Poetry Showcase
Families of Upper El students braved the snow this week to come in for a special Poetry Showcase! Upper El spent the first trimester thinking about "What makes a poem a poem?" and "What inspires poets to write poetry?" during an extensive literacy unit.
The unit began with reading
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech - a novel written in verse form. As they read about the character Jack, and his own experiences with poetry, students practiced finding the gist of passages, summarizing, tracking character development, and analyzing poems from published poets such as Robert Frost, Valerie Worth and Arnold Adoff. Students also learned the characteristics of poetry - like structure, rhythm and meter, and imagery - and how poets use them.
Next, students dove into informational reading and writing as they researched poets like William Carlos Williams and Walter Dean Myers. They read biographical articles and learned what inspired these poets.
Finally, students got to write their own poetry! Students were excited to share their work with families and talk about their inspiration! We loved reading (and hearing) their amazing creations! They worked hard and we are so proud of them!
Winter Holidays Family Breakfast in Room 283
We are sharing photos taken at Room 283 Winter Holidays Family Breakfast. The Family Breakfast was a joyful and successful event!
We would like to thank our Room Parents Lisa, Bernadette’s Mom, Kerry, Narain’s Mom, and Lisa, Timothy’s Mom, for organizing and keeping everything Earth-friendly.
Holiday Tea in Room 287
Room 287 hosted a Holiday Tea for the families. The children served their special guests baked goods, fruit and of course tea!
Many thanks to all the families who came and enjoyed this special time with their children.