Kiker's Strength-Based Learning Cohort

This week we started a new routine with Learning Habits. We know it took some getting used to, but the students were fabulous in following through and asking questions until we mastered it! We changed them in an effort to work our communication muscle between home and school, and to help kids dig a bit deeper in what they are practicing at home. Thanks so much for your support! We are using a weekly theme to focus our TEAM meetings and project time. That theme is the direct link to our Learning Habits. Reflecting and reinforcing a sole theme will afford deeper understanding and practice! This week in ELA we continued precision in our nonfiction text features, margin notes, reading with stamina, and thinking about our reading. Mrs. Forrest is meeting with us individually and listening to readers -- and so impressed with how much growth they are making!! In 4th, we completed our letters to Ms. Septys as well as composed two expository outlines in depth. Third Graders are writing nonf...

Play the attached video and follow along with the text. When the video is done, you will do the last section of the article, "America's 45th President." Signpost flipped lesson

This week TEAM meetings focused on being in the moment and taking risks. We watched a hermit crab leave the comfort of their shell to find a new shell, but not without effort (ask them about bringing the anemones with them). Mrs. Blake shared how she also had the chance to see things from a different perspective at her conference and apply risk taking in her learning! In reading, Fourth has been working with nonfiction annotations. We've been looking for signposts and using a graphic organizer to get in depth with our thinking. They are also writing Ruta Septys, the author of Salt to the Sea. We will be sending our letters and hope for a response! Third did nonfiction annotation as well, learning about Google's driverless car, Waymo. It was exciting to find out that they are testing it here in Austin! We have also been focusing on reading with a critical eye, looking for what perspective the author is giving us. Second Grade read Martin's Big Words, My Brother Martin, and...

This week we reflected on how our systems for getting to school on time and having our materials are working. We focused on what we needed to have here, and how we might organize them to ensure that they are ready for us each morning. Hopefully, as we make things more efficient and routine, we will minimize forgetting and maximize our time. In project, we've begun learning about our sister school, Allison. We have been comparing and contrasting some statistics between our two locations and schools. Third and Fourth had Benchmarks this week on Wednesday and Thursday.  We worked so diligently for a long period of time! Great effort to all our kiddos! Thank you Second Grade, for being flexible and Mrs. Blake, for all the amazing learning time they had with you! Second Grade is delving deep with learning nonfiction text features. Not simply what they are, but how they relate to the story and how they help us understand the text in the article itself! Third Grade completed their r...

Fourth Graders, it's time to write Ruta! Included below is a link. Access your doc from the folder. Edit and format the picture as you like, and write the author of Salt to the Sea. Include as much evidence from the text as possible. Tell her about your character, and make sure to let her know the impact this book has had on you. I will send it to her when we are done. Google Folder - Salt to the Sea Letters ❤❤❤❤Mrs. Forrest

We hope you all had a wonderful winter break! It was a great time to rest and relax, but we are so happy to be back at school! This week, we spent our time reflecting and goal setting, ready to take on the second half of the year. In reading, second and third grade have been studying genres, specifically nonfiction. We are analyzing each of the text features and finding how if we are careful, we can learn a great deal before we even dive into the article! Third grade has added signposts to their nonfiction reading, which have been helpful in guiding our margin notes. So far, they have been looking at Numbers and Statistics closely, as well as coming at the article with a Questioning Stance, knowing the facts presented have been placed there because they fit the author's purpose. Fourth Grade is finishing their novel, and are processing what they want the final step in their character vignette, their message in a bottle, to say. Fourth grade mathematicians continue to develop ...