Throughout Module One Sr. MAPP students took part in many “getting to know you” activities. Each student designed an “All About Me” poster which is displayed in the Big Hall. Students participated in a scavenger hunt, gave a “ME” Bag presentation, and completed word finds and crossword puzzles to learn more about each other.

We subscribe to Weekly Reader magazine and have weekly lessons. Already students have enjoyed learning and discussing topics on the presidential elections and pandas in captivity. We started our Communities unit in social studies which focuses on the roles of community members, resources, and the characteristics of a community. Students created a “My Resources” collage displaying what families need to have to survive.

Homework for Sr. MAPP has started with reading for a minimum of 20 minutes each night, a math sheet or assignment, and spelling words study. Students are meeting expectations for preparedness and handing in homework on time. We will continue to work on organization and demonstrating responsibility.

Again, I want to thank all families for sending in school supplies and signing your child’s planner every day. Your notes and emails are helpful, and I appreciate all you do.

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 were willing to try all of the games and exercises and showed creativity in their choices. A short play was introduced and will be worked on and performed in the next module. Costumes and props will be supplied by their Sr. MAPP teacher as well as myself, and the children in the class. Our work during module one 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.

When it rained, I taught a health lesson on the benefits of physical activity and the obstacles people face when trying to lead a healthy life. So, yes, PE does require note-taking sometimes!

Module 10

2008-05-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Senior MAPP students were hard at work reading and enjoying The Egypt Game and A Wrinkle in Time in our literature units. Students defined vocabulary words, participated in small groups, and engaged in activities to enhance their understanding of the stories. Comprehension questions are graded on a weekly basis. It’s been exciting to see students enthusiastic about the topics of Egypt and time travel. Our literature units of study will continue through next module, ending with a comprehensive final test.

Students honed their spelling abilities following spelling patterns with a variety of language art tasks. In the Reader’s Notebooks, students continued to write about their reading in a weekly letter. Students developed well-written letters in cursive handwriting. Senior MAPPers are already good at getting their way, now they are very good at persuasive writing. That’s right. Students wrote persuasive papers full of arguments on a given topic. This writing experience walked them through the writing process as drafts evolved into published papers.

In math, students completed daily tasks independently and successfully. As before, they are diligently making progress towards their year-end math goals. It has been very fulfilling to work with each student and to watch them take direction so well. Students handed in daily homework assignments emphasizing math skills and concepts as well as responsibility.

In social studies, student groups built replicas of a medieval castle, a manor, and a cathedral. Students did a phenomenal job using cardboard, paints, and other materials. Students also discussed life in feudal society and the importance of the church and the church hierarchy. Then these learners demonstrated their understanding of feudalism by performing finger puppet plays. It was very entertaining! Finally, we played medieval jeopardy in preparation for our test.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The students are finishing their Student-Led unit. Each student got to teach twice and was required to have a Plan A (outside game) and a Plan B (inside game). They did a great job!

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

The students continued to work on their PowerPoint presentation about the Middle Ages. They had a great time researching their topic and came up with imaginative ways to present their information.

Art with Heather Cramer

We had two lessons to create "Serendipity Art" books. Using beautiful glass paints, we put colors on one side of a page, then folded it over to create a "surprise" print. Each student did 5 of these. The next week, we looked at the designs, and found images which we brought out using black markers. These were gathered to form a book called "Serendipity Art" and we decorated the covers with "Koosh ball" painting! The last week we did sand painting out on the porch - creating a group mural called "Rhythms of the Earth."

Drama with Susie Kless

We practiced the theatre games to demonstrate at Evening of the Arts. I hope you enjoyed their talent and creativity.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Students are increasing their Spanish vocabulary. They have been practicing new words by playing group games. Emphasis is placed on listening comprehension, specifically of basic classroom commands. We have a very enthusiastic class!

Module 9

2008-04-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Spring has sprung and Senior MAPP students are blooming!!

In language arts, students completed their literature study units for Johnny Tremain and The Cricket in Times Square. They met in small groups for story discussion and activities. In the poetry unit that followed, students not only read poems but wrote them and read them aloud in class. They examined haikus, cinquains, and couplets. Students also became familiar with poetic terms such as imagery, free verse, alliteration, simile, and metaphor. As a culminating project, students created a class book of poems. Students wrote weekly letters in their Reader’s Notebook to demonstrate their connections with their reading. More specifically, they have made great strides in responding to teacher questions and providing details about story elements.

Senior MAPP students participated in test preparation for the school-wide standardized testing. Students took practice tests and discussed test taking tips to become comfortable with the test format.

In science, students joined Miss Lori’s microbiology class for a hands-on study of microbes. Students exchanged “liquids” (in cups) with one another while a virus was going around with an unknown source. This experience focused on how some viruses can spread throughout a population. An impressive debate occurred among students as the original virus carrier was made known. This was a fun and informative lesson for all!

We are one step into our social studies unit on the Middle Ages. Students have learned about the terms hierarchy, manor, and villein in our study. To better understand feudal life, Senior MAPP students are working in groups and building a feudal society: castle, cathedral, or manor (which has been assigned). Students will emerge as experts on their aspect Medieval society and will present to others.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The Sr. MAPP class has 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) graphics and Internet research. The students' final project will be a presentation regarding "Medieval Times." Their assignment is to research an "outlying" topic. Some of their topics include: sports/games, weapons, fashion and music. This is a great way for the students to add to their classroom learning and make connections to the medieval culture.

Art with Heather Cramer

Our first lesson this module was a "free expression" day. Each student took time to consider an experience they have had recently, or an imaginary image that came to them, and create a drawing/painting of that. It was fun to see the variety of images that were created. The next week, we went out on the front porch and made wallpaper mosaics of castles. The wallpaper looked like stone and it was fun to see the castle being "built."

Drama with Susie Kless

We are choosing the games that best show off our talents for the Evening of the Arts presentation. We are learning that it takes a lot of skill to "play" theater games.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Students continue to practice correct pronunciation of new vocabulary and are enjoying playing the introduction game "I am ____" in Spanish. We are emphasizing attentive listening and keen observation of body language to help their understanding of new phrases and commands in Spanish.

Module 8

2008-03-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Module 8 was full of learning and exploration for Senior MAPP students. The highlights included literature studies and being a part of Miss Lori’s microbiology class for an in-depth study on microbes.

Just a reminder: Merit Award criteria for Senior MAPP students

No behavior issues or cards turned.
Always prepared with materials for class.
Turn in all assignments on time.

In language arts, Senior MAPP students completed their literature study units on The Cricket in Times Square and Johnny Tremain. This included writing short and long responses to comprehension questions and participating in small group activities. Students enhanced their understanding of story events through discussions. Also, daily Language Review lessons were completed, and students performed very well given a test on analogies, figurative language, parts of speech, and editing sentences. Students are showing vast improvement in their writing skills in the Reader’s Notebook. I am very impressed with their book choices and with their keeping up with deadlines.

Our poetry unit has begun, and students are learning about different types of poems, how to read poetry, and literary terms such as 'alliteration'. In our first poetry activity, students wrote a haiku and a cinquain.

In math, students began each day with a MAD MINUTE calculations drill. They have covered all of the operations with an emphasis on multiplication and division. At the end of each week, students created and charted their weekly progress on a graph. In addition, students have been working hard on their daily math assignments. As a reminder, parent notes will be accepted if a student is unable to complete their daily math assignment. Otherwise, students with incomplete homework will be required to work on it at school.

Test preparation for standardized testing (March 25-27) has begun. Students are reviewing test taking strategies and different test formats. Students work on practice tests and discuss their answers with the group. Soon they will practice testing under timed conditions.

In science, Senior MAPP students participated in Miss Lori’s microbiology class for two fun-filled, hands-on activities. Wearing lab coats, students followed lab procedures as they swabbed the school for microbe samples and placed them in petri dishes. Later, students observed how much their microbes grew. Students collected a sample, placed it on a slide, dried it under a flame, and then stained it with ink. By doing this, students successfully examined their microbes under a microscope. Senior MAPP students were able to see into the hidden world of micro-organisms during these captivating lessons!

(Go to 'Picture Gallery' and 'Sr. MAPP Microbe Hunters' at the Camelot website to see our scientists in action.)

Students have been participating in weekly geography lessons to enhance map skills, knowledge of latitude and longitude, and concepts such as scale. They recently took a map skills test which involved the identification of the continents and oceans, locating hemispheres, locating points on a map using a geographic address, and determining distance by scale.

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 upcoming PowerPoint presentations. They have shown a lot of creativity in their designs 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 by Da Vinci, to the very abstract work of Paul Klee. After placing the basic features proportionately on a face, they 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!

During our next class we created a color wheel - mixing secondary colors from primary colors. Then we used colored paper on black paper to make a mosaic color wheel fish... a rainbow trout!

Most recently, students were asked to draw and then paint an image of a snake after hearing a poem about a snake. We used a palette of primary colors and black and white to mix our own paints.

Drama with Susie Kless

We have been working on theater games and deciding which ones we will be performing at Evening of the Arts. The games incorporate team building skills such as cooperation and listening. The children pair up and try to find an "uncommon commonality". They really talk and listen to each other and learn things they never knew about each other.

Spanish with Celia Battle

We have started Spanish class on Friday afternoons. Students are eager to learn and come to class with lots of energy. They can sing a body song in Spanish and are learning classroom vocabulary. We are emphasizing oral Spanish, with careful listening for comprehension and correct pronunciation.

Module 7

2008-02-27T05:15:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove

Module 7 has concluded and it’s time for this amazing group of Senior MAPP students to raise the bar with an even higher standard of expectations!

To begin with, Merit Awards will be awarded to Senior MAPP students who demonstrate the following:

No behavior issues or cards turned.
All work and assignments turned in on time.
Always prepared with materials for class.

Another new expectation for Senior MAPP students will be the completion of math homework on a daily basis. This will best prepare students for next year.

In math, students are sharpening their pencils for a daily “Mad Minute” drill in multiplication or division. Students then chart their weekly progress. They continue to work diligently on math assignments and ask good questions for clarification and understanding.

In literature study, students are reading The Cricket in Times Square or Johnny Tremain. Students are engaged in both group and independent reading activities to enhance their understanding. Some students created their very own Chester Cricket (made from clothespins, pipe cleaners, and tissue paper) with an elaborately designed cage (made from Styrofoam and pipe cleaners). In celebration of the Boston Tea Party, other students participated in a tea party and built ships using paper cut outs, modeling clay, and straws. Students are working towards their Accelerated Reader goals. They review their progress during a conference with the teacher.

During our American Heroes unit of study, students are researching biographical information and creating Power Point presentations with specific emphasis on qualities that make a hero. One of our very own American heroes, Justin Felix, a parent and Navy veteran, was a guest speaker who discussed his life in the Navy and what it meant to serve America. It would be wonderful to have more parent guest speakers to present on topics of their choice. Senior MAPP students gain much from this experience!

In Geography, students are reading and locating places on a map using lines of longitude and latitude. In addition, they are able to identify the continents, oceans, equator, prime meridian, hemispheres, and climate associated with distance from the equator.

“Gung hay fat choy!” Students participated in Chinese New Year activities on February 7. Students were introduced to this celebration with a video, a reading of Sam and the Lucky Money, and given traditional red envelopes. Chinese banners were decorated, a chasing dragon game was played, and the festivities were concluded with chopsticks and Chinese take-out.

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 discovered that their experiences with Word will help them in the process of 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 beside the first floor staircase.

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 will continue this project by doing a drawing of a face using the proportional placement of features and then completing them using oil crayons and watercolors.

Drama with Susie Kless

Many of the students in this class are members of the drama club. They will be working on a variety of theatre and improv games. This is to explore their own creativity. They will also being learning stage directions and terminology.

Module 6

2008-02-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report with Kelly Grove Senior MAPP students entered the New Year with a play performance, “Three Stories from Wayside School." Throughout the Special Session week, students prepared for the performance in many ways: practicing lines, creating sets, painting backdrops, rehearsals, and dress rehearsal. Many parents attended the final performance on Friday, January 11^th. This was an impressive group of players who demonstrated a natural talent for the stage. Bravo! Bravo!!

In Math, students are continuing to work hard everyday on math tasks. Students are taking full ownership of their math learning. They ask good questions to clarify math skills and concepts. They continue to take advantage of supplemental materials and activities. All students need to review multiplication and division facts three through twelve.

In Language Arts, students are reading and discussing The Cricket in Times Square or Johnny Tremain for literature study. Students are working on vocabulary words, comprehension questions, and extension activities. New spelling words are given every week with a spelling text assignment, then tested the following week. All students are showing good effort on spelling work. Students continued to write letters about their reading in the Reader’s Notebook on a weekly basis.

Students have begun a unit on “American Heroes” for social studies that will extend for two modules. Through Power Point lesson presentations, students have enhanced their understanding of what an American is and the rights and responsibilities of Americans. Another lesson covered the many definitions of a “hero”, qualities of a hero, and finally an overview of the Power Point project students will create and present on their selected American hero. Next week, students will use books and the Internet to research their heroes and organize that data. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., students read and completed maps and comprehension questions about his life and dream. Students wrote acrostic poems for the word “Freedom” which are displayed.

In art, the students learned about the life and art of Michelangelo. They read about his famous masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel. Using oil pastels, students drew animals while lying on their backs onto a piece of paper taped under their desk. This exercise modeled Michelango’s experience painting ceilings on a scaffold. This was an enjoyable art experience for all!

Physical Education with Paige Passavant This module our students practiced their gymnastic skills as we delved into our unit on Educational Gymnastics. 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 We have begun our unit in PowerPoint. This unit allows students to create a unique method in 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 for drama instruction, Miss Heather Cramer for art instruction and Miss Celia for Spanish instruction.

Module 5

2007-12-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report from Kelly Grove

Senior MAPP students continued to work hard in all areas for Module Five. As we ended the semester, students decorated the classroom with paper links and snowflakes creating a winter wonderland. (Since it’s not going to snow in Durham, let it snow in Senior MAPP!)

In language arts, students began a unit on sentences with a focus on subjects and predicates. Daily Language Review lessons included sentence editing, analogies, pronouns, synonyms and antonyms, and figures of speech. Students continued to hone their reading skills in finding facts given a variety of reading selections. In writing, students wrote a personal narrative about a favorite holiday memory using the writing process. Writing instruction emphasized transition words and creating a mood. Many student narratives were humorous and very entertaining!

Senior MAPP students read a variety of literature including a minimum of three AR books for the semester. They used a calendar to write in due dates and had conferences with Miss Kelly to review their on-going progress. Students took ownership with their AR quizzes and reading goals. What a great recommendation list of books we have generated!

Students wrote weekly letters in their Reader’s Notebook. Letters showed student understanding of the plot, characters, setting, and predictions about a specific book.

In math, students continued to work diligently on daily math tasks. They took advantage of supplementary activities as well. Each student had a pacing guide to track his/her progress for each module. An updated math pacing guide with grades will go home. On a similar note, math homework is assigned on an as needed basis. At the end of the day, I always ask, “Who needs math homework?” Yes, that sounds corny, but some students respond positively. Please let me know if you would like to see more math homework.

In science, students became agents in the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) unit, which involved three investigations. Each crime included background information, visual aids, and comprehension questions. In the “Grade Tampering” crime, students learned about the importance of fingerprints as they made fingerprints and used magnifying lenses to identify the different types. Students tracked footprints in the “Stepping into Crime” investigation to determine which suspect was telling the truth. The “Corroded Cans” crime involved discussions and role playing. As a result, students created various scenarios to the crime relying on inferences and using deductive thinking skills.

In Spanish, students participated in lessons and activities on numbers and telling time. Students learned how to read, write, and say numbers to 100. Lessons for telling time included time to the hour, quarter hour, half hour, and minute. Students applied their knowledge in a Telling Time bingo game and worksheet activities.

Andy Warhol was our artist of the module. Students learned about the life of Andy Warhol and his art style, pop art, with several art projects. This group of artists created “labels” for everyday products and portraits.

Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington

This module began by learning the melody of Silent Night on the recorders. We then transferred this melody to the keyboards, and the students recorded their playing into GarageBand. Some of the students were able to move ahead and create additional instrument tracks to form a more complete accompaniment, and some spent the time just figuring out the notes! Still in the festive mood, the class moved on to create an original Holiday tune and the results were impressive: containing such classic elements as bells and trumpets. The compositions definitely sounded seasonal. This unit was a preview of more to come after the break, when students will delve a little deeper into composition on the computer.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

We explored a new area of our "Wellness" curriculum with the unit on Health Education and Practice. We studied the five dimensions of what it means to be "well". We touched on various ways to maintain physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual health.

Computer Technology with Paige Passavant

We concluded our unit in Microsoft Word by editing our Academic Fair brochures, creating another brochure ("All About Me") and using our expertise to help with the whole school challenge: making hundreds of holiday cards for the residents of the Murdock Center. Students are excited about beginning PowerPoint when we return from break.

Module 4

2007-11-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report from Kelly Grove Senior MAPP students had a great Module Four! In language arts, students continued to read a variety of literature and respond to letters in their Reader’s Notebook. Weekly book talks encouraged them to discuss their book selections and share their reading with others. Students learned new strategies for finding facts. They also learned new spelling words and completed different spelling tasks each week. In math, students learned how to solve logic puzzles featuring dinosaurs. Senior MAPP students continued to work diligently on daily math tasks. They took advantage of supplementary activities and assignments as a means to enhance their mathematical knowledge. In science, students completed a unit on dinosaurs in preparation for Academic Fair. The unit was introduced with a Discovery Channel “When Dinosaurs Roamed America” video presentation in which students learned about dinosaur adaptations and environments. Students also participated in a hands-on lesson using Play-Doh and molds to understand various fossil types. Given a dinosaur group, each student conducted research and wrote reports on individual dinosaurs. Students read a lot!! They showed their enthusiasm by bringing in encyclopedias, books, and online facts. Students typed short descriptive paragraphs and fact sheets as well as prepared bibliographies. On a three panel board, students designed their displays with paint and construction paper creating an environment ideal for their dinosaur. Students created dinosaur drawings using a variety of resources. Students strategically placed labels, writings, and drawings on their boards. Finally, students used yarn and measurement tools to understand the size of their dinosaurs. Senior MAPP student displays for Academic Fair went beyond expectations! What a helpful, cooperative class of students! Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington This module has been a cumulative period for Sr. MAPP in the work they have been doing on the soprano recorder. I have been impressed with the quality of sound that the students have been able to produce - remembering to use just a small amount of breath and pressing hard to cover each hole. Our finale performance was at the Academic Fair, where the students performed an original piece about dinosaurs. Combining their singing, recorder playing, and percussion with Jr. MAPP and the Kindergarten class, has been an exciting challenge. Physical Education with Paige Passavant This short module allowed the students to continue our Target Games unit. After we concluded our Frisbee Golf Tournament we designed a new course. We also worked on some real golf skills, such as putting and chipping. Computer Technology with Paige Passavant The students continued fine-tuning their Academic Fair brochures, using Word to make changes as necessary. A color copy of each student's work will be sent home before we break for the holidays, giving students and their families the opportunity to evaluate how effectively the information is displayed.

Module 3

2007-11-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

Classroom Report from Kelly Grove As Senior MAPP students furthered their writing about a North Carolina topic, they began to see their research develop into an informational report. Through peer edits and teacher conferences, students worked hard as they edited, revised, and published their writings. Students presented their North Carolina reports which resulted in a greater understanding of North Carolina for all students. In math, students continued to work diligently on daily math assignments, chapter, and unit tests. They engaged in activities for multiplication and division facts (0-12), Roman numerals, and U.S. customary measurement (“Gallon Guy” art project). In reading, students completed lessons on sequence skills and types of sentences. Students selected their own literature and wrote weekly letters detailing their reading connections in the Reader’s Notebook. These entries allowed students to have an ongoing correspondence with Miss Kelly. In addition, weekly class book talks enhanced students’ understanding of book selection, literary elements, and genre. Students were given weekly spelling words which followed specific rules and patterns. They completed packets of language and writing exercises and then were later administered a test. Senior MAPP students started a science unit on dinosaurs. Students created a life time line highlighting the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras and placed a variety of plants and animals under the corresponding eras. Students learned about dinosaur adaptations and environments through note-taking, a video presentation, readings, and discussions. Students honed their cursive handwriting skills through daily exercises. In Spanish, Senior MAPP students listened to La Verdadera Historia de los Tres Cerditos por Jon Scieszka (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs) and recognized vocabulary words throughout the reading. House vocabulary words were learned and students designed a dream house with Spanish labels. In art, students celebrated Pablo Picasso’s art in a “Fractured Friend” picture. They drew portraits of one another, added color, then cut out large pieces and rearranged them to create a cubism image. Students also learned about the life of Paul Klee and his art style. Klee’s one line art was captured in a sculpture made out of flower wire, clay, and beads. Senior MAPP students designed beautiful and bold sculptures revealing dynamic artistic ability. Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington The Sr. MAPP class took a mini break from recorders at the beginning of this module to learn "The 50 States Song." This was a fun challenge which also served to learn the names of every state. When we returned to playing the recorder, our focus moved onto melody writing and basic music notation. The children had the opportunity to compose their own melody, using the notes G-A-B-C-D, teach it to a partner, and then attempt to write it down on manuscript paper. We prepared with some activities around writing simple rhythms (quarter and eighth notes) and most of the children were able to write down their melodies successfully. Next module, we will be incorporating what we have learned into a Lower School performance for Academic Fair. I look forward to seeing you there! Physical Education with Paige Passavant Students in Sr. MAPP class 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. We ended our unit by having a Frisbee golf tournament. Nine holes were created around the grounds. This two-day tournament allowed players to submit their best score from each hole. The tournament results will be posted. Computer Technology with Paige Passavant This module was a continuation of our Microsoft Word unit. The students are learning ways to manipulate Word to create a brochure for their Academic Fair project. The creativity has been astounding and the classes are eager to show off their work.

Module 2

2007-10-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Classroom Report from Kelly Grove Senior MAPP students completed the second module very well! At this time, students are very familiar with classroom routines and expectations. Students are super helpful and cooperative with one another. Students made good strides in working through math problems both review and new. Math fluency for multiplication facts (0-12) involved flashcard and packet activities. Last week, students were given new spelling words with a packet of language and writing exercises. Students demonstrated good editing skills with capitalization, usage, punctuation, and spelling on daily language review activities. Already, students have become familiar with CUPS and other editing strategies in these practices. Students excelled on their first Reader’s Notebook entry which revealed strong reading and writing connections. Literature circle activities enhanced students’ understanding of types of genre and literary elements. Reading instruction focused on sequence skills. Our interdisciplinary North Carolina unit continues to involve a social studies and language arts component. Student inquiries developed into a research topic of their choice. They have implemented the writing process using graphic organizers and reference materials. Students gained knowledge in their ability to access information through books and technology. Senior MAPP students demonstrated good ability to use keywords to access information on the Internet. Currently, students are in the process of research and writing an informational report. In Spanish, Senior MAPP students were read, ¿Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo, que ves ahi? (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?). Students learned to recognize and say Spanish colors and animals from this book. Given an expanded list of translated animal names, students performed pantomimes. Students also labeled and designed pictures of animals given a specific environment or biome. Students learned about the life of Pablo Picasso and his art form, cubism. In this art unit, students will create a work of art celebrating Picasso’s art. Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington The beginning of this module was spent finishing up our music pretesting in time for conferences. Then, we moved onto the recorders - learning the notes B, A, and G. After some miscommunication about the type of recorder needed (a soprano), it turns out that most of the children do have the correct instrument upon which to begin learning. The few who brought an alto recorder (bigger and in a different key) are borrowing a soprano from the school. As the children progress, there will be opportunities to perform on the alto recorder also. The children are quickly developing a feel for the instrument. Using less breath is always better than using more (there have been multiple warnings about loud and deliberate squeaks!) and covering the holes completely with the fingers is becoming more natural for most players. Next module, we will extend the range of notes used, and begin composing our own melodies. Physical Education with Paige Passavant During Module 2 students explored the world of Invasion Games and Skills. We used this opportunity to run trials that will help fine-tune offensive and defensive skills needed for games like basketball, football, soccer, hockey, etc. We finished our unit playing soccer and "Fiona's Game" (a game using basketball skills/concepts). Computer Technology with Paige Passavant Students spent Module 2 learning about computer safety. We explored several wonderful websites that cater to children's sensitivities and cognitive abilities in explaining safety practices for Internet use. Please check them out yourself- kids.gov and netsmartz.org