Our first collaborative project is complete! Each pair of students presented their poster and provided positive feedback and constructive criticism to each other. After the presentation, students in both classes decided it was necessary to further edit and revise. The fourth graders did such a wonderful job that we were asked to collaborate with both kindergarten classes and the other second grade class. Take a look at our finished Glogsters.

The STARS recently began a collaboration project with Mrs. Fahl’s second grade class as part of a curriculum requirement for every student to create a presentation. I decided a wonderful way for the younger students to do this would be to have a mentor. Mrs. Fahl and I integrated Language Arts and technology by chosing the task to be an author study. As part of the project, a fourth and a second grader were paired up to research an author using online resources. This gave the students a chance to read and determine important information using electronic media. The outcome will be the publication of Glogsters, interactive posters. All the children were very excited when the project was announced and look forward to working with each other every week. Here’s a glimpse of the students working dilegently….

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Earlier this year the kids researched simple machines. With the information gathered, students created interactive posters called Glogsters. Here is a sampling….to see a Glogster in detail, just click on the poster when it appears.

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Our Words of Leadership

Recently we attended a regional leadership conference.  The conference was held at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT.  Six 4^th grade students from Andrew Avenue Elementary School were chosen by their teachers based on leadership qualities.  We were among over 300 students selected from our state.  In the conference we discussed about communication, split decision making and professional thinking.

At the beginning everyone met in the auditorium to discuss the events and schedule of the day.  We were all given a schedule to follow that showed us the activities we would be attending, and a map of the school to figure out where we had to go.  The three main focal points for the day were communication, decision making, and professional thinking.

 For the communication activity we played a telephone and maze game.  In the telephone game, the first person had to say a funny phrase and pass it along to the next person until it got to the last person in the group.  We discovered that when a person says something to one person, it might get distorted.  For the maze activity we had to find the right path on a grid without talking to our team members.  If we stepped onto the wrong square, a buzzer sounded to indicate we made the wrong move.  We learned that team members can communicate, like sign language, without always talking.  Through these two activities we learned that communicating can be done in different ways.

In acting we had to act as a character and use a real life situation.  For example, you were involved in a plane crash and you notified your family.  Your family asks if you are okay and if you have to be taken to a hospital. The good decision is to say you need medical attention. The bad decision is not admitting you are injured, therefore not going to the hospital.  Also, the decision making session was about making right choices.

Another session was on professional thinking outside the box. For example, in class we had to make a hole that a teenager could fit through in one post card.  People thought it was impossible, but Charlie volunteered to try to fit through the post card hole and it worked!  The hole in the post card was made by folding and cutting it in certain way.  Also, the students from Andrew Avenue got to share what they do with students at their school.  They shared how to be Safe, Try Your Best, of course having an Awesome Attitude, and Respect Themselves and others. Our positive reinforcement behavior plan is STAR student. Some other students shared how their school used BEE. BEE was when you would get a card, and then at the end of the week your card could get picked, and you get a reward like us too.

We got the privilege to go to the Waterbury College because we are leaders in that we help others, are good examples of STAR behavior and more.

By Briana, Charlie, Dylan

In the September issue of National Geographic Explorer magazine, there was an article about rare bears called spirit bears.  The children were fascinated that the spirit bear resembled the artic polar bear but bur was actually a black bear that lived in the temporate forest off the west coast of Canada.  What made this bear rare was its genetic trait giving it white fur.  The students were wondering if anyone has actually seen a spirit bear as there are times when we see black bears close to our homes.

~Mrs. Yammine

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Recently the students at Andrew Avenue School were visited by WTNH’s Erica Grow and the Mobile Weather Lab!  Students and staff were given a presentation on how to stay safe in severe weather.  Then the children had a chance to see the mobile weather lab and learn about the different instruments that gather data to be used to report the weather.  WTNH uses the mobile lab to travel to different parts of the state to report the weather.  Often, meteorologists are sent out in some of the worst weather conditions.  A huge thanks to Mrs. Trisko for organizing the event.

 http://www.wtnh.com/gallery/news/report_it/wtnh-mobile-weather-lab-photos

http://wtnh.tv/blogs/index.php/wtnh/2011/09/21/school-talks-and-saturday-s

 

 

 

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4100205/Descriptive_words

During open house parents were asked to write one word that best describe his/her child.  Here is what they said.

Enjoy our Wordle!
Mrs. Yammine and the Super STARS

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Welcome to the 2011 – 2012 school year! The Super STARS are off to a great start. We are focusing on all the necessary routines needed to make the school year go smoothly for the first few days. We have already started using technology too! The children will be publishing acrostic poems using an interactive online program. I can’t wait to share our work with everyone.
~Mrs. Yammine

Our new school year begins on August 31st and with that brings a new group of STARS to my classroom. I cannot wait to meet my class this year and hear about the wonderful books they’ve read over the summer. I want to post some pictures of my new galaxy of stars reading their favorite book! See everyone soon, Mrs. Yammine

Former Super STARS (and potential Super STARS) wanted to virtually get together and due a book study over the summer with me. Students picked common books that I will be reading along with them. Through our blog, we will be communicating back and forth with questions, thoughts, predictions, etc. As part of their fourth and fifth grade reading requirements, students will complete a project of their choice. As the students chose different books in the Ga’Hoole series to read, I made a page under READING called BOOK STUDY that will have multiple posts for each book. We hope you follow along with us on this virtual adventure!