EdPuzzle

We have found ourselves a little website gem called EdPuzzle! It is a website where you can upload screencasts or videos and include questions for students to answer. Each RHES student is watching a video about our Acceptable Use Policy when using technology and the Bring Your Own Device Policy. Students are doing a great job reinforcing expectations!

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! It may not actually start until Thursday, but I couldn't wait to show you how fun the library looks this year... with a PAWS theme. "Get your PAWS on a good book" and show spot-on reading strategies. Our PAWS for expectations are Problem solve, Always do your best, Work and talk together, and Show respect for other readers.

Our PAWS for strategies are: 

P- practice, predict

A- ask questions, analyze elements

W- wonder and connect, write about books

S- stop and think, share

All good readers should do these!

So let's have another great year together PAWSing for good books!

 And don't forget those Battle of the Books books... coming soon :)

Book Swap!

Today we hosted a Book Swap in the library! Students were able to drop off up to 5 gently used books in the library in the morning and come back at lunch recess to swap for "new" books! We had LOTS of students participate and I used some discarded library books for the inventory so teachers could also send students they think could use an extra book this summer!

5th grade STEM Team Challenge

Since it's so close to the end of the year, I thought I would switch up my lesson plan and incorporate some Makerspace/STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) activities. My 5th graders were given a cup challenge in 3 groups. Their team goal was to create the highest cup tower without touching the cups with any part of their body! They had string, tape, scissors, straws, craft sticks, and 60 cups to work with. It was certainly an exercise in teamwork, patience, and creativity. I have never had so many kids peeking in the library to see what we were doing! The winning team had a tower 37.5 inches high but admitted they touched it near the end, so the winners had a 33 inch tower but I rewarded all teams for good teamwork, sportsmanship, and imagination!

Ms. Collins' Class stated their cases to the judges on why they should go to 3rd grade. Check out the video below! Please be respectful of students' privacy by keeping this off social media websites and sharing with immediate family and friends only. Thank you!

Click HERE to see it!

First Grade Signs of Spring Collages

My first graders are working on seeing the signs of spring. They took photos using the ipads throughout a 6 week period and then I uploaded them to our student shared drive. One class is working on Animoto videos with their book buddies and another made picture collages using Picmonkey. They turned out amazing! Here are a few!

Fable Stories in Google Slides

My 3rd grade classes are doing a unit on fables. We have read many, did a socrative survey on the moral/message, and then wrote our own! Today we started typing them in Google slides. I love how many are turning out! They are working on adding photos using the Tools-Research and even a little animation on the photos...

Mason's Fox Story
Kiera's Bird Story (not quite finished)

I have never seen these 3rd graders so focused!