Family Update: What We're Learning

As we prepared to kick off February vacation, students helped draft a letter home to parents about what they have been learning. A typed version was signed by each student and sent home. Note the vocabulary words, which they promised to explain to their parents: survive, migrate, hibernate, cherish, and treasure.


Dear Family,

We have been learning about many things at school. We have learned how animals survive in winter. Birds migrate. Bears hibernate.

We have also been talking about the things we cherish. We have been naming the treasures we have, such as home-made gifts and valentines.

Sincerely,

Room A415
Mackenzie, Valery, Nathan, Adam, Rafael, Lorhany, Prissy, Josue, Samuel, & Joao

Guided Writing: Winter in Malden

Written by our ESL class:Nathan, Ethan, Samuel, Priestelle, Rafael, Joao, Joshua, Adam, Mackenzie, Lorhanny, and Anson.

Winter in Malden

Our favorite soup simmering on the stove
we rest beneath a soft blanket
as a blanket of soft snow
covers the frozen ground outside

Our mittens hang to dry
near wet boots
Tomorrow they'll be ready
to build snowballs and snow forts
before we hop on our sleds
and glide gently down the hill

New Year's Day

This is a poem written by Ransetsu, a Japanese poet. We have been reciting it from a poster we have in class. It is spare and simple but includes some great vocabulary for English language learners!

New Year's Day
by Ransetsu

New Year's Day dawns
Twittering sparrows chatter
like happy people

What Are You Thankful For?

Our class talked about the meaning behind Thanksgiving and why it's good to think about the many people and things we have. Here's a short list of some of the things our class is thankful for:

-my mom
-my dad
-my family
-my dog
-my friends
-my brother
-my sister
-my school

Happy Thanksgiving!

Describing words

We have been talking about descriptive writing and how important it is to use specific language. In honor of Halloween, students (who are in grades 1-3) have come up with some good "spooky phrases." Again, our focus is on using our senses to create vivid images.

Spooky Phrases

-rattling skeletons
-glowing jack-o-lanterns
-howling ghosts
-a cackling witch
-a furry werewolf
-a vampire's velvet cape

Guided Writing: Autumn Poem

Note: The following poem was written by our ESL class: Nathan, Ethan, Samuel, Priestelle, Rafael, Joao, Joshua, and Adam. We first learned about symbols and read a poem about autumn. After that, we worked to come up with images of fall that used our senses and strung them together into a poem of our own.


Fall Is In the Air

Wind blowing through trees
as leaves fall
Red, yellow and orange
Acorns crunching beneath our feet

We think of jack-o-lanterns
shining brightly
from dark windows and porches
at night
And wait for gooey candy
and the smell of hot apple pie