Toes, Knees, and Tails

Where is your elbow? Where is your knee? How many legs does a giraffe have? What is the difference between a monkey and a chimpanzee? (Hint: one has a tail, and the other doesn't!) Second, third, and fourth grade students learned to ask and answer these questions and many more at the beginning of this week.

First, students reviewed how to say, read, and write the names of common body parts. Many students knew words like eyes, ears, and nose, but realized that using the correct word for toe, foot, knee, and leg was actually trickier than they thought. Students worked together in pairs and groups to strengthen their speaking, reading, and listening skills using these words. Finally, students used what they'd learned about body parts to write lists, sentences, and paragraphs describing common animals.

Animal Explorations

Our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade students have been busy learning about animals this week. Many of us will put these lessons to immediate use next week when we go on a field trip to experience animals in real life!

Students learned words to describe animal body coverings (feathers, scales, fur, etc.) and specific body parts (tail, wing, beak, etc.). Students practice sentence structures like "A ___ has ___."This is a great unit for learning to sort and classify, so students practiced sorting animals by their body coverings and features.

Students have also been reading both non-fiction and realistic fiction to learn more about how animals body parts and body coverings help them survive in the wild. For example, did you know that some lizards can drop their tails so they can run away free if a predator catches them? Did you know that a platypus has a sense of electricity? After reading this week, our students do!

Star Interviews

Our kindergartners and first graders are superstars - and we have the autographs to prove it!

Target language:
1. "What's your name?" "My name is..."
2. "How old are you?" "I'm __ years old."
3. Reading and writing names

Students used our target language to ask other students' names and ages, collecting their friends' "autographs" in their journals. Students learned about their new classmates, became comfortable greeting new people, and learned more about the sounds letters make by learning to read other students' names. 

What is Newcomer ESL?

ESL stands for English as a Second Language. Newcomer students are new to the American school system and the English language.

Our school is proud to be the home of the ESL Welcome Center! In the newcomer classroom, students are provided with a safe learning environment where they can take risks in learning social and academic English. 

The goal of the program is for students to learn basic language skills that will allow them to actively participate and succeed in the traditional classroom. In the beginning of the school year, students spend several hours of their day in the Welcome Center, and the rest of the day in their regular classroom. As their English language skills progress, students gradually transition to spending their full school day in the regular classroom.


Watch as our frogs leap ahead!